Black and White: The Way I See It Paperback – Illustrated, October 17, 2017 by Richard Williams

Description

Author: Williams Richard

Brand: Atria Books

Edition: Illustrated

Format: Illustrated

Package Dimensions: 20x210x272

Number Of Pages: 336

Release Date: 17-10-2017

Details: Product Description
The fascinating, “upfront and unapologetic” (Kirkus Reviews) memoir of Richard Williams, a businessman, tennis coach, subject of the major motion picture
King Richard
, and father to two of the greatest athletes and professional tennis champions of all time—Venus and Serena Williams.

Born into poverty in Shreveport, Louisiana in the 1940s, Richard Williams was blessed by a strong, caring mother who remained his lifelong hero, just as he became a hero to Venus and Serena. From the beginning of his life, Richard’s mother taught him to live by the principles of courage, confidence, commitment, faith, and love. He passed the same qualities on to his daughters, who grew up loving their father and valuing the lessons he taught them. “I still feel really close to my father,” says Serena. “We have a great relationship. There is an appreciation. There is a closeness because of what we’ve been through together, and a respect.”

A self-made man, Williams has walked a long, hard, exciting, and ultimately rewarding road during his life, surmounting many challenges to raise a loving family and two of the greatest tennis players who ever lived.
Black and White is the extraordinary story of that journey and the indomitable spirit that made it all possible.
Review
“Richard Williams has long been widely regarded as an enigma. Now, in his own words he reveals himself as a proud—and sometimes dangerously stubborn—warrior with a keen, incisive mind. Part memoir and part how-to guide on raising children, this is a fascinating tale of a complex character who refused to give up or give in to the status quo.” – Nathan McCall, author of
Makes Me Wanna Holler

“Inspiring and tough-minded, Williams’ book is above all a celebration of one man’s resilient, unorthodox spirit. Upfront and unapologetic.”—
Kirkus

“Fascinating, revealing, and in-depth memoir.”—
Black Tennis Review

“Packed with riveting anecdotes, little-known facts and a triumphant, inspiring undertone, the book delivers unique insight into the mind and method of a determined, victorious man.”—
Ebony magazine

“Gritty, opinionated, and inspirational, Williams’ memoir is a testament to a man’s courage, drive, and commitment.”—
Publishers Weekly

“An iconoclast’s remarkable account of triumphing over hatred.” ―
Chicago Tribune
About the Author
Richard Williams is an American tennis coach and the father of Venus and Serena Williams.

Bart Davis has written four nonfiction books,
The Woman Who Can’t Forget,
Closure,
Shooting Stars, and
Holy War on the Home Front. He is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and Stony Brook University and holds a BA in English and an MA in social work.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Black and White

CHAPTER ONE

Wimbledon is a special place for me. It’s the tennis tournament where my daughters, Venus and Serena, have won the Ladies’ Singles Championship ten years out of the past twelve. Yet, on that rainy Saturday morning in August 2012, anxiously looking down from our family box while Serena played her finals match on center court, I couldn’t help thinking that we almost didn’t make it here at all.

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, first played in 1877. It is the grandest of the four Grand Slams—including the French Open, the Australian Open, and the U.S. Open. It’s the only one still played on grass, the game’s first surface, the reason it was originally called “lawn tennis.” Yet, with the terrible illnesses and foot problems Serena suffered in the past year, I never dreamed I’d be watching her compete here for the championship—in fact I feared I might never see her play again.

During those dark days of her illness, there was actually a time I feared Serena was going to die. The doctors said they could not rule that possibility out. She had blood clots in her heart that could be fatal. I didn’t know what to think or what to do. Then, hope g