Neil D. Isaacs
about my books...
Reviews
Advance reviews of The Doaker’s Story by Neil D. Isaacs
“The book says all the right things about sports in America and says them memorably.”
--Dave Kindred, author of Sound and Fury: A Dual Biography of Muhammad Ali and
Howard Cosell
“The Doaker’s Story is a terrific novel—a compelling tale that reveals the dark
underside of contemporary sports even as it allows us to rejoice in the glories of the
athletes who play the games. Neil Isaacs knows this world well—the drugs and the
gambling, the joys and corruptions. He is a splendid storyteller, and has written a novel
memorable not only because of its eye-opening revelations, but, more, because of its
unerring rendering of the mysteries of heroism and friendship.”
--Jay Neugeboren, author of Big Man, Imagining Robert, and 1940
“Neil Isaacs, who knows more about sports than anyone else in the world, with the
possible exceptions of John Lardner and Red Smith, and they’re dead, has followed up
his masterful take on the underbelly of our national obsession, THE GREAT MOLINAS,
with a novel that tackles the flip side of Molinas’ crooked world and he comes up with
another bulls-eye. Or to be more precise and perhaps simplistic, he passes the only test
that matters: he makes you—compels you—to turn the page. And that’s not easy when
your hero is Frank Merriwell/Albie Booth/Pete Dawkins and above all, Christy
Mathewson. How then do you turn Golden Boy into an enigma wrapped in a
conundrum?
“Have no fear when a savvy craftsman is at work: Isaacs does it and in the doing he
grabs you and pulls you in and never lets go. He does this through the ingenious
device of the Isherwoodian camera/camera-man narrator. That peels away a
contemporary version of a brilliant, tawdry Weimar Berlin that we call gyms, arenas, TV
studios, and newsrooms which are peopled by dumb coaches, gangbanging jocks,
bang-receiving groupies, on-the-make reporters and yes, sweet, adorable girls.
“What we have here—sorry, Strother Martin—is a huge success in communicating. Billy
Doakes comes across as too good to be true, but thanks to Isaacs’ artistry, he enchants
us and we root for him even as we know he is also too good for this world. Since I’m
in the mood to borrow, let me tap into Marv Albert, the best sportscaster of our time,
for a succinct summary appraisal: Yessssssss.”
--Irvin Faust, author of The Steagle, Willie Remembers, Jim Dandy, and Roar Lion Roar
"The Doaker's Story is truly a charming book. It is very original in its portrayal of
sports and sports journalism in America. The novel also engages with the current
media situation in a most fasciunating way--the great focus on tabloids and such. The
friendship displayed in the story is very intriguing."
--Dan Simon, Seven Stories Press
Post-publication Reviews
"If Ring Lardner returned to this sordid coil, he would find his throne of satire occupied
by Neil D. Isaacs.
"Mr. Isaacs, who has been here before delineating the crooked genius of Jack Molinas,
new deftly plunges a stake into the corrupt heart of the sports world. His latest book,
The Doaker's Story, does this with deadly accuracy, grace, and wit. This is an important
book that deserves attention."
--Irv Faust
Phenom athlete, William T. Doakes, AKA "The Doaker", could have chosen to excel at
any of three sports in college, but chooses education in journalism instead. Follow his
career as told by his friend Mark Simons as Doakes moves across the United states in
an elusive quest for sports stories and justice. Neil Isaacs tells an engrossing story
about sports and the athletes who play them. Definitely worth reading this saga of the
man known as "The Doaker"!
--N.B. Smith, 5-star review on Amazon.com
From blogger Scot Pierson: The Doaker's Story is about an ill-fated newsman who is,'t allowed to tell the story of a fallen star at a major college. Small hint for my fellow Maryland graduates--the story may seem familiar. It's a very good (and very sad) read.