Book description
'The first clear-eyed account of an extraordinary life'
Independent on Sunday
Wimbledon champion three times in the 1930s, Fred Perry is the
finest tennis player that Britain has ever produced. Less well known
is that Perry came from an unprivileged background and found himself -
despite his supreme talent - an outsider in a sport that looked down
on the advancement of the under-classes.
Not afraid to ruffle a few establishment feathers, Perry discarded
his hallowed amateur status in 1936 and turned professional. He
compounded this perceived sin by taking out US citizenship when the
Second World War broke out. He embraced his new country
wholeheartedly. From Hollywood to Florida, Perry led a scandalous
private life, marrying four times and charming himself into the beds
of numerous Hollywood starlets and beautiful models along the way.
The Last Champion is the first biography of Fred Perry.
Through extensive research and revealing interviews, Jon Henderson,
tennis correspondent of the Observer, brilliantly tells the
remarkable story of this remarkable man.
Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.
Jon Henderson has covered every Wimbledon since 1969. He was tennis
correspondent and chief subeditor of the
Observer
from 1991 - 2009.
