Product Description

James Blake's life was getting better every day. A rising tennis star and People magazine's Sexiest Male Athlete of 2002, he was leading a charmed life and loving every minute of it. But all that ended in May 2004, when Blake fractured his neck in an on-court freak accident. As he recovered, his father—who had been the inspiration for his tennis career—lost his battle with stomach cancer. Shortly after his father's death, Blake was dealt a third blow when he contracted zoster, a rare virus that paralyzed half of his face and threatened to end his already jeopardized career.

In Breaking Back, Blake provides a remarkable account of how he came back from this terrible heartbreak and self-doubt to become one of the top tennis players in the world. A story of strength, passion, courage, and the unbreakable bonds between a father and son, Breaking Back is a celebration of one extraordinary athlete's indomitable spirit and his inspiring ability to find hope in the bleakest of times.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #470075 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Released on: 2008-05-13
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Tennis champion Blake, who has appeared on Oprah and The Tonight Show, shares his string of hard-won successes both on the court and in his personal health. A child of a black father and white British mother in Fairfield, Conn., Blake hooked into serious tennis playing by age 11, when he was paired with coach Brian Barker, who remained his gentle mentor for the duration of his career. Having turned professional by his sophomore year of college at Harvard in 1991, Blake had mixed success on the pro circuit for the first few years. Sustaining confidence seemed to be Blake's biggest challenge, as he struggled to follow the advice of his father, Tom, who was fighting a losing battle with stomach cancer: You can't control your level of talent, but you can control your level of effort. At age 23, he decided to shave his trademark dreadlocks. Soon after, he ran into a steel net post during a practice game in Rome, fracturing his neck vertebrae. Blake was later diagnosed with paralyzing zoster, or shingles. His memoir is an inspirational account of overcoming the odds to return to competitive playing by 2004. (Aug.)
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Review
"Blake is a champion-in every sense of the word." (Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue )

"The grace and dignity that James has shown during some very difficult times has been a source of great inspiration." (Andre Agassi )

"[James Blake] has inspired young people everywhere with his story of courage and determination." (-former president George H.W. Bush )

"Through Blake's commitment and passion, he tells the story of the life lessons he learned while facing difficult personal challenges." (-Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, wife of the late Arthur Ashe )

"I've known James since early childhood...James's rise to international success is as stunning as it was predictable." (John Mayer )

About the Author

James Blake has been a professional tennis player since 1999, when he left Harvard to join the professional tennis circuit. He grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, and currently resides in Tampa, Florida.