For more than eighty years, The New Yorker has been home to some of the toughest, wisest, funniest, and most moving sportswriting around. The Only Game in Town is a classic collection from a magazine with a deep bench, including such authors as Roger Angell, John Updike, Don DeLillo, and John McPhee. Hall of Famer Ring Lardner is here, bemoaning the lowering of standards for baseball achievement—in 1930. John Cheever pens a story about a boy’s troubled relationship with his father and the national pastime. From Lance Armstrong to bullfighter Sidney Franklin, from the Chinese Olympics to the U.S. Open, the greatest plays and players, past and present, are all covered in The Only Game in Town. At The New Yorker, it’s not whether you win or lose—it’s how you write about the game.

“Dazzling.”—Booklist

“An absolute grand slam for sports fans or anyone who loves great nonfiction storytelling . . . Readers are in the hands of masters.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
“Start reading—or re-reading—and you won’t be able to stop. . . . Each selection is a gem.”—Bloomberg
 
“There are many revelations in these pages.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
“A treasure chest of great writers.”—San Antonio Express-News
 
“Terrific . . . a splendid array.”—The Plain Dealer