BREAKING BACK: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life - Tapa blanda

"The grace and dignity that James has shown during some very difficult times has been a source of great inspiration." -- Andre Agassi "Blake is a champion-in every sense of the word." -- Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue "I've known James since early childhood...James's rise to international success is as stunning as it was predictable." -- John Mayer "Through Blake's commitment and passion, he tells the story of the life lessons he learned while facing difficult personal challenges." -- -Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, wife of the late Arthur Ashe "[James Blake] has inspired young people everywhere with his story of courage and determination." -- -former president George H.W. Bush

In 2004, James Blake's world was getting more perfect by the day. As a rising young tennis star, his life and his game were constantly gathering new momentum while he travelled the world and rose through the international tennis rankings - eventually climbing as high as number twenty-two. With a tournament victory and many great matches under his belt (not to mention being named "People Magazine's" Sexiest Male Athlete in 2002). But that life came to a shocking halt in May 2004, when Blake fractured his neck in a freak accident on the court. A few months later, as he was recovering from his injury, he suffered another heart-stopping setback when his father - the man who had been the inspiration for his tennis career and the center of his world - 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 paralysed half of his face and threatened to end his already jeopardised tennis career."New York Times" bestseller "Breaking Back" tells the dramatic story of the tumultuous year that followed this convergence of tragedies. With honest, open prose, Blake examines the frustrating heartbreak that followed him from hard-fought qualifiers to match point on the US Open's center court. Detailing each step of his arduous journey, he explains how the off-court challenges of 2004 powered him through his self-doubt, guided him to the world's top five, and proved that even in death his father was still teaching him to be a man.