Audiobook13 hours
Season on the Brink
Written by John Feinstein
Narrated by John Feinstein
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
Decades after it spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, A Season on the Brink remains the most celebrated basketball book ever written—an unforgettable chronicle of his year spent following the Indiana Hoosiers and their fiery coach Bob Knight.
Granted unprecedented access to legendary coach Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers during the 1985–86 season, John Feinstein saw and heard it all—practices, team meetings, strategy sessions, and midgame huddles—as the team worked to return to championship form. The result is an unforgettable chronicle that not only captures the drama and pressure of big-time college basketball but also paints a vivid portrait of a complex, brilliant coach as he walks the fine line between genius and madness. This anniversary edition features an updated Introduction by Feinstein.
Granted unprecedented access to legendary coach Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers during the 1985–86 season, John Feinstein saw and heard it all—practices, team meetings, strategy sessions, and midgame huddles—as the team worked to return to championship form. The result is an unforgettable chronicle that not only captures the drama and pressure of big-time college basketball but also paints a vivid portrait of a complex, brilliant coach as he walks the fine line between genius and madness. This anniversary edition features an updated Introduction by Feinstein.
Author
John Feinstein
John Feinstein is the author of many bestselling books, including A Good Walk Spoiled and One on One. He writes for the Washington Post and Golf Digest and is a regular contributor to the Golf Channel.
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Reviews for Season on the Brink
Rating: 4.20212764680851 out of 5 stars
4/5
141 ratings10 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a great read for any sports or basketball fan out there.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stevie and Susan carol return in their 4th book. They now must investigate a huge story at the World Series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Can you believe a story where two fourteen year olds not only get to cover the top sports stories for two major newspapers, but also get to do serious investigative work for the papers as well? Stevie and Susan Carol are covering the World Series for two major D.C. papers, and stumble upon a potential criminal coverup. This book is a mix of sports, teens given adult responsibilities because of their exceptional abilities, and even a little romance. Totally unrealistic, but fun.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Despite being arguably the most famous sports book ever written (or at the very least, among the best selling), this is actually the second Feinstein book I've read to date. I enjoy a bunch of different sports but tennis is my favorite, so I read Hard Courts first. I found it entertaining, so I figured I'd see if Season lived up to its hype. And it does - it is justifiably famous and easily recommended. However, I will say this: as much as I enjoyed the book, I walked away from it feeling like anyone with a basic knowledge of English could've written it. With a subject as rich and as bipolar as Bob Knight, how could ANYONE screw this up? It's not that the writing is bad, mind you - quite the contrary - but all of the best parts of the book are simply Feinstein copying Knight's mood swings word for word. Still, this is an essential piece of sports literature history that you should check out if you have any interest in college hoops.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why was this book so funny? B.K. was a man of his time like Pimp C.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Season on the Brink is based on the 1985-1986 men’s basketball season at Indiana University. Coach Bob Knight is known for his crazy style of coaching and John Feinstein gets to experience it first hand. Coach Knight takes his players on an emotional roller coaster throughout the season, but more times than not gets them to play at their peek performance come game time. One of the best parts of the book is hearing when Coach Knight displays good virtue. One example of this is when Knight meets a family that is deaf and gives them an assortment of Indiana memorabilia. Many fans of Knight do not know that is also a sweet-hearted man and this book does a great job of showing both sides of him. Feinstein does a great job of letting the reader go along for the roller coaster ride with the players. One of my favorite sport’s stories of all time, and I would recommend it to anyone sports fanatic. Clinton D.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5"A Season on the Brink" was yet another book that I absolutely could not put down. The book follows Bobby Knight and the 1985-86 Indiana Hoosiers. John Feinstein, the author, had full access to the program, and as a result he caught some of the humorous tirades of one of the most colorful basketball coaches in NCAA history. The book does a great job of not only entertaining the reader, but it also does a great job of portraying life lessons, while also detailing the grueling life of a coach, and as a student-athlete as well. Being a coach myself, it is interesting how coach Knight treats his basketball players. While they are under his wing, he is tough on them, but once they graduate Indiana University, he treats them like family, finally showing them how much he truly loves them. There is a lot of coaching philosophy and psychology in this book. Overall, I loved this book, and once again, to use the cliche, I could not put it down.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If you know anything about college basketball, you know who Bobby Knight is. But few people can pinpoint the reason why Knight is the way he is and why he is known as one of the best coaches in college basketball history. “A Season on the Brink” chronicles the 1985-1986 basketball season, a year after the infamous chair-throwing incident. In this book, author John Feinstein was somehow allowed to shadow Knight and the team throughout the year, witnessing both the good and bad with the Indiana Hoosiers. The pinnacle of the book is obviously Knight, trying to help the reader understand this seemingly complicated personality. Really, Knight is a coach who has his own methods for getting what he wants from his players, and will say/do almost anything to get a desired effect. But at the heart of the book is a generous coach who will say/do almost anything to help out the “kids” on his team. I found this book pretty interesting, mostly because I went to Indiana University. There were some parts that I found pretty dry, and I’ll admit to skimming some of the details of the various games. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an informational look into college basketball, or even fans of OSU’s Woody Hayes.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A fascinating look at one of the sports world's most controversial figures. Bobby Knight is often vilified as pure evil, but this book shows that he is just a complex character like everyone...only to extreme levels. I understand it's a book about basketball, but the descriptions of games are thankfully brief so there is more time to look at Knight's interaction with players and coaches. I especially enjoy the human interest moments; like Knight bringing a wheelchair bound Woody Hayes into the locker room to meet his players. I definitely have greater respect and understanding for Knight, even though he isn't very nice most of the time, after reading this great book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is incredibly intense. Feinstein spent an entire season shadowing Bobby Knight with his approval. It's an intimate look at Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers the year before Indiana won an improbable championship in the mid 1980's. We see a complex, driven, fierce energy; Knight pushes and pushes, he's at war. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day (and night).