Description

Games were once things played in parlours or in fields among friends in their leisure time. Now some sports are among the biggest, or at least most visible, businesses in the world and we have interviews recommending books on every aspect of sport.

If some sports are bigger is some countries than football (soccer), none is more global. Sports journalist Rob Hughes writes about why football is about so much more than football. Comedian and football fan David Baddiel chooses his best five books on football. And Steve Bloomfield chooses his best on world football. David Cousins chooses his best books on football book for kids and young adults.

Moving to the US, where “soccer” is only a minor sport, Rick Telander chooses his best books on American football. Joe Posnanski and John Thorn both choose their best books on Baseball. And Michael Carlson chooses his best baseball novels. Bruce Dowbiggin chooses his on ice hockey.

Elsewhere, among others, champion equestrian Mary King chooses her best books on the equestrian life, and Daniel Norcross chooses his best books on cricket.

On more general themes, Debanijan Chakraborti talks about sportsmanship and cheating. And Tami Grey-Thompson talks about the spirit of sport. Bill Cole addresses sports psychology and David Papineau chooses his best books on philosophy and sport.