A Terrible Splendor: Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played

by Marshall Jon Fisher

Before Federer versus Nadal, before Borg versus McEnroe, the greatest tennis match ever played pitted the dominant Don Budge against the seductively handsome Baron Gottfried von Cramm. This deciding 1937 Davis Cup match, played on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, was a battle of the world's number one tennis player against the number two; America against Germany; democracy against fascism. For five superhuman sets, the duo’s brilliant shotmaking kept the Centre Court crowd–and the world–spellbound.But the match’s significance extended well beyond the immaculate grass courts of Wimbledon. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the brink of World War II, one man played for the pride of his country while the other played for his life. Budge, the humble hard-working American who would soon become the first man to win all four Grand Slam titles in the same year, vied to keep the Davis Cup out of the hands of the Nazi regime. On the other side of the net, the immensely popular and elegant von Cramm fought Budge point for point knowing that a loss might precipitate his descent into the living hell being constructed behind barbed wire back home.Born into an aristocratic family, von Cramm was admired for his devastating good looks as well as his unparalleled sportsmanship. But he harbored a dark secret, one that put him under increasing Gestapo surveillance. And his situation was made even more perilous by his refusal to join the Nazi Party or defend Hitler. Desperately relying on his athletic achievements and the global spotlight to keep him out of the Gestapo’s clutches, his strategy was to keep traveling and keep winning. A Davis Cup victory would make him the toast of Germany. A loss might be catastrophic. Watching the mesmerizingly intense match from the stands was von Cramm’s mentor and all-time tennis superstar Bill Tilden–a consummate showman whose double life would run in ironic counterpoint to that of his German pupil.Set at a time when sports and politics were inextricably linked, A Terrible Splendor gives readers a courtside seat on that fateful day, moving gracefully between the tennis match for the ages and the dramatic events leading Germany, Britain, and America into global war. A book like no other in its weaving of social significance and athletic spectacle, this soul-stirring account is ultimately a tribute to the strength of the human spirit.

Genres: Sports, History, Nonfiction, Biography, World War II, Audiobook, Book Club

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Marshall Jon Fisher was born in 1963 in Ithaca, New York, grew up in Miami, and graduated from Brandeis University, where he played varsity tennis. He worked as a sportswriter in Miami and a tennis pro in Munich before moving to New York City, where he received an M.A. in English at City College. In 1989 he moved to Boston and began working as a freelance writer and editor.

He has written on a variety of topics for The Atlantic Monthly, ranging from wooden tennis rackets to Internet fraud, and his work has also appeared in Harper’s, Discover, DoubleTake, and other publications, as well as The Best American Essays 2003. His book The Ozone Layer was selected by The New York Public Library as one of the best books for teenagers of 1993. His book (with his father, David E. Fisher) Tube: the Invention of Television was published by Counterpoint in 1996 and by Harcourt Brace in paperback in 1997. Their second book together, Strangers in the Night: a Brief History of Life on Other Worlds (Counterpoint 1998), was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the twenty-five Books to Remember of 1998.

In 2009, A Terrible Splendor was published to great acclaim. The Washington Post wrote, “Fisher has gotten hold of some mighty themes: war and peace, love and death, sports and savagery…. As the match enters its final set, all the narrative pieces lock together, and A Terrible Splendor becomes as engrossing as the contest it portrays.” The Wall Street Journal found the book “rich and rewarding,” and the San Francisco Chronicle called Splendor “enthralling…a gripping tale…. Wedding the nuances of a sport to broader historical events is a challenge, but Fisher pulls the task off with supreme finesse, at once revealing the triumph and tragedy of a remarkable tennis match.”

Marshall lives in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts with his wife, Mileta Roe (a professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature at Bard College at Simon’s Rock), and their two sons, Satchel and Bram.

Source

Reviews

[BrokenTune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review first posted on BookLikes: http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/...

I am utterly exhausted today. I didn't get much sleep last night. It was just too hard to put this book down, so I read on until the wee small hours of this morning when I finished the last chapter.

And it all started with this...

"JULY THE TWENTIETH, 1937, AND Baron Gottfried von Cramm tosses a new white Slazenger tennis ball three feet above his head. It seems to hang there suspended for the slightest of moments, a distant frozen moon, before his wooden racket plucks it out of the electrified air of Wimbledon's Centre Court, rocketing a service winner past J. Donald Budge."

Last month I posted a few thoughts about my issues with non-fiction books which read like fiction and the insincerity that I feel when reading overly dramatised accounts of historic event (posted here: One Minute to Midnight), Terrible Splendor restores my belief that it is possible to write a work of non-fiction about a very specialised subject and still be engaging and believable.

Granted, Fisher's book title does read like a headline in a second-rate newspaper but it is not representative of the way the book is written. Fisher does a great job of presenting not only the biographies of the three tennis greats - Gottfried von Cramm, Don Budge, and Big Bill Tilden - but he also manages to provide extremely detailed contexts surrounding their lives, including not only the historical events of the time or insights into the relationships with family and other contemporaries but also very descriptive accounts of the development of their playing styles and tennis technique.

Now, I can appreciate that this level of detail may not be to every reader's taste but I thought it was just wonderful. If you're not into tennis, the technical descriptions of grips, racquet specs, service techniques, and plays are probably skip-able.
I particularly enjoyed learning about the development of tennis as a sport, how the Davis Cup originated, and how grand slam tournaments like Wimbledon have changed in the last 100 years. After all, it is almost inconceivable today that Wimbledon and other major tournaments were for amateurs only and professional tennis players were not allowed to participate until 1968.

The main focus of the book is, of course, on the lives of von Cramm, Budge and Tilden - each an interesting personality - but von Cramm's story, which is much forgotten today, is just as extraordinary and tragic as it is inspirational.

[Ivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I write this review, having only just finished the book, I must confess to a decidedly mixed reaction. The story of the 1937 Davis Cup match between American Don Budge and the German aristocrat Baron Gottfried von Cramm is certainly a compelling one. Indeed, the reportage of the actual championship match between Budge and von Cramm is gripping entertainment, replete with colorful quotations and a fine sense of pacing. However, the author too often falls into the biographer’s trap of regurgitating facts and figures, miring an otherwise solid narrative in the minutiae of statistics; in this case a myriad of names, dates and scores read and forgotten almost simultaneously. [I should note that readers with a real love of tennis are bound to enjoy this much more than I did:].
Along for the ride is “Big” Bill Tilden (still the greatest tennis champion of all-time), who served as coach to the German team. The author devotes ample space to the formative years of each man. However, some men are simply more interesting than others. Tilden was a bigger-than-life sports figure, as famous in his day as Babe Ruth, who was twice sent to prison for having sexual relations with underage young men. The Baron was one of the most dashing and handsome young men to ever play the game of tennis, but a known homosexual who’s every move was watched and recorded by the Nazis. He was convicted of violating the infamous “Paragraph 175” and sent to prison; he was subsequently conscripted into the German army, and secretly served the resistance fighters. In later life he was briefly married to heiress Barbara Hutton. By comparison, Budge is simply, bluntly, boring.
There is quite a bit to recommend A Terrible Splendor, not the least of which is the amount of hidden LGBT history presented. Still, on the whole I was left with an unquenched thirst for more of von Cramm’s story; what a great character, and what a movie his life would make.

[Trin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story of three tennis players whose lives intersected in a crucial match on the eve of World War II. I learned a lot from this book, primarily what a complicated figure the German player, Baron Gottfried von Cramm (yes, that is really his name) was. Cramm was gay and refused to join the Nazi party; he funneled money to his exiled Jewish lover, but still played for Nazi Germany; given numerous opportunities to defect as he toured with the tennis team, he nevertheless returned to Germany and to his own arrest. The list goes on. (Trust me, it REALLY goes on.) Someone should make a movie about Baron von Cramm (something other than a porno movie, even) and several other figures in this book.

I must lay on the record a few critiques, however: as with so many nonfiction books, this really could have been edited to omit repetition -- why are you telling us stuff we already know, and know specifically because you already told us? -- and the timeline, which jumps around, is on occasion confusing. Also, this book was published in 2009 and is sometimes very 2009: the word "transvestites" is incorrectly used, and Fisher sometimes seems to conflate pioneering tennis player Bill Tilden's criminal behavior with underage boys with von Cramm's tendency to be seen in the company of young men. Are you implying something, dude? Because the rest of the narrative seems to state that von Cramm was just a gay man who had normal sex and relationships with men.

Long story short: Fisher is a straight guy writing about a lot of queer people not always with grace, but I think with good intentions. He's also written a riveting book.

Cramm's crucial match was played against a man named Don Budge, by the way. Also his real name.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I like to absorb my history through the lens of a particular event or people of the time, (a la Seabiscuit) and this book does a great job of it. A bit of a slog through the really tennis-technique-heavy parts, but I was rewarded with a lot more appreciation of game strategy and skill. Much more interesting was the political backdrop of two closeted gay men, one German playing for Germany against his will, one American coaching for Germany in defiance of America in the definitive 1937 Davis Cup match. Compelling and dramatic historical personalities, excellently sourced yet imaginative writing. There are a few more personages I want to read about from this account too, like the first female stars of tennis who apparently were quite ahead of their time. (Of course, being ahead of one's time was a man finally inventing tennis "shorts" by ripping off his formal white trousers below the knees to get some air. Scandal!) But I think the women in their adventures, sports and sex-wise, might have been a lot more liberal than we give them credit for.
So, I'd say read it if non-fiction and tennis and the time period leading up to WW2 do it for you.

[Michael Thimsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gottfried von Cramm is one of the greatest tennis players that I have never heard of until now. It was a pleasure to read about his sportsmanship and his bravery in the face of fanatical Nazism. I also regret that I was born too late to watch the great Don Budge hit a backhand.

[Bert van der Vaart · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting view of the rise and fall of Hitler Germany through the eyes of what was still largely amateur tennis, and especially the tennis surrounding the Davis Cup. Gottfried von Cramm was a dashing, aristocratic and apparently bisexual star on the German tennis scene, growing to prominence during the cosmopolitan/decadent 1920's of Berlin (think Cabaret). The author contrasts von Cramm's life with two prominent US tennis players, one Bill Tilden (from a wealthy Philadelphia family) and Don Budge (from a poor family in Oakland).

In recounting the tennis careers of these three men, the author tries and largely succeeds in showing how the disastrous economic developments of the global depression--especially in a Germany struggling to pay the excessive reparations bill imposed on it by the Treaty of Versailles--led to the rise of Hitler and his emphasis on German superiority (think "master race") led to an increasingly exclusionary reality. First, of course, Hitler attacked all those who were Jewish (which included Germany's #2 tennis player and von Cramm's Davis cup partner, who was able to flee Germany and ultimately settled in the UK where he became a successful businessman)--here the author does I think a great job of the ambiguity of the initial steps taken, the agony many wealthy Jewish families had of staying with the hope that Hitler was more bark than bite, versus fleeing the country and starting pretty much all over (given increasingly harsh restrictions on taking property/money out of the country).

Secondly--and starting from the basis that the Nazis were originally quite ambivalent about homosexuality, given Ernst Roehm--Hitler's "right hand man since 1919 and the leader of the terror-mongering brownshirts, the SA, was known to be gay..." and given what the author recounts was a quite robust homosexual night club scene in especially Berlin--as also is delineated by the British author Christopher Isherwood from his personal experiences. In 1934, apparently in part as a political struggle between the SA (then with 300,000 members under Roehm's authority) and the growing German army, die Wehrmacht), Roehm was to his surprise arrested and executed. The author then recounts how the Nazis turned more and more explicitly against overt homosexuality. The promulgation of a law expressly prohibiting homosexual activity led, in the author's telling, to many "inconvenient" people being arrested and tried as homosexuals--implying a significant number may not have been but given false witnesses were nonetheless caught up in this. They were also against the aristocracy, who were blamed for Germany's defeat in WWI and who did not suffer (as much) as the working class Germans did from the economic collapse of the early 1920s.

The author quotes Sebastian Haffner, a young journalist who lived through these years in Germany, including the hyperinflation in 1923 which destroyed old wealth and created huge political instabilities. Haffner describes this period in Germany's development brilliantly: "No other nation has experienced anything comparable to the events of 1923 in Germany. All nations went through the Great War, and most of them also experienced revolutions, social crises, strikes, redistribution of wealth, and currency devaluations. None but Germany has undergone the fantastic, grotesque extreme of all these together; none has experienced the gigantic, carnival dance of death, the unending, bloody Saturnalia, in which not only money, but all standards lost their value."

He cites another contemporary, Alexandra Richie: "Now, for once, the young had money and the old did not. Moreover, its nature had changed. Its value lasted only a few hours. It was spent as never before or since; and not on the things old people spend their money on." The author elaborates: "No sexual thirst was left unquenched... As things grew increasingly dire Berlin threw itself into an orgy of dancing, drinking, pornography and prostitution with je m'en fous being the order of the day. The higher the prices rose the greater the abandon...."

During all this time, which coincided with his growing prominence as a superb tennis player, von Cramm also frequented the Berlin scene, and apparently became increasingly homosexual only, ultimately leading to the divorce from his wife and increasing reports of von Cramm being visited by young men. As long as von Cramm was winning, he was still being celebrated as the sign of German excellence in sport--but the author shows how the regime increasingly sought either to warn von Cramm away from such behavior (including a temporary lockup and interview) and to pressure him in effect to win his matches--at Wimbledon etc but especially in the Davis Cup--where frequently the German team went up against either the British (when Fred Perry was leading them) or the Americans. For von Cramm, this culminates in a thrilling Davis Cup final match against Don Budge.

The author analyzes both the development of Bill Tilden--considered by many to be the best tennis player of all time--and Don Budge--the son of a poor Oakland family who became a tennis player only because one of his brothers begins to play.

For Tilden, his hard discipline turns him into one of the greatest--even when he was unable to make his high school tennis team. Although Tilden was committed to retaining amateur status, he became increasingly aggressive in demanding first class hotels, travel and "reimbursements"--with an increasingly antagonistic relationship with the USLTA. Tilden too became increasingly public about his homosexuality--more darkly to the point where numerous complaints were lodged by young boys or their parents as to his behavior. Ultimately Tilden was jailed twice and is shown as a sad but still talented figure living from tennis match to tennis match.

But Budge is the real counterpart to von Cramm, as it is their matches against each other through the 1930s which provide the backdrop to the climactic match of the book. Certainly a simpler person than either von Cramm or Tilden, Budge develops into someone whose tennis attracts attention from the Hollywood set and growing admiration from the English--who in the author's recounting were originally taken by the aristocratic von Cramm.

Arguably the author tries to do too much in this book. However, in focusing on the lives of these three tennis players, he is able to show a nuanced reflection of the historical development of Germany, the USA and England which, while informed by "modern sensitivities" seems nonetheless intellectually honest in terms of what the context was back in the 1930s-1940s.

While the book drags in places, and while those not interested in tennis might find parts of it too detailed, I believe the contexts described and developed by the author will stay with the reader and help him/her/them understand not only what it was like "back then" but also how the developments at the base of an economy/society can have an effect on the elite at the top. Fisher notes that the elite may play tennis and drink champagne at a global standard, but political power ultimately comes from the developments in the underlying society.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting account of one of the greatest tennis matches ever played at Wimbledon against the backdrop of impending WWII. As long as Gottfried von Cramm, second ranked tennis player in the world, keeps winning, he can keep the Nazis at bay.

Peter Bernhardt, Author: The Stasi File, 2011 ABNA Quarter Finalist; Kiss of the Shaman's Daughter [sequel]; Red Romeo;
http://tinyurl.com/a7rnpql - http://sedonaauthor.com - https://tinyurl.com/ycyvps3b

[Jui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book all 5 stars, because the story is great. This book has everything that even a lot of good fictions don't have. I mean if you want to make of any book into a movie, this would be it. An idiom comes to my mind that describes my feeling about this book is that the "Truth (real life) is stranger (more fascinating)than fiction".

There is no sport today where one can say that winning a game is question of death and life, but in 1937 Davis Cup that's exactly what it was. The tennis match between Don Budge (American) and Gottfried Von Cramm (German) is the one is fighting for prestige (and pride) and and the other one for his life.

There were times when I was reading the book where I could just visualize the tension in my head. But alas what lead me to give this book 4 instead of 5 stars was writing. May be its just me but the writing in the book is not streamlined (I am use to writing lot of scientific reports). There was quite a bit of repetition and the organizational structure of the book was quite loose.

But what do I know, may it was just fine and deserved all 5 stars.

[R.B. Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating read that blends history, sport, and inspiration. The events in the book are focused primarily in Europe, pre-WWII; but the span of the book reaches from the beginning of tennis to modern day. If the names Bill Tilden, Don Budge, and Gottfried Von Cramm don't mean anything to you, they will when you finish this book.

Marshall Jon Fisher's writing style is lyrical, almost hypnotic at times, and he tells this true story in such a heart-filled way that I was truly sorry when the book came to an end. The writing is dense and therefore demands a careful read so be prepared to take your time. The research done in preparation for this book had to be massive, and you will learn something intriguing on every page.

You don't have to be a tennis fan to enjoy this book - it is history first, tennis second.

Highly recommended.

[Marlene Rockmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a guilty pleasure which is tennis and I've become a fan of the genre of tennis books. I was at the Nadal/Federer match, which was supposed to have been the greatest match ever played, and I read this a week after the exhausting Nadal/Djokovic Australian Final of 2012. I read John McPhee's Level of the Game, about Arthur Ashe, who came from the public courts of African American Richmond Virginia to capture the US Open against country club Clark Graebner. But this book was surprisingly interesting and tense and full of ambiguities a German from Nazi Germany plays against a young American, and you find yourself sympathetic to both athletes -- especially the German who is playing for much more than winning a tennis match, He is playing for his life...

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a LOT of tennis. I think the author did a good job narrating the match and demonstrating that tennis is indeed a psychological sport. That said, I could have learned that in 30 pages, not 150. I did like reading about the background of Big Bill Tilden, Don Budge and Gottfried von Cramm. I liked learning more about the time period these men existed in. However, 3/4 of the way through the book I found the emulation of the sports stars in contrast to the Third Reich imminent atrocities to be hard to stomach. I also grew tired of hearing about EVERY single tournament Budge and Cramm every played in their life time. Enough.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is odd when tennis, in a book that ostensibly focuses on the sport, is the least interesting thing in the book. This book is so chock full of wartime depictions and historical blurbs that most history buffs, not just tennis fans, would be entranced. I'm not sure about the objective veracity of some of the facts as reported by Fisher, and I'm pretty sure there's a fair amount of creative license being employed for maximum dramatic effect when it comes to the players' interactions, but the mixture of tennis legends, sportsmanship and World War II makes for an immensely captivating read.

[Doug Naquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, well-researched story centered around the deciding 1938 Davis Cup match between the US’s Don Budge and Germany’s Gottfried Von Cramm. Although seemingly lost to history, the political significance of this match and the personal stories of the protagonists and tennis royalty (e.g., Bill Tilden) of the time make for compelling reading. Combining two of my current interests—tennis and 20th Century history—the book made me look forward to my next reading session. If I could go back in time and watch one match in person, the Budge-Von Cramm match would be the one, hands down.

[Greg Fanoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true story was a hell of a lot of fun, it works well as a general work on the political environment of pre-World War II Europe, and there's more than enough twists and turns to go around. I wish it had a little more structure, but that's a minor nitpick.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well-researched and interesting story on 1938 Davis Cup; interwoven with the various political issues of the time; great storytelling

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone interested in tennis or for those who love the tale of a great historic moment populated with strong, charismatic characters, this is a fine read.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best tennis book ever!

[Rene' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of tennis as the world steamrolls toward WWII.. So many intriguing stories and amazing people. Even those who don't love tennis will find this book engrossing.

[Sarah Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. Accidentally left this at home when I moved to SF so it was nice to return to finish it

[Dan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author convinced me that it really was the greatest tennis match ever, with the Baron von Cramm, dodging the Gestapo, on one side, and the rising American star, Don Budge, eager to bring the Davis Cup home to the US after years abroad, on the other. Both men displayed nerves of steel on the biggest stage possible.

The author also weaves in the story of "Big" Bill Tilden, the first American tennis superstar, and the impact of both the Weimar Republic and the Nazi party on Germany. While his review of Weimar Berlin was not in depth (after all, it's not the focus of the book), it was still utterly fascinating. Seems Berlin became the location of the party of all parties. After all, with the Mark becoming worthless virtually overnight, there was no point in keeping any! Better to live like there was no tomorrow! The author points out that for the first time in history, the young had money while the old did not. So the hyperinflation of the time had societal consequences.

With that, Berlin apparently became the hub of homosexual activity for the continent. Along with that, it was interesting to learn that 2 of the 3 protagonists in the match were themselves homosexual. Seems like showbiz and alternative lifestyles go hand in hand.

Of course, the Nazis were intent in bringing it all to an end. And it's easy to condemn them as typical straight-laced conservative party poopers (who would also send you to a KZ camp). Fortunately the author disabuses us of any illusions, pointing out that Stalin condemned them as well. Seems totalitarian governments are all the same, whether fascist or communist.

So the book is not just a review of the match, it's a miniature world history with tennis! 😀 I can't imagine a more interesting combination!

[Randall Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-told tale of a sporting event in the 1930s. While that might not seem like the subject of a good year, it is. There is a lot going on beneath the surface of this tennis match that makes the story so compelling.

Fisher does a good job of weaving the stories of the participants in the match with a social history of the times: the Great Depression endures, war looms in Europe, spectator sports have become an important element of current society, Nazis seize power in Germany, etc.. Fisher also discusses the mores of the times and places in the story and links the tennis match to them as both a snapshot of the times and an omen of what lies ahead.

If you like tennis read the book. If you want a different perspective on Europe and the US in the 1930s, read this book.

[Brent · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book very difficult to enjoy. There was very little chronological organization, jumping back and forth in time. Also a lot of the details seemed to be just plucked from a newspaper or score sheet without much thought into weaving it into an interesting story. Then to find out, towards the end of the book, that one of the "extraordinary men" was a convicted pedophile and another agreed to fight in the Nazi army even though he himself and countless of his acquaintances suffered from the atrocities of that regime is mind blowing. But the book just briefly mentioned those details without really fitting it into their 2 dimensional characters.

[Martin E Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Budge and Gottfried von Cramm played a wonderful tennis match at Wimbledon in 1937 to decide the Davis Cup. While Budge was representing America, von Cramm represented Germany. But since he had refused to join the Nazi party, in some ways, von Cramm was playing for his life. It was generally thought if he failed to bring home the Davis Cup for Germany, he would be arrested. The book covers the match in detail, but it is much more than that. It discusses the history of tennis, but also the history leading up to World War II. A great story.

[Chiara Ferrari · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of us who believe that tennis is a metaphor for life, here at last in this marvelousnarrative is proof, served up on the rackets of Budge and Von Cramm.
There could be no more disparate characters in any sport than Bib Bill Tilden, Don Budge and Baron Gottfried von Cramm. Marshall Jon Fisher has done a marvelous job of weaving the threads of these three lives together at a time when the world was coming apart and at the moment when Budge and von Cramm were playing in the most important — if not the best — tennis match ever.

[Brian Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well done story of the wartime tennis world and three of its key, pivotal male stars at the time. I thought it was a piece of fiction when it was recommended to me, but as I began reading, I realized that it was indeed a historical account that weaves together themes of politics, social pressures, international relations, and the world of tennis. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it for anyone that enjoys the modern game and has only passing knowledge of some of the past greats!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story and it needed to be written, I just found that reading it was a lot of work. The author jumps around in time so often it was hard to follow the timeline. Halfway through the book I couldn’t even remember what match the story was centered on. I’m happy I read it because of what I learned, it just wasn’t a particularly enjoyable read for me.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest tennis match ever played in 1937 at Wimbledon between Baron Gottfried von Cramm (a German) and Don Budge (American). Set in Europe before WWII it includes a cast of tennis greats and the world spiraling into war.

[Helen A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired

Learned more than I ever knew about Hitler's takeover of Germany . This book made the history personal and a warning of how easily people can perpetuate prejudice and violence. Makes me even more concerned about America at this time, the day before the 2020 election.

[Daniel Farabaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is not particularly interested in tennis, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The author does a very good job keeping the people involved as distinct and separate figures and manages to convey the tennis with great clarity. A very enjoyable read.

[Yuliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

"On a tennis court though, life remained the same. Inside the dependable white rectangle, everything made sense." - p.187