Marshall Jon Fisher's Books

A Terrible Splendor

Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

A Terrible Splendor

Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Before Federer versus Nadal, before Borg versus McEnroe, the greatest tennis match ever played pitted the dominant Don Budge against the seductively handsome Baron Gottfried von Cramm. This deciding 1937 Davis Cup match, played on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, was a battle of titans: the world's number one tennis player against the number two; America against Germany; democracy against fascism. For five superhuman sets, the duo’s brilliant shotmaking kept the Centre Court crowd–and the world–spellbound. But the match’s significance extended well beyond the immaculate grass courts of Wimbledon. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the brink of World War II, one man played for the pride of his country while the other played for his life. Budge, the humble hard-working American who would soon become the first man to win all four Grand Slam titles in the same year, vied to keep the Davis Cup out of the hands of the Nazi regime. On the other side of the net, the immensely popular and elegant von Cramm fought Budge point for point knowing that a loss might precipitate his descent into the living hell being constructed behind barbed wire back home. Born into an aristocratic family, von Cramm was admired for his devastating good looks as well as his unparalleled sportsmanship. But he harbored a dark secret, one that put him under increasing Gestapo surveillance. And his situation was made even more perilous by his refusal to join the Nazi Party or defend Hitler. Desperately relying on his athletic achievements and the global spotlight to keep him out of the Gestapo’s clutches, his strategy was to keep traveling and keep winning. A Davis Cup victory would make him the toast of Germany. A loss might be catastrophic. Watching the mesmerizingly intense match from the stands was von Cramm’s mentor and all-time tennis superstar Bill Tilden–a consummate showman whose double life would run in ironic counterpoint to that of his German pupil. Set at a time when sports and politics were inextricably linked, A Terrible Splendor gives readers a courtside seat on that fateful day, moving gracefully between the tennis match for the ages and the dramatic events leading Germany, Britain, and America into global war. A book like no other in its weaving of social significance and athletic spectacle, this soul-stirring account is ultimately a tribute to the strength of the human spirit.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

346

Publisher

Crown

Published Date

ISBN 10

030739395X

ISBN 13

9780307393951

A Terrible Splendor

Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

A Terrible Splendor

Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

346

Publisher

Crown

Published Date

ISBN 10

030739395X

ISBN 13

9780307393951

Seventeen and Oh

Miami, 1972, and the NFL's Only Perfect Season

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Seventeen and Oh

Miami, 1972, and the NFL's Only Perfect Season

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Publishing on the 50th anniversary of that magic season, the definitive chronicle of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only undefeated team in NFL history—from an award-winning literary sportswriter The 1972 Miami Dolphins had something to prove. Losers in the previous Super Bowl, a ragtag bunch of overlooked, underappreciated, or just plain old players, they were led by Don Shula, a genius young coach obsessed with obliterating the reputation that he couldn’t win the big game. And as the Dolphins headed into only their seventh season, all eyes were on Miami. For the last time, a city was hosting both national political conventions, and the backdrop to this season of redemption would be turbulent: the culture wars, the Nixon reelection campaign, the strange, unfolding saga of Watergate, and the war in Vietnam. Generational and cultural divides abounded on the team as well. There were long-haired, bell-bottomed party animals such as Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich, as well as the stylish Marv Fleming and Curtis Johnson, with his supernova afro, playing alongside conservative, straight-laced men like the quarterbacks: Bob Griese and the crew-cut savior, 38-year-old backup Earl Morrall. Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, nicknamed “Butch and Sundance,” had to make way for a third running back, the outspoken and flamboyant Mercury Morris. But unlike the fractious society around them, this racially and culturally diverse group found a way to meld seamlessly into a team. The perfect team. Marshall Jon Fisher’s Seventeen and Oh is a compelling, fast-paced account of a season unlike any other.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

375

Publisher

Abrams

Published Date

ISBN 10

164700005X

ISBN 13

9781647000059

Seventeen and Oh

Miami, 1972, and the NFL's Only Perfect Season

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Seventeen and Oh

Miami, 1972, and the NFL's Only Perfect Season

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

375

Publisher

Abrams

Published Date

ISBN 10

164700005X

ISBN 13

9781647000059

Book's by Marshall Jon Fisher

A Terrible Splendor

A Terrible Splendor

A Terrible Splendor

A Terrible Splendor

Seventeen and Oh

Seventeen and Oh

Seventeen and Oh

Seventeen and Oh

Username

Password

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email