Black and White: The Way I See It - Hardcover

Williams, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1476704201 ISBN 13: 9781476704203

Publisher: Atria Books, 2014

Synopsis

The fascinating, revealing, and in-depth memoir of Richard Williams, a self-made businessman, tennis coach, and father to two of the greatest athletes of all time--Venus and Serena Williams.

He'd set his mind to raise two of the greatest women champions in professional tennis well before they could even hold a racket. The father of Venus and Serena Williams had a grand plan for his daughters. The source of his vision, the method behind his execution, and the root of his indomitable spirit he held private. Until now. What he reveals about his success--his story of struggle, determination, hard work, and family--is told in the pages of this inspiring memoir, Black and White: The Way I See It.

Richard Williams, for the first time ever, shares stories about the poverty and violence of his early life in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the 1940s--a life that could have ended on the day he was born because of indifference, racism, and cruelty were it not for the strength of his mother and the kindness of a stranger. Williams's mother was his hero, just as he became a hero to Venus and Serena, who express in the book the lessons he taught them and how much they love their much-criticized and even maligned father. His critics claimed that he was "in the way" of his daughters' athletic success, that he was "destroying his daughters' marketing and advertising abilities," and even accused him of "abuse."

Richard Williams describes a family life held together by the principles that matter most: courage, confidence, commitment, faith, and above all, love.

"When you're younger, as a female, you flock to your father. When you get older, you're closer to your mother. I still feel really, really close to my father. . . . We have a great relationship. There is an appreciation. There is a closeness because of what we've been through together, and a respect," says Serena.

"Training started early for my kids, but it wasn't only on the tennis courts. I used to take Venus and Serena to work with me so they could learn the importance of planning, responsibility, and a strong work ethic, even at their early age," Richard Williams writes. The self-made man saw the value of education and had the discipline to practice what he learned. He went so far as to write a plan for his family's future before his tennis champion daughters were ever born.

Richard Williams has walked a long, hard, exciting, and ultimately rewarding road for seventy years, fighting every hand raised against him while raising a loving family and two of the greatest tennis players who ever lived.

About this title

Review

Tennis coach Richard Williams is a controversial figure in women s tennis. I read his new book, Black and White: The Way I See It, on a plane ride to Vermont. I could not put the book down. I don t play tennis and typically don t follow it with the exception of Venus and Serena Williams. Raised in Compton, California, Venus and Serena Williams with the coaching of their father have dominated women s tennis for over a decade. Between them, they have won 15 Wimbledon titles, won more Olympic gold medals than any other women in tennis, each been repeatedly named the No. 1 female player in the world and earned almost every major award in the sport. Behind their success stands Richard Williams, their father and tennis coach.
Through unorthodox methods and amid constant criticism, Richard Williams had a grand plan for his daughters. In this inspiring memoir, Black and White: The Way I See It, Williams, for the first time ever, shares stories about the poverty and violence of his early life in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the 1940s. Richard Williams used a unique parenting style as a coach and as a parent. He taught his girls how to think and he was not a super coach who acted like a tyrant. He would pull his girls from tournaments when he thought it was more important that they enjoy the childhood. At the end of the day, Richard Williams overcame major obstacles as a child, raised a loving family as an adult, and along the way, developed two of the greatest tennis players who ever lived. --Gary Johnson "BlackMenInAmerica.com ""

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

"Tennis coach Richard Williams is a controversial figure in women's tennis. I read his new book, Black and White: The Way I See It, on a plane ride to Vermont. I could not put the book down. I don't play tennis and typically don't follow it with the exception of Venus and Serena Williams. Raised in Compton, California, Venus and Serena Williams with the coaching of their father have dominated women's tennis for over a decade. Between them, they have won 15 Wimbledon titles, won more Olympic gold medals than any other women in tennis, each been repeatedly named the No. 1 female player in the world and earned almost every major award in the sport. Behind their success stands Richard Williams, their father and tennis coach.

Through unorthodox methods and amid constant criticism, Richard Williams had a grand plan for his daughters. In this inspiring memoir, Black and White: The Way I See It, Williams, for the first time ever, shares stories about the poverty and violence of his early life in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the 1940s. Richard Williams used a unique parenting style as a coach and as a parent. He taught his girls how to think and he was not a super coach who acted like a tyrant. He would pull his girls from tournaments when he thought it was more important that they enjoy the childhood. At the end of the day, Richard Williams overcame major obstacles as a child, raised a loving family as an adult, and along the way, developed two of the greatest tennis players who ever lived."--Gary Johnson "BlackMenInAmerica.com "

About the Author

Richard Williams is an American tennis coach and the father of Venus and Serena Williams.

Edition details

• Publisher: Atria Books
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1476704201
• ISBN 13: 9781476704203
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 292