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Federer and Me
Federer and Me
Nov 6, 2024 12:57 AM

Author:William Skidelsky

Federer and Me

A story of tennis, obsession and Roger Federer for tennis fans and the general reader alike.

For much of the past decade, William Skidelsky has not been able to stop thinking about Roger Federer, the greatest and most graceful tennis player of all time. A devotion has been all-consuming.

In Federer and Me, Skidelsky asks what it is about the Swiss star that transfixes him, and countless others. He dissects the wonders of his forehand, reflects on his rivalry with Nadal, revels in his victories and relives his most crushing defeats.

But this is more than just a book about Federer. In charting his obsession, Skidelsky explores the evolution of modern tennis, the role of beauty in sport and the psychology of fandom, weaving his own past into the story.

Thought-provoking and beautifully written, Federer and Me is a frank, funny and touching account of one fan's life.

‘A splendid deconstruction of Federer’s technique’ Sunday Times

Reviews

Hilarious... Thought-provoking

—— Matt Williams , BBC Radio 2 Simon Mayo Drivetime

Thought-provoking, instructive and highly readable. Positively gripping

—— Simon O’Hagan , Independent

Skidelsky is excellent at deconstructing the appeal of Federer … This is the kind of book that sports fans will read over the summer, sitting in their gardens or in the stands of the All England Club, with a bowl of strawberries near at hand. It is gentle and wise, discursive but pointed

—— Matthew Syed , The Times

Brave… Engaging… Ultimately poignant

—— Edmund Gordon , Spectator

With clarity he illuminates the champion’s striking position as both a preserver and innovator of the sport

—— Laurence Scott , Financial Times

A splendid deconstruction of Federer’s technique

—— Ed Smith , Sunday Times

Compelling. Its excellent chapters on the technical changes in the game, the rivalry with Nadal and the relationship between sport and beauty are well worth the admission money

—— Simon Barnes , Newsweek

Skidelsky also knows that Federer’s tennis is more than just Federer’s tennis; but for him it is not a metaphor, rather something which has been absorbed into the texture and meaning of his own life

—— Julian Barnes , Guardian

Examines the evolution of modern tennis, the role of beauty in sport and the psychology of fandom

—— National

It’s a dry comic look at devotion to sport

—— Forever Sports

This is tennis’s answer to Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch… The book is particularly strong on Federer’s place in tennis history

—— Simon Kuper , Financial Times

Very enjoyable biography-cum-autobiography...this is a good book. Skidelsky has a feel for words, for the length of sentences and for tennis. The “sporty one” has finally proved himself

—— Simon Kuper , New Statesman

Thought-provoking and beautifully written, Federer and Me is a frank, funny and touching account of one fan’s life

—— Miss Dinky

Hooked: from opening lob to final shot

—— Kevin Mitchell , Observer

Skidelsky explores the evolution of modern tennis, the role of beauty in sport and the psychology of fandom, weaving his own past into the story

—— Gransnet

A stunning achievement

—— Irish Mail on Sunday

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Provides many revealing insights into the mind of a born winner

—— Sunday Business Post

Brilliant, bruising

—— Donal Ryan , Sunday Independent

This is so much more than the story of their journey – it’s a superbly written, endlessly fascinating book encompassing history, geology, landscape, family memories, wars experienced and lives well lived.

—— Choice Magazine

One of the most unexpected and enjoyable reads of 2016… The book fizzes erudition and is delightfully leavened by the companionship of his aged and doughty father.

—— Guardian, Readers' Book of the Year

A very funny book - not jovial in the post-Wodehouse Boris mode but something more taught and Caledonian... The politician in Stewart never had a chance against the writer, a reliable adversary of consensus and cant.

—— Minoo Dinshaw , Oldie

Beautiful, evocative, and wise.

—— Malcolm Forbes , Star Tribune

The Marches is a transporting work from a powerful and original writer.

—— Harvard Press

This beautifully written account is a moving memoir of tales from along the route but also reflections on life and relationships – father and son on this their last journey together.

—— Prospect

Rory Stewart is one of the most talented men of our era. The Marches takes us from Rory’s constituency to his family house is an attempt to understand the bloody history of the Scottish borders… The quest is fascinating even if the answers are elusive.

—— Bruce Anderson , Spectator

As the book unfurls, the march along the marches turns into a eulogy to his father, part memoir, part biography, always a love story. It also contains one of the most unflinching, moving descriptions of death I have read.

—— Melanie Reid , The Times

This beautifully written book is a haunting reflection of identity and our relationships with the people and places we love.

—— Jane Shilling , Daily Mail

Stewart provides much food for thought about how we value our past history

—— Susannah Law , Scottish Field
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