Footsteps of Federer, Dave Seminara
Footsteps of Federer, Dave Seminara
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
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Footsteps of Federer
A Fan's Pilgrimage Across 7 Swiss Cantons in 10 Acts

Author: Dave Seminara

Narrator: Paul Heitsch

Unabridged: 2 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/02/2021

Synopsis

Roger Federer could live anywhere in the world, but he always returns to the place he loves most: Switzerland. Dave Seminara is a mad traveler and tennis lifer who has written about Federer for the New York Times and other publications. A pair of autoimmune diseases and a knee surgery kept Dave from playing tennis for years, but as he inched toward recovery, he had a bright idea: why not start his tennis comeback on hallowed ground—courts that his hero Roger Federer graced in Switzerland.

Footsteps of Federer is a funny, novella-length account of Seminara's travels across seven Swiss cantons in search of insights into Federer's character, which is inextricably linked to his deep roots in, and love for, his country. Seminara timed his unique pilgrimage to the 2019 Swiss Indoors, where he had a chance to ask Roger a number of offbeat questions before and after Federer hoisted his record tenth title there. Seminara's Federer pilgrimage took him to Switzerland's most important abbey, where he prayed with Abbot Urban Federer; to the vineyard of Jakob Federer from Berneck, where the Federer clan originated from; to the stunning villa where Roger and Mirka were married; and to many of the neighborhoods and tennis clubs where Roger has lived and trained at over the years.

About Dave Seminara

Dave Seminara is a writer, former diplomat, and passionate tennis fan who lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, which first published a brief account of this journey, the Wall Street Journal, BBC, the Washington Post, and dozens of other publications. He is the author of two international bestsellers: Bed, Breakfast & Drunken Threats: Dispatches from the Margins of Europe and Breakfast with Polygamists: Dispatches from the Margins of The Americas.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Anna

So charming! Seminara is a huge fan of both Federer and tennis. He travels around Switzerland visiting places Federer has lived and practiced and played in his life. People tell him that Federer is just a regular guy without any airs and graces. The Swiss don't even seem to be that interested in ten......more

Goodreads review by Ross Macpherson

There is probably no greater tennis player than Federer (and I've added the probably to that sentence only to clumsily disguise my very real bias) but there is certainly no tennis player that has inspired more great writing. Perhaps someday this will be remedied by my non existent book Rambling with......more

Goodreads review by Walter

I loved this book. It made me want to pack our bags and head to Switzerland. The book has three distinct elements: a travel guide to Switzerland; a deeper dive into Roger Federer and how he grew up; and the author’s story. Much has already been written about Roger Federer but the author really does......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth

David Seminara’s “Footsteps of Federer: A Fan’s Pilgramage Across 7 Swiss Cantons in 10 Acts” is a ticket to ride for anyone who wants to take a plunge into the cultural history of Switzerland via an outsiders perspective on the living tennis legend, Roger Federer. Seminara would be a great fill in......more

Goodreads review by Mark

This wonderful and humorous book invites you to accompany the author on a delightful excursion through select parts of Switzerland. I found it particularly insightful about the Swiss people themselves, who live their lives with a certain discipline and purpose, without getting too worked up about th......more

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