Reviews
Martina & Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports by Phil Bildner, Brett Helquist
shighley's review against another edition
3.0
I wonder how many of the matches between Martina and Chrissie I watched... many, many of them, especially the grand slam tournaments. It seemed fitting that I read this during the US Open. A few things bugged me about this. First of all, I don't believe it has been the greatest rivalry of all time. The tone seemed just a bit condescending to me. And, why can authors and editors get it right?? Martina would have been hitting against a concrete wall, not a cement wall.
I'm sure this will be of interest to students who play tennis, and I hope other students as well. I think the book is remiss in not mentioning that Chris Evert is a very frequent commentator on televised tennis. It might mean more to students to know that they could easily see and hear her now.
I do enjoy it when history can be woven into a story.
I'm sure this will be of interest to students who play tennis, and I hope other students as well. I think the book is remiss in not mentioning that Chris Evert is a very frequent commentator on televised tennis. It might mean more to students to know that they could easily see and hear her now.
I do enjoy it when history can be woven into a story.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
5.0
A great biography, but there is so many great teaching tools that you can use with this book.
heisereads's review against another edition
5.0
Fabulous biographical book! Bildner writes their story in an engaging way full of information, flow, and fun. Nice extra info at the end with a timeline of the lives of Martina & Chrissie and their rivalry and friendship. The illustrations are large scale and draw you into the action of the story. Will be great to share in the classroom
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating look at two strong, ground-breaking women and their friendship and rivalry over the years. Well told, for both tennis lovers and those who are not.
ajacks's review against another edition
4.0
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nerfherder86's review against another edition
5.0
Gorgeously illustrated (Brett Helquist is one of my all-time favorite illustrators) story of the professional rivalry and personal friendship between tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chrissie Evert. The pictures are big bold dramatic closeups in beautiful color, with action-cutaways, and the text is written in a fun informal style: "Hey guys--yeah I'm talking to you." "You know who they are, right? No?...you NEED to know about Martina and Chrissie." The book gives a brief background of their childhoods, explaining the Cold War and Martina's defection, focusing mostly on their rivalry and friendship. There are some exciting descriptions of their best tennis matches; a timeline gives more details, including when they retired from the sport, how they're still friends today and support each other's charities and causes. I love the way the book ends with a final image of them hugging and smiling--they made each other better players.
wordnerd153's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the tone of this book! The author obviously loves the subject matter and successfully captivated this non-tennis fan.
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
4.0
Great story about two fine sportswomen, nice connections to sportsmanship and playing well together even if you are rivals. Also a nice historical connection to the cold war. The illustrations are wonderful.