Washoe County Library System

"In this spirited account, Billie Jean King details her life's journey to find her true self. She recounts her groundbreaking tennis career--six years as the top-ranked woman in the world, twenty Wimbledon championships, thirty-nine grand-slam titles, and her watershed defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous "Battle of the Sexes." She poignantly recalls the cultural backdrop of those years and the profound impact on her worldview from the women's movement,...

In the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of the women's movement, the 1973 tennis match between women's world champion Billie Jean King and ex-men's-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles.

Most of the time sports are seen as the height of competition, but often they also bring people together in times of cultural, social, and political upheaval. Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs explores the way the famous Battle of the Sexes tennis match served to bring men and women together to advocate for equal rights across genders. Includes ties to 21st Century themes, as well as infographics, timelines, glossary, and index.