The Sporting Life: Horses, Boxers, Rivers, and a Russian Ballclub

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 Kentu...