Famous Sports Authors

Who Are Some of the Best Sports Authors?

It's a fair question, and one that begs an answer. For a lot people, a book's title is secondary to who wrote it? 
Growing up, my mother read Danielle Steele books because she enjoyed that style of writing. More specifically, she liked Danielle Steele. 

The authors below have all left a legacy with their storytelling, wit, and passion for what they do. While some have written more books than others, what's consistent is their ability to drive interest and engagement. 

The List

David Halberstam

Halberstam was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who wrote extensively about sports, including books on the NBA, MLB, and NFL. His book, "The Breaks of the Game" made our list of basketball books to read in 2023 here. 

Bill Simmons

Simmons is a sports journalist and author who has written several books on sports, including "The Book of Basketball," a comprehensive guide to the history of the NBA.

Michael Lewis

Lewis is a bestselling author whose sports books include "Moneyball," the story of how the Oakland A's used data analysis to build a competitive baseball team on a small budget, and "The Blind Side," the story of football player Michael Oher. "Moneyball" made our list of top 10 sports books here. 

John Feinstein

Feinstein is a sports journalist and author who has written several books on golf, basketball, and other sports. We wrote about Feinstein in more detail in this blog post. 

David Maraniss

Maraniss is a journalist and author who has written several books on sports, including "When Pride Still Mattered," a biography of football coach Vince Lombardi.

Did Any of These Authors Make Our "Best Of" Lists?

Find out on our Recommendations page.