Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this as an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

I’m a casual tennis watcher, I’m not an expert by any means which is why I decided to pick this up. I thought a mix between photography (one of my biggest passions) and art could be a great way to learn more about the history of the sport. And it definitely was, because this was very interesting. At times it was maybe a little too much for a beginner like me, but overall I enjoyed this read.

I imagined there would be some more photos, since this was in the “arts and photography” section, but the ones included were beautiful and appropriate for the themes discussed in this book.

“Tennis can be a reminder that joy comes in unexpected places.”

A “kinetic art,” tennis has a global history, spanning centuries. In The Art of Tennis, Weber writes about the influence of tennis in sport, history, and the arts. This book was well researched and thorough. I think it could even be two volumes. It’s great for fans of tennis, art, music, fashion, design, history, literature, and sports history.

The chapter about the evolution of the tennis ball when matches became televised and the popularity of tennis in the Renaissance Era were interesting chapters. I enjoyed the chapter about the role of tennis in Henry V by Shakespeare.

I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy tennis, art, or history (or all the above!).

Thank you to Nicholas Fox Weber and Godine for the eARC copy via NetGalley in exchange for my voluntarily leaving an honest review.

4/5

I did not realize this book was 400 pages. I still quite enjoyed looking through the photos and reading up on art and history related to tennis.

Personally I would have liked a bit of a shorter book with more photos as this would be a great coffee table addition.

I do still think this is a great book for tennis fans and I quite enjoyed it while I watched some live gameplay! I don’t see a lot of tennis books out there to be honest, so this was exciting to read and enjoy.

Thank you for approving me for this eARC! I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.