2 comments about How I Played the Game: An Autobiography.

1. Nelson truly is a golfing gem, one that gets somewhat lost in all the current player hype. But this is likely due to media hype, not the players; they are humble around the like of Lord Byron, and most if not all big names play the King's, the Bear's and the Nelson's tournaments.
   
   Here is record of his life and it truly sounds like the man we have learned to like and hear on TV. Downhome, country boy, who really wanted to earn enough money to buy a ranch, which he did. In doing so, he had some amazing golf, the statistics and some of the records are still there. Might be so for quite some time.
   
   Fascinating how he is part of game most don't know, i.e. invent of good golf shoes and Footjoy connection and also the golf umbrella. Around the Hogan's since caddying youth, this guy is legend worth becoming familiar with. His humility, grace and fervor for the game are truly a treat to read about. The tournament that bears his name is what he refers to as biggest golfing thing that ever happened to him, for the joy of helping the kids. Truly an athleter to be emulated.



2. This is simply a straightforward account of Nelson's life by The Man himself. It's primary focus is his poor-as-dirt childhood and rise to stardom on the PGA Tour, culminating in The Streak of eleven straight wins in 1945 (he retired the next year). His television work is also covered, as is the death of his wife of 50 years and subsequent remarriage, but the primary focus is on his rise to stardom and retirement to ranching. It turns out that he doesn't have hemophilia as I'd always heard, nor did he retire because his "nervous stomach" couldn't take the stress of competition. The big virtue of the book is that it's written in a homey style that makes you feel as though Nelson is right there speaking to you in his Texas twang. It was written with assistance from his second wife, and it reads as though she must have been transcribing tapes. There is very little discussion of swing theory and no tips to help your game, but it's fascinating if you have an interest in what it took to make a living in professional golf in the 1930s and 1940s. It should be required reading for today's pampered pros who make more for one fifth-place finish than Nelson made in his entire career as one of the all-time greats. He comes across as an extremely decent, religious man that you would've liked to have known.

2 comments about A Prophet with Honor : The Billy Graham Story.

1. While this book ranks as the most comprehensive take on Graham's life and career, it suffers from two shortcomings. William Martin is rather too uncritical of his subject, and, like most other Graham biographers, he depends too heavily on Graham's memory. Graham has repeatedly proven to be an unreliable source concerning his own history as I documented in my own research for The Prince of War: Billy Graham's Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire. Unlike Marshall Frady whose Billy Graham - a Parable of American Righteousness reported out some of the preacher's less admirable endeavors, Martin participates in the general canonization of Graham.



2. If you buy only one book about Billy Graham, this should be it. Wonderfully written, it is an objective view by a writer who had full access to Graham and his staff, and full freedom to write the truth.

5 comments about The Crossing: The Curious Story of the First Man to Swim the English Channel.

1. This is a good reading if you are planning to attempt any challenging swim or if you simply want to be inspired.



2. A little book with a big story. It tells the story of the first man to swim the English Channel. Its a solid story, with all the drama of a Tour de France drug scandal.



3. As an open-water swimmer myself, I was attracted to this book about the famous first crossing by Capt. Webb I've heard about for years. The author clearly shows that she did her research on failed swims of the past and on how present-day Channel swimmers conquered the Channel between England and France.

   To Watson's credit, the actual channel crossing is only a minor part of the entire book. The author looks at Capt. Webb as something more than the first man to swim across the English Channel; she examines him as the Victorian age's first mega-celebrity...think Mickey Mantle meets Michael Jordan at the turn of the century.

   She meticulously pieces together newspaper reports of the day regarding Webb's exploits after the famous Channel swim, actually building sympathy for Capt. Webb and the hucksters who set him up for swim after swim (and even more ridiculous feats of endurance).

   I only wish that this book had a biography so I could explore more stories about Capt. Webb and open-water swimming. However, you don't have to be a swimmer to enjoy this book - Watson clearly markets it to the casual reader, and it's small size makes it perfect for summertime reading.




4. Time was when every schoolboy in Britain knew about Capt.Webb; matchboxes carried his name and image; he figured high on the list of heroes and tales of derring-do - I'm not sure if the same holds true nowadays, so this book is an attempt to set the record straight (even so, we are surprised to discover that someone had beaten Webb to it ... but not by swimming),

   Written in an accessible, flowing conversational style, it goes beyond 'the Crossing' to trace the life and exploits of this remarkable man. Incidentally, Ms.Watson (no relation) aspires to be a channel swimmer - this lends a certain authority and credence to the rest of the book; not that it needs it, the research into Webb's life is meticulous.

   At the time, swimming the channel was as daunting as climbing Everest; many authorities stating categorically that it was an impossible feat. However, Webb seems to have suffered from no such fears - totally confident, he persuades backers with his no-nonsense charm, incidentally laying the basis of the British love-affair with swimming.

   After the success of the crossing, we see more of Webb's bravado and determination ... but directed into increasingly desperate money-making schemes, culminating in the one that would end his life.
   One feels for the man, driven as he was by some inner need, but reduced to exhibitionism instead of taking an easier option on life.

   A very enjoyable read. *****




5. Kathy Watson has crafted a jewel of a book, an exotic Victoria portrait that goes far beyond the simple description of Captain Webb and his extraordinary swimming of the English Channel - the first person ever to do so in recorded history.

   For in this miniature we certainly see bits and pieces and touches of ouselves in ways that force us to immediately recognize the subject of the book: the having done a daring, or honorable, or brave, or even brilliant act in our past, one that defined us as eminently worthwhile members of the human family. Perhaps only we knew about what we had done, perhaps we did it only in silence, perhaps there was never outside recognition; but most of us have one or more of those moments, just as Capt. Webb had when he did his extraordinary feat, only less so. He was certainly recognized and feted and admired; he received cash and other rewards for demonstrating British pluck in his accomplishment. And then...glory was taken away from him. Not in one fell swoop, but gradually and ignominiously over a period of 8 years, when he ended his life as a boastful freak who attempted to swim the Whirlpool Rapids at Niagara Falls and failed.

   The story of this brilliant meteor and its crash is splendidly narrated; the prose is redolent with Victorian language without being Victorian prose. Meticulous research has obviously been used to underpin the narrative, and the author's joy and enthusiasm is everywhere: "Niagara," she explains "had become the primary port of call in North America for daredevils, con men, suicides, sensation-seekers, and nutcases" in 1883 when Capt. Webb arrived.

   Ms. Watson gives statistics, but does not burden us with them; since Capt Webb there have been 500 or so people who have swum the Channel, but today it is much easier (but not easy) because of the expert knowledge that has built over the years on how to prepare for, and execute, a crossing. Not so when Jabez Wolffe made his first attempt in 1906, nor in the ensuing years, when he tried 22 times and never succeeded in his quest.

   Whether one swims or not, this is an exciting and delightful book. Yes, it ends in the defeat of Capt. Webb, but somehow this failure totally pales when compared to his success; and because of that, this is an upbeat book of optimism and hope, brilliantly written.

5 comments about WWE Legends - Superstar Billy Graham: Tangled Ropes (WWE).

1. A little background: I grew up in Central Illinois, and began watching "All Star Wrestling" on Saturday mornings. I would see these bulky bruisers like Nick Bockwinkle and "Da Crusher!", and really thought this stuff was real.
   
   Then, out of nowhere, came this flamboyant, trash-talking, electrifying persona called Superstar Billy Graham, with his tie-dyed tights, Elton-John rhinestone sunglasses, and the biggest, baddest, most impressive physique I'd ever seen. He was unreal, and for the next year or so, he was THE GUY to watch for during the telecasts.
   
   Then, just as suddenly, he disappeared. Vanished. The TV wrestling went on, and I sort of lost interest, and always wondered what happened to that Superstar Billy Graham guy.
   
   Well, read this book, and you'll find out the whole story. Being so regionalized in those days, unless you were a hard-core wrestling hound, it would have been difficult TO know what happened to him in the intervening years.
   
   What happened to him was he moved on to the NY region, was a smash hit in the NY area, got major juice as the heel to beat, won the belt in a titanic match, held it for about a year, sold out arenas everywhere he went, and then was forced to give up the belt to a true Baby Face named Bob Backlund, (WHO???), got messed up in his head and heart, got into drugs, and became - even more quickly than he arrived - one of the saddest also-rans in the business. Never ever regaining the Superstar persona that had so electrified crowds in the mid to late 70's.
   
   You'll find out more about Wayne Coleman than you'd ever like to know otherwise. Its a fascinating backstage view of pro wrestling in the kayfabe era, and what it was really like to be a performer in those days. You'll discover the ups and downs of steroid use/abuse, and how it prematurely depletes the body of its essential elements. You'll meet a man who gave his life to one of the strangest forms of sport/entertainment on the planet, and find out what happens when the ride is over.
   
   Its a very telling, and really well written book. Its a very honest, personable account that makes you feel you've actually met Wayne Coleman. Its easy to see how a lot of people could really not like him, but this fascinating account of who "The Superstar" really is and was is extremely interesting and compelling. I enjoyed reading this book very much, (similar to how I felt reading Gene Simmons book on KISS.)
   
   I don't endorse pro wrestling at all. In all honesty, its about as Satanic an expression as exists these days. But for filling in a long ago mystery of what happened to the "Superstar Billy Graham," this book does all that and more. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to know the full story of the granddaddy of all modern wrestlers.



2. While Mick Foley may have set a bar, he doesn't have nearly the experience and lifetime of Superstar Billy Graham. Ric Flair's book is good but it spends a great deal of time praising the WWE. Dusty Rhodes tale was bland and lacked details, a huge dissapointment.
   
   Billy Graham's story raised the bar beyond Foley's book when he penned his memoirs. A few great elements of this book consist of him being frank about drug abuse, including steroids and doesn't attempt to dismiss their deadly long lasting effects. I think Graham realized while he was writing this book the impact he made on professional wrestling. He was the first to jam on the mic and knew how to work a crowd-pure showman and that is the necessary part in being a successful pro wrestling. Before Hogan, The American Dream and The Nature Boy-there was Superstar!
   
   The story is bitter sweet and sad. A Superstar of a performer that nearly died multiple times. I just hope his new life as a minister is a much easy and equally satisfying journey. Thanks Superstar for all the TV memories.



3. This book was outstanding from page 1, to the very last page.
   
   Outstanding job and life story!
   
   Superstar, a man ahead of all times!!



4. It's a cliche', but what a page turner. First let me say, I was a HUGE Billy Graham "mark" when I was a kid. He was the first guy that drew me in. He had such charisma. So cool. Anyway, this book is just him 100% totally pouring out his soul. He holds back nothing. Tells you absolutely everything about everyone and mostly - himself.
   
   The stories are more heartbreaking with each page. Everything from him hearing he may only have 30 days to live when he was waiting for his kidney transplant to embarassing moments like when he ditched a cab outside of the Georgia wrestling TV studio because he didn't have the money - only for the guy to come in looking for him and then Dusty Rhodes flips out a $50 bill in front of others to Billy telling him to "pay the taxi".
   
   What's most amazing is that he tells much of his story without heavy bitterness or anger except during his attacks on the WWF and Vince during the steroid trial - which he admits he only did to try to get some hush money from Vince since he really had NO money. It was that he really should have done more and that drugs really did wreck his life.
   
   Wow - I could go on and on and still not give up everything in this book. It really is great. God bless the man of the hour, the man with the power - too sweet to be sour!



5. THIS IS THE STORY OF FORMER PRO WRESTLER SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM. HIS STORY IS TRULY AMAZING. THE AMAZING PART IS THAT HE IS STILL ALIVE. HE TELLS US OF HIS BODY BUILDING, EVANGELIST, BOUNCER AND PRO FOOTBALL CAREERS ALONG WITH HIS WRESTLING DAYS AND ADDICION TO DRUGS AND STEROIDS. I FOUND HIS STORY TO BE INTERESTING, TERRIFYING, HUMOROUS AND ABSOLUTLY RIVOTING. I HAVE READ MANY BOOKS ABOUT PRO WRESTLING AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST. SUPERSTAR CERTAINLY DOES A GREAT JOB TELLING US HIS STORY. HE DELIVERS A POWERFUL MESSAGE ABOUT STEROIDS AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS WIFE AND GOD. A MUST READ.

5 comments about Getting Up & Down: My 60 Years in Golf.

1. Too young to know Ken Venturi as anything but the voice of CBS golf, his story as a golfer is phenomomal. His heartbreaks in the game were many and tend to overshadow the triumphs but this a great story of the human spirit. Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the stories behind the 3 Masters defeats('56,'58 & '60) and the 1964 US Open victory. The "inside" the ropes stories about some of the "Gods" of golf will make most rethink the images that have been fed to us through the years. Don't get me wrong as you would expect, Venturi does it with class. The other thing that will surprise his fans from the broadcasting days is his behind the scenes intensity as a player and as the winning captain of the 2000 Presidents Cup team. I checked it out from my library but will be buying it because it is a story I want my sons to read some day. You will not be disappointed!



2. Ken Venturi as the voice of golf on CBS is one of the most popular sportscasters of his day. Now retired, he finally has a chance to say things that he couldn't say on the air or anywhere else. In this book he talks about his life as a golfer, his life as a sportscaster, and his life as a man.
   
   He has not had a life that was all roses. Medical problems from carpal tunnel ended his professional golfing career after only 10 years of play. Other illnesses plagued he and his wife from back surgery to multiple bouts with cancer. He has not only survived these, but through it all has kept his sense of humor and overall happiness with the world.
   
   As an accomplished communicator, Mr. Venturi has the ability to tell stories about golf, about himself that make very good reading.



3. Not only read Ken Venturi's book, but read the many different reviews here. To those who accuse Ken Venturi of sour grapes and whining about his close Masters losses, I say that every golf tournament has two stories to tell. Everyone loves a winner obviously, but the guy who tasted victory and had it snatched from his hands also has an interesting story to tell. If Greg Norman or Tom Weiscopf ever write their autobiography, or Sam Snead could tell his story of the '39 US Open, it too would strike some as just sour grapes. Doesn't make their stories any less valid. As for stories of gamesmanship, rule bending, and maybe even (borderline) cheating, why do so many golf fans show a willingness to believe it about some major champions (like Seve Ballesteros, Vijah Singh, Gary Player) but find it implausable when discussing someone like Arnold Palmer? Are they still so childlike in their awe of their golf hero that even firsthand reports are automatically dismissed? Reminds me of what Tommy Bolt always said about news stories of his club throwing. He said that Arnie threw as many clubs as he did, but the stories never stuck. Anyway, a good book, Ken. And I too miss your voice on TV, particularly at the Masters.



4. Come back --- underdog --- fighter --- champion --- commentator. These are words about Venturi, who it seems most of his life was always dualing with himself against others to show them what he was made of: toughness and talent that could and would succeed in winning.

   He suffered through much: hand injuries, marriage trauma, etc. But the biggest hurdles were those letdowns, those meltdowns which occur in sports when one is so close to seizing the brass ring, only to have it slip out of grasp. As Venturi would describe, someone else always played phenonemenal to do just that. He would be a previous generation's Greg Norman.

   Anyone who was so close and fondly associated with the likes of Nelson, Sarazen and Hogan, now this is a special person. Or for Vince Lombardi to admire the look in an competitor's eyes, this is a special golfer. One who endured severe heat and win his country's national golf championship in the doing, this is a special golfer.

   This carried over in his broadcasting. Concise, poignant, to the point. Let the golf describe most of the action. I like millions admired and respected his great gifts for commenting, but never really knew about the stammering. Maybe the greatest hurdle of all. What courage he showed and can encourage all who have such to do the same. A man of principle.

   Somehow as good as this read was with all the fascinating stories and incidents, I thought it was slightly "I oriented" too much. Thus, four not five.




5. Venturi is a bit of a prima donna - you can't be on TV for 35 years without a touch of that - but at the same time he has lived a very interesting life in golf, and come across some very interesting people. I forgive him his brushes against Palmer and Player: I have no doubt that those people, while projecting saintly public images, are extremely fierce competitors willing to work everything possible in their favor, and I thank this book for having the nerve to reveal that side to me. In a similar but more positive way, I came away with a much more well-rounded sense of people like Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson.

   Venturi's attitude about his own play and level is interesting: while he blames injury and circumstances for many losses and for not having achieved full potential, I think he minimizes the way many greats have overcome similar problems.

   The main thing, though, is that I read this book because I sorely miss his voice - and attitude - on TV. He's been replaced by a generation of blabbermouths who, unlike Venturi, are unable to push their own considerable egos aside to comment on the sport itself. Johnny Miller is by far the worst offender, but they're all reasonably guilty. And if I see Peter Kostis "analyze" another errant swing I think I'll puke. I miss you, Mr. Venturi.

4 comments about The Villain: A Portrait of Don Whillans.

1. A magnificent book, this biography of Britain's most controversial post-war climber. Jim Perrin's rendering of Whillans' life is truly "symphonic": as it unfolds there is a feeling of progression, of widening vistas, of deepening insight into the subterranean drives of this wilful personality. All of this emerges organically from a number of key themes - Whillans' working-class background, the fraught relationship with his key climbing partners (Joe Brown and Chris Bonnington) and his wife Audrey, the fractious dynamics in the English climbing community, the enduring attraction of Cheshire gritstone, Chamonix granite and the snow and ice of the great Himalayan peaks. These themes are refracted in myriads of amazing, often wildly funny stories and anecdotes. As a result of Perrin's great and humane skill in weaving these various strands together, the story assumes a significance that goes beyond this particular constellation of character, space and time. After having read this book, Don Whillans' personality stands for something bigger, something more fundamental and iconic. At a certain point, Perrin very aptly likens Whillans to Achilles - enormously gifted and driven but unable to quell his egotism and agression, unable to let his gift flower into a more balanced, endearing persona. There are lessons here for all of humanity. On the other hand, and despite the deeper significance that speaks from Perrin's narrative, this is a climbers' book in such a fundamental and exemplary way. With immense sympathy and wisdom it speaks particularly to those who have experienced what it means to have space below your feet, to trust your life to your own and your partner's skill and the mood of the mountain, to precariously feel your way through vast wilderness spaces. I enjoyed this book immensely. Don Whillans is here to stay.



2. most biographies of climbers have a limited audience in mind - other climbers. while that is clearly the intended readership for Mr. Perrin's opus, it is so well written, and the psychology and sociology of the subject is of broad enough interest, that this book deserves to be picked up by more general-interest readers who are "into" biography. it is, by turns, poignant, frustrating, impressive, heart-warming, side-splittingly funny, and sad - thus optimally reflecting the character of Mr. Whillans.
   a delight - recommend it to a non-climber!
   cheers.



3. This is a quite wonderful book. Jim Perrin is a rare man: a mountaineer from working class roots who's also a very gifted writer, in my opinion the finest of all the mountaineering writers of late. He's an averagely competent climber - no extreme gymnast or Everest-conquering hero - but has been in the "scene" for decades and knew Whillans personally, who, besides being a fabulously gifted climber armed with a devastating wit, was also famously bellicose. (Perrin's first encounter with Whillans was when Whillans invited him to 'step outslde' after he'd bumped him in a Welsh pub; people who didn't know Whillans often got into trouble with because he was so small - only five foot three. "But it's raining!" exclaimed Perrin, to his immediate embarrassment. "Aye, yer wet enough already", retorted Whillans, and walked away chuckling. They later became friends.)
   
   The book is sublimely assembled and the acute poignancy of his subject - the "hardest man" in British climbing, who while broadly loved, revered and admired by the climbing community at large, was shunned in his later years by a sizeable minority of his peers - actually reduced me to tears in several places: each time, surprised by the sudden lump in my throat, I had to stop reading for a few minutes. This was a clearly a terribly difficult project (it took nearly twenty years to complete); in his preface he says the book was really written by the entire British climbing community, such was the quality and quantity of the material provided from every quarter. As I read on, quite unable to put the book down, I found myself increasingly admiring of Perrin's writing on what is a very challenging and unstraightforward subject - a respected friend, brilliant in many ways yet full of flaws and complexity, revered by the climbing community yet brim-full of contradictions. Some of the most moving parts of the book for me were the brilliant glimpses Perrin provided into the undoubted soft, sensitive, yet almost totally hidden core of this toughest and bravest of men: when he relished bouncing a balloon with a friend's small child (he thought no-one was watching); the great care he gave to those in difficulty in perilous and serious mountain situations (when he always came into his own; many described Whillans as the very finest mountaineer ever to share a tight corner with); the desperate hurt and betrayal he felt - and never got over - when Joe Brown, his old-time climbing partner and (some may say) nemesis, was invited to Kanchenjunga in 1953 but Whillans was overlooked; the times when as a small child he was a famous 'scrapper' but would always do the decent thing and own up when a friend was unjustly punished for one of Whillans' misdemeanours. For me, Whillans - in most, but not all, of his actions and behavior; the only exceptions occurred when he was drunk and a different, more violent and angry persona sometimes emerged - epitomizes the very definition of 'integrity": when one's words, actions and beliefs are all in alignment, like it or not. The only aspect of the man that rarely broke surface was his own undoubtedly emotional core, which drove him in every way, and gave the lie to his sometimes apparently unkind, selfish or insensitive presentation of himself to his mountaineering brethren.
   
   Here is one of a large number of impeccably crafted paragraphs:
   
   "This vignette [the great Tom Patey's article for that year's Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal entitled "a Short Walk with Whillans'] by the finest comic essayist in climbing literature played a considerable role in establishing the persona of Whillans as doom-laded quipster and drollster, and in a mellow but perceptive way also brought out the character traits that were ultimately to contribute to the widespread disaffection with him among the companions on his later expeditions: the strategic indolence, the racism, the incessant scrounging, and the propensity for dogmatic utterance that would brook no contradiction. It also, in a brief and masterful final paragraph, captured beautifully the sense that here was a man who, for all his unique abilities and exceptional achievements, had hanging around him something of the atmosphere of failure, something of the sense of one unloved by those gods who bestow good fortune and easy chance on humankind; and perhaps also the sense of one who was growing 'tired of knocking at preferment's door': 'We got back to the Alpiglen in time for late lunch. The telescope stood forlorn and deserted in the rain. The Eiger had retired into misty oblivion, as Don Whillans retired to his favourite corner seat by the window.'"
   
   If you appreciated this delicious little snippet, I suspect you'll greatly value the book: the finest and most masterful climbing biography I've yet had the pleasure to read. Jim Perrin deserves honors for his unswerving dedication to honesty, fairness, and some truly sublime descriptive writing in among it all.



4. Penned by a mountaineer with a balanced perspective on the 'sport' and its politics, Jim Perrin's eloquent expose of Don Whillans chronicles Whillan's predecessors, his contemporaries and subsequent generation of climbers. The text is sprinkled with colloquialisms that delight. And, rich with colorful antedotes recorded by Whillan's friends and cohorts, makes this book greater than the sum of its parts.
   
   A wonderful, and brillantly crafted story of one of Britain's greatest climbers, his ropemates, the mountaineering events that forged his preeminence, sustained the popularity of his lectures, and the pubbing that rounded his stature and shortened his life.

2 comments about Bill Russell: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies).

1. This Bio of one of the greatest sportsmen ever to step onto a hardwood floor is well written, but clearly aims at children for a reading audience. Too much time goes into explaining obvious historical knowledge like the fact that back in the fifties races were seperate.
   I anticipated a biography written by somebody else than Bill himself (who wrote three autobiographies), but this book doesn't live up to my expectations



2. Like just about all new books, this book is "pricey." That is the only reason I did not give it a 5-star rating. [CAVEAT: I freely admit that I am biased. For several reasons, I like Bill Russell.]
   
   "Bill Russell, a Biography" is well-written and concise. It contains a great deal of basic information about Russell's youth and about Russell as a basketball player. To say that Russell "revolutionized" professional basketball is not an overstatement. Standing 6-feet, 9-inches tall and being able to high-jump over 6 and 1/2 feet should be illegal, yet Russell could do this. He was also extremely fast. However, even sheer, raw talent like Russell had would have been wasted had he not been an extremely diligent student of the game.
   
   I wish the book had contained more about Russell as a man, for this is what interests me about him. The book touches on his moral failures and his self-doubts (which, of course, proves that he is human!). Yet I had hoped for more. (I would love to meet him and talk to him about anything EXCLUDING basketball. He seems like a fascinating man.)
   
   I also wish it contained more about Russell's career-albeit, a short career-as a TV "basketball analyst," for he was a superb communicator. I always enjoyed watching a game he was doing, for he had so much insight into the game, and he could share that insight with the viewers in a light-hearted, fun way.
   
   The author makes 2 glaring mistakes in the book: (1)While it is true that Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam (NOI), he did not convert to "Islam" (that is, Orthodox Islam) until later in life. (2)Ali-formerly called Cassius Clay-likewise became a member of the NOI, yet the NOI is not "Islam" (again, Orthodox Islam).
   
   To sum the 2 glaring errors: the NOI does NOT practice Orthodox Islam.
   
   The book is a good primer about a fascinating man, IMO.

No comments about Baseball's Most Wanted II: The Top 10 Book of More Bad Hops, Screwball Players, and Other Oddities (Most Wanted).

No comments about Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report.

5 comments about The Queen of Whale Cay: The Eccentric Story of 'Joe' Carstairs, Fastest Woman on Water.

1. It's easy to love the story of a true eccentric, and Marion "Joe" Carstairs does not disappoint in this regard. Born in America in 1900 and heiress to the Standard Oil fortune, she left home at age 11 and spent her youth adventuring in Europe--it is hard, in fact, to shake off the impression that she must be British. Adopting a masculine persona as suggested by her name, Joe raced speedboats and sported tattoos with a fake moustache and romanced a bevy of lesbian lovers (including Marlene Dietrich and other beautiful actresses). She preferred to live life in the fast lane and reveled in flouting the feminine traditions of that post-Victorian era. In fact, Joe took pains to create her image without necessarily being truthful. Aren't a good story and a sense of mystery always preferable to dull facts? But when the roaring 20s gave way to the more sober 30s, Joe decided to beat a retreat from the continent to the Bahamian island of Whale Cay (pronounced "key"). How nice to be able to buy your own island in 1933 for only $40K . . .
   
   She took with her a doll, Lord Tod Watley, who was her closest companion for 60 years. Tod sported a wardrobe of tailor-made costumes, and there are many photographs in this book of him posed in various tableaus. He starts out as a young, boyish figure whom most might find endearing, but with advancing age his leather face cracked and discolored making him a rather gruesome figure. It is a bit pathetic that ultimately Joe could tolerate no human partner for long while always openly adoring him. In fact, the book intimates that in her later years Joe made have tolerated unkind treatment from others simply out of fear that they might retaliate against Tod in some way if she displeased them.
   
   Long story short, Joe took Whale Cay from being a virtually uninhabited island and built herself a palatial home, then took care to develop the rest of the land for the benefit of others. She had her own little fiefdom going for a while. But age took its toll on her, and in 1975 she sold this topical paradise for just under $1M. (Google it, and you will see just how beautiful it is.) She moved back to the United States where she lived to the age of 93, at which time she was cremated along with Wadley and interred in a tomb by the sea.



2. Joe Carstairs comes off as a fascinating study of what it was like to be a moneyed lesbian somewhat outside the usual literary lesbians of the early 20th century. There aren't many stories about these women, and we can certainly use more.
   
   Alas, Carstair's definitive biography is yet to be written. Summerscale uses Freudian analysis-- badly-- and literary allusions-- somewhat better-- to illustrate who and what Carstairs was about. Summerhill basically creates a book that is about 50 years behind the time it was written. It would help if Summerscale had any actual clue about lesbian culture and cultural theory, but it seems she'd rather turn Carstairs into a freak instead of exploring her as an outsider.
   
   The most egregious example of this is early on in the book, in which she talks about how Carstairs "rejects her feminity to reinvent herself." You can't reject what you don't have in the first place. Grounding the biography firmly in the mistaken beleif that a female body will naturally be feminine creates a caricature of Carstairs rather than the fully human characterization she deserves.
   
   This is worth reading, but it's worth reading with a very critical eye on Summerscale's clunky writing and outdated analysis.



3. Kate Summerscale stumbled onto a treasure trove when she was asked in the 12990s to write the obituary for a British daily for M. B. "Joe" Carstairs, an eccentric Standard Oil heiress who had set speedboating records in the 1920s and who literally ruled her own Bahamian island for several decades, not only paying all the inhabitants directly out of her pocket but also establishing their rules and punishments. Carstairs also was one of the great lesbian lovers of the twentieth century, having affairs with dozens of beautiful actresses including Greta Garbo and Tallulah Bankhead--and to top off everything, was obsessed with a small leather manikin she named "Lord Tod Watley" and took with her everywhere, proclaiming him the great love of her life. The material is so terrific that this slim little biography can't help but be a fun read, but the book is held back tremendously by Summerscale's amateurish writing style, which consists of endless flatly declarative sentences and which rarely uses transitions between new ideas. Clearly Summerscale is quite erudite (her allusions to Woolf and Djuna Barnes are not only illuminating but actually quite clever), but the prose was a real drawback to what would have been otherwise a terrific tale.



4. On paper, this book sounds fabulous. A rich, beautiful lesbian lives a scandalous life filled with excitement, traveling around the world, meeting lots of famous people, and making love to dozens of willing female partners. Imagine a Howard Stern sex epic with a sumptuous budget and a Merchant Ivoery feel!
   
   Kay Summerscale does a very professional job as a biographer. Unfortunately, the story is not that exciting. Yes, Joe Carstairs was a rich lesbian, and a rebel, but she was not in any sense a "fun" person. She was apparently some kind of borderline schizophrenic. All she could do to act "manly" was to throw screaming tantrums, smoke, spit and swear. Not an attractive personality. The whole thing with carrying the little doll around for 60 years comes across as sick, not funny or charming.
   
   Read the book for the sumptuous settings and try to imagine someone glamorous, like Gloria Holden (from the lesbian classic DRACULA'S DAUGHTER)having the same adventures, but in a fun way.



5. I saw this slim volume in the store and was fascinated by the picture on the cover - a woman dressed as a man with a little battered doll on her shoulder - "what in the world is this?" So, I started to read. What a surprise. This is the story of Marion "Joe" Carstairs, a Standard Oil heiress, a champion speed boat driver, friend to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, an unrepentant lesbian, owner of the Caribbean isalnd Whale Cay, and the constant companion of Lord Todd Wadley (yes, a funny little doll). This is one of the most immediately engaging books I've ever read. What a character she was, and what a life she led. "The Queen of Whale Cay" is an absolute charmer from start to finish. Looking for a little slice of forgotten history to while a way some time? This is the book for you.