Arthur Ashe: A Biography

The portrait of a great person is inspiring to read.  This book fits into that category, a biography (mixing it up a bit) of Arthur Ashe by Richard Steins.  Arthur was a soft spoken man who carried a huge passion for whatever he decided to participate.  His early years were spent growing up in Richmond, Virginia. His mother died when Arthur was 7, she was only 27.  His father became the pivotal figure in his life as he took a position at the Parks Dept., which introduced him to the world of tennis, a sport he would thrive playing.  Dealing with race factors (an African American playing, what most considered a “white sport”) was one of the many obstacles he overcame.  He attended UCLA for college on a full-ride athletic scholarship and later came to glory as the winner of the US Open and first black athlete to win Wimbledon.  In between college and winning the trophies at the respective events, Arthur served in the Army (at West Point).  He played, and then led the US Davis Cup team to victory.  He endured physical ailments, 2 major heart attacks before he was forty years old, a disease that runs in his family.  During his second surgery, his blood was tainted with blood contaminated with the AIDS virus.  He was able to keep that illness secret until he was faced with the challenge when a former athlete colleague called him on the phone to confirm the report before going to press.  With all of his grace and class, Arthur, with his wife at his side, held a press conference.  It still maddens me how much the media presses the individual privacy of athletes and entertainers to reveal their most intimate personal stories.  Ashe, while an outstanding tennis professional, should be most revered for his work with civil rights and commitment to health issues in the US.  He established a few foundations and was an ardent speaker for helping those who did not have the means to help themselves.  What a role model and courageous young man and he left this world way before he should have gone.  This book was a nice, brief overview of his short life.