Althea, by Sally H. Jacobs

Use whatever winning sports analogy you want to describe this smashing bio of Althea Gibson--who was easily one of America's most important tennis and golf players ever. In addition to a fascinating account of Althea's life story, Jacobs serves up a damning commentary on how the economic structure and inherent racism in both competitive tennis and golf in the 1950s and 1960s prevented Althea from being the kind of household name the Williams sisters have been---or, for that matter, Arthur Ashe, Tiger Woods or any other of the many recent and reigning stars of the court or green.