Martina: The Lives and Times of Martina Navratilova - Hardcover

A Sunday Times correspondent and an American who lives in London, Adrianne Blue has written on sports and contemporary culture for the Washinton Post, the New Statesman, the Independent, and Cosmopolitan.

Navratilova is the most successful, well known, and controversial female athlete since Babe Didrickson Zaharias. She racked up nine Wimbledon singles titles and four U.S. open titles, yet in the endorsement market, which can be more lucrative for athletes than winnings, she was virtually shut out. Why? She is a lesbian and spoke openly and with pride about her life. Navratilova overcame many labels during her career. When she came to the States from her native Czechoslovakia, she was labeled a defector. When rumors about her sexuality surfaced, she was then known as a bisexual defector. As a young player, she won minor titles but never a grand slam event, so she was also pegged as a loser. She overcame them all, and Blue, who lives in London and is a correspondent for the Sunday Times, chronicles her extraordinary growth as both a player and a person. This is not an authorized biography, but Blue points out that Navratilova made no attempt to restrict her access to family, friends, or tennis associates. The result is a fascinating profile of an extraordinary athlete. Wes Lukowsky