A great biography does more than list achievements; it reveals the person behind the legend and the forces that made them. These six sports biographies are the definitive portraits of their subjects, written by Pulitzer winners and master reporters, from the young Muhammad Ali to Vince Lombardi to a Depression-era racehorse. Deeply researched and beautifully told.
Quick picks:
- Best overall: Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby. View on Amazon
- Best written: King of the World by David Remnick. View on Amazon
- Best on a coach: When Pride Still Mattered by David Maraniss. View on Amazon
The athletes
Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby
Roland Lazenby is a veteran basketball biographer. The most comprehensive biography of the greatest basketball player ever, tracing the drive behind the legend. Exhaustive and revealing.
Best for: The definitive MJ biography.
→ View on AmazonTiger Woods by Jeff Benedict, Armen Keteyian
Jeff Benedict is two acclaimed investigative journalists. The definitive, unflinching biography of the most scrutinized athlete of his era. Comprehensive and revealing.
Best for: The Tiger biography.
→ View on AmazonKing of the World by David Remnick
David Remnick is a Pulitzer-winning writer. David Remnick's superb account of the young Cassius Clay becoming Muhammad Ali. Vivid, definitive and beautifully written.
Best for: The rise of Ali.
→ View on AmazonSeabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Laura Hillenbrand is a narrative historian. The Depression-era racehorse who lifted a nation, told with novelistic sweep. One of the great narrative nonfiction books.
Best for: A Depression-era legend.
→ View on AmazonThe leaders
When Pride Still Mattered by David Maraniss
David Maraniss is a Pulitzer-winning biographer. The definitive biography of Vince Lombardi and, through him, a portrait of American ambition. Masterful and humane.
Best for: The Lombardi biography.
→ View on AmazonWooden by John Wooden, Steve Jamison
John Wooden is the greatest college basketball coach ever. John Wooden's distilled wisdom on coaching, leadership and life. Short, profound and endlessly giftable.
Best for: Timeless coaching wisdom.
→ View on AmazonHow we chose these
We looked for the sports books that last: player memoirs with something real to say, credentialed sports scientists and psychologists and the acclaimed journalists and historians who turn a game into a story. A few iconic novels earn a place too and we label them as fiction. We describe and compare these books to help you choose your next read.
