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Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)
Genre: Sports, Tennis, Davis Cup

Book Review:
Christopher Clarey's ''Davis Cup by NEC: The Year in Tennis 1998'' captures a pivotal moment in the history of tennis's most prestigious international team competition. With a foreword by Boris Becker, this book combines expert analysis with vivid storytelling to document the 1998 Davis Cup season.

Clarey's credentials are impeccable. As a sports correspondent for the International Herald Tribune and longtime New York Times contributor, he brings journalistic rigor and deep tennis knowledge to the task. His writing elevates sports reporting into something approaching literature.

The book's focus on Sweden's dominance is well-chosen. In 1998, Sweden was the team to beat—finalists in 1996, winners in 1997 and 1998. Clarey examines how Carl-Axel Hageskog's team achieved true team chemistry in a sport known for individualism. This exploration of what makes a successful team in an individual sport is one of the book's strengths.

But the book ranges beyond Sweden, examining the travails of traditional powers like the United States and Australia. It takes readers to Mildura, Australia, where Zimbabwean brothers engineered a major upset, and to Stone Mountain, Georgia, where the U.S. narrowly escaped defeat. These stories capture the drama that makes Davis Cup special.

The geographical scope is impressive: Porto Alegre, Hamburg, Stockholm, Milan. Clarey shows that Davis Cup is truly global, bringing tennis to venues that rarely host top-level events. The ''rambunctious arena on the outskirts of Milan'' comes alive through his prose.

For tennis fans, this book offers insight into a competition that is often overshadowed by individual Grand Slams. The Davis Cup has a unique atmosphere—national pride, team dynamics, home advantage—that Clarey captures beautifully.

The previously unpublished photographs add visual richness, documenting players, venues, and moments that text alone cannot convey.

The main limitation is its focus on a single year—1998. Readers seeking broader Davis Cup history will need additional sources. But as a deep dive into one season, it excels.

Overall, ''Davis Cup by NEC: The Year in Tennis 1998'' is a fine example of sports writing at its best. Clarey combines analytical depth with narrative flair, creating a book that will appeal to serious tennis fans and anyone interested in the Davis Cup's unique place in sport. Recommended.