I have finished reading Rod Laver a memoir and Parky my autobiography. One book borrowed from my sister and the other from my older brother.
Rod Laver was given to me after I finished reading the Andre Agassi biography. My sister thought that I would like to read the life story of another tennis great, this one Australian.
I enjoyed the book and learned a great deal about Rod Laver. We have a tennis arena in Melbourne called the Rod Laver Arena,
it is in the tennis complex used for the Australian Open Tennis Competition. I haven’t been to the Australian Open but my sister and my grandson have both been lucky enough to attend. I am not as keen on watching tennis as I used to be and my sport watching now is devoted to rugby union, cycling and cricket. I occasionally watch other sports but those are the main three.
Rod Laver’s memoir was interesting and he had a bit to say about the conduct of some of our modern day tennis players. I couldn’t agree with him more. I think Roger Federer is the modern tennis player most like Laver. Laver was playing tennis in an era where Australia had many great tennis players, alas that era is long gone.
Parky, my autobiography was the second non-fiction read.
I have enjoyed watching a few of his television shows over the years and was interested to find out a bit about his life. I had no idea that he was a good cricketer as well as being a sports writer. There were certainly details about his early years and the death of his mother later in the book but the book is mainly a chronology of the shows he did and the people he interviewed. I guess if that is what he has done for most of his life that is what the biography will entail. It was a very easy read.
Gippsland Granny 