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Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion
Roger Federer’s astounding, all-round ability on grass and clay has made him one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. With 13 Grand Slam wins and an Olympic gold medal under his belt, the Swiss star has already achieved legendary status. This authoritative and affectionate biography traces Federer’s rise from his first tentative strokes with a racket through his early years in an elite French academy and his struggles with the sudden death of his first real coach and mentor. It also examines how he bounced back from one of the most challenging periods of his career when a serious illness and a dip in form caused him to break his run of successive Wimbledon championship wins and lose his number-one spot to rival Rafael Nadal. Roger’s professionalism and charm, as well as the time he devotes to his charitable foundation, have won him huge amounts of respect from his fellow sportsmen and tennis professionals alike. This is a candid look at one of the most winning and dynamic figures in modern sport.
- GenresSports
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 21, 2011
Bowers, Chris. Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion. London, England: John Blake Publishing Ltd., 2009. Print.pp288
How would you feel if you were a legend in a sport or something that you do. Well the Swiss icon tennis player Roger Federer has already made himself a legend in the game of tennis. To many people Roger Federer is one of the greatest tennis players ever, including me. Right now he has the record for the most Grand Slams which he has 16. Also, he has won one gold Olympic medal. Currently he is my favorite tennis player right now. This book is about his life from when he was born to the end of 2008. So his life starts when he was born August 8, 1981, in Basel, Switzerland. He was only one out of two children with his mom Lynette Federer and his dad Robbie Federer. Also, he has a sister named Diane. So he starts his tennis journey in a club called Old Boys and then he learned how to play Tennis from coaches that were at that club. Then when he was eleven he was national junior number one in the 12 and under division. Then at thirteen he was rated R2 at the 14 and under division while only thirteen which was pretty good, but far to go. I liked to read about his childhood because I learned a lot about him when he was little. In 1997 he gave up school because he wanted to focus more on tennis. Then he set to a tennis school called Ecublens in Switzerland but he went there a couple of years then stopped. Many people recognized his talent also his emotions because he would get mad if he would lose but would try really hard. Then in the start of 1998 he was going to take the junior world “by storm”. He would play all the junior grand slams, tournaments with colorful names like the Banana, Coffee and the Orange Bowl. He won the Victoria Junior Championships the week before the Australian Open. When he played the Australian Open he got to the finals, he lost in the first found in the French open, and then at Wimbledon he won the singles title and the doubles title with his partner Oliver Rochus. Then at the finals at the U.S. Open he lost a tough defeat in the finals. Later that year he won the Junior Orange Bowl and became number one in Roger has made history many times including 16 Grand Slams and has the record for most consecutive weeks as world number one which is 237. Now he is still playing in the tour and is still my favorite player ever!!! His emotions are very calm and happy all the time, but he doesn’t like to lose. He has his own charity in Africa to help children in need. He is very helpful and very amusing to watch. This book is sort of the Rafael Nadal book I have read because they both are professional tennis players and their books tell their young life and how they got to the pros.
While reading this book I felt really excited because I got to learn so much about his life and I always wanted to learn that. Also, I felt really shocked at some parts when he would win big tournaments or something good. Roger Federer was born in August 8th 1981, in Basel, Switzerland. He lives in Switzerland and likes to play Tennis, Golf, Etc. He has a wife and two kids. I liked this book because I learned a lot about the life of the best player ever. I recommend people this book that like tennis or sports and want to read about one of the best athletes ever.
How would you feel if you were a legend in a sport or something that you do. Well the Swiss icon tennis player Roger Federer has already made himself a legend in the game of tennis. To many people Roger Federer is one of the greatest tennis players ever, including me. Right now he has the record for the most Grand Slams which he has 16. Also, he has won one gold Olympic medal. Currently he is my favorite tennis player right now. This book is about his life from when he was born to the end of 2008. So his life starts when he was born August 8, 1981, in Basel, Switzerland. He was only one out of two children with his mom Lynette Federer and his dad Robbie Federer. Also, he has a sister named Diane. So he starts his tennis journey in a club called Old Boys and then he learned how to play Tennis from coaches that were at that club. Then when he was eleven he was national junior number one in the 12 and under division. Then at thirteen he was rated R2 at the 14 and under division while only thirteen which was pretty good, but far to go. I liked to read about his childhood because I learned a lot about him when he was little. In 1997 he gave up school because he wanted to focus more on tennis. Then he set to a tennis school called Ecublens in Switzerland but he went there a couple of years then stopped. Many people recognized his talent also his emotions because he would get mad if he would lose but would try really hard. Then in the start of 1998 he was going to take the junior world “by storm”. He would play all the junior grand slams, tournaments with colorful names like the Banana, Coffee and the Orange Bowl. He won the Victoria Junior Championships the week before the Australian Open. When he played the Australian Open he got to the finals, he lost in the first found in the French open, and then at Wimbledon he won the singles title and the doubles title with his partner Oliver Rochus. Then at the finals at the U.S. Open he lost a tough defeat in the finals. Later that year he won the Junior Orange Bowl and became number one in Roger has made history many times including 16 Grand Slams and has the record for most consecutive weeks as world number one which is 237. Now he is still playing in the tour and is still my favorite player ever!!! His emotions are very calm and happy all the time, but he doesn’t like to lose. He has his own charity in Africa to help children in need. He is very helpful and very amusing to watch. This book is sort of the Rafael Nadal book I have read because they both are professional tennis players and their books tell their young life and how they got to the pros.
While reading this book I felt really excited because I got to learn so much about his life and I always wanted to learn that. Also, I felt really shocked at some parts when he would win big tournaments or something good. Roger Federer was born in August 8th 1981, in Basel, Switzerland. He lives in Switzerland and likes to play Tennis, Golf, Etc. He has a wife and two kids. I liked this book because I learned a lot about the life of the best player ever. I recommend people this book that like tennis or sports and want to read about one of the best athletes ever.
January 3, 2013
Peter Grinnell
English Block 6
12/27/12
Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion Book Review
Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion by Chris Bowers is a biography which tells the story of perhaps the greatest tennis player of out time, Roger Federer. Growing up in Basel, Switzerland, Federer began his tennis career very early. The book describes how in the world Roger rose to worldwide stardom in tennis and how he has made such an impact on the game in the form of absolute domination.
Chris Bowers, the author of this stunning biography, has a way of delivering his message in a way that reaches out to readers across the world. As soon as you begin reading this book, it’s actually quite difficult to stop. Bowers instantly draws you in with his in-depth looks at various aspects of Federer’s life, beginning from when he was a young child, to where he is currently at in his life. Also, I can honestly say that the reading level is suitable for anyone starting from middle school children to adults. Tennis fans in particular will find it very easy to relate to Federer’s struggles and triumphs in the game because of Bowers’ writing.
Of course, in a great biography, you can’t forget about the powerful messages that our readers are subject to. In the story, Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion, we truly learn about how one athlete can rise to stardom, both on and off the court, and be a truly inspiring role model to kids and fellow tennis players around the world. A fitting theme for this story might be, people can only become truly great at what they do when they put in hard work day after day and not forget about their friends and family. Bowers clearly illustrates that balance Federer maintains between tennis and personal life.
Although the candid look at Federer himself throughout his life is very fascinating, we can not forget about the supporting characters that help the story move along. Growing up in Basel, Switzerland, Roger Federer had quite a healthy childhood. His friends and family, and more specifically his family, supported him 100% in all of his goals, which included tennis. Unlike some other tennis professionals, his parents did not push Federer so much that he hated the game. After Roger left his family to begin his professional tennis career, the book really begins to take off. We learn about his various coaches, various tragedies, and various struggles. One struggle in particular being his constant battle against fellow tennis player Rafael Nadal. We learn about how he battles against Nadal either for the number 1 ranking in the world of tennis, or how he battles in epic grand matches against Nadal that seem to go on for hours. Therefore, Nadal being somewhat of a supporting character, is vital to the overall success of the story.
Overall, Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion by Chris Bowers is a great story on Roger Federer’s life that anyone can pick up an enjoy. I know that if you start reading it, you will instantly enjoy the stunning and interesting facts on Federer’s life and journey to the top.
English Block 6
12/27/12
Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion Book Review
Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion by Chris Bowers is a biography which tells the story of perhaps the greatest tennis player of out time, Roger Federer. Growing up in Basel, Switzerland, Federer began his tennis career very early. The book describes how in the world Roger rose to worldwide stardom in tennis and how he has made such an impact on the game in the form of absolute domination.
Chris Bowers, the author of this stunning biography, has a way of delivering his message in a way that reaches out to readers across the world. As soon as you begin reading this book, it’s actually quite difficult to stop. Bowers instantly draws you in with his in-depth looks at various aspects of Federer’s life, beginning from when he was a young child, to where he is currently at in his life. Also, I can honestly say that the reading level is suitable for anyone starting from middle school children to adults. Tennis fans in particular will find it very easy to relate to Federer’s struggles and triumphs in the game because of Bowers’ writing.
Of course, in a great biography, you can’t forget about the powerful messages that our readers are subject to. In the story, Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion, we truly learn about how one athlete can rise to stardom, both on and off the court, and be a truly inspiring role model to kids and fellow tennis players around the world. A fitting theme for this story might be, people can only become truly great at what they do when they put in hard work day after day and not forget about their friends and family. Bowers clearly illustrates that balance Federer maintains between tennis and personal life.
Although the candid look at Federer himself throughout his life is very fascinating, we can not forget about the supporting characters that help the story move along. Growing up in Basel, Switzerland, Roger Federer had quite a healthy childhood. His friends and family, and more specifically his family, supported him 100% in all of his goals, which included tennis. Unlike some other tennis professionals, his parents did not push Federer so much that he hated the game. After Roger left his family to begin his professional tennis career, the book really begins to take off. We learn about his various coaches, various tragedies, and various struggles. One struggle in particular being his constant battle against fellow tennis player Rafael Nadal. We learn about how he battles against Nadal either for the number 1 ranking in the world of tennis, or how he battles in epic grand matches against Nadal that seem to go on for hours. Therefore, Nadal being somewhat of a supporting character, is vital to the overall success of the story.
Overall, Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion by Chris Bowers is a great story on Roger Federer’s life that anyone can pick up an enjoy. I know that if you start reading it, you will instantly enjoy the stunning and interesting facts on Federer’s life and journey to the top.
May 10, 2010
Para mí que soy ávida fan de Federer este libro me interesó porque me dió un vistazo de la vida detrás del atleta, desde que nació hasta que se convirtió en el super atleta que yo llegué a ver por vez primera cuando estaba de vacaciones en Suiza y él estaba en la final del Australian Open jugando contra Marat Safin. Siendo mitad suiza mitad costarricense Federer fue mi ídolo desde ese minuto y he sido su leal seguidora desde entonces. No me imagino el tenis sin ésta figura tan inspiradora. El libro no descubre mucho su lado personal pues es una biografía que no contó con la cooperación de Federer quién probablemente algún día querrá contar su propia historia. El libro es ameno para los que seguimos el tenis mundial pues sigue paso a paso cada partido jugado por Federer desde su días como junior. Por otro lado es un libro escrito antes de tiempo pues usualmente una biografía debería ser escrita cuando uno está en el ocaso de la vida y todo los logros se encuentran en el pasado. Sin embargo este libro acaba en el 2008 diciéndo que quizás ya Federer este en su etapa de declive, que tal vez no tenga posibilidad de ganar uno o dos slams más cuando sabemos que a la fecha, a partir de su 13avo slam ha ganado 3 más sobrepasando a Sampras. Le doy 3 estrellas pues aunque estuvo entretenido lo encontré lleno de errores gramaticales y eso que el inglés no es mi lengua natal.
December 7, 2010
Good book but you could tell that it was translated; some of the language was a bit off.
Federer is simply incredible, though. Putting his career in perspective is just scary.
Federer is simply incredible, though. Putting his career in perspective is just scary.
June 10, 2011
amazing ofcourse.............. :)
July 20, 2015
An interesting read during Wimbledon this year...needs updating. Federer seems very private, so kudos to an author who can write a book about him.
May 28, 2016
Only for fans -like me.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews