A Handful of Summers

by Gordon Forbes, Peter Ustinov (Foreword)

The hilarious, classic memoir of the international tennis circuit."A Handful of Summers" is a delightfully uninhibited insider's account of tennis on the international circuit in the fifties and sixties -- both on and off court -- in the glory days of Fred Perry, Roy Emerson, and Virginia Wade.Forbes begins with his childhood on a farm in South Africa, where he learned to play tennis on a gravel court. His game takes him to Europe, as a South African Davis Cup player, and finally to Wimbledon. Along the way he cavorts with extraordinary characters among the world-class players, including a young Billy Jean King and Rod Laver -- and their tales, and his, shine throughout this irresistibly witty memoir. A cult classic among tennis aficionados when it was first published in the United States, it is a current bestseller in South Africa.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir

238 pages, Hardcover

First published June 12, 1978

About the author

Gordon Forbes (21 February 1934 - 9 December 2020) was a South African professional tennis player and author. During the 1950s and 1960s, he was the doubles partner of countryman Abe Segal. Together, they were considered one of the best doubles teams in the world. He died on 9 December 2020 of Covid-19. --Wikipedia

Reviews

[Jeff Kelleher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there any player on the tennis tour today who could write with as much luster and hilarity as Gordon Forbes did in this memoir of the 50s and 60s? None has appeared. Djokovic has a playful side. Agassi's ghostwritten memoir was gripping, but serious. Federer, Nadal, and Murray can deliver a polished courtside speech ("I knew he would be tough and I would have to play my best....I always love coming to Cincinnati").

The game itself has reached a velocity and intensity unimaginable in Forbes's time. It can be wonderful to watch. But there is an industrial grimness about the whole thing that seems a lot less fun than the "amateur" era.

Where is Abe Segal proclaiming that the Sistine Ceiling was painted by an Italian guy named Angelo? "Old Michael." Or Don Candy confronting a chauvinistic Italian umpire who had just made a biased call in favor of the Italian opponent, by pointing to the empty linesman's chair and demanding "I want that man removed;" and when the flummoxed umpire retreats to find a supervisor, climbing the umpire's chair and reversing the call himself. Or Torben Ulrich using his entire hour of scarce practice time sitting in the middle of the court meditating? Or Art Larsen putting away a sitter lob by slashing back and forth at the ball as if his racket were a sword, then tapping it over with the handle-end? Or the unnamed Australian players who took turns servicing a French lady from behind as she leaned out over the Paris street below, waiving to the crowd?

Can you imagine Ivan Lendl writing this way about the women players?: "Things happened continually underneath their demure, white tennis outfits, and it drove us crazy not knowing exactly what they were. Sunburnt legs protruded, pleasant smells emerged, and glimpses of powdered pectoral encouraged thoughts of more thorough investigations."

Forbes was a happy-go-lucky South African who was good enough to manage a French Championship in mixed doubles, a runner-up in the French men's doubles, and singles wins over Lew Hoad and Rod Laver. All the other characters of the era are here: Budge, Drobny, Emerson, Flam, Fraser, Gonzales, Kramer, McKinely, Newcombe, Olmedo, Osuna, Ralston, Richardson, Rosewall, Segura, Tinling, Trabert.

The book is hard to find, but you can download it on Kindle. Spend a Sunday, and laugh to tears.

[Andrew Schirmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should have been called A Sport and a Pastime. Balls 'n broads. Written with a kind of tender naivete that is by turns charming and frustrating. A world when tennis was dominated by talented amateurs, before money truly spoiled things.

[Jonny Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Loved it

[Åsmund Ådnøy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dette er etter manges mening den beste boken som er skrevet om livet som tennisspiller, og jeg er enig.

Gordon Forbes fra Sør-Afrika var blant verdens beste spillere på 1950- og 60-tallet. I boka forteller han om sine opplevelser fra oppveksten til sine siste dager som profesjonell. Store navn som Rod Laver, Lew Hoad og Roy Emerson går igjen i boka, og selv om jeg aldri har sett noen av dem slå en ball, virker det som jeg har gjort det etter å ha lest denne boka.

Tennis var en amatørsport fram til 1968. Forbes sine memoarer er drapert i et gyllent lys av uskyld og kameratskap mellom toppspillerne. Boka begynner med at Forbes ser på en Wimbledon-finale på 70-tallet, og klager over at det har blitt for mye penger og seriøsitet i sporten. Jeg lurer på hva han ville sagt om dagens utvikling, hvor pengegaloppen går mye raskere.

Forbes er et oppkomme av småhistorier, for mange til at jeg nevner noen her. Uansett din grad av tennisinteresse er A handful of summers skjør og underholdende poesi. Perfekt lesning for en håndfull ettermiddager på sensommeren.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book somehow succeeded in making me nostalgic for a time I never experienced. As a tennis player and fan, it gave me new insights into the origins of the modern game. Brimming with vivid accounts of practical jokes that made me feel familiar with players who are long gone. Left me thinking about what must have in some way been a purer era of tennis, uncomplicated by ranking points and million-dollar endorsement deals. They played for the love of the game and earned just enough to get to the next tournament. A truly fun trip back in time.

[Merritt Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

My expectations were too high for this book. It is out of print and so I had to order it from a used book seller who then didn't have it so I had to order it from someone else. By the time I got it I was so excited to finally read it that I was a bit let down. In the first chapter the writing style is great as the author tells about growing up in South Africa and playing tennis. I did enjoy reading about how the tennis world functioned before it became big money, those were the days. Based on the authors recollection the main reason to be a tennis player back then was for the entourage which included a new girl in every city. So it was a pretty good book but I couldn't recommend it to anyone as the topic of sex is pretty pervasive through out the book.

[Jonathan Pool · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written in 1978 this comes across as horribly dated.
I realise that the whole point of a memoir of events set in the 1950's is to reminisce and rue the changes ( in this case in Sport-tennis) and to focus on changed times; but that's no excuse for the writing.
The anecdotes are hardly hilarious or enlightening. There's recurrent sexism bordering on mysogeny throughout.
I'm a tennis player and know at first hand just about all the UK venues referred to in "A handful of Summers". Despite this familiarity with the settings I never felt engaged in the narration.
This book is a good example of why those who make their name in the arts, or sport, or entertainment, should (with a few exceptions) stay clear of writing life stories. Or get a decent ghost writer in to do the job.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the fact this book was about an era before the tennis world was filled with superstars and their bulging bank balances. It transported me back to a time in recent history, when life seemed to be less complicated and more fun. Full of hilarious anecdotes about tennis champion Gordon Forbes's life and his career.

[Suman Srivastava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rohit Brijnath recommended this book on Saturday. He said that it was the best book written by a sportsman that he had ever read. High praise from the best sports writer in the world. So, of course, I had to read it. The book lived up to its seeding. Some lovely anecdotes from long gone era, told with a great sense of humour and no ego. Enjoyable weekend reading.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a hoot!! If you are at all a fan of tennis, then Gordon Forbes' Handful of Summer is worth the read.

Before the agents, the celeb tennis pros and all the glamour and trappings of today's pro circuit - there was a somewhat lackadaisical approach to the tour. This book tells the story of tennis when most of the players were amateurs and the pro tour as we know it today did not exist.

It's an up close and personal look at some of tennis' biggest names who laid the groundwork for today's game. It's funny, irreverent and charming - I laughed till I cried over many of Forbes' stories 'from the road.' You'll recognize the names - Emerson, Budge, Laver, Segura, Ashe, Roche, Perry, and so many others whose names grace the halls of tennis' biggest stages.

A tennis classic, and a must read for anyone who loves the game of tennis, whether as a spectator or club player.

[Paul Magnussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree with the other reviewers: A Handful of Summers is the most informative and entertaining book on tennis I've read.

But the HarperCollins edition (the 1997 one, at least) is dreadful: the paper quality is poor, and — most importantly — all the photographs are missing. I was so disgusted with it I returned it to Amazon and bought a second-hand copy instead.

The five-star rating is for the writing, not the edition.

Be warned.

[Bruce Kellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great intro by Peter Ustinov, but ultimately, this is a book of and for its time. The amateur tennis tour in the 1950s and '60s seems like a genteel anachronism now, and many readers will find it hard to remember players like Gordon Forbes and Abe Segal. But if tennis history is your thing, and you can overlook a bit of sexism here and guys-will-be-guys high jinx there, "Handful of Summers" is a well-written travel journal of a youthful South African player exploring post-war Europe one tournament at a time.

[Walter Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the tennis circuit at a time when "shamateurism" reigned, from the persective of a South African player. Forbes is honest and droll, and although the era is long gone, the writing depicts a special time in tennis' development into a global game. Even perhaps, a better time than now. I loved it, and heartily recommend it.

[Fábio Vitório · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that captures memoirs of a lost era when tennis players were more human than today's majority of manufactured and super professional tennis robots. Caught between two eras, "Forbsey" was amongst those making "the tour" back then, amongst legends and very peculiar or funny characters that made me laugh outloud a couple of times.

[Francisco Ferreira da Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and well-written. A window into another period: both in terms of tennis before the Open Era and in terms of what was socially acceptable at the time. The latter apparently includes bragging about roofying your friends and cheating on your wife.

[Kang-Chun Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

probably one of my favourite memoirs ever

[Jevon Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the warmest, funniest, most nostalgic book I know. Please read it.

[Mr James PR Clarke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terribly dated and boring

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never laughed out loud this much at any other book!

[Chris Schaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

For tennis junkies especially

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best tennis book you will ever read. Lots of great stories about the tennis personalities that played for the love of the game and not the fame and money.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed this light read about the Amateur tennis circuit and all the revelry and fun that went with it. Def one for you Joss if you haven’t already read it

[robodoge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very influential on me I think. I still think about the line about the mood for winning. There's this slowness and melancholy throughout the entirety of the book. Gordon's story is very "pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps" back when professional tennis was in its infancy. Young me (and current me as well) thought it was cool that I shared some of the same thoughts about tennis as these tennis legends.

Here's the quote: "Mood for winning: Loneliness plus courage, patience, optimism, concentration, a calm stomach, and a deep, quiet fury. Mood for losing: Loneliness plus fear, a hollow stomach, impatience, pessimism, petulance, and a bitter fury at yourself."

[Karena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbes is an amusing writer. I feel I have truly caught a glimpse of the tour before it turned pro. There are some naughty tales, but I doubt you will really get your knickers in a twist about that. Why not 5 stars? It is a collection of memories which makes it somewhat stop-start-ish. Worthwhile finding in a used bookstore.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir is an interesting look into the early history and spirit of the game of tennis -- before it was all money and fame. Very refreshing. The personal antedotes were fun, but the endless lists of names of players left me thinking that my tennis education is lacking. Funny in places, bittersweet in others, and worth a read if you have more than a passing interest in the game.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite people in real life wrote this book, but that doesn't mean it's not good. An entertaining account of a young boy's life and the time before tennis was as commercialised as it is now.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once we got past the narrator's quest to lose his virginity — seriously, an irritating amount of time was devoted to a young boy's interest in girls and sex — this was an interesting tale of how things worked in the time before the Open era of tennis.

[Richard Hillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Handful of Summers is a delightful memoir about pre-professional tennis when amateurs played mainly for the love of the sport, rather than big bucks. You don't have to be a player to enjoy this book, but it helps!

[Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written autobiographical account of the tennis world just as it began the so-called "Open era". Often immature, sometime chauvinist, but consistently honest and entertaining.

[Teryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just loved it. Funny, entertaining and gives real insight.