Best Sports Books: Top 5 Must-Reads Most Recommended By Experts -

Sometimes, there’s nothing better than reading a great book that you can’t put down. Tales about sports have their own distinct nature that sets them apart from the others. It can be hard to decide which stories stand out from the rest. That’s where StudyFinds comes in. After scouring the internet, we found the best sports books every fan needs to read.

There are many benefits to reading, and they start when you are young. A recent study suggests children are likely happier, more physically active, have a more active imagination, and even problem-solve better than kids who rarely or never read. A poll conducted by Epic of 1,500 American parents and 500 K–6 teachers revealed that 91 percent of children between five and 12 years old who are avid readers are also happier than those who don’t (36%). Likewise, 92 percent who read frequently are more physically active than those who don’t (40%). Kids who read “often” and “very often” generally have a more active imagination than those who rarely or never read (95%, compared to 57%).

Reading to children when they’re young also helps them get a head start when they’re heading into kindergarten. The Ohio State University researchers found reading five books a day to your children exposes them to about 1.4 million more words by kindergarten than those children who did not have books read to them. But even if parents or caregivers read just one book a day, that still offers children the chance to hear about 290,000 more words by the time they reach kindergarten than if they never had story time.

Whether reading to a little one or exploring a new genre yourself, we have got you covered. StudyFinds has compiled the top five best sports books of all time. Did we miss one of your favorites? Sound off in the comments below!

open book on stack of books — Books (Photo by Pixabay on Pexels)

The List: Best Sports Books, According to Experts

1. “Fever Pitch” by Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby’s “Fever Pitch” tops the best sports book list as he tackles his obsessive fandom with the Arsenal soccer team. “Hornby could not have imagined that his book would be relevant to the football fan’s experience 26 years after it was first published,” writes Esquire. “It’s harder for fans to follow Hornby’s best piece of advice — be seen reading the papers’ back pages on the first days of a new job, to attract fellow supporters — but he absolutely nails the inexorable pull of football fandom. And he had to do it all with boring, boring Arsenal.”

“This story behind Fever Pitch will be relatable to anyone who has ever dove headfirst into fandom. But not just fandom during the good times, but during the hard times, the losing seasons, the disappointing losses,” says Broke By Books. “In this case, author Nick Hornby is talking about his life’s passion, football (soccer to Americans), though any fan can relate. This is definitely one of best books about sports from a fan’s perspective.”

“Fever Pitch” was made into a movie starring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, but with a baseball spin. “You’ve probably heard of this one in its form as a Jimmy Fallon-led (remember when he used to act?) 2004 romantic comedy about a guy balancing his love life with his obsessive love for the Boston Red Sox,” notes Men’s Health. “The movie, actually, is based on a memoir of obsessive devotion to English Football Club Arsenal, written by author Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, A Long Way Down). Funny, interesting, and still engrossing, if you’re a sports fan who just can’t figure out why you continue rooting for the loser, you’ll find home here.”

2. “Paper Lion” by George Plimpton

George Plimpton’s “Paper Lion” is a hysterical look at how he talked his way into the Detroit Lions’ training camp as a quarterback in the 1960s. “Participatory journalism and stunt journalism have a long history, including in sports. George Plimpton’s ‘Paper Lion’ is still the pinnacle,” says Yardbarker. “For the book, Plimpton ‘tried out’ for the Detroit Lions in 1963 as the third-string quarterback. What he was really doing was cataloging what it’s like to be around an NFL team and to actually partake in its practices and drills. It was a brand-new kind of football book, and it’s still interesting even though the NFL has changed just a bit since then.”

“This classic sports journalism book captures the behind-the-scenes antics of a 60-man football team in close quarters,” notes Read This Twice. “The author recounts his experiences training with the Detroit Lions and taking snaps behind center, offering insight into the pressures and rites of rookies in the sport. With wit and humor, this book is considered one of the funniest and most insightful ever written about football. Featuring a never-before-seen foreword and content from the Plimpton Archives, it’s a must-read for any football enthusiast.”

“Paper Lion” was eventually turned into a feature film starring Alan Alda. “What would happen if a regular guy suited up for an NFL team? That’s what the legendary writer George Plimpton tried to find out in his 1966 classic of participatory journalism,” says Men’s Health. “Seeking to explore the difference between regular people and professional athletes, Plimpton went through training camp with the Detroit Lions—and took a disastrous series of snaps under center for the team in an exhibition game—and chronicled the experience for our edification. He embarked on similar experiments in professional baseball, hockey, boxing, and golf.”

3. “Open: An Autobiography” by Andre Agassi

“Open: An Autobiography” by Andre Agassi is a raw and intimate memoir about the successes of the tennis star and the troubles dealing with drug addiction. “Simply the best sporting autobiography ever written. Devastatingly honest,” notes All Sports Book Reviews.

“A candid and engrossing memoir, ‘Open’ tells the remarkable story of a man who was groomed to be a tennis champion from birth,” writes Read This Twice. “Despite achieving fame, wealth, and eight grand slam titles, Andre Agassi struggled to find fulfillment in the sport he came to resent. Through his highs and lows, Agassi reveals his early success, marriage to Brooke Shields, interest in philanthropy, and uncomfortable relationship with fame. This book goes far beyond a professional tennis memoir and offers readers a glimpse into the life of a man who overcame great challenges to find true happiness.”

Agassi says he had to “expose everything” in his autobiography, according to Esquire. “So: the unceasing slog, from toddler to champ, that prevented him from loving tennis, or anything, until he met his second wife Steffi Graf. His failed first marriage to Brooke Shields, crystal meth: it’s all here. Props to Agassi and his quest for truth, and also his ghost, JR Moehringer, who got 250 hours of interview time with his subject instead of the typical 30.”

4. “Seabiscuit: An American Legend” by Laura Hillenbrand

Before Secretariat, there was Seabiscuit, who Laura Hillenbrand helped bring back to life in “Seabiscuit: An American Legend.” “The racing horse Seabiscuit was a sensation during his time; in 1938, he received more press coverage than Hitler, Mussolini, and FDR. Yet his stunning success was no fluke but rather the perfect convergence of three men who helped make the horse a decorated athlete and perhaps the greatest race horse of all time, including millionaire owner Charles Howard, mustang braker trainer Tom Smith, and quirky jockey Red Pollard,” writes Broke By Books. “Together, the trio helped Seabiscuit become the horse no one could have predicted. Read all about it in Laura Hillenbrand’s compulsively readable book Seabiscuit, a top best selling sports books.”

“Seabiscuit isn’t the most successful racehorse ever — that honor has to go to Secretariat — but he may be the most beloved horse this side of Mr. Ed,” says Yardbarker. “To the extent that a horse can be an underdog, that’s what Seabiscuit was, and so was the crew that worked with the horse to lead it to such great success. Laura Hillenbrand’s book is also a tale of 1930s Depression Era America.”

Like others on this list, “Seabiscuit” was adapted for the big screen. “Hillenbrand’s 1999 classic is the definitive account of the legendary racehorse, earning widespread acclaim and serving as the basis for the Oscar-nominated 2003 film of the same name,” notes Men’s Health. “The book is about more than horse-racing—with its deeply-researched portrayal of 1930s America, it’s also a snapshot of a time and place.”

5. “Ball Four” by Jim Bouton

Rounding out the top five is “Ball Four” by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton, who received much criticism from players at the time for showing what goes on behind-the-scenes. In “Ball Four,” the one-time All-Star chronicles his 1968 season with the Seattle Pilots and the Houston Astros. “Journeyman pitcher Jim Bouton’s decision to publish his diary of his 1968 season spent with the Seattle Pilots and Houston Astros punched a hole in baseball’s longstanding code of omerta and inextricably changed the way the game was perceived and covered,” writes Men’s Journal. “Funny, salacious, and unsparingly honest, Ball Four detailed everything from the sport’s dependence on amphetamines to its rampantly sexist preoccupations (we’re guessing most fans had never heard of “beaver shooting” before Bouton). While many in the sport never forgave the author for his transgressions—he even went as far as to report on the legendary Mickey Mantle’s misdoings—its status as a must-read classic remains undeniable.”

“This classic book shook up the sports world when it was first published in 1970,” notes Read This Twice. “With a new prologue by the author, it remains an important social document and beloved by fans. Though once considered a traitor and ‘social leper,’ Bouton’s book is still being read today, even by those who don’t typically follow baseball.”

Yardbarker says Bouton’s book “was truly revolutionary.” “In 1970, sports journalism liked to paper over the cracks and hide the more salacious aspects of the athletic life. In his biography ‘Ball Four,’ Jim Bouton did none of that. He told the truth, he aired dirty laundry and he caused a ton of controversy. Apparently some athletes drank, did drugs and womanized!”

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