The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis

A meticulously-researched family history which tells the story of those who escaped from Europe on the brink of total war, and those who stayed behind

The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis

Liesl Herbst’s Journey, from Vienna to Wimbledon

Liesl Herbst, Austrian National Tennis champion, fled Nazi occupation with her family - this is the moving story of their escape and of what happened to those left behind.

In 1930, at the age of twenty-six, Liesl Herbst was the Austrian National Tennis Champion, a celebrity in Vienna. Liesl, her husband David and their daughter Dorli came to Britain after escaping the Nazis.

On arrival in London, she and her family had already been stripped of their Austrian citizenship and rendered stateless aliens. Nevertheless, both Liesl and her daughter Dorli competed at Wimbledon. They remain the only mother and daughter ever to have played doubles together at The Championships.

This moving story of escape and survival is told by Liesl’s granddaughter Felice. It is as much a search for the author’s own identity as for her own children and grandchildren to ensure that their remarkable family history is never lost again.

Illustrated throughout with family photographs and original documents, this is a story of survival against terrible odds, an inspiring tale of resilience and hope.

Black and white photo of a woman and a girl standing on a city sidewalk in front of a building with large windows, with a large dog sitting in front of them. The woman is wearing a hat and long coat, and the girl is dressed in a coat, tie, skirt, and knee-high socks.

“Fabulous story guaranteed to capture people’s imagination”

Mail on Sunday

About the Author

Smiling middle-aged woman with short blond hair wearing a dark green velvet top and a necklace with white flower-shaped beads

Felice Hardy is a journalist and Amazon No.1 Bestselling author. As a travel writer, Felice has toured the world for a variety of publications including the Guardian, Telegraph, Condé Nast Traveller and British Airways’ High Life magazine. For 15 years she co-edited the ski information website Welove2ski and today she hosts the podcast Action Packed Travel.

“Stunningly descriptive, compelling writing, I was moved close to tears on several occasions”

Peter James, International Bestselling Crime Writer

Connect with Felice

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