Best tennis book ever?

[JAY1]

Has anyone read Doug Henderson jnr's book 'Endeavour to Persevere'?

It really is the most incredible, clever, insightful book on tennis you are ever likely to read!
If you compare either Agassi, Mcenroe or Becker's books to it, well actually they don't compare at all.
It's amazing!

[kiki]

"Les cannibales du tennis" by jean Couvercelle in 1979...do you know if there is any reprinted book in the world?

[jayoub95]

'Open' by Andre Agassi

[Tshooter]

Open was written by J. R. Moehringer. Let's give credit where it's due.

[jayoub95]

^It's by Andre Agassi, part of the credit goes to that other guy J. R. Moehringer.

[JAY1]

but so badly written!

[jayoub95]

C'mon man i loved reading it. So interesting...

[Mustard]

Well, it was funny reading Agassi's reaction to Muster ruffling his tupee at the 1994 French Open. LOL. And here was me thinking Muster was being friendly at the time

[joe sch]

"The Game" by Jack Kramer

Im biased as I was always a big Kramer fan and like his spin on the history of the game leading to open tennis. If your a Pancho Gonzales fan or supporter, you may not like the Kramer version soo much or may want to read Panchos "Man with a Racket". One of the best on what led to the current game is Bud Collins' Tennis Encyclopedia. Another excellent candidate would be The Tennis Book: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Tennis with several authors including writer and broadcaster John Parsons, who covered tennis for more than 30 years. He also wrote The Official Wimbledon Annuals for 20 years

[Frank Silbermann]

For instruction, I would have to say _Ed Faulkner's Tennis: How to Play it, How to Teach It_

Most books only gave advice and suggestions as to how to hit the strokes; the book enumerated dozens of specific variations shown with photo sequences, and for each variation the book told whether it was tolerable -- or whether the it was something that was just plain incorrect and which the instructor would need to make the pupil change.

It is from this authority that I know that the techniques which significantly improved my game of late, which are based on what today's pros are doing, are in fact incorrect.

[robow7]

My quick take on several I've read, I’m sure I’m leaving out a couple:

Agassi's Open, very much a tell-all and interesting reading though I came away with a less favorable opinion of the man himself in the end. But that’s OK since he put himself out there for just that.

Blake's book, more inspirational but less about the actual tennis and more about his family and personal challenges. Good read but don’t look for a lot of tennis junkie stuff.

Sampras, very dry probably much like the man himself, reads like Wikipedia, less insight and you can tell that Bodo was writing it and would say stuff like, "Hey Pete, we have to talk about that running forehand of yours and your leaping overhead". OK at best


McEnroe, pretty insightful but you always get the feeling that he isn't quite telling the whole story, definitely left out the details such as the drug use of his tennis friends other questions you would have liked answered. Unlike Agassi, he wasn't willing to throw others under the bus.

John Feinstein's book on the year in the life of a pro player. Takes you thru the entire season on the pro tour. Very insightful and you learn a lot about the appearance fees being greater than the actual prize money but he definitely won't go so far as to call a spade a spade and doesn't really ask the hardball questions of the players that you might have liked but then he realizes that had he done that, then the players would have denied him access for sure. You still get a lot of inside knowledge that you probably didn't know since you won't hear the players talk about it.

Laver's book written by Bud Collins, very good read if you came up in tennis at that time like I did and opposite of Agassi, where you come away with a better opinion of the man than before (and I highly respected the man before). Talked about the amateur pro conundrum and those formative years. Very humble guy and I don’t think that Collins painted it that way, yet it still comes thru.

Kramer's book a must read if you are interested in the history of the game as he was the link between the distant past and the development of the present pro tour. Doesn't hesitate to tell it like it was but was gracious towards many of the forgotten names like Riggs in his prime and Vines. The man was big on the court in the way he changed the game but his off court work really changed the game, quite the visionary.

[kiki]

Mike mershaw in 1983 published a book with all interiorities of the 1982 WCT/GP tours in 10 0r 12 evets related chapters.

I also enjoyed the great Carnival at Forest Hills.

The Feinstein book is OK, ut Mershaw´s is quite better.

[jaggy]

I liked Pam Shrivers, I think Passing shots was the name, she was pretty candid, talked about life being mistaken for being lesbian, how annoying certain other players were and made Carling Bassett sound like a fun chick.

[Tshooter]

"It's by Andre Agassi, part of the credit goes to that other guy J. R. Moehringer."

Yes, part. Agassi told "that other guy" his story and passed on some notes maybe. Credit Agassi that. "That other guy" then wrote the book.

[robow7]

kiki, I'll look for that one, got any links, can't seem to find it. Thanks.

Has anyone read Becker's book? Wondering if it was worth the read?

[Tshooter]

"I also enjoyed the great Carnival at Forest Hills."

I read that when I was a wee lad. And then more recently I bought it again for around $2 on Amazon and I read it again.

[PowerPlay]

Best

Instructional: "Winning Ugly" or Allen Fox's books
Biography: "Open" or Rafa

Worst
Sampras' book was like watching paint dry. Terrible.

[robow7]

Originally Posted by PowerPlay

Best

Instructional: "Winning Ugly"

I forgot about reading Brad Gilbert's book, good at focusing on the mental and tactical aspects of the game. The man may be the best at achieving the most with the least.

Definitely looking forward to Connors' book this summer but I wonder how it may be tempered since it will have been written so long after the facts.

[JAY1]

Originally Posted by kiki

Mike mershaw in 1983 published a book with all interiorities of the 1982 WCT/GP tours in 10 0r 12 evets related chapters.

I also enjoyed the great Carnival at Forest Hills.

The Feinstein book is OK, ut Mershaw´s is quite better.

Hey Kiki,
Do you know what Mike Mershaw's book was called?
I'm having trouble finding it online.
Many thanks
Jay

[Stuart S]

Originally Posted by robow7

Definitely looking forward to Connors' book this summer but I wonder how it may be tempered since it will have been written so long after the facts.

Yes, looking forward to that one very much. True, it'll be hard for him to cast his mind back almost 40 years. I hope his recall's good.

I also hope he's honest in it. Mac had some good things to say about Connors in his own book; but he also criticised him for, among other things, meagre Davis Cup participation. I hope Jimbo is honest and gives us some clue why he wasn't too interested in representing his country.

So yes, I'm looking forward to Connors' book with eager anticipation. I just hope it's not a bit of an anti-climax!