What readers said: Ping!
I am a table tennis obsessive, so I found Ping! a fascinating read. I really liked how the author juxtaposes his table tennis journey with the evolution of the professional game. He gives special focus to the controversies of new types of equipment (sponge, pimples, anti-spin, speed glue, plastic balls) and questions whether all these developments have benefited the sport. He also questions why England has fallen behind other European nations and makes some compelling arguments. A very enjoyable read for anyone interested in table tennis.
I am not a regular ping pong player but found this an easy read with personal insights interspersed with a lot of factual matter. I didn't realise there was so much history and some of it quite controversial.
This is my excuse for not finishing tomorrow’s book club book. This book has just been published and completely captivated me for the last couple of days. Book club friends will confirm that I seldom finish any of our books, so must have been something right about the content of this one! Recommended reading particularly for all my table tennis friends. Well done on making such good use of 2020 lockdown to finish your first book.
It was really interesting and well written. I learned a lot about the fascinating history of TT as well as your own life. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be recommending the book to my friends.
Recommended reading for everyone involved at any level with table tennis. A controversial and thought provoking read...... Contains lots of well-researched historical information about the development and growth of table tennis and many of the characters who played a significant part in the fast-changing game.
Very informative and entertainingly written. I started reading it during lunch hour and was subsequently late for my 1pm meeting!
Congratulations on completing what must have been a labour of love. I enjoyed it.
It was an excellent read…..shows that sports like table tennis can bring people together even though lives run through different ways.
Ping! is a compelling read. Not only does the author succeed in producing a fascinating, authoritative, well researched history of table tennis globally, he also engages the reader vicariously on his personal journey of his love for the sport. The structure of the book shows emphatically how Graham’s passion for table tennis from a young player lacking in confidence to a highly regarded coach and mentor is inextricably linked to developments in table tennis locally, nationally and internationally. The book is a must-read for players and for administrators of the game - but its appeal goes far beyond a specialist interest. Similar to ‘Bounce’ by Matthew Syed, ‘Ping!’ has appeal for anyone interested in following the journey of an author who has truly ‘made a difference’ . Once I started reading ‘Ping!’ I could not put it down - a ray of light in the dark days of corona lockdown! Thank you!
An excellent book, and I feel privileged to have be given access to your private life along the way too. I thought it was a really good idea to alternate chronologically each chapter with the development of our sport since the 1950s too. A brilliant read, and a very novel and different approach to anything on our sport that I have read before.
I liked the way you interspersed the history of TT with your own journey through life. I also found it easy to read and that you didn’t waffle! I learnt a lot about the history of the rules, the rackets and glue etc. and that was very useful and interesting.
I very much admired the way you wove your autobiographical notes in parallel to the developments in table tennis; both were highly enjoyable.
It worked really well interweaving the historical aspects of the sport's development in with your own experiences. Works perfectly for a modern audience who, like me, have had their attention spans whittled to almost nothing by social media and modern information delivery methods. Very helpful to gain an insight into how we’ve got to where we are as a sport in this country. Seriously well done for such a professional result. I’m looking forward to the sequel Pong! now.
Excellently written and it provided me with the history and understanding of many facets of the sport which I regret was missing in a very large gap of my life.
I read your book over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. Particularly liked the way the chapters alternated between your personal story and the development of table tennis in general. As a non table tennis player, this made it a much easier read as I found the chapters relating to your experiences more enjoyable. It created a good balance though and I have also learnt a lot.
I really enjoyed learning about the history and evolution of table tennis – the bats, the rubbers, the disagreements between the decision makers, the players, coaches, etc.
What I thought also worked really well was hearing your journey alongside everything that was happening.
What readers said: KATE'S PROGRESS
I loved the way you have woven the stories of four families together and shown how having a sporting prodigy - or any other kind for that matter - in the family affects them.
It's an easy read and a believable human-interest story.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to your next book.
It kept me gripped throughout.... I can thoroughly recommend this book.
I started reading Kate's Progress yesterday and finished it today as I just couldn't put it down. It was so gripping, thought provoking and easy to read. Thanks for making my start to the New Year so enjoyable. I can't wait for 'What Kate did Next' so please do get your creative juices flowing again and put pen to paper for the sequel.