Review of "Tennis Tensions" - A Deep Dive Into Tennis’s Class and Culture

This book by Gabriel Allen examines the forces — cultural, racial, and structural — that have shaped tennis from its earliest days. It’s a perspective that challenges the sport’s familiar narratives.

Title/Author:

“Tennis Tensions: Class, Race and Gender in the Evolution of the Sport” by Gabriel Allen

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  Tennis has long been considered a game of the “country club crowd” (my words, not a quote from the book). From the descriptions of its history to its unusual method of scoring to the extremely slow pace of racial integration, the sport has done much to reinforce that stereotype. This book by tennis professional and journalist Gabriel Allen digs deeper into these aspects and a few more to show a different interpretation of tennis history.

Each of the items described above — the origins of the sport, integration, scoring — are covered, as are other aspects such as amateur status and the Wimbledon “tradition” of requiring players to wear all-white attire. Allen illustrates how these reflect classism, racism, sexism, and homophobia. He refers to these forces as the “white tennis unconscious” (WTU — my abbreviation used here) throughout the book.

As a fairly casual fan of the game who usually only watches the Grand Slam events, I was surprised to see just how deeply these characteristics were embedded in tennis and how the WTU shaped several aspects of the sport. The most surprising to me was how the WTU can be expressed by a player, fan, or anyone describing the type of play they prefer. Whether one prefers a serve‑and‑volley style, a baseline game with groundstrokes, or a combination of the two, these preferences can reflect the WTU rather than simply enjoying all types of play.

I was also surprised at first — though less so after reading the chapter on it — that the scoring system used in tennis is part of the WTU and maintained for its exclusivity. Several people in Allen’s sources note that tennis scoring is very difficult to explain and that it is unfair that a player can score more points than their opponent but still lose the match. Here is where I thought the best part of the entire book appeared: Allen’s proposal for scoring is simply to count points, with suggestions such as the first player to reach 60 being the winner, or possibly 100 in major events. Players alternate sides after five points and then every ten points thereafter. The serve would alternate after the first point and then every two points thereafter, the same as the current tiebreaker rules. So whoever serves the first point of the match would serve only one point, and then the serve would alternate every two points until someone reached the target score by a minimum margin of two points (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2…). This ensures the principles of holding and breaking serve and prevents a player from winning without breaking serve at all. If the serve alternated every two points, whoever served first in the match would be able to reach the target score by a margin of two without having broken serve once. 

In other topics illustrating the WTU, what struck me most was the chapter on GOATs (greatest of all time). I especially liked the brief biographies of two players who are often overlooked in these discussions — Ora Washington for women (a Black woman) and Ricardo González for men (a Latino man). The latter was better known as “Pancho Gonzales” (an Americanization of his true name), and the former is mostly ignored in history despite her many victories. Allen does a very good job of bringing these two players to life for readers.

As is the case with many books on class, race, and gender, there are passages that may be uncomfortable for readers who fall into classifications considered privileged. However, instead of feeling lectured or shamed into guilt, those readers should take this as an excellent history lesson and reflect on what it is about tennis that they enjoy — and if those aspects fall into the WTU, what they can do to help change this, whether the reader is a player, coach, fan, or someone who simply loves the sport.

I wish to thank Mr. Allen for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link:   Tennis Tensions: Class, Race and Gender in the Evolution of the Sport: Allen, Gabriel: 9798316681723: Amazon.com: Books

 

Review of "The First All-Star Game"

With baseball season now at around the quarter turn with each team playing about 40 or so games thus far, it's time to start thinking about the All-Star game voting.  So, it's appropriate to post a review of a book about that first All-Star game in Chicago back in 1933. 

Title/Author:

“The First All-Star Game: Babe Ruth, FDR and America at the Crossroads” by Randall Sullivan

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

Many baseball fans and historians know that the first baseball All-Star game was played in 1933 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, that the American League won that first game on a home run by Babe Ruth and that it was the brainchild of Chicago newspaper mogul Arch Ward.  This book by Randall Sullivan gives a very in-depth look at how the game came about and some other historical background of the politics and economic depression of the United States at that time.

What strikes me most about this book and the excellent details that Sullivan includes is that he gives a well-rounded description of every player and manager on both teams.  Even non-starters, players who did not appear in the game and others such as the umpires also are given their due.  These are all in the chapters leading up to the game itself which is also covered in very good detail.

There is other baseball covered in the book, most notably excerpts about the All-Star games of the Negro Leagues as at this time, Major League Baseball still had its unwritten but very noticeable color line and no Black players were on any of the 16 teams. 

While the other topics discussed by Sullivan do provide some good background, they are explained in the same level of detail as the All-Star game itself. That may make a reader distracted or question why there is so much detail about items like Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Great Depression or the history of the World’s Fair in Chicago, which was also taking place in Chicago at the time of the game.  While there is relevance to the All-Star game for some of these, especially with the World’s Fair, there were times I was wondering if I was reading a history book or a baseball book.  Fortunately, there was enough of the latter that I knew it was a very good baseball book that is one for any reader who wants to learn more about the origins of the All-Star game.

I wish to thank Atlantic Monthly Press for providing a copy of the book via Netgalley.  The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link:   The First All-Star Game: Babe Ruth, FDR and America at the Crossroads: Sullivan, Randall: 9780802167361: Amazon.com: Books

 

Review of "The Original Six"

Okay, back to sports books.  With the NHL playoffs in full swing, I am watching more hockey than I did for most of the regular season (despite my favorite team, the Minnesota Wild, getting eliminated).  Most hockey fans know who the Original Six teams are, but many may not know their history during that time frame.  This book is a good look back at that era. 

Title/Author:

“The Original Six: How the Canadiens, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, and Red Wings Laid the Groundwork for Today’s National Hockey League” by Lew Freedman

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

From 1942 to 1967, the National Hockey League consisted of six teams – Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. While these six teams were not all part of the NHL when it was organized in 1917, these six were the franchises who were able to survive the chaos the league went through in World War II and created what many considered to be a golden age of hockey.  The history and most notable people for each team is chronicled in this book by Lew Freedman.

The format for each chapter is the same – the team’s history up to the 1966-67 season, stories about key players, front office staff and coaches during that time frame, and what the team has done since 1967.  That year is key because it was the year of the “Great Expansion” when the NHL doubled in size from 6 teams to 12.  If a player, coach or executive started their time with the team during the Original Six era but had most of his success after the Great Expansion, he will still warrant a mention in this book.

The depth of the stories depends on the star power of the person.  A player like Gordie Howe (Red Wings) or Maurice Richard (Canadiens) garnered a lot more ink in this book than someone like Camile Henry (Rangers) or Jimmy Thomson (Maple Leafs).  While that was to be expected, it was nice to see some not-so-well-known players get mentioned in this book. It’s especially nice to see this for readers like me to learn about these players who played for small salaries in a league that had limited exposure.

Each club in that era has a colorful history and Freeman does an admirable job of bringing that to life in this time of 32 NHL teams (although there were 30 at the time of the book’s publication in 2016.) Avid hockey fans like me always enjoy matchups of these teams and this book brings the colorful history of that era to life.

Link: Original Six: How the Canadiens, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, and Red Wings Laid the Groundwork for Today's National Hockey League: Freedman, Lew: 9781613219492: Amazon.com: Books

Non-sports book review - "Too Late"

No worries, I am NOT stopping my reviews of sports books.  But as I note in the review, at times one just has to read something outside the usual genre.  So I did that and it was so good, I wanted to post it.  

Title/Author:

“Too Late” by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:  This review is for a book that is way out of my usual fare.  Readers of my blog or followers here or Substack know that I write reviews on books about sports.  I don’t recall seeing ANYTHING about ANY sport in this book.  But as any bibliophile knows, sometimes you just have to pick up a book that is not your usual type to cleanse the palate.  Wanting to find a good psychological thriller for that cleansing I wanted, I decided to go for one by one of the hottest authors lately, Colleen Hoover.  Boy, was I pleased with that selection.

Without going too far into describing the story, it is part love triangle, part drug trafficking and part mind control.  The main characters are Asa Jackson, a notorious drug dealer who falls in love with Sloan.  Sloan is a college student who had to take care of her younger twin brothers on the spectrum.  One tragically died during a seizure; the other is in a group home that was paid by the state.  Sloan went to Asa for help when the funds allegedly ended (I use “allegedly” because that’s important to the story) and she slowly fell under Asa’s control.  Then comes Carter, who is working undercover to put an end to Asa’s drug ring.  There is an unmistakable attraction between Carter and Sloan and this puts both them and Carter’s mission into danger.

The goal was to enjoy a book outside of what I usually read – mission accomplished.  I finished it in one sitting, something I very rarely do.  I was so impressed with the character development of not only those three, but even for some of the minor characters like Stephen, Sloan’s brother who lives at the group home.  The scenes of when Carter and Sloan are together and the former is trying to calm down the latter are just a small part of how well this story is told and what draws a reader into the characters. 

One thing that I will try to learn more is that since I will be reading more of Ms. Hoover’s work now that my first book from her is one I really enjoyed is if her work usually includes graphic sexual scenes and foul language like was in this book. It certainly doesn’t bother me, but in the introduction, Ms. Hoover notes that these could be triggers so it made me wonder if this is something that is not usually in her books or she has that warning for all of them.  Regardless, when I need to take a break from sports books, this will be a go-to author for me.

 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Late-Definitive-Colleen-Hoover/dp/1538766248/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0  

 

Review of "Escape From Holland"

In between watching baseball, hockey playoff games and basketball playoff games, I've had the chance to do a lot of reading.  This book was one where I received the request before its publication in March, but due to various setbacks, I did not get to it until a couple days ago.  The timing was good as today, May 10, marks the 86th anniversary of this escape.  Here is my review.

Title/Author:

“Escape From Holland: The Dash for the Last British Boat Out of Holland in May 1940.  A Thrilling True Story of Football, Ballet, Journalism and War” by Chris Hunt

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  The old saying that sometimes real life is more exciting or dangerous than fiction was certainly the case for this story.  Many people from various walks of life living in Holland were drawn together by the threat of war.  Their escape from the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940 and eventual safe return to their native Britain is told in this very good book by Chris Hunt.

Because I will review sports books for this site, Mr. Hunt thought I might be interested in reviewing this book because one of the main celebrities who made this daring escape, Billy Marsden, was a well-known football player and manager in England.  There isn’t a lot of football mentioned in the book, except for two significant passages.  One is how Marsden’s playing career came to an end due to injury.  He was very thankful for the German medical personnel who helped him recover – something he felt was ironic given that it was now Germany who was pulling Europe into war.

The other section of the book where football was the main topic was a recreational game between native Dutch men working at the hotel where English refugees were staying and a group of the English refugees.  These players were mainly from the Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company.  The dancers were putting on shows in Holland when the invasion started and the hotel was where they and other refugees were awaiting the boats that would take them out of the country.  I thought that was great that for at least a short period of time, there was some recreation that would take minds off of the desperate situation, whether as a player or as a spectator.

Most of the book is a very good portrayal of footballers (Marsden is the most prominent, but not the only one profiled here), dancers and journalists who were in Holland for one reason or another.  Their escape from the bombing and invasion is just as dramatic as any wartime movie produced in Hollywood.  The details Mr. Hunt writes about each person, each narrow escape and each brief pause of relief make for great reading. While it took me a little longer to read this book than usual for a review request, it is a book that should be consumed carefully as no detail mentioned is unimportant to the story.

This might be better classified as a war or military book than a sports book, but that doesn’t really matter.  What does matter is that this is a gripping look at a daring escape by people of various walks of life for who were brought together for a dangerous expedition that ended with a well-deserved trip home.

I wish to thank the author and Mile Away Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: Escape From Holland: The dash for the last British boat out of Holland in May 1940, a thrilling true story of football, ballet, journalism and war: 9781919271828: Hunt, Chris: Books

Review of "The Texas Rangers and Me"

Keeping up with my personal policy of reading a book relevant to the sporting event I am attending, I read this book while on a bus trip to Yankee Stadium. I gave myself brownie points for not only reading a baseball book, but the subject was one of the teams I was seeing that night, the Texas Rangers.  I won't say the Rangers won that game because I enjoyed the book - but if one wants to believe so, go ahead!  Here is my review. 

Title/Author:

“The Texas Rangers and Me: A Baseball Writer’s Thirty-Two Years in Arlington” by T. R. Sullivan

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

If a reader wants to get the inside scoop for their favorite baseball team, the best source of information would be one of the beat writers who cover the team regularly.  T.R. Sullivan was one of those writers for the Texas Rangers and his career covering the team is a good collection of his time performing that task.

Sullivan’s career covered a lot of ground for the history of the team, through the good times and the bad ones.  Players he highlights in the book could make up a Who’s Who of Texas Rangers history.  There is great information on stars who had great seasons with the Rangers.  These include Nolan Ryan, Michael Young, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton and Alex Rodriguez.  Not only are their exploits on the field covered, but Sullivan also shares personal stories about interactions he had with them and for some, such as Rodriguez, how they ended up becoming Rangers.

The stories are not limited to the players. Sullivan also shares anecdotes on managers and front office leaders as well. The best of the managers during Sullivan’s time covering the team, Ron Washington, gets a great write up.  For front office staff, that honor would go to Jon Daniels.  It probably is no coincidence that these two individuals got this amount of text in the book as they were the field manager and general manager respectively when the Rangers won back-to-back American League pennants in 2010 and 2011.  Sullivan retired after the 2020 World Series (played in Arlington even though the teams were the Dodgers and the Rays) so he did not cover the first championship for Texas in 2023, but he did include his observations on that team as well.

Through these personal stories, Sullivan also takes the reader through the Rangers’ seasons, both good and bad.  He starts with an event where the Rangers were not playing – the 1989 World Series between the Athletics and Giants and the earthquake in San Francisco that interrupted it for ten days.  From there, he works for a Dallas-Fort Worth newspaper covering the Rangers and occasionally will give the reader a peak of life as a beat reporter.

Because of all these interconnected stories about the people and the team, there is repetition of many events in Rangers history.  From that, it appears that Sullivan wrote each chapter without looking back to see if an event had already been addressed.  That is the only true flaw I found in this book and if that’s the worst thing one can find, it’s truly a book worth a reader’s time.  Even if that reader is not a Rangers fan, it’s still fun to read about this team’s personalities and history.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: The Texas Rangers and Me: A Baseball Writer's Thirty-Two Years in Arlington: Sullivan, T.R.: 9781496246806: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “Royal Treatment”

Next year will mark the 80th anniversary of the integration of Major League Baseball by the Dodgers and Jackie Robinson. So, just like when he played in Montreal the year before integration, I received a book about his time with the Royals a year before that anniversary. Here is my review of that book.

Title/Author: “Royal Treatment: Jackie Robinson, Montreal, and the Breaking of Baseball’s Color Barrier” by Sean J. McLaughlin

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: When Jackie Robinson spent the 1946 baseball season with the Montreal Royals, it was part of the plan by Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey to integrate Major League Baseball. This was done not because Robinson needed the year at the Dodgers’ top farm club to work on his baseball skills. It was done to prepare him for what he might face as the game’s first Black player. How Robinson and his wife Rachel fared in Montreal and how the city treated him is the main focus of this book by Sean J. McLaughlin.

The book isn’t all baseball, all the Robinsons or all Montreal. McLaughlin does a very good job of weaving the topics together in a way that it doesn’t get too bogged down in one topic. While that’s a strength of the book, there are also good chunks of the book, several pages long, about subjects that are really only peripherally relevant to the main subject of Robinson. Two examples of this are the lengthy sections on Canadian racial history and a later description of the same thing for the city of Louisville, who was Montreal’s opponent in the 1946 Junior World Series. 

While these subjects may not have been directly related to the Jackie Robinson story, when McLaughlin concentrated on Robinson, the city and citizens of Montreal, or the action on the field during Royals games, the writing is great. It’s clear, full of important details, and makes the reader feel like they are in a time warp and takes them back to post-World War II Canada. I especially enjoyed reading about the warm reception that the Robinson received in Montreal, whether it was in their neighborhood or enthusiastic baseball fans cheering the soon-to-be Dodger on. 

This step of the Jackie Robinson story is one that is often passed or glossed over and this book finally gives it the recognition it deserves. No matter what the checkered history of racial relations may be in both the United States or Canada may be, this book shows that even that may be pushed aside when a talented player can make an entire city cheer. 

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book. The views expressed in this review are strictly my own. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Treatment-Robinson-Montreal-Baseballs/dp/1496244311/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0