My Turf: Horses, Boxers, Blood Money and the Sporting Life

My Turf: Horses, Boxers, Blood Money and the Sporting Life collects sports journalist William Nack's writings from his decades covering horse racing, boxing, and other sports for publications like Sports Illustrated. The essays span from the 1960s through the early 2000s. The collection includes profiles of racing legends like Secretariat and Ruffian, along with pieces on Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano and other boxing greats. Nack reports from racetracks, training facilities, and boxing rings across America, capturing both the public spectacle and behind-the-scenes reality of professional sports. Several pieces focus on the darker aspects of the sporting world, including gambling, corruption, and the physical toll on both human and equine athletes. Nack's personal experiences as a racetrack worker in his youth inform his perspective throughout the collection. The essays reveal the complex relationships between athletes, trainers, owners, and spectators - exploring how sports can simultaneously showcase humanity's greatest achievements and most troubling impulses.

Readers appreciate Nack's reporting skills and ability to craft detailed narratives about sports and athletes. The boxing stories resonate with fans, with several noting the vivid portrayal of the Sonny Liston piece. Horse racing enthusiasts connect with Nack's deep knowledge and behind-the-scenes perspectives. Like: - Strong character development - Historical context and research - Personal anecdotes mixed with reporting - Quality of prose and storytelling Dislike: - Some essays feel dated - Collection lacks cohesion between pieces - A few readers found the boxing coverage too focused on violence Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (43 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (12 ratings) From a Goodreads review: "Nack has a gift for making you feel like you're right there in the moment, whether it's at the track or in the ring." An Amazon reviewer noted: "The Liston story alone is worth the price of admission - haunting and masterfully told."

Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand This history combines sports journalism, horse racing culture, and Depression-era American life through the story of an unlikely champion racehorse and the men who believed in him.

A Flame of Pure Fire: Jack Dempsey and the Roaring '20s by Roger Kahn The biography traces boxing champion Jack Dempsey's rise while documenting the sports journalism, gambling culture, and social dynamics of 1920s America.

Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof This investigation into the 1919 Black Sox scandal reveals the intersection of baseball, gambling, organized crime, and sports journalism in early 20th century America.

The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling These collected boxing essays from a New Yorker writer capture the culture, characters, and business of prizefighting in mid-century America.

Paper Lion by George Plimpton This first-hand account follows a journalist who joins the Detroit Lions' training camp, offering insights into professional football and sports journalism from an insider-outsider perspective.

🏇 William Nack spent 23 years as a lead sportswriter for Sports Illustrated and was considered one of America's finest writers on horse racing and boxing. 🥊 The book includes Nack's acclaimed profile of boxer Rocky Marciano's last days before his fatal plane crash, originally published in Sports Illustrated in 1969. 🐎 As a teenager, Nack memorized the names, jockeys, and finishing positions of every Kentucky Derby winner from 1875 to the present day—a feat he could still perform decades later. 📖 The collection features Nack's famous story "Pure Heart," about the death of Secretariat, which was selected for inclusion in The Best American Sports Writing of the Century. 🎬 Nack served as a consultant on the 2010 Disney film "Secretariat" and wrote the book "Secretariat: The Making of a Champion," which became the basis for the movie.