One on One

Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game

By: John Feinstein

Narrated by: David de Vries

Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

After numerous beloved and best-selling sports books, John Feinstein returns to the subjects of his first 10 books, crafting a narrative of the most revealing encounters he's had.

Feinstein has interviewed some of the most enduring figures in sports - from hallowed coaches, such as Bob Knight, Jim Valvano, Mike Krzyzewski, and Dean Smith, to beloved athletes, including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, and John McEnroe. And here we have John Feinstein at his very best. He 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 sport's most private, closed-door places and sharing exclusive stories from the reporting of books like Season on the Brink, A Good Walk Spoiled, A Season Inside, and A Civil War.

These are the coaches and athletes who know their games the best, and the legends and legendary moments that gave inherent shape to our favorite pastimes.

©2011 John Feinstein (P)2011 Hachette

Great book

Thoughtful and provocative the stories resonate on many levels. John Feinstein is the master of framing sports and sportsmanship in a context that lets you both know and understand athletes

Big Time Sports Stories and Bigger Egos

The most interesting people in this book have the smallest egos. The ones with big egos come off as brutes and bullies...including the author. If you like sports and can remember some notable games and or stars from the last 20 - 30 years then you should like this book. If you dislike boastful athletes, coaches AND journalists then you might want to pass on this book. It is somewhat evident that one needs to be singularly focused to achieve a lot. Whether sports, JOURNALISM, politics or business, often the "stars" do not actually have it all but do achieve the pinnacle in their chosen endeavor. So if you like in-depth sports stories from the 80's and 90's and you can put up with some spoiled brats then you'll like this book. PS: don't miss the epilogue because that is where Feinstein redeems himself. By the way, I am a Bob Knight fan and really like the direction that they're taking under Crean.

Love the stories

Anyone older than about 35 or a sports historian will love this book. It was a walk down memory lane of so many of the great sport figures of my youthful days!

Very misleading title

I've read most of Feinstein's work and I'm a fan but very disappointed with the content of this book. It's more about the author's struggles to get his ideas accepted by bosses, colleagues, subjects, etc. I would not have purchased this title if I had known the content. I was expecting in-depth interviews with the "greats of the game" not discussions on how the author was granted "full access". On the plus side, the narration is first rate.

If you're looking for a book on John Feinstein, then this is your book. If you're looking for "One on One Behind The Scenes" I'd look somewhere else.

Not for the general reader (listener)

I very much enjoy and find perceptive John Feinstein when talking sports in a 5-minute segment on NPR. However, a book full of his interactions--often as not with obscure sports figures I've never heard of--does not make for compelling reading or listening. Also, given that much of the book is about John, himself, I think the book would have more of a positive impact if John had read it himself.