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Summary: Topnotch tennis book
Review: I'm a longtime tennis player and avid fan, and through the Fantasy Tennis Camp I owned in the early 1990s, I have even known quite a few tennis champions, including Roy Emerson and Rod Laver. Because of the hype surrounding "Tennis Confidential," I wanted to read it. It definitely delivered the goods and was even better than I expected. What I liked most about it was its consistently interesting and often fascinating stories and interviews. In-depth interviews with McEnroe, Connors, Sampras, Ashe and others revealed a lot about their off-court lives as well as their tennis careers. Irascible stars McEnroe and Connors, for example, are devoted family men. Sampras is much more interesting than is commonly believed and cares deeply about tennis issues besides being a man of integrity and high intelligence. Portraits of Agassi, Serena and Venus, Anna Kournikova, Martina Navratilovaq and bygone champions like Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver unearth little-known but important facts about them as well as put their lives into a broader and deeper context. Few books analyze tennis controversies, and "Tennis Confidential" does that with considerable originality and insight, whether it's the rightly criticized ranking system, equal prize money, on-court coaching, the Grand Slam concept, etc. I guarantee you that you will change your mind on at least one controversy after reading Fein's essays. I also learned a great deal when I read the retrospectives about the evolution of playing styles and rackets, teen queens and how Open Tennis belatedly but happily arrived. If you like tennis history, you'll love the 10 greatest matches because they provide vital player context that makes the rivals and their most famous matches really come alive. This is a tennis book to savor. I read a story a day to spread the enjoyment.
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Summary: AuthorZone.Com Book Review
Review: "Paul Fein hits an ace with Tennis Confidential."
-- Pete Sampras, 14-time Grand Slam champion
PRAISE FROM TENNIS WEEK : Briskly written, authoritative though not infallible (what is?), Paul Fein's book is as informative as they come among contemporary tennis compendiums. You have to be a long-toothed veteran to miss here the nuanced expertise of writings on tennis. Fein has the writer's facility to enliven his text with half-page boxes which he titles "Fascinating Facts." They're fun... So do add Paul Fein's book to your tennis bookshelves.
-- Edward T. Chase,
Tennis WeekPRAISE FROM THE LIBRARY JOURNAL:This informative and entertaining collection of previously published features, essays, and interviews provides much to savor. A tennis journalist for 20 years, Fein wishes "to give tennis lovers what they relish" -- and he delivers. His insights and high regard for the sport are evident as he covers a wide range of topics. Features about former legends and today's headliners are expertly written, and boxes filled with "Fascinating Facts" are scattered throughout. Not every fact actually fascinates, but some surely grab your attention, e.g. that 96 percent of the estimated $20 million that Anna Kournikova earned in 1999 came from endorsements. Fein analyzes the sport's hot issues and controversies, including equal prize money and the ranking debate. Ardent fans keenly aware of the game's amazing all-time records will appreciate Fein's discussion of how tennis generally pales in comparison to the promotional efforts of other sports in these matters. These achievements should be proudly publicized argues Fein, whose case is bolstered with a full accounting of the game's most cherished records. His lively description of the ten greatest matches in tennis history is a fitting end to a book that would make an excellent addition to sports collections in public libraries.-- Editorial Review from the LIBRARY JOURNAL
by Howard Katz, New York
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. "From his coverage of the greatest matches in tennis history to his interviews with Pete Sampras, Bobby Riggs, and others, to his portraits of current stars, Paul Fein has done a wonderful job of touching all the bases. If you like tennis, this is a must read." -- Tony Trabert,
Tennis Hall of Famer and TV Tennis Analyst In the Forward to TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL, Bud Collins announces that "Paul Fein lets you in on the whole tennis picture." This is a perfect description of the book. It is a collection of the best articles of Paul Fein, a freelance tennis writer for over twenty-five years. These stories, one-on-one interviews, editorials and greatest moments cover tennis from every aspect.Between the sections -- Portraits of the Stars, Memorable Interviews, Topical Trends and Burning Issues, The Great Controversies, Twentieth-Century Retrospectives and The Ten Greatest Matches In Tennis History -- Paul Fein manages to include all the greatest players in tennis history. From Ted Tinling to Venus Williams, his in-depth knowledge and probing questions are apparent.Intertwined with the previously published articles are Fascinating Facts. These after-the-story tidbits include things like "Andre Agassi signed his first autograph at age six," "Gustavo Kuerten often sings in the locker room after playing a tournament" and "Jimmy Connors said he invented the fist-pump victory gesture in tennis." These notes are included in every article, making the articles a little more current and entertaining.Among his freelance efforts, Paul Fein was often a contributor to College And Junior Tennis in its print form. We often forgot that his knowledge as a player, coach and tournament director led him to some wonderful articles that went beyond the juniors. TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL is a testament to that.-- Marcia Frost,
Editor-in-Chief, College and Junior TennisTENNIS CONFIDENTIAL is so well-written and comprehensive that it should please most people who like tennis or are in some way engaged in tennis.-- Patrik Cederlund,
Editor, Tidningen Tennis (Sweden)TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL is the complete package. It has very interesting features and powerful interviews with the stars, such as Pete, Andre, the Williams sisters and my most famous alumnus, John McEnroe. Fein analyzes tennis' biggest issues authoritatively, fairly and thoroughly. His essays on equal prize money, ranking systems, on-court coaching and the power crisis are especially persuasive. You'll also enjoy enlightening pieces about teen queens, evolving playing styles and how Open Tennis came about, which enabled today's players to become rich and famous. History buffs will savor the 10 greatest matches ever played. I found TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL fascinating. And I'm sure you will, too.-- Dick Gould,
Stanford men's tennis coachTENNIS CONFIDENTIAL is a collection of essays on a variety of events and issues which have shaped tennis over the past several decades. Additionally, there are a number of interviews with the games great champions, past and present. Fein, however, is not just a sports journalist/historian. He regularly interjects his own insights and opinions on controversial issues which have affected and continue to affect tennis. Indeed, he tackles them in a courageous and honest way, not shying away from such issues as sexism and racism, topics which many authors consider too politically dangerous. The sections of the book that I enjoyed the most (and believe me, the entire book is outstanding) were chapter 26 (Twenty Reasons Why Women's Tennis Is Better Than Men's Tennis) and chapters 40-49 (The Ten Greatest Matches In History). My vote for the greatest match? Without a doubt the 1972 WCT finals where Ken
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Summary: definitely a great read!
Review: "Tennis Confidential" is a fascinating book. as a casual tennis fan, I becme engrossed with the reeealing portraits of agassi, Venus, Serena, and the inscrutable Bjorn Borg and in-depth, outspoken interviews with Sampras (who is more reflective and interesting than I imagined), McEnroe, connors and other present and past champions. I found stories about "bad dads", the evoution of tennis from a sedate game to a high-powered sport, reanking blunders and the power overkill in tennis matches riveting and often eye-popping. The 10 greatest matches made tennis history come alive for me. The exciting exploits of Monica Seles, who then was sadly stabbedint ehback, evert, Borg, becker, Rosewall and the flamboyant Suzanne Lenglen were fun to read. What most enlightened me were the retospectives. I most enjoyed reading about teen queens (not a new phenomenon), Althea Gibson's breaking the color barrier, and the racket revolution. "Tennis "Confidential" truly gives you an education aaabout the sport but in a lively, amusing way that makes it a page-turner. You'll love it. It also makes a nifty holiday git your friends will really savor.
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Summary: Fein Job!
Review: About a year ago, I had to get up to speed on women's professional tennis as it became intertwined with my profession. I am a recreational player, but by no means a tennis nut. I read this book over Christmas and learned a great deal. I especially liked the historical portraits of Althea Gibson, Suzanne Lenglen , Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver. These charming stories transport you to another era. The chapters on the greatest matches in tennis history similarly make you feel like you are watching them. Borg-McEnroe, Ashe-Connors, this is scintillating stuff even if you watched them years ago. This man is a top-notch story teller.
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Summary: A wonderful addition to tennis literature
Review: Although I first read this book on loan from my local library, I will soon add this title to my bookshelf. Why? Because it passes the test of whether or not I would read it again. It's that good and it is filled with elements of tennis lore that every tennis fan will want to have access to. But beyond a list of who won what grand slam, it has the authors heartfelt opinions about where the game of tennis was, is, and will be going. Informative and thought-provoking.
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Summary: Good but Repetitive Stories
Review: As an avid tennis player and reader, I am always looking to for good books on tennis. This book is a compilation of previous interviews and past stories. Many of these are excellent. There is quite a bit of past champions pre-dating my life that were informative. But after initially enjoying the stories, eventually they weaken and become repetitive. I believe this book should be about 2/3 the size it currently is. It is rare I struggle on a subject in which I have great interest. So, while most reviews are quite glowing, just be advised that in my opinion the book is uneven in content and tends to ramble.
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Summary: A Very Interesting Journey into the World of Tennis
Review: Being an avid tennis fan, I am always looking for tennis books that have interesting but factual stories about players of years past to the players of present. Paul Fein's Tennis Confidential held my interest throughout the book. There are wonderful interviews and tennis trivia in his 'Fascinating Facts' that will amaze even the most remote tennis fans. He deals with all the issues that confront tennis today, and talks about the ten greatest tennis matches in history. Many books talk about tennis players in a textbook way, but not this book. It is filled with stories that make you want to keep reading. This is definitely one of tennis' Fein-est books!
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Summary: AWESOME
Review: I am truly amazed at the depth of knowledge and information that Paul Fein has accumulated and shared in "Tennis Confidential". It was a pleasure to read, and I recommend it to all, even tennis amateurs like myself!
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Summary: Tennis Confidential Review
Review: I highly recommend this book. The author has a tremendous knowledge of the game but what I found most interesting is that he is a true original thinker about the game. He has refreshing and very interesting takes on a number of tennis issues and questions. Whether you are interested in the modern game or want to know about the history of tennis, you can not go wrong in purchasing this book.
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Summary: Tennis Confidential Review
Review: I highly recommend this book. The author has a tremendous knowledge of the game but what I found most interesting is that he is a true original thinker about the game. He has refreshing and very interesting takes on a number of tennis issues and questions. Whether you are interested in the modern game or want to know about the history of tennis, you can not go wrong in purchasing this book.
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