Using testimonies from his friends and associates, chronicles the life of tennis star and political activist Arthur Ashe from his birth in 1943 in Richmond, Virginia to his death of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993.

"Drawing on coverage of Ashe’s athletic career and social activism in domestic and international publications, archives including the Ashe Papers, and a variety of published memoirs and interviews, Hall has created an intimate, nuanced portrait of a great athlete who stood at the crossroads of sports and equal justice.

Presents the life and accomplishments of the African American athlete and social activist who overcame racial prejudices and segregation to break into the world of tennis.

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK A “thoroughly captivating biography” (The San Francisco Chronicle) of American icon Arthur Ashe—the Jackie Robinson of men’s tennis—a pioneering athlete who, after breaking the color barrier, went on to become an influential civil rights activist and public intellectual. Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1943,

Discusses the personal life and sports career of the African-American tennis champion, Arthur Ashe, as well as his struggles with racism and AIDS.