Darren Rovell knows sports and businesss. So when he recommends a book, you should take head. Here's what he has to say about James Blake's book:
The new book written by tennis star James Blake, co-written by Andrew Friedman, is called "Breaking Back" and it's quite simply the best athlete book I've ever read. Why was it so good? Because Blake's story--his father's death, contracting zoster, breaking his neck and his subsequent comeback--is so good that the tennis is the least significant part of the book. In fact, I counted a 60-page stretch in which not one tennis match was ever mentioned.
Thanks for the heads up on this book; I'll have to see if I can track down a copy. Blake is my favorite tennis player of this generation, and I find it much easier to cheer for him than for Andy Roddick.
As far as the best sports book ever written, I'd have to argue that Ball Four ranks pretty high up there on most people's lists.
Posted by: allonthefield | July 11, 2007 at 05:56 PM
Just got Blake book. Best sports books..."Breaks of the Game" by Halberstam, "Loose Balls" about the ABA, Bill James baseball abstract, John McPhee on Bill Bradley, anything by Coach Wooden.
Posted by: andy fine | July 18, 2007 at 09:20 PM