Customer Reviews

Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life

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Although I don't know James Blake, I met him very briefly in New York City years ago at the Harlem Tennis Center. I also met his father Thomas at that time who impressed me with his warmth and generosity of spirit. When I heard the news that Thomas Blake had died in 2004, I knew from meeting him that it would be a devastating loss for all who knew this wonderful man. And because my wife was battling cancer at that time and, like Thomas Blake, also being treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, I could relate to what Thomas Blake, his family and friends experienced.

So often in life, good things bloom from the seeds of hardship. Breaking Back by James Blake is a heart-wrenching and heart-warming story about how life's trials shaped the character of a remarkable young man. The wisdom of Thomas Blake and his son James' self-reflection reminded me of the relationship the great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden had with his father Joshua. The wisdom and friendship of Blake's philosopher-coach Brian Barker reminded me of the relationship John Wooden had with his players. The dedicated, supporting and steady presence of James' mother Betty Blake is a subtle theme throughout the book. I also loved Blake's affection for his friends and how they rallied around him in his time of need. When my wife had cancer, we experienced first hand how much the support of family and friends can help you make it through difficult seasons in life. I attribute my wife's recovery in part to the support we received just as James credits his friends and family for helping him through the difficult times he has faced.

Another Amazon reviewer of Breaking Back argues that Blake's philosophy of focusing on continuous improvement and achieving his personal best will prevent him from being a great tennis player. I disagree with that view. Blake's philosophy is the same as John Wooden's whose basketball hall of fame biography states that with ten national championships and four perfect seasons Wooden "achieved a record that no coach in any sport may ever surpass." Wooden achieved that record with a relentless pursuit of becoming his personal best while being a good human being. Wooden told his players that in his eyes a winner is someone who achieves the satisfaction of knowing they always gave their personal best effort. As Wooden said "you can win and not be a winner and you can be a winner and not win." In the eyes of those who value the content of character above fame a fortune, James Blake is a winner in every sense of the word. He's a role model whose story more young people need to hear.

I'll be reading this book to my two teenage daughters and giving copies to some of their friends. It will sit in my library alongside the inspiring stories about people who developed strength of character such as Mornings on Horseback about Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln's Virtues about Abraham Lincoln, and My Personal Best about John Wooden. For those who are interested in stories about people like James Blake with strength of character and how they inspire the people around them, you might enjoy our just-released book Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity, and Productivity

Maybe it's because I grew up in a Connecticut town just a few miles away from James Blake's hometown of Fairfield or that James is one of the most exciting tennis players to watch play a match....whatever the case, James has written a compelling memoir about the trials and travails of his recent life only to see him experience a renaissance in personal growth both on and off the court. "Breaking Back" is the story of James Blake's triumphs over adversity and it is one fine read.

As James says, a tennis match is not unlike life, itself. It's packed with victories and losses and all the drama that accompanies it. For James, a serious neck injury, the death of his father and being diagnosed with zoster (or "shingles") all in one year would drive anyone underground for a time. On top of all of that, James reveals he was born with scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and had to wear a back brace for years. James is lucky, though, to come from a close, loving family, have a coach, Brian Barker, (who is as much a mentor as anything else) and have dozens of friends who support him in his darkest hours. They form the basis of J-Block, the chief rooting section for James. Shining above anything or anyone else, though, is his dad. Thomas's fatherly advice is well-taken by the young tennis pro and it serves him well as he struggles with his own illnesses and some of the psychological barriers that hold him back on the court. He refers to his Dad as "Superman" and the elder Blake's death from cancer is the harshest blow for James.

This book plumbs the depths of an inner life filled with joy and sorrow but the great news is the rebirth of James Blake. And the ways he comes roaring back onto the court and takes control again over his own life make this book a fascinating look at one of the outstanding tennis players of our day and one of an inspirational young man who happens to play it. James's creed is "get better" and he does step by step and day by day. He is truly the comeback kid. I highly recommend "Breaking Back" for its honesty and courage.

There are many cases in which professional athletes have come back from devastating injuries and personal problems to regain their place in the spotlight. However, there are only a few of these stories that are as inspiring as the case of James Blake. A series of events in 2004 changed the life of this tennis player forever. He broke his neck in a practice session, lost his father to cancer and then became ill with zoster, a stress related disease that among many drawbacks, affects equilibrium. And then, just when things could not get worse, the love of his friends and family catapulted James back to his rightful spot in the tennis world and in life.

Generally, when I read books of this kind, I cannot help feeling that the athlete is sharing only what the public expects, holding back facts that they may consider a little embarrassing. We usually see somebody struggling, but that also has a kind of bravado to face the situation. This could not be further from the truth in this case though. I felt that James is not holding anything back and is spilling his guts trying to get us to understand every detail of his struggle. Andrew Friedman definitely helps, displaying a proficient writing style and not letting the book get boring at any point.

Besides containing a fair amount of personal aspects related to the fight against adversity and the importance of friendship, this book has some very interesting insights into the mind of a tennis player. Blake shares with us the process by which he became a professional tennis player, but also what goes through the mind of a pro during a match and at the end of the year when it is time to take stock. There are many snippets of information about players on the tour and these keep us engaged and at times help lighten up the mood.

Blake is the kind of pro that plays from the heart, and you can see that passion in his storytelling too. It is no surprise that his mentor and idol is Andre Agassi, who also displays similar traits in the court. Or that Blake is amazed by the talent of Fernando Gonzalez, who plays without a safety net and goes all out in every point, looking for impossible winners. James Blake lives like this, fighting adversity and going for the break right after his serve has been broken, and he has proven he knows how to do this. Granted, he got some help along the way.

This is a story that can be appreciated by anyone. It does not matter whether you are a tennis player or not. In this regard, the author included a glossary of tennis terms to help the novice, and allow them full enjoyment. I hope that if you read this book you will love it as much as I did, and I wish James every success in his future tournaments. So far 2007 has been a pretty good year for him!

I received the book the night before I was leaving for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships where James was going to be doing a book signing. I didn't get a chance to read it until the night before the signing and I thought I should actually read at least a chapter or two in case I got a chance to speak to James - I wanted to at least honestly say I had read the book. I couldn't put the book down, reading it in one sitting. I am a huge James Blake fan and I had heard all the stories about him breaking his neck, his dad dying and getting shingles a million times. But learning it from his point of view was heart-wrenching. I literally cried from pages 98-138. The book is powerful, but not heavy and filled with so many wisdoms.

This may be a little unusual but I am writing this review before I even finished the book?
This morning I just finished Chapter 3 of "Breaking Back".
WOW - Some powerful messages - so much more than just about tennis! Of course, if you are a tennis fan and/or like James Blake you may find it even more compelling?
Chapter 3, "Requiem for a Superman" is almost too much and even had me shedding tears before I was finished with the chapter.
If you can read this chapter and not be truly affected then "you are already dead"!

When I knew this was due out I checked with stores here in Australia for a release date. Unfortunately it is not coming out till September so I ordered it here with Amazon and got it within 3 days and still cheaper than what they are going to charge for it here.

What a story...What a man. The praise from reviewers in main stream publications has been tremendous. Here is the true story (without media hype) of how a man can regain his health, his mind set and his goals through hard work and determination and as he says the tremendous support from family and friends. It is an inspiration to anyone who has been down and how they can get back after so many knocks and a great read.

We all read from press reports of what he was going though, but the insight that we have now been given through his own recounting of that time is somehting that we have been privilaged to live through in his own words.

DONT MISS OUT ON THIS BOOK...It is a must read and I am sure it will continue to move up the New York Times bestseller list

I have been following James Blake's career for many years and have never been more proud of his accomplishments than I am now, having read this book. I highly recommend that you pick this up and read it a few pages each and everyday. It will inspire you far beyond belief.

This book is very well written and so heartfelt. It provides the reader (and tennis fan) with an insider's view of the ATP tour, and more importantly, it teaches the lesson that hard work (in life and in tennis) can only help things get better.

Let me preface my comments by saying that Blake is one of my favorite tennis players. After having watched (and enjoyed) him in so many matches I was very interested in what he might reveal about himself in this book. While Blake certainly hasn't missed his calling by not being a professional writer, he nonetheless has crafted a readable and entertaining first effort with "Breaking Back." I was immediately engaged as I began reading this book because of Blake's relentless honesty - with regard to himself, the game, and the important people in his life. No pretense here. Blake isn't trying to impress, he's trying to convey a message about love, loss, and redemption; and in his own way he accomplishes his goal in an effective and emotionally touching way. To state the obvious, all of us either have or will face various adversities in life of one kind or another. But few of us will lose as much as James did, and even fewer will become stronger and better people for having undergone the experience. To summarize: A sudden convergence of events in Blake's life mounted a remorseless attack on everything that held meaning for him. Lesser men would have fallen, but Blake dug deep and he fought back. He overcame. And we're all better for it because he chose to share the experience with us. When I turned the last page of this book I was thankful to have spent some time with this gifted and special young man. As he relates, he has a number of close friends. I'd like to be one of them. Whatever his faults, this man has qualities that made his parents proud, as they should have been. And you'll be a better person for having invited James Blake into your life through a reading of this moving memoir.

James Blake's book would be great for you if you were a big tennis fan. You will learn about James' sometimes difficult, sometimes great life. It was difficult because he had to go through many obstacles, but it was great because he got to do his dream job. It was interesting to read about him and his matches. It makes you feel like you are right at the stadium.

I liked that James wrote about himself as a kid. He had a temper issue, and he had to learn how to stop it.

It was interesting to read how he dealt with his broken neck. He used friends to help him get back to full strength.

His comeback was great and inspiring. He went all the way down to the minor leagues and rose back into the top 5. He inspired so many people, he got to go on Oprah and David Letterman.

If you read the book, you will want to meet him even more. You also will learn he is a very cool guy.

James inspired me and I hope he can inspire you.