Sports

Levels of the Game

Levels of the Game

  • Downloads：2931
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-09-07 09:57:21
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：John McPhee
  • ISBN：0374515263
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

This account of a tennis match played by Arthur Ashe against Clark Graebner at Forest Hills in 1968 begins with the ball rising into the air for the initial serve and ends with the final point。 McPhee provides a brilliant， stroke-by-stroke description while examining the backgrounds and attitudes which have molded the players' games。

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Reviews

Mia ，

Very well written & researched; I’m just not a big tennis fan & only read it as a participant in a BOOK CLUB （it was someone else’s choice） — that why I only gave it 3/5 stars — but others may enjoy it more。

Bob Peru ，

certainly the greatest tennis book。 arguably the greatest sports book。

F。Gordon ，

Fun nostalgic story of semi finals between Arthur Ashe and Graebner。 The nostalgia was most fun for me。 Lots of cool historical tips about the times。 Great to learn about both of these guys and their friendship and their rivalry。

Andrew ，

Not bad。 Very masterful in terms of the structure。 The story itself I had a hard time getting into。

Alex ，

Levels of the Game's 160 pages of non-fiction bounces around a single tennis match played in 1968。 The entire book could be said to be about this single event， told by a professional sports journalist。 Hard-won match points and razor-sharp serves are described with such vigor that the only way you could top this is by hopping into a time machine and witness the actual game live！ And even then， I doubt you would get the same impressions from the same match。Yet， this book is not only about a singl Levels of the Game's 160 pages of non-fiction bounces around a single tennis match played in 1968。 The entire book could be said to be about this single event， told by a professional sports journalist。 Hard-won match points and razor-sharp serves are described with such vigor that the only way you could top this is by hopping into a time machine and witness the actual game live！ And even then， I doubt you would get the same impressions from the same match。Yet， this book is not only about a single tennis match， in the same way， Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line isn't about World War II in the Pacific。 The stage is the paddling battle between Arthur and Clark。 Still， it can also be said to be about racial differences in the US， going back to the slave boat that brought Arthur's distant relatives from Africa to the Americas。It's also about what it takes for a person to become the best at what he's chosen to do in life。 As the tennis match unfolds， we're presented with the training that Arthur and Clark undertook to get there。 As if this was a biographic book about them， with the tennis match thrown in as a backdrop。 An excuse to tell their story while also providing pivot points to move their lives forward up to that match point。Levels of the Game is， in 2021， 42 years old。 But stories like this one， told with such a force， are timeless。 。。。more

FedericoStroszek ，

Non è la metafora della vita，ma la metafora della metafora。

Shane Hart ，

A great read- tennis， history， and philosophy rolled into one。 Probably just for tennis players and fans。 But I loved the history and how Arthur Ashe became such a great player despite the hurdles。

Ben ，

McPhee on tennis。 To be fair， some of it reads exactly like the chatter of an informed television commentator， and it is mostly forgettable。 But McPhee brings it together as a dual character study。 > Ashe and Graebner play tennis with an efficiency that is thought by some to diminish tennis itself。 Modern power tennis—the so-called Big Game （overwhelming serves followed by savage attacks at the net）—has now had many years in which to evolve， and Ashe and Graebner are among the ultimate refinemen McPhee on tennis。 To be fair， some of it reads exactly like the chatter of an informed television commentator， and it is mostly forgettable。 But McPhee brings it together as a dual character study。 > Ashe and Graebner play tennis with an efficiency that is thought by some to diminish tennis itself。 Modern power tennis—the so-called Big Game （overwhelming serves followed by savage attacks at the net）—has now had many years in which to evolve， and Ashe and Graebner are among the ultimate refinements of it in the United States。> Graebner’s angry look seems to say that he believes it was Carole who served the double fault。 She absorbs this， by grace and by agreement。 “I tell him to look over at me when he gets mad， because I would rather have him get mad at me than at anyone else—or at himself，” … Ashe is thinking， “Graebner just looked at his wife。” And behind Arthur’s impassive face—behind the enigmatic glasses， the lifted chin， the first-mate-on-the-bridge look—there seems to be a smile。 Progress against Graebner in any given match， many players believe， can be measured directly by the number of times Graebner has looked at his wife。> After this game， new balls will be coming in—all the more reason for Ashe to try to break Graebner now。 Tennis balls are used for nine games （warmup counts for two）， and over that span they get fluffier and fluffier。 When they are new and the nap is flat， wind resistance is minimal and they come through fast and heavy。 Newies， or freshies， as the tennis players call them， are a considerable advantage to the server—something like a supply of bullets。 。。。more

Incomplete ，

I read this like I would eat dark chocolate， in protective bites。 It's a perfect little book on tennis， and each time I thought the excitement would diminish， it only soared。 Levels of the Game is exactly how I would want to write someday， if I were to describe a match。 The sappy， platitudinal otherwise writing on sports hooks me only for a minute， but I never feel nourished to have read it。 With this， it's something else altogether。 Thankfully， to keep me visually supplied while reading this， I I read this like I would eat dark chocolate， in protective bites。 It's a perfect little book on tennis， and each time I thought the excitement would diminish， it only soared。 Levels of the Game is exactly how I would want to write someday， if I were to describe a match。 The sappy， platitudinal otherwise writing on sports hooks me only for a minute， but I never feel nourished to have read it。 With this， it's something else altogether。 Thankfully， to keep me visually supplied while reading this， I had the Australian Open going on。 I am new to the McPhee fanfare， but I completely am in thrall now。 。。。more

Joe ，

When the stroke is finished， he is standing on his toes， his arms flung open， wide， and high。

Neal Marcus ，

Reviews a semifinal tennis match between Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner played on grass at Forest Hills，N。Y。（won by Ashe in 4 sets;Ashe then won his finals match to win the USA Championship）。For me the most valuable part of this book was in the last 10 pages where Ashe describes what it was like to live in the USA and have to gracefully accept the racial discrimination （as well as to state the places that he would have preferred living（Spain，Australia）。

Nikhil ，

A beautiful little book about that narrates not just a tennis match between the "loose， liberal， flamboyant Democrat" Arthur Ashe and the "measured， stiff， compact Republican" Clark Graebner but the deeper rooted stories of how they got there and where they see themselves going。A Zeitgeist of the tumultuous 60s in America - MLK movement， Vietnam War and even moon landings。 Wonderful， quick read; even if you are not a Tennis fan！ A beautiful little book about that narrates not just a tennis match between the "loose， liberal， flamboyant Democrat" Arthur Ashe and the "measured， stiff， compact Republican" Clark Graebner but the deeper rooted stories of how they got there and where they see themselves going。A Zeitgeist of the tumultuous 60s in America - MLK movement， Vietnam War and even moon landings。 Wonderful， quick read; even if you are not a Tennis fan！ 。。。more

James Vogl ，

More of a verrryyy long form article than a book， the Ashe vs Goebner US semi-final match commentary is interspersed with background of the players， the tennis scene and the racial backstory。 A clever formula but however many “Wagnerian forehands” you throw in， writing up a match point for point is nothing like watching it。 Would have preferred just a bio of the men。

Paddy ，

Wow。 What an unusual read。 Recommended by my daughter， I finished it practically in one sitting。 Originally published in the New Yorker in 1969， the book is set in 1968 and is a journalistic piece on an amateur tennis match between Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner。 The author uses the match as a backdrop to profile the lives of two individuals who couldn’t be more different， and whose individual attitudes to life couldn’t be more relevant metaphors at this precise moment， weeks away from a Preside Wow。 What an unusual read。 Recommended by my daughter， I finished it practically in one sitting。 Originally published in the New Yorker in 1969， the book is set in 1968 and is a journalistic piece on an amateur tennis match between Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner。 The author uses the match as a backdrop to profile the lives of two individuals who couldn’t be more different， and whose individual attitudes to life couldn’t be more relevant metaphors at this precise moment， weeks away from a Presidential election defined by extreme and bitter partisan divisions in society。 The author’s sharp observations on Graebner’s conservative profile could apply to any midwestern white suburban conservative voter today ; his upbringing in white Cleveland suburbs; his blind support for Nixon （“ how can anyone not believe him ？ How can anyone not be for him ？”）; his Germanic Protestant upbringing in an environment of white entitlement; his model all-American white family; his deep religiousness; his social ambitions including his deep desire to join the tony “whites-only” clubs; his tendency to blame everyone but himself for his errors on court; his thwarted attempts at upward mobility that are humiliating （ applied for the American Express card and was rejected for not having enough income）; and the most telling one about his hypochondria - wiping the inside of a coke bottle after removing the cap。 A mind-boggling list of little things that set the image （ or caricature depending on how you see it） of the conservative white voter in concrete for the ages。 And Arthur Ashe ？ The liberal that Graebner can barely conceal his scorn for （ too loose， no discipline， undeserving， etc etc ）， Ashe is nothing if not the outwardly cool but inwardly insecure African American in the 1960’s。 He is a rare combination of intellectual and a gifted athlete， caught between the the expectations of his professional career and the demands from his more militant black compatriots whom he rejects， a burden that would be carried by the other great black athlete of the time - Muhammad Ali。The author turns a play by play reporting of the game （ which Ashe ultimately wins - no spoilers here） into a profound and scathing commentary on contemporary American society in the sixties。 We all know what happened afterwards。 Nixon was indicted in the Watergate scandal， earning himself the dubious distinction of the worst ever President in our history （ likely to be eclipsed by Donald Trump）。 Ashe would go on to be the first black to win Wimbledon in 1975 and would die of Aids in 1993。 The book is a wonderful read， a throwback to what was presumably less complicated times， even though it leaves the reader with a sense of wonder at how little American society has really changed in the past 50 years。 。。。more

Neil ，

oh this is the one: https://tim。blog/2020/07/08/janna-levin/ - on structuring info oh this is the one: https://tim。blog/2020/07/08/janna-levin/ - on structuring info 。。。more

Kira Grant ，

I started reading this book on Day 1 of this year's US Open， and finished by Day 3。 The read is almost as fast as Clark Graebner's serve， and the quality is just as high as either player's performance in this match （I crack myself up）。 I was skepitcal that， even as a tennis AND McPhee lover， a play-by-play would be dry， but now I am more desperate than ever to play tennis whenever I can。 I also enjoyed learning about the lives of these two very different men！ I started reading this book on Day 1 of this year's US Open， and finished by Day 3。 The read is almost as fast as Clark Graebner's serve， and the quality is just as high as either player's performance in this match （I crack myself up）。 I was skepitcal that， even as a tennis AND McPhee lover， a play-by-play would be dry， but now I am more desperate than ever to play tennis whenever I can。 I also enjoyed learning about the lives of these two very different men！ 。。。more

Andy ，

Almost stream-of-consciousness flow among and around a tennis match， the history of the two men involved， their present state of mind and their future success。 Effortless writing that covers the social environment at the time and the physical， emotional， and racial differences between the two players。 Hard to put down， as there are no chapters and hardly any breaks。 Compelling。

Jono ，

Wonderful writing。 It's amazing how engaging he can make a long tennis game sound。 Wonderful writing。 It's amazing how engaging he can make a long tennis game sound。 。。。more

Doy ，

Is there anybody who writes with more simple clarity and razor-sharp observation than John McPhee？ I can't think of any。 I couldn't put this book down。 Is there anybody who writes with more simple clarity and razor-sharp observation than John McPhee？ I can't think of any。 I couldn't put this book down。 。。。more

Terence ，

Good story and mini biographies for Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner。

Nick ，

The first 30 or so pages were phenomenal， I read them casually and felt that inspiration you get from something so minor/small that feels really good。 I kind of pushed through the middle half of the book while traveling - reading while in conversation， among other people， and not entirely focused - this may have caused the slump I felt during it。 The book stayed rather consistent throughout and never really peaked。 I remained mildly interested throughout and found curiosity in Arthur Ashe and hi The first 30 or so pages were phenomenal， I read them casually and felt that inspiration you get from something so minor/small that feels really good。 I kind of pushed through the middle half of the book while traveling - reading while in conversation， among other people， and not entirely focused - this may have caused the slump I felt during it。 The book stayed rather consistent throughout and never really peaked。 I remained mildly interested throughout and found curiosity in Arthur Ashe and his story。 。。。more

Anthony Locke ，

This is a brilliant piece of sports journalism。 I read this on the recommendation of Tim Ferriss and Stephen Dubner （author and host of all things Freakonomics） in Tools of Titans - apparently， it's Dubner's most gifted book for adults。 The entire book （160ish pages） is about one tennis match between two Americans， Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner in 1968。 Apparently the NYT wrote that "This may be the high point of American sports journalism。" The book weaves a narrative about the match itself， t This is a brilliant piece of sports journalism。 I read this on the recommendation of Tim Ferriss and Stephen Dubner （author and host of all things Freakonomics） in Tools of Titans - apparently， it's Dubner's most gifted book for adults。 The entire book （160ish pages） is about one tennis match between two Americans， Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner in 1968。 Apparently the NYT wrote that "This may be the high point of American sports journalism。" The book weaves a narrative about the match itself， the intricacies of each player's mental state， and how Ashe and Graebner's childhood affected their journey to that point。 I particularly enjoyed reading about Ashe's upbringing， knowing that he had an interesting and mildly controversial role in tennis history。 If you're a tennis fan， and perhaps even a sports fan， this is a must-read。 。。。more

Andrew ，

Notionally a point-by-point account of a tennis match that occurred more than 50 years ago， McPhee manages to draw complex portraits of the players and locate them within the context of American race relations and politics in 1968。 This is the standard to aspire to。 A masterclass of narrative non-fiction writing。

Susie Findeisen ，

I just got somewhat bored reading it， but it's very short and did realize the importance of the different ways the two main characters lived， practiced and were treated in a trek to the top。 I just got somewhat bored reading it， but it's very short and did realize the importance of the different ways the two main characters lived， practiced and were treated in a trek to the top。 。。。more

Adam ，

This is ostensibly about a single tennis match between Clark Graebner （whom I'd never heard of） and Arthur Ashe， a semi-final at the US Open。 It ends up being a very compelling story， as if the match is the culmination of everything the two had some before。As we progress through the match， we're taken back through Graebner and Ashe's lives to see what brought them to this point in their lives/careers。 It's the most effective use of in media res I've ever read （enough so that I'm blanking on othe This is ostensibly about a single tennis match between Clark Graebner （whom I'd never heard of） and Arthur Ashe， a semi-final at the US Open。 It ends up being a very compelling story， as if the match is the culmination of everything the two had some before。As we progress through the match， we're taken back through Graebner and Ashe's lives to see what brought them to this point in their lives/careers。 It's the most effective use of in media res I've ever read （enough so that I'm blanking on other instances of it）。 McPhee also peppers the match with the players' perspectives。 Not sure if these were reconstructed after the fact from interviews or born of artistic license， but it makes it more compelling either way。 。。。more

James Goswell ，

2019: 8

Dan ，

1 game of tennis and the men who played it

Tyler Critchfield ，

Really enjoyed this one！ I didn't know I could enjoy a play-by-play of a tennis match so much。 Tennis is a chess game that's as much mental as it is physical。 I need to get my racket out and play more。 Really enjoyed this one！ I didn't know I could enjoy a play-by-play of a tennis match so much。 Tennis is a chess game that's as much mental as it is physical。 I need to get my racket out and play more。 。。。more

Harsha Dronamraju ，

It must be the lack of sports - but i never thought i'd enjoy reading the detailed account of a 15 swing rally this much before。。。 What a hidden gem！ It must be the lack of sports - but i never thought i'd enjoy reading the detailed account of a 15 swing rally this much before。。。 What a hidden gem！ 。。。more

Matteo ，

Da appassionato di tennis a corrente alternata （ma praticamente dalla nascita） questo è un libro che non ci si può lasciar sfuggire， sia per il racconto di McPhee sia per la lunga postfazione di Codignola。 Il racconto della semifinale di Forest Hills tra Ashe e Graebner è incredibilmente particolareggiato， con ampi spazi delle vite personali di ciascuno di loro e una potente introspezione。 Notevole anche la postfazione， con i dettagli del dietro le quinte del tempio di Wimbledon。 Non è facile sc Da appassionato di tennis a corrente alternata （ma praticamente dalla nascita） questo è un libro che non ci si può lasciar sfuggire， sia per il racconto di McPhee sia per la lunga postfazione di Codignola。 Il racconto della semifinale di Forest Hills tra Ashe e Graebner è incredibilmente particolareggiato， con ampi spazi delle vite personali di ciascuno di loro e una potente introspezione。 Notevole anche la postfazione， con i dettagli del dietro le quinte del tempio di Wimbledon。 Non è facile scrivere di tennis， ancor meno scrivere bene di tennis， ma questo libro vi riesce。 Il mio voto è 6。5， perché non credo che questo libro mi rimarrà dentro， senza nulla togliere alle emozioni raccontate。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Levels of the Game

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Levels of the Game&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Levels of the Game&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0