Read a fan's eye view of one of tennis's most notorious stars, and an exploration into the idea of sporting obsession.

The perfect nostalgic treat for any Wimbledon fan.

The greatest sports stars characterise their times. They also help to tell us who we are. John McEnroe, at his best and worst, encapsulated the story of the eighties. His improvised quest for tennis perfection, and his inability to find a way to grow up, dramatised the volatile self-absorption of a generation. His matches were open therapy sessions, and they allowed us all to be armchair shrinks.

Tim Adams sets out to explore what it might have meant to be John McEnroe during those times, and in his subsequent lives, and to define exactly what it is we want from our sporting heroes: how we require them to play out our own dramas; how the best of them provide an intensity that we can measure our own lives by. Talking to McEnroe, his friends and rivals, and drawing on a range of reference, he presents a book that is both a fan's-eye portrait of the most vivid player ever to pick up a racket, and an original study of the idea of sporting obsession.

A wonderful exploration of sporting obsession, as well as a vivid portrait of an extraordinary tennis personality and the era that shaped him.

About the Author
Tim Adams has been an editor at Granta and literary editor of the Observer, where he now writes full-time. An occasional tennis correspondent and scratchy parks player, he once lost in straight sets to Martin Amis and served a whole game of double faults to Annabel Croft. He lives in London.

Reviews
Terrific...On one level, it's about the author's fascination with a tennis player. But it's much more than this; it's a book about how the world has changed in our lifetime -- William Leith * New Statesman *
A beautiful little book * Daily Express *
Tim Adams is one of the best of our new sportswriters * Observer *
Inspiringly in touch with what McEnroe was and what he meant -- Giles Smith * Daily Telegraph *



Book Information
ISBN 9780224069625
Author Tim Adams
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Yellow Jersey Press
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 80g
Dimensions(mm) 165mm * 105mm * 10mm