Skip to main content

John Feinstein

Biography

John Feinstein

John Feinstein is the author of 45 books, including two #1 New York Times bestsellers: A SEASON ON THE BRINK and A GOOD WALK SPOILED. His mystery novel LAST SHOT won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for mystery writing in the Young Adult category. He is a member of six Halls of Fame and is a contributing columnist for The Washington Post. Additionally, he does color commentary for VCU basketball, George Mason basketball and Longwood basketball. He also does commentary for the Navy radio network and is a regular on The Sports Junkies in his hometown of Washington, DC.

John Feinstein

Books by John Feinstein

by John Feinstein - Biography, Nonfiction, Sports

John Feinstein, who has spent four decades finding intriguing sports characters and narratives and turning them into classic books, chronicles the life and career of David Feherty. The two have known each other for years, beginning with Feinstein’s work on A GOOD WALK SPOILED, which was researched and written at a time when Feherty was an excellent player who won five times in Europe and was on the '91 Ryder Cup team, but also was a functioning alcoholic. In retirement from the game, Feherty has sobered up, while his golf world persona has only grown in stature. Feherty is now a grand ambassador for golf, a man who is feted by US Presidents and respected by every big name in the game.

by John Feinstein - Nonfiction, Sociology, Sports

Commentators, coaches and fans alike have long touted the diverse rosters of leagues like the NFL and MLB as sterling examples of a post-racial America. Yet decades after Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a display of Black power and pride, and years after Colin Kaepernick shocked the world by kneeling for the national anthem, the role Black athletes and coaches are expected to perform --- both on and off the field --- still can be determined as much by stereotype and old-fashion ideology as ability and performance. John Feinstein crisscrossed the country to secure personal interviews with quarterbacks, coaches and more, revealing the stories none of us have heard (but all of us should know).

by John Feinstein - Nonfiction, Sports

John Feinstein pulls back the curtain on college basketball's lesser-known Cinderella stories --- the smaller programs who no one expects to win, who have no chance of attracting the most coveted high school recruits. To tell this story, Feinstein follows a handful of players, coaches and schools who dream, not of winning the NCAA tournament, but of making it past their first or second round games. Every once in a while, one of these coaches or players is plucked from obscurity to lead a major team or to play professionally, cementing their status in these fiercely passionate fan bases as a legend. These are the gifted players who aren't handled with kid gloves --- they're hardworking, gritty teammates who practice and party with everyone else.

by John Feinstein - Nonfiction, Sports

In the National Football League, one player becomes the face of a franchise, one player receives all the accolades and all the blame, and one player's hand will guide the rise or fall of an entire team's season --- and the dreams of millions of fans. There are 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL on any given Sunday, and their lives are built around pressure, stardom and incredible talent. Legendary bestselling sportswriter John Feinstein shows readers what it's really like to play the glory position and to live that life --- mapping out a journey that runs from college stardom to the NFL draft to taking command of the huddle and marching a team down the field with a nation of fans cheering.

by John Feinstein - History, Nonfiction, Sports

The rivalry between the U.S. and European teams was at an all-time high even before the first swing of the 2016 Ryder Cup. The Americans had lost an astounding six out of the last seven matches. With the U.S. team out for revenge and the Europeans determined to keep the Cup out of American hands, the showdown took place in Hazeltine, Minnesota --- just days after the death of golf legend Arnold Palmer. It became one of the most raucous and heated face-offs in the Cup’s history. Award-winning author John Feinstein takes readers behind the scenes, providing an inside view of the dramatic stories as they unfolded.

by John Feinstein - Nonfiction, Sports

On March 18, 1980, the immensely powerful Duke basketball program announced the hiring of its new coach --- the man who would resurrect the team, restore glory to Duke and defeat the legendary Dean Smith, who coached down the road at UNC Chapel Hill and had turned UNC into a powerhouse. The table was set nine days later, when on March 27, Jim Valvano was hired by North Carolina State to be their new head coach. In the skillful hands of John Feinstein, this extraordinary rivalry --- and the men behind it --- come to life in a unique, intimate way.

by John Feinstein - Nonfiction, Sports

WHERE NOBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME takes readers inside the gritty, no-frills, high-stakes world of Triple-A baseball, which serves simultaneously as a launching pad for superstar careers and as a crash-landing pad for stars who have fallen. Introducing us to eight men --- two pitchers, three position players, two managers, and one umpire --- John Feinstein tells the riveting stories of those who are on the cusp of greatness.

by John Feinstein - Fiction, Sports, Young Adult 12+

Terrell Jamerson is the #1 high school basketball player in the country, and everyone says he could play in the NBA tomorrow. He's living the dream, right? Danny Wilcox would tell you a different story. Danny is Terrell's best friend and teammate, and a top prospect himself. But he sees that not all of the people buzzing around Terrell have his best interests at heart. It's a dirty game, but Terrell will have to learn to play if he wants his chance at a slam dunk.

by John Feinstein - Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult 10+

Susan Carol isn’t a reporter--- she’s an Olympian, competing as a swimmer at her first Olympic games.  With all the agents, sponsors, and media wanting to get up close and personal with Susan, Stevie Thomas is worried about how far they might go to ensure that America’s Olympic darling wins the gold.

text by John Feinstein, photographs by Walter Iooss - Biography, Nonfiction

Over a more-than-50-year career, Palmer amassed a truly impressive record --- 92 worldwide titles, four Masters championships, a U.S. Open crown, and back-to-back British Open victories. A moving essay by Feinstein, coupled with Iooss’s stunning images and a small, giftable trim size, makes this portable companion the perfect gift for any golf fan.

by John Feinstein - Nonfiction, Sports

John Feinstein goes behind the scenes of his reporting from The Final Four, Wimbledon, The US Open, the Army/Navy game, the Olympics, and more, opening up sports' most private, closed-door places and sharing exclusive stories from the reporting of his previous books.