Sports Illustrated: Fifty Years of Great Writing

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Summary: Sports Illustrated: Fifty Years of Great Writing
Review: This spirited volume offers more than 50 of the finest selections from America's preeminent sports publication of the past half-century. Frank Deford makes three offerings, including a retrospective look at Billy Conn, who nearly took the heavyweight crown away from Joe Louis, and a tribute to the recently departed Johnny Unitas, "The Best There Ever Was." Among the sharpest essays is one of the magazine's first, Paul O'Neil's gripping look at the dueling sub-four-minute milers, Roger Bannister and John Landy. Also noteworthy are Robert Creamer's exploration of young southpaw Johnny Podres, whose seventh game shutout in the 1955 World Series enabled the Brooklyn Dodgers to best finally their interborough rivals, the New York Yankees. Dan Jenkins provides a captivating look back at the 1960 U.S. Open championship, when an aging Ben Hogan, younger Arnold Palmer, and a still-too-young Jack Nicklaus engaged in a riveting battle down the stretch. This collection also includes literary luminaries such as Schulberg, Liebling, Stegner, DeLillo, Steinbeck, and Faulkner. Leigh Montville delivers a moving farewell to Boston slugger Ted Williams, while George Plimpton presents his notorious article, "The Curious Case of Sid Finch," the story of the greatest major league prospect who never existed. For public libraries