A TENNIS ICON AT ODDS WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT

Pitch Publishing is a fantastic imprint – they do all the great Got, Not Gots and retro sports titles.

James Brown, The Late Tackle, talkSPORT

Pitch Publishing show the way for enterprising sports book publishers and remains a beacon of hope for sports authors aspiring or established.

The Sports Bookshelf.com

Pitch Publishing, an outfit whose "pitch perfect" commissioning of boxing material stands as a rebuke to more established houses

Boxing Monthly

Pitch capture the real spirit of sport with entertaining and clever ideas. They work out what the aficianado would want to read, then deliver it with great verve.

Paul Hayward, The Daily Telegraph

Pitch have enabled me to write in the ways I enjoy most. Their production support is superb, delivering eye-catching designs, attentive proof-reading, energetic marketing and helpful advice.

Tim Quelch, Bent Arms & Dodgy Wickets, Underdog!

Pitch are willing to back out-of-the-blue and innovative ideas and turn them into viable, entertaining books. They do so with great presentation and editorial flair.

Justin Parkinson, Then Came Massacre

Pitch saw the potential in my story, used their expertise to polish it, published it and helped inspire thousands around the world to get into triathlon.

Andy Holgate, Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run

The process of working with Pitch to produce Picking up the Threads was enjoyable and rewarding, with the final edition surpassing expectations and becoming a resounding success.

John Chandler, Picking up the Threads

Pitch will take a chance on books that other publishers won't and realise that interest in football extends beyond the Premier League and the top 20 countries in the FIFA rankings.

Steve Menary, Outcasts!

Pitch have the vision to look beyond the obvious, seeking out interesting ideas and subjects and matching them with the right target audience.

David Tossell, Tony Greig, The Great English Final, Grovel!

Pitch have been an absolute joy to work with, contributing their passion, expertise, knowledge and experience to help produce a brilliant book.

Sam Pilger, Ashes Match of My Life

Pitch took our original concept and further enhanced it, using their knowledge, experience and expertise, and helped make Got, Not Got one of the football books of the year for 2011.

Derek Hammond, Got, Not Got

Pitch bought into the concept of development through football, channeling profits and proceeds from Eleven into helping some of the most disadvantaged young people in the world.

Steve Fleming, Eleven

In the highly competitive world of sport publishing,
Pitch have consistently demonstrated the happy
knack of spotting, nurturing and promoting winners.

Neil Dunkin, Anfield of Dreams

22 Jun

A TENNIS ICON AT ODDS WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT

Fred Perry, three-time Wimbledon champion in the 1930s, was one of Britain’s greatest sportsmen of the 20th century. His success on the hallowed Wimbledon turf went unmatched by a British man for a remarkable 77 years, ahead of Andy Murray’s triumph in 2013. Perry was the first player to hold all four Grand Slam titles, and also played a pivotal role in Great Britain’s domination of the Davis Cup in the mid-1930s.

Despite his status as a global sports celebrity, Perry was criticised for his ruthless desire to win and was frequently at odds with the amateur tennis authorities of the day. In this concise and revealing biography, award-winning historian Kevin Jefferys examines afresh the life and career of Britain’s most successful tennis star.

The author shows how good fortune as well as tremendous talent aided Perry’s meteoric rise to the top; traces his frosty relationship with the British tennis establishment, which continued after he built a new life as a professional in the United States; and considers Perry’s place among the true legends of the sport.

In Fred Perry: British Tennis Legend, you will discover:

How Fred’s background as the son of a Labour politician, and his no-nonsense personality, ruffled feathers in the socially exclusive world of 1930s British tennis
The way in which Lady Luck, as well as talent and a fierce desire to succeed, made Perry the undisputed number one in world tennis by 1934
Why, despite amassing eight Grand Slam singles titles and ensuring Britain dominated the Davis Cup, Fred had a fractious relationship with the amateur tennis authorities
Whether Perry’s decision to join a professional tour in the USA, which debarred him from Grand Slams and the Davis Cup, could have been avoided
How Fred’s departure for America to join the ranks of the paid pros damaged men’s tennis in Britain for years to come
The process whereby the British tennis establishment gradually acknowledged the scale of Perry’s achievements, ensuring his place as a sporting legend
Why in the final reckoning many of his opponents, as well as knowledgeable observers of the game, see Fred as one of the true greats of men’s tennis

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from Fred Perry: British Tennis Legend.