by The second of March is celebrated as ‘World Book Day’ and in honour of this, here is a compilation of five books that sports fans will surely enjoy. From insightful autobiographies to researched groundbreaking insight into the sports world, we are sure there is something to pique your interest. Stick out until the end to learn more about World Book Day organization and for bonus suggestions.
A Women’s Game: The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of Women’s Football by Suzanne Wrack
The Lionesses winning the Euro 2022 on home soil was special for the team and for the fans who sold out stadiums. However, its success was an ode to those behind the scenes who fought over the years, to allow women’s football in the UK to get to a stage where that could be even possible.
In her book, Wrack dove deep into the history of women’s football in the UK, covering its rise in popularity in the early 1900s to a peak 53,000 crowd for Kerr Ladies FC and the subsequent FA ban in 1921. In covering the subsequent underground world of women’s football, Wrack discusses its relation to the activism that we see today.
As a prominent correspondent of women’s football for The Guardian and The Observer, Wrack has a first-hand view of how the current rise in popularity has been affecting the game. Underlying this positive movement, Wrack identifies the conundrums that women’s football faces, notably the pressure in the face of financial growth and its potential impact on activism, and whether the values carried from the past may be retained as more players (on the pitch and otherwise) set their sights on the sport.
How (Not) To Be Strong by Alex Scott
Dovetailing from the above is Alex Scott’s autobiography, written straight from the heart by former Arsenal and England footballer. In the book, Alex speaks about her beginnings in the Arsenal academy against the backdrop of her home life, her topsy-turvy relationship with the club as well as the mentality of the invincible team at Arsenal Women. She discusses playing against Marta in her prime and scoring the winning Champions League goal.
Scott was one of the players who saw a major discrepancy between the facilities in the U.S. and in England. While reading the book one really gets an insight into how this generation of players truly took responsibility to improve things for the latter generation, which has set the tone for the way this new generation now conducts itself in the face of adversity within the women’s game and beyond.
She also discusses the journey of fighting her way into punditry, once again defying the status quo of what a footballer should do after retirement, as well as the abuse and the support she faced whilst doing so.
It is an inspirational book and a truly enjoyable read for anyone who is a fan of women’s football but also anyone who wants an insight into the thick skin needed in making it when going against the grain.
The Sports Gene by David Epstein
Have you ever wondered whether Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, Roger Federer, and countless other athletes were just born special or if they were trained to be so? This question is the center of David Epstein’s book.
You may have heard of his latest book ‘Range: How Generalists Triumph in A Specialized World’. However, Esptein’s first groundbreaking book was ‘The Sports Gene’, in which Epstein produced a brilliant piece of investigative journalism on the idea of nature versus nurture in elite sports.
As a sports journalist for Sports Illustrated, Epstein truly distinguished himself by tackling sports from an objective and wherever possible statistical nature. If you have ever heard of the expression that 10,000 hours will make you an expert in a particular field, you will find Epstein’s discussion on its root and application enlightening.
The book questions why certain countries excel in certain sports, and as the name suggests looks at the science behind genetics and whether this is the end all be all. He investigated race and gender, but also the effect of practice in shaping elite athletes. It is an illuminating read and is highly recommended for anyone who’s ever wondered about the role of genetics in sports.
Unstoppable by Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova may divide opinions but no one has ever disputed her fighting spirit. In her autobiography, Sharapova discusses everything from her childhood to the road to Wimbledon, and the rivalry against Serena Williams thereafter. She discusses the effect that the meldonium doping ban had on her mental state at the time and the perseverance to return after serving it, all against the backdrop of her incessant hunger to win matches throughout her career.
However, beyond the headline moments, the book really shines in giving insight into the mindset of a serial winner, and into the loneliness of tennis. It gives an insight into the struggles of being an outsider in the elitist world of tennis, and how according to Sharapova, her mindset was the defining factor that allowed her to reach greatness despite it.
What Sharapova discusses in the book is echoed by a number of athletes in the recently launched Netflix series ‘Break Point’. If at any point in watching the series you wondered how that brutality can ever be endured solely for the feeling of winning, Sharapova’s book is a great place to start.
Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans by A.J. Baime
The film ‘Ford vs Ferrari’ was released in 2019 and shone a light on the rivalry between the two companies. However, two hours could not capture all the details that led to that intense competition between the two.
In the book, A.J. Baime expertly laid out all the details that led Henry Ford II to even consider the notion of competing in Le Mans to reinvent his company. It outlines the source of envy towards Ferrari’s success at a point when speed and style started to matter more than safety and comfort for the car owner. Finally, it explores the craziness that was motorsport at a time when it was about risking everything for glory, no matter the cost.
As Ford announced together with Red Bull Racing, the American company will be making a return to motorsport by collaborating with Red Bull Racing as from 2026 to evolve their powertrain module for Formula 1. Doing so sparks some excitement to look back at Ford’s history in motorsport racing, and there is perhaps no better place to look than A.J. Baime’s book.
Bonus
If you have gotten this far we assume you are both a die-hard sports fan and an avid reader. You may be interested in learning that World Book Day is a charity sponsored by National Book Tokens and is dedicated to ensuring that all children have the opportunity to read books.
Reading for pleasure has been found to be pivotal in a child’s future success, eclipsing even family circumstances. Click here to learn more about the organization and how you can support.
In the meantime, we have three more suggestions that are considered groundbreaking in the sports genre:
- Open by Andre Agassi – widely regarded as the pinnacle of tennis biographies
- Soccernomics by Simon Kuper & Stefan Szymanski – Challenges the wide-ranging opinions that grip the world of football through the lens of economics and data models.
- A Life At Full Throttle by Janet Guthrie – As the Formula 1 Academy dedicated to nurturing women drivers finally looks to be taking off, the autobiography of one of the first women to compete in the Indy 500 and in NASCAR will surely instill a few insights into gender dynamics in the world of motorsport and the fight ahead.
Happy Reading!
N.B. Links and suggestions in the article are not sponsored. The Sporting Fan earns no commercial revenue from them.
