Martina - Softcover

Martina Navratilova; George Vecsey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0449209822 ISBN 13: 9780449209820

Publisher: Fawcett, 1986

Synopsis

There's never been an athlete like her. Born and raised in Czechoslovakia, Martina Navratilova knew by the age of ten that she wanted to be a Wimbledon champion -- and a U.S. citizen. She would attain her goals and so much more -- but not before her incredible life unfolded in ways not even she could have dared imagine.
MARTINA is more than the thrilling story of an unparalleled career in the tough, sexy world of women's tennis. It is a startling tale of love (with famed novelist Rita Mae Brown), tragedy (her father "disappeared" when Martina was eight, and only later did she learn the true cause of his death), and personal as well as professional triumph. It includes fascinating, intimate portraits of the greats of women's tennis -- King, Evert, Casals, Austin -- plus revealing glimpses of her working relationship with basketball star Nancy Lieberman.
Emotion. Grit. Intensity. Integrity. Martina's shown them all from Flushing Meadows to Wimbledon, from Dallas to Paris to Sydney to Prague. Here they are again, in an autobiography only a champion could write.
"Fascinating and unexpectedly candid." --The San Francisco Chronicle

About this title

From School Library Journal:

YA More than a sports biography, this is a candid view of one of tennis' most illustrious stars. Navratilova has won enough championships to gain her a permanent place in tennis history, and while tennis matches play a prominent role in the book, they are by no means the only focus. Readers follow Navratilova's early years in Czechoslovakia and her close but sometimes difficult relationships with her parents and grandparents; her early rise in tennis under the coaching of George Parma; and her difficult decision to defect to the U.S. at the age of 18. Readers learn of her fast-food binges (she was up to 167 pounds at one point), her impulsive shopping (she once owned 7 cars including 2 Rolls-Royces, a Mercedes and a Porsche) and her struggle to reach the top. She discusses her fellow professionals with respect and her controversial relationships with women with discretion. Navratilova comes alive in this book: outspoken, humorous, disarming and friendly. One can understand how she and Chris Evert Lloyd, while fierce rivals, remain good friends. Teens will relate to Martina's independence, spirit and open-mindedness while absorbing some tennis history. Diana Hirsch, PGCMLS, Md.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fawcett
• Publication date: 1986
• ISBN 10: 0449209822
• ISBN 13: 9780449209820
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336