The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan [Hardcover]

Pat Jordan (Author), Alex Belth (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2008

A highly-entertaining collection of sports journalism from a forty-year veteran.

For decades, Pat Jordan has been one of the best sports writers in America. This engrossing book compiles twenty-six features from throughout his career, among them his most famous magazine pieces and a small selection of previously unpublished gems.

Included is an exciting selection of Jordan's profiles of sports legends such as Wilt Chamberlain, Tom Seaver, Greg Louganis, Venus and Serena Williams—each one frank, insightful, and salty—as well as an extraordinary sampling of the pieces with which Jordan made his name: those about athletes who are obscure, unsuccessful, or have fallen from grace. Whether writing about the marginal, the famous, or the infamous, Jordan displays a hard-boiled, highly literate prose and a capacity to convey how the idiosyncratic mindsets of athletes lead to success or failure.

The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan covers a variety of mainstream sports and some less athletic (but equally competitive) pastimes like poker, pool, and child beauty pageants. A Q&A with Jordan gives intriguing behind-the-scenes scoops on select stories. Fun, revealing, and very readable, this book represents the best work from a standout in his field.

Highlights from The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan:
"Trouble in Paradise": L.A. Dodger all-star (and presumed future-U.S. Senator) Steve Garvey takes a hit to his public image—from his unsatisfied wife.
"Roger Clemens Refuses to Grow Up": The greatest pitcher of his generation is really just a big baby.
"The Outcast": O. J. Simpson stars as O. J. Simpson and has a thing for Jennifer Love Hewitt.
"Of Memory, Death, and the Automobile": Phil Hill, Renaissance Formula 1 racecar driver, obsesses over his obsessions.
"Renée's Retreat": Transsexual tennis pro Renée Richards reflects on her life on both the women's and men's tours.
"Duquesne, PA": In a down-and-out factory town, high school football provides the only escape.
"Is this Man the Future of Poker?": Poker phenom David Williams beats the odds, but can't bluff his girlfriend.
"The Noble Turtle": A wannabe actor can't escape his boxing past. His name? Sylvester Stallone.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Jordan debuted as a sportswriter in the late 1960s after a short stint as a minor-league baseball pitcher, which he chronicled in his acclaimed memoir A False Spring (1975). Through the years he has written for such magazines as Sports Illustrated, GQ, and the Atlantic. Jordan’s profiles of athletes, both famous and obscure, are unlike those of any other journalist working today. His eye—and ear—for the telling detail provides extraordinary depth and insight into his subjects. A 2001 interview with Roger Clemens is especially fascinating given the recent steroid controversy swirling around the legendary pitcher. A 1997 profile of late basketball superstar Wilt Chamberlain reveals the insecurities and borderline paranoia that dogged the man throughout his life. Young basketball star Bobby Hurley’s career was effectively ended by a devastating car accident. Jordan guides readers through Hurley’s physical and emotional rehabilitation, constructing, in the process, a remarkably resonant coming-of-age saga. Perhaps the most emotionally revealing piece is a 1980 dual profile of baseball star Steve Garvey and his wife, Cyndy. Nearly 30 years later, one can still feel the pain and confusion of his subjects as they struggle to juggle fame, ambition, and love. Jordan is a treasure, and this is a wonderful testament to almost 40 years of excellence. --Wes Lukowsky

Review

He is a master portraitist. -- William Finnegan, author of Cold New World

Jordan here displays his rich skills as a reporter and observer and his talent for good old-fashioned story telling. -- William Nack, author of Secretariat: The Making of a Champion

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Persea (April 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892553391
• ISBN-13: 978-0892553396
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,264,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful writing, tons of errors, May 13, 2008

By 

Reviewer (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan (Hardcover)

First, I'm really, really enjoying the stories (I'm about halfway through the book). Jordan is a wonderful, no-frills writer with an amazing eye for the telling detail. That said, I have to dock one star for all the spelling and factual errors. In one story alone, on Whitey Herzog, he misspells the names of Garry Templeton, Dann Bilardello, Gussie Busch, and Busch Stadium, as well as placing New Athens, Illinois west of St. Louis.

In an otherwise wonderful piece on the race driver Phil Hill, he repeatedly misspells the names of two of the biggest names in racing, Hill's competitors Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney, as well as referring to those devices that stop cars as "breaks." And he calls Moss an American. I'm no racing fan at all, but even I knew how to spell Moss's and Gurney's names and that Moss is English.

That complaint aside, this is some of the best sportswriting I've ever read, nearly Angell-ic in quality.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection of articles by an immensely talented writer, October 20, 2009

By 

Barry Sparks "freelance writer" (York, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan (Hardcover)

I've been a Pat Jordan fan since I read A False Spring in 1974. The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan brings together some of his best work over 35 years. The articles range from a piece on the Boston Bruins which appeared in Sport in 1970 to a profile of Sylvester Stallone which appeared in Premiere in 2006.

Jordan, a master of the long profile, has written for most of the major magazines, including Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, Playboy, Inside Sports, GQ, Reader's Digest, The Atlantic Monthly and many others.

Editor Alex Belth has selected an interesting collection of profiles, including Wilt Chamberlain, Steve and Cindy Garvey, O.J. Simpson, Whitey Herzog, Greg Louganis, Carlton Fisk, Bobby Hurley, Roger Clemens, Pete Rose Jr. and Deion Sanders.

You will learn a lot about Jordan and his writing from the book's introduction, author's note and 16-page interview with him.

Jordan is hard on his subjects, telling the brutal truth. He's a brilliant writer and astute observer.

He says his con is "Getting people to tell the truth about themselves. I want them to talk about more than they're willing to talk about."

Jordan is determined to dig beneath the surface to reveal the truths of his subject. Don't expect to like all the athletes Jordan writes about.

Described as a "writer's writer," Jordan has "a talent for revealing detail, scene and image."

You don't have to read all 26 articles to appreciate Jordan's immense talent.

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading, September 7, 2009

By 

Michael N. Yotz (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan (Hardcover)

There are some very nice pieces contained in this collection; and it is well worth your time to read.

I don't blame Jordan for most of the errors, spelling mistakes, etc. - they should have been caught by the editor.

This book made Jordan a more likable person compared with his most recent book Nice Tuesday.