5 comments about The Payne Stewart Story Paperback.

1. If you are looking for a biography about Payne Stewart, this is not it. There is a great deal of information about his death, memorial service, and his faith but very little about Payne. Do we really need to know what body parts were recovered or how much mail the church received after the service? If you are not interested in how the writer thinks faith transformed Payne as a person, pass this one by.



2. If old enough, you remember where you were when President Kennedy was assassinated. If a golf fan, you remember where you were when Payne Stewart died. I was in a restaurant having lunch with a couple of other guys. We paid only occasional attention to reports on the television behind the bar. A Lear jet was off course and expected to crash. Sadly, we soon would learn its occupants. If you read no other chapter in this excellent account of Payne Stewart's life, read the one detailing how the golfer's friends and associates learned the bad news. It's a dramatic piece of writing by Larry Guest. And it creates a bond between any reader who remembers that day and the golfer's friends in the book who talk about it. In another memorable chapter, Guest's detailed reporting makes you feel as if you're right in the aircraft during its deadly, and as yet unexplained, flight from Florida to a midwestern cornfield. This book would be a good read even for people who are not golf fans. If you do follow golf, it's a must read. If you were a Payne Stewart fan, you should have already read it.



3. an effort to make money from the tragedy of payne stewart's death. i would recommend the authorized biography by tracey stewart.



4. Reading sports biographies is what I like to do. I have read tons -- from all sports, both genders. Frankly, the literary quality of sports biographies usually is low. So you read to pick up a thing or two you didn't know. Either that, or you're a sports nut like me.

   This certainly is not the case with "The Payne Stewart Story" by Larry Guest. I bought the book for three reasons: 1. Wow! The cover just blew me away. I must have stared at it for five minutes. 2. I particularly like golf as a sport to read about. 3. I had bought the book by Payne Stewart's wife and was so disappointed I had to force myself to finish it. Strictly commercial, more important for what it didn't say. I was looking for who Payne Stewart was, not empty words that left me hungry and unsatisfied.

   Guest's book grabbed me from the first sentence. Riveting, I think is the right word. Classy. Intelligent. The chapter on the plane crash takes your breath away. I was struck the by the amazing amount of detail. For a moment, I felt like I was there. Guest is someone who cares about detail, and so many sports authors don't.

   There is nearly a whole chapter is Guest's book on why Payne wore Knickers. I always wondered about that. It was as fascinating as it was funny.

   Guest handles the story of Stewart's maturation -- his spiritual growth, his growth as a Tour golfer, as a husband and father, as a citizen, as a man. Like the rest of us, Stewart was flawed, and Guest deals with the flaws directly but with tenderness. I really liked the way he handled that. It made the book wonderful for me.

   This is truly a great sports biography, five stars, very different in a way I can't explain. I just could not put it down for its honesty and its humor and its unique format. I had read 50 pages before leaving the store and taking the book home with me. This is hard for me to say, but I'm sure this is the best sports biography I have ever read. There are bigger stars, but I cannot think of a better book. "The Payne Stewart Story" informs, entertains, enlightens, inspires. Although a tragedy, the book made me feel better about things.




5. Reading sports biographies is what I like to do. I have read tons -- from all sports, both genders. Frankly, the literary quality of sports biographies usually is low. So you read to pick up a thing or two you didn't know. Either that, or you're a sports nut like me.

   This certainly is not the case with "The Payne Stewart Story" by Larry Guest. I bought the book for three reasons: 1. Wow! The cover just blew me away. I must have stared at it for five minutes. 2. I particularly like golf as a sport to read about. 3. I had bought the book by Payne Stewart's wife and was so disappointed I had to force myself to finish it. Strictly commercial, more important for what it didn't say. I was looking for who Payne Stewart was, not empty words that left me hungry and unsatisfied.

   Guest's book grabbed me from the first sentence. Riveting, I think is the right word. Classy. Intelligent. The chapter on the plane crash takes your breath away. I was struck the by the amazing amount of detail. For a moment, I felt like I was there. Guest is someone who cares about detail, and so many sports authors don't.

   There is nearly a whole chapter is Guest's book on why Payne wore Knickers. I always wondered about that. It was as fascinating as it was funny.

   Guest handles the story of Stewart's maturation -- his spiritual growth, his growth as a Tour golfer, as a husband and father, as a citizen, as a man. Like the rest of us, Stewart was flawed, and Guest deals with the flaws directly but with tenderness. I really liked the way he handled that. It made the book wonderful for me.

   This is truly a great sports biography, five stars, very different in a way I can't explain. I just could not put it down for its honesty and its humor and its unique format. I had read 50 pages before leaving the store and taking the book home with me. This is hard for me to say, but I'm sure this is the best sports biography I have ever read. There are bigger stars, but I cannot think of a better book. "The Payne Stewart Story" informs, entertains, enlightens, inspires. Although a tragedy, the book made me feel better about things.

3 comments about The Heart of a Champion: Celebrating the Spirit and Character of America's Sports Heroes.

1. I must admit that the only time I may have been in awe of athletes was prior to my teenage years.
   Never have I pondered over the question, what makes a champion?
   However, upon glancing at the table of contents of a book entitled The Heart Of A Champion: Celebrating The Spirit And Character Of Great American Sports Heroes authored by the well-known sports writer and commentator Frank Deford, I was hooked.

   Deford has written twelve previous books including novels, biography, sports, social history, humour and has been called the world's greatest sports writer. If you have won the six-time Sportswriter award of the Year and are a member of the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters, being called the greatest sports writer is an understatement.

   Sports fans very often treat their sports heroes like demi-gods, however, from the very onset of the book, Deford makes it abundantly clear that athletes are neither gods nor heroes. They are our dream models. As he states: "we imagine ourselves in their places in our daydreams."
   Why do many of us look up to our baseball, hockey, basketball or football athletes?

   According to Deford, "it is because a sports star is so visible and so beguiling, but also, classical. Athletes not only join us together in this more complicated culture, they connect us to the simpler past. In their glory, they make us feel more whole."

   The book is divided into seven sections five of which deal with a particular aspect of what constitutes an essential ingredient of athletic greatness. These five are: commitment, grace, courage, team effort and perseverance.

   Within each of these sections Deford refers to athletes who portray a particular attribute that contributes to his or her greatness.

   Who can argue that courage is the defining quality of hockey star Mario Lemieux? This Canadian hockey star suffered from excruciating back pains and was forced to undergo two operations. However, what is more amazing is that he overcame the dreadful Hodgkin's decease, a form of cancer and returned to play hockey.

   How about Jackie Robinson, who Deford describes as the indisputably single most important athlete in our culture and probably the finest.
   The quality of grace is attributed to Robinson, who had to overcome problems with some of his own teammates, blatant racism on the baseball field, and threats from spectators. Nevertheless, he succeeded and paved the way for other African Americans to play in the major leagues.

   These are just some of the many seductive stories included in the book along with the 250 full color and black and white photos and illustrations. A book I am sure will find shelf space in the homes and libraries of the many sports enthusiasts.

   This review first appared on reviewer's own site




2. Great sports athletes really inspire us. And as I read Frank Deford's inspiring profiles of Cal Ripken, Jr., Tiger Woods, Jerry Rice, Chris Evert, Jackie Robinson, the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team, and ohers, I was again sent back to relive some of the greatest sports moments of my life. The photos enhance the categories of commitment, grace, courage, team effort and perseverance. Frank Deford has captured the enduring spirit of these amazing men and women, and thanks to Wheaties, they ae enshrined in our minds and hearts forever. If you have a sports lover in your family, this is the book to get them this Chrsitmas.



3. Do you remember growing up and hearing about Wheaties, The Breakfast of Champions? We were always told that if we ate our Wheaties, we would grow up to be champions as well. Well, that part of the story never did hold true for me, but the champions that did appear on the front of the cereal box over the years have proved to be an enduring selection of sports heroes who have great stories behind their acheivements.

   In this very engaging and beautifully photographed book, the front of the Wheaties' boxes that I remember as a child have come to life. The author, Frank Deford, has written great essays to allow us to better understand the underlying stories behind the athletic acheivements of these memorable champions of sports.

   Interestingly enough, I am not a big follower of sports and originally purchased this book as an early Christmas gift for my brother. Sitting down for a cup of coffee, I became involved with the book and found myself enjoying the well written stories and great historical photos. I've decided to keep this copy, and I'll buy my brothers and nephews additional copies for their own use. I'm sure they will enjoy the great gift.

   I highly recommend this book. Trust me, it is much better than reading the back of the Wheaties box while enjoying a bowl of cereal.

2 comments about Puck! Kirby Puckett: Baseball's Last Warrior.

1. The book is a very basic story of Kirby Puckett that leads much to be desired by the more mature fan. The book while a good read, seems to be written more for kids. As the other reviewer mentioned, a good read but for a better biography we will have to wait for Puckett to come out with his own later in life.

   The story of the man before his image was permanently tarnished. Brings you back to his simpler days when people smiled when you mentioned his name.




2. If baseball star Kirby Puckett were a biblical figure, he would be a cross between David, of David and Goliath and Samson, of Samson and Delilah. Unfortunaely Puck: Baseball's Last Warior doesn't approach the telling of the whole story. It is too much of an abreviation of his life and efforts. It may be that the public will have to wait for Kirby Puckett to publish his own more autobiogrphical life story for us to know what makes the man so generous, likable and thus so tragic to have had to leave baseball playing in his prime. Until such a book is published Puck will have to do for those interested in an abreviated look into the life of Kirby Puckett.

No comments about Best and Edwards: Football, Fame and Oblivion.

No comments about Pride Of The Lion: Introducing the new boxing hero from México - Alfredo Gómez.

5 comments about Old Man in a Baseball Cap: A Memoir of World War II.

1. I found this book for sale in a dollar store and it seemed at first to be an interesting book. Now I understand why it ended up in the dollar store. I have read thousands of books in my life and I pride myself on that fact that no matter how bad, I will finish a book. This book will be my first exception. Not only didn't I finish it, I threw it out. I have 2 sons who look up to WW 2 vets as their heroes and this book will not be in my library. Mr. Rochlin has managed to compile a short collection of "his memories" peppered with vulgar language and over graphic scenes. Many of the vulgarities were misspelled and I wondered if the publisher even proof read it. Maybe he couldn't finish it either. General George S. Patton swore on a regular basis to get his men to understand him better, but reading his words you don't notice the crudeness. You feel that you are reading the man's passion for his work and his soldiers. I did not feel the use of the vulgarity in this book served any purpose other then as shock value. Again, this is America and our soldiers have shed their blood to preserve our freedom of speech. I am just glad that those fine men and women aren't around to read this crap. Go Read Stephen Ambrose's The Wild Blue to cleanse your palette.



2. An on-line editorial review recommended that this book be placed in public libraries. The only way this could be supported if the recommendation was accompanied with a proviso that it be positioned deep in the Fiction section.
   The book is like a one-man HBO stand-up show that's peppered with foul language, and salted with what may be an occasional truth. In fact, one of the opening points and closing remarks is that the author's mind will make up new historical truths. This book is marketed as a "memoir." But one can't tell where the "show" stops, and the actual facts, if any, from WW II experiences begin.
   I was hoping to add to my insight of what some of our older veterans experienced. Instead, I read a compendium of a stand-up comic's foul-mouthed, crude, and outright vulgar act. While soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are known - and accepted - for their collective use of hard-core language, the unseemly language in this book appears to be thrown in - shock-jock style - just for effect. Maybe it makes the stage show a little more entertaining. A Junior High School kid with a flashlight under the sheets would love it this book.



3. OLD MAN IN A BASEBALL CAP is a quick and easy read due, no doubt, to the late Fred Rochlin's monologue style which he developed after attending a workshop with the incomparable Spalding Grey. After performing a number of his wartime monologues live, they were collected and published in this rather short book.
   
   Rochlin was a B-24 navigator during WWII and his tale of his war experiences is raw, rather course, not pretty at times, and yet darkly humorous. Rochlin is remarkably frank about his experiences, more than one of which may shock the sensitive reader. This is unlike any other narrative I have ever read about the Second World War: more personal and in many ways far more human.
   
   Whether the events of this monologue are true or not does not really matter; I am sure that Rochlin (like David Sedaris) would say that they are "true enough." They form a story in Rochlin's mind, a narrative that he feels compelled to tell. I for one am more than willing to listen.
   
   Jeremy W. Forstadt



4. The audio version is the only way to go. Do not listen if you are easily offended by frank talk of the things young men do when they have resigned themselves to unpleasant circumstances. Rochlin is NOT an exemplar of Brokaw's "Greatest Generation." He and his comrades at arms were decidedly human.
   Rochlin acknowledges that men of his generation were discouraged from talking about traumatic experiences. He also acknowledges that his memories are factually suspect. While current opinion seems to hold listening in higher esteem than talking, Rochlin maintains that sharing one's stories is a gift to others. It's too bad they didn't give WWII combat veterans a "transition debrief" before they sent them home. Many of them suffered from post traumatic stress for decades and their loved ones never knew exactly what had happened to them. A chance to talk to someone about their experiences might have helped many combat veterans and there might be a better understanding of what that war was really like.



5. Well written in an easy to read, intelligent style. Reminds me of the clarity of Hemmingway's the Old Man and the Sea. Whether embellished or not, the stories transfer to the reader the feelings these young men must have had to go into the meatgrinder week after week. There is a gentle humor surrounding the constant tragedy that was WWII for them. Was a nice follow-up read to Ambrose's book on the 15th Air Corps.

No comments about To Cap It All . . .: My Story.

No comments about The Circle of Triumph: The Bobby Allison Story.

No comments about Dale Earnhardt: Always a Champion.

1 comments about Bad Bill Dahlen: The Rollicking Life and Times of an Early Baseball Star.

1. It seems that every baseball bio lately has a "reason" for being written apart from giving us the life of the baseball player. Ed Delahanty's bio is really a promotional story for the Irish in baseball in the 1890s. The book about about the world champion 1940 Reds has a running subtext about the back-up catcher who committed suicide. But the most frequent "rationale" for doing baseball bios now is for SABR members to make a pitch for their favorite research target to be sent to the Hall of Fame.
   
   While a recent book about the Ferrell brothers went over the top to try to convince HOF voters that Wes Ferrell was a greater pitcher than he really was, Lyle Spatz is somewhat more even-keeled in Bad Bill Dahlen. This book, while depending heavily on contemporary newspaper accounts, is good at presenting the day-to-day feel of baseball as it was played in the closing part of the 19th, and the early 20th centuries.
   
   Baseball bios drawn largely from newspaper accounts of games often become tedious: "Our hero had two doubles and a triple in four at bats in the May 23 game, making a running catch in the sixth inning..." and so forth. Just a few sentences like this begin to send the reader to the Sand Man's realm. Spatz avoids this trap, spicing up game events, recounting well known and obscure anecdotes in entertaining fashion. Even when Bad Bill is ejected a tenth time in a season, the reader doesn't tire of reading why and how.
   
   For getting your teeth into what playing the sport was really like over a hundred years ago, I cannot recommend a better book. I have also always liked Bad Bill myself, but I simply cannot buy into his belonging in the HOF. His shortstop contemporaries who are there really were all his superior in any given year: Hughie Jennings, Honus Wagner, George Davis. If we must choose fairly contemorary figures who are being undeservedly excluded from the Hall, then let's have bios of Harry Stovey, Sherry Magee, maybe even Cy Seymour. Among 19th century shortstops alone, Herman Long and Jack Glasscock have better credentials.