A short life of the author
John Feinstein (b. 1956) was born on 28 July 1956 in New York City. He studied history at Duke University. He was a sports reporter and columnist at the Washington Post for over a decade.
Life and Career
A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers (1986) — for which Feinstein embedded with Knight’s team for the 1985–86 season, witnessing the legendary coach’s explosive temper, tactical genius, and complex relationships with players — became the bestselling sports book in American history. Knight’s intensity — throwing chairs, berating players, demanding perfection — was captured with unprecedented access and honesty.
A Season Inside (1988) covered a full college basketball season. A Good Walk Spoiled (1995) — about life on the PGA Tour — was his golf masterwork. The Last Amateurs (2000) — about the Patriot League, one of the few conferences where basketball players are genuine student-athletes — captured college athletics without corruption. Caddy for Life (2004) — about Tom Watson’s caddy Bruce Edwards and his ALS diagnosis — was his most emotionally powerful book.
Feinstein has published over forty books, averaging roughly one per year.
Key Works
- A Season on the Brink (1986)
- A Good Walk Spoiled (1995)
- The Last Amateurs (2000)
Collecting Feinstein
A Season on the Brink (1986, Macmillan) brings $15–$40.