Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My LifeHarper Collins, 2009 M03 17 - 288 pages James Blake's life was getting better every day. A rising tennis star and People magazine's Sexiest Male Athlete of 2002, he was leading a charmed life and loving every minute of it. But all that ended in May 2004, when Blake fractured his neck in an on-court freak accident. As he recovered, his father—who had been the inspiration for his tennis career—lost his battle with stomach cancer. Shortly after his father's death, Blake was dealt a third blow when he contracted zoster, a rare virus that paralyzed half of his face and threatened to end his already jeopardized career. In Breaking Back, Blake provides a remarkable account of how he came back from this terrible heartbreak and self-doubt to become one of the top tennis players in the world. A story of strength, passion, courage, and the unbreakable bonds between a father and son, Breaking Back is a celebration of one extraordinary athlete's indomitable spirit and his inspiring ability to find hope in the bleakest of times. |
From inside the book
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... called our bets and each player overturned his cards, moving clockwise around the group. There was nothing too impressive—a lot of bluffing and wishing had been going on—and we laughed as each lackluster hand was revealed. Finally, we ...
... called out his name—“Ladies and gentlemen, Andre Agassi”—drawing it out like Ed McMahon introducing Johnny Carson, the place went stark-raving mad. The crowd gave me a pretty rousing reception as well. From the time I turned pro, I ...
... was recuperating at the VA hospital. About a day later, my brother and I arrived there, and we were shaken by the sight of our father, whom my mother routinely called her “iron man.” He was connected to all sorts 24 BREAKING BACK.
How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life James Blake. called her “iron man.” He was connected to all sorts of ominous machines, pumps, and monitors; there were strange noises and people taking readings from mysterious equipment. After ...
Contents
1 | |
7 | |
It Could Be Worse | 35 |
Requiem for a Superman | 63 |
Five Minutes of Hitting | 115 |
Plan B | 147 |
If You Can Win One Set | 175 |
You Can Win Two 175 7 Fire It Up One Time Bam 203 8 Getting Better 241 Epilogue 257 Glossary | 265 |