I really didn’t appreciate how much a love of tennis and an appreciation of the sport, fills my subconsciousness.
Just how much a book about tennis could stimulate impressions of a casual armchair fan with a lifetime watching Wimbledon and other major championships. How the use of art and captured images could refocus brain cells and long forgotten memories.

This is a unique approach, resulting in a book that promotes a love for this game and champions those who have tried to hold sway and dominate a tennis court.

I cannot fault this book.

It covers many players; stars through many decades I was privileged to see on TV or see with my own eyes hitting balls and hearing their grunts and sighs. Participants whose names registered with me but had me heading off to search engines to refresh my recollection of their careers. Many others I had not heard of, and learning of these players and researching more about them was equally interesting and informative.

The contributions of the artists are so varied that each of their individual works requires time to study them and in turn this enhances the subject matter. A few brush strokes and a dollop of colour brings its own enlightenment where even Dan Maskell’s dulcet tones couldn’t reach.

You don’t need to be a tennis fan to enjoy this book or have an annual pass to the National Galley. However this book, engagingly and informatively written throughout, will be a household treasure and worthy of anyone’s coffee table.