Bill Barich’s widely praised work is at its peak in these intimate glimpses into the stories behind the stories, the real people behind the public façade of the athletic realm. In this
collection, Barich takes readers behind the scenes of both participatory and spectator sports, whose wide variety include:
Three different types of horse racing: down-and-dirty bush racing in Cajun country; an elegant steeplechase at Ascot, England; and a big-time Santa Anita thoroughbred heading for the Kentucky
Derby.
Two boxers from radically different ends of the spectrum: Pat Lawlor struggling to make it in San Francisco, and Mike Tyson battling his emotions.
Two fly-fishing adventures on legendary California rivers.
And a ride with the Moscow Red Devils, the world’s strangest baseball club, as they barnstorm the United States with Soviet trinkets for sale, and with technical skills equal to that of a
good American high school team.
Every chapter shines with Barich’s distinctive voice, one that skillfully pairs both passion and intelligence with an ample dose of humor. The result is the very best kind of sports
writingfrom one of the most elegant prose stylists of our time.
