5 comments about I Remember Ben Hogan: Personal Recollections and Revelations of Golf's Most Famous Legend From The People Who Knew Him Best.

1. The last two reviewers before me couldn't have read the same book I did. The whole point is that while Hogan is such a legendary figure inspiring tremendous curiosity, information about him has come out in bits and pieces over the years. There were dozens of tidbits in this book that were revelatory to me, and I'm someone who lived in Fort Worth many years while the reclusive Mr. Hogan was still alive. I found this book really good and informative, and full of new material. Based on its oral-history format, and the author's own admission in the introduction, this wasn't supposed to be an earthshaking biography full of dirt. Instead, it offers a lot of nifty snapshots about Hogan from people, a number of whom were his close freinds that, while not celebrities, had insights into Hogan's real life that "celebrities" who thought they knew him didn't. This book is definitely worth at least one read.



2. While I understand that any author that wants to write about The Hawk will have his work cut out for him, it seems that Towle took the path of least resistance. A couple of phone calls here, 5 minutes of editing there, and you're left with a book that tells you two things:

   1.) Hogan was a gruff but soft-on-the-inside guy.

   2.) Hogan got the yips later in life.

   Those who want to learn more than those two points would be better off avoiding this book.




3. there seems no in between. I have 800+ golf books and have read everything just about everything on Hogan. (What club did he REALLY hit at Merion in the famous photo?). Due to the negative reviews I didn't get to this one for a while. When I did, I truly enjoyed it. Is some info repeated? Sure. But this is mostly new, original and genuine investigation, not reguritation. If you are a golf and golf history BUFF I think you will enjoy. If not, pass and read the more current books. (a 2 iron.)



4. It's fascinating to me that a guy as reclusive as Hogan could command so much public adoration and curiosity. This is a book that offers a lot of neat stories about Hogan that I had never read. A bunch of people who knew Hogan, both well-known and not so well known, tell their stories about Hogan in their own words---in oral history form. I've read a couple of other books on the Hawk and those were nice reads in their own way as well. I read the other reviews on this page and don't understand why "clucas" called this a "duck hook." It isn't--it's not John Feinstein-caliber, but it's still worth the price. Sounds like some bitterness being expressed by clucas, probably someone who doesn't know anything what it takes to win at golf or can recognize good book writing.



5. I have read a lot about Ben Hogan but this was by far and away one of the best books I've read. I will read this again from time to time.

No comments about Keeper of the Greens.

1 comments about Seve: Ryder Cup Hero.

1. Seve: Ryder Cup Hero, reads like a novel. Eloquently written this book is funny, touching, and very interesting.

   If you enjoy the game of golf this book is a must. If you simply enjoy a good book it is a must.

5 comments about Let Me Tell You a Story: A Lifetime in the Game.

1. I'm not the greatest John Feinstein fan. Sometimes he's really good, but sometimes he just seems like he's trying to be elitist. But when I heard about this book, I put it on my list to buy. Two years later I finally got around to it. My loss.
   
   Red Auerbach was the institutional memory of the NBA as well as the guy who created the Celtic dynasty. He was a master storyteller and collector of people. This book is the story of lunch with Red every Tuesday, 11am @ the China Doll restaurant. Just as importantly it is the story of the people Red collected and his influence on their lives.
   
   No one will claim this book is objective-it's not supposed to be. I'm sure Red had flaws, but I really don't care. For older boomers he and John Wooden define greatness in basketball. I'm just glad to have the stories.



2. I have never been a fan of the Celtics, but a big basketball fan none the less. Having said that, this book was perfect for me. It is a in-depth, personal look into the life of the greatest coach in basketball history, as told not only by the man himself, but the great writer John Feinstein. This book gives great insight not only the the makings of the Celtic dynasty, but into the beginnings of the games, and how Red has shaped the game into what it is today. Must read for all basketball fans.



3. Of all the Sports that Feinstein covers I think he covers Basketball Best.
   This is a superb tale of the Legendary Boston Celtic's LEADER. I was told that Red grew up in the DC area going to a Segregated Roosevelt High School. I wondered how someone coming from a Segregated Environment could draft one of the first 3 African Americans in the Now NBA. Also how he could select the first African American Coach. Well he grew up in Brooklyn in a multi-cultural Neighborhood. Fascinating stories about the Carnegie Deli area. He went to college in DC (GW) (Which I knew), and then later taught at Roosevelt (Which may have been where the confusion started.) I think it helped that I have been in the Chinatown Restaurants that are the setting for a lot of the stories, This an absolutely Great Read, and one of Feinstein's best.



4. great book awesome stories. i actual went by the restaurant wherte they eat. The game lost an amazing lifer.



5. but I loved reading this book. So much info in there about the history of the game and the Boston Celtics. We'll miss ya Red!

No comments about Heroes All: My Ryder Cup Story 2006.

No comments about The U.S. Open: Golf's Ultimate Challenge.

3 comments about Commissioner: The Legacy of Pete Rozelle.

1. I have always been looking for a book on Pete Rozelle and I was happy to see this book come out. The book is a quick read and was a decent book, but as somebody who has read numerous books on the NFL, I was a little disappointed as I was expecting more. Two years ago I read Michael Maccambridge's "America's Game." That book has set the standard for books on the NFL.
   
   In defense of the author, the biggest issue he probably faced was the fact that many of the people in the book were dead, including Rozelle. Because of this, I felt that much of the information I have already gathered from my own readings. The book just didn't have the freshness I was hoping for.
   
   All in all, a good book if you're interested in Rozelle, especially if you haven't read many other books on the NFL.



2. I'm a life-long Giants fan and a student of the game. Rozelle was a terrific commissioner especially because of all the events that happened on his watch. I always regretted that he never wrote about it. This book opens the door to his tenure. Unfortunately, it is far to santized to offer the real story of Al Davis, the AFL, JFK's death and the decision to play, the Hornong and Karas suspensions, race, drugs, the USFL, etc., etc. Hoprfully that book is still to be written.



3. By most accounts, Rozelle is considered the greatest pro sports commissioner. If that is the case, then this books disappoints. Everybody (even Al Davis) thinks he was a nice guy with great persuasive abilities. He was also a great father. And you get a lot of detail about the Raiders leaving Oakland. But it looks like he had very few sources and the book really disappoints.
   
   There is a new book by Jeff Davis on Rozelle, hope it is better.

5 comments about A Golfer's Life.

1. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, by its candor and by how well-written it was. It minimized many warts, but there is still some bite to it.

   Arnold Palmer defines what charisma is. Charisma has nothing to do with skill, he certainly was not the most skilled or accomplished golfer. His talent and achievements fall short of those of Nicklaus, Hogan and even Gary Player. Yet Palmer with his amazing charisma can arguably be considered the most important golfer in the last 50 years.

   A few years ago I was watching a Senior tournament. My wife came by and became enraptured by what was on. That was extremely odd, she usually does not watch golf. She asked me who the man on the screen was that was so fascinating. It was Arnold Palmer.

   The portraits that Palmer draws of his parents, especially of his father, are wonderful. His stories of growing up are wonderful and I feel a good sense of the man and his roots. And he spares no words in discussing the death of his best friend while he was at school at Wake Forest, a death he still somewhat blames himself.

   However, the story about the Ku Klux Klan meeting and his mother's reaction to it (live and let live) is rather naïve.

   Palmer brings up an interesting theory about his career, that his decision to stop smoking played a factor in it. Nicotine creates a dependency, physical and psychological, no doubt about it. Palmer feels that cigarettes helped him concentrate. But I admire him for not starting again, even if it cost him some strokes. So do his grandchildren and his fans, if he had not stopped, he would not be here today.

   Palmer talks about several people in the golf world at length. He speaks highly, yet evenhandedly, of Clifford Roberts and the Masters. I daresay that there are others who would not agree with that opinion.

   It is obvious that Arnold did not get along with Ben Hogan, but few people did. Hogan was a hard man and while Palmer speaks highly of Ben's skills, you can see that he did not like him personally.

   The section about Nicklaus is fascinating. There is a major rivalry in many ways between the two of them, there is no question about it. Palmer makes some very astute observations about their divergent styles and personalities.

   There is much greater kinship with Gary Player and the stories about Player are quite funny.

   People have tried to analyze Palmer's appeal for years. One of the ideas is that he comes across as a blue-collar worker in a rich man's sport. It was him that drew fans across income and class lines.

   To many people, Arnold Palmer is old-line establishment. He was a close friend of Eisenhower, and of Bob Hope. The book slows when he talks of the rich people he is friends with.

   In particular, I was repulsed by a golf course he built with an airstrip within, so one can land one's private plane and then tee off. Give me a break!

   And his apparent tolerance for many of the racist policies of the PGA is galling as well. Palmer could have done more to bring the PGA into the 20th Century. His decision to keep quiet and "work within the system" again shows naivity beyond belief.

   But Palmer has some wonderfully nice things to say about President Clinton, so he is even-handed.

   Palmer is not overly introspective, so he does not try analyzing his popularity very much. He does say that he loves to perform, to show off and entertain people. He talks of his joy the first time that happened.

   A section of Feinstein's "A Good Walk Spoiled" discusses Palmer from a fan's perspective and also from a fellow player's. It gives a different perspective on the man.

   Palmer has always been treated well by the press. But he deserves a lot of the credit himself. He tells a great story about Jim McKay getting all noisy and excited in the 1960 Masters and interrupting Palmer's concentration. Palmer could have snarled or been nasty. Instead, he just smiled and McKay realized what was going on. You can get more with the carrot...

   At the time this book was written, his wife Winnie had just been diagnosed with cancer. She is no longer with us and my heart aches for Mr. Palmer and his loss. Palmer also talks little of his own fight with cancer and the remarkable recovery he has made. Nor does he talk about all the money he has raised for research of prostate cancer.

   There is very little about his daughters as well, or his family life beyond his early married days.

   In an ESPN show, one of those daughters said on-camera that her dad loved being Arnold Palmer. There are countless people who can testify of how nice a man he is.

   Good book!




2. Palmer deserves his reputation as one of the most respected figures in professional sports. This book, with its down-home style is far above the mind-numbing blow-by-blow accounts of careers hardly justifying the ink and paper which clog the sports book shelves. For this, his collaborator, golf writer, James Dodson, must be due for a large share of credit. Arnold Palmer looks back over a fantastic career with no lack of humility, but with personal glimpses in sufficient depth to maintain the interest at all times. But more than this, Palmer gives fascinating insights to his business life and associations with the famous in other fields, from presidents to show business personalities, to his fellow-golfers over six decades, always making it clear that his first love is his family. Palmer may be a little old-fashioned in his outlook for some of today's readers and indeed the schmaltz might be a little thick at times, but this still rates as a sports book of excellent quality.



3. I have to give this five stars because Arnold Palmer is my all time, all time sports idol, but I think the writing could have been better. That is evident in the people who thought Arnie was not candid about his feelings on Jack. In numerous other accounts, those feelings are explored in depth, so if there is a problem in that regard it is a failing in the author, not in Arnie. Also, I disagree that he doesn't see Jack as the best of all time, because he's said that numerous times. If there was rancor there on Arnie's part, it was probably because he felt that in Jack's younger days he didn't respect the fans enough, which is probably why I sense some rancor in some of the things Arnie now says about Tiger. In any event, this is a purely classy guy, who deserves all the accolades he's gotten, and this book gives a good glimpse into his soul.



4. This is fine book about a man with deep principles that have continued to deepen and nourish his life. What a life! From golfing legend to aviator to business entrepeneur to course designer to philantropist to family man to cancer recoverer et al.

   One of the true heroes of our time. Growing up with this guy, we baby boomers need one like this to exude what it truly is about -- not the titles or record or such, but how one played the game and treated others.

   Such neat memories from AP's life: earning nickels hitting over the ditch for ladies when young; his detest for media's microscopic view; his leaving the French Open after being mistreated by the Frogs (guess things never change); his opinion of the PGA's historical problems; his committment to his word; his enjoyment of piloting immediately after tournament, whether win or lose.

   Guy is first class and leaves us with much to emulate and pass on. His family roots run deep and it's evident. Maybe influence some parents to such as well.

   More enjoyable read than assumed. This guy has given so much to the development of the sport we love. His views should not be lightly glanced over.




5. Biographies by old warriors and old jocks usually are just not that good. This one is different. I have followed Mr. Palmer's career from the start, and after reading this work, felt I knew him much better. It was pure Palmer. The book is well written, informative and actually rather inspiring. As I suspected, I could not find one line in the book to lead me to a different opinion, one I have held for years, that this is a true gentleman. Wish there were more like him in the world of sports today. On the other hand, as hinted at above, Mr. Palmer has been one of my "heros" since I was eight years old or so, so, in my eyes, he could do little wrong, including writing his autobiography. Recommend the read for anyone.

5 comments about Somewhere in Ireland A Village is Missing an Idiot.

1. I only recently picked up on David Feherty and his writing. Being on the far side of the Pacific from where he plies his trade sets me back as to the happenings off the green in the golf world by, well, years. I found this one book helpful not only with catching up on golf in general, but also in getting aquainted with Mr. Feherty and his pen.

   Most I think will go after this book because they want to see "the lighter side of golf". As anyone who has read this book or regularly looks at the column itself can tell you, this is off-color humor that is best taken in small amounts over a vast period of time. Not that there are any boring segments (some are less interesting than others, but none outright boring), but rather the parade of gradeschool humor that is presented in just about every other chapter can be wearing.

   What will likely keep a reader coming back (perhaps once a week at most) is that he is a fairly good writer. Containing selections from his column over the past five years and more does carry the trap of repition in phrases and cliche, but this isn't tiring in the least. He is very capable of retelling stories better than most in the sports world. His "letters" do tend to wear on one's patience at times, however.

   If you are a David Feherty fan, you will want to have this to glance through to get you through a gloomy day.




2. I just read the first two chapters and have been laughing out loud! He has amazing creativity and is truly a wordsmith. Well worth the price paid. I hope Feherty continues to write more books because they keep getting funnier!



3. thanks for the great delivery and outstanding produce. the book was exactly as you described it.
   thanks for doing a good job.



4. If Feherty cracks you up from time to time with his bizarre musings during his job as a TV golf analyst, expect more of the same, except in the book, he doesn't have to worry about the FCC. I laughed out loud at times, and at least snickered at others. Totally politically incorrect and worth the read.



5. The book is great. Feherty's an Idiot like Columbo was stupid! His writing is genuine, refreshing and entertaining; IF you like stories about golf and golfers, which I do. Feherty may not have been much of a golfer, by his own admission, but he is a natural when it comes to writing.

1 comments about The Walter Hagen Story: By The Haig, Himself (Rare Book Collections).

1. There is nothing more enjoyable than the history of the players of Golf and what a player Walter Hagen was!