Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion [Paperback]

Chris Bowers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Roger Federer’s astounding, all-round ability on grass and clay has made him one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. With 13 Grand Slam wins and an Olympic gold medal under his belt, the Swiss star has already achieved legendary status. This authoritative and affectionate biography traces Federer’s rise from his first tentative strokes with a racket through his early years in an elite French academy and his struggles with the sudden death of his first real coach and mentor. It also examines how he bounced back from one of the most challenging periods of his career when a serious illness and a dip in form caused him to break his run of successive Wimbledon championship wins and lose his number-one spot to rival Rafael Nadal. Roger’s professionalism and charm, as well as the time he devotes to his charitable foundation, have won him huge amounts of respect from his fellow sportsmen and tennis professionals alike. This is a candid look at one of the most winning and dynamic figures in modern sport.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris Bowers is the author of Fantastic Federder and The Book of Tennis and writes regularly for The Independent, The Observer, and The Times.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: John Blake (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844547485
• ISBN-13: 978-1844547487
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,018,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only for the most avid Federer fan, January 28, 2010

By 

Klipspringer (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion (Paperback)

Let it be known that there are few more avid fans of tennis in general, and Roger Federer in particular, than me. Thus, it would not have taken much to satisfy my hunger for even a marginally revealing and intimate biography of the game's biggest star. Unfortunately, I'm still hungry.

The book does relate some interesting facts about Federer's childhood, his family, and his entry into the sport of tennis. Federer's maturation from a young hothead and many early losses to possibly "the greatest ever" is described, match by match. But, there is very little emotion or "meat" in what is essentially a matter-of-fact chronological recall of his career through 2008.

The author is regarded as an experienced and renowned tennis writer, which made the presentation even more disappointing. As an advanced player myself, I was hoping for a bit of analysis from a player's perspective of what sets Federer apart from the rest; his shotmaking, techniques, match preparation, mental toughness, etc. I can learn more watching Federer on television.

In fairness, Federer himself has described his off-court life as "boring." Several times throughout the book, the author states how secretive and protective Federer is of his private life. Federer is obviously very good at this, since nothing in the book reveals much the public does not already know. The author is often apologetic for Federer, at times bordering on fawning. As such, it is not a biography, but more a tribute.

For a well-written, revealing look at the seamier sides of professional tennis, read Agassi's book. As for the definitive look at Roger Federer, we're still waiting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good info but a little biased towards RF, November 30, 2009

By 

tutsi buster lizzy "javed" (San Francisco, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion (Paperback)

I have no problems with a biographer sympathizing with his subject, but in my opinion it limits the amount of truths you can uncover about someone's life. However, this is well written. The last quarter is mostly a running commentary of his important matches, but they need to be described to establish context. Please read if you are a Roger Federer fan. I am.