3 comments about Jack Nicklaus: Simply the Best!.

1. As a fan of Jack Nicklaus for some 30-odd years, this book is heavy, photo-filled and impressive. Vintage photos are perhaps the highlight, but the text is worthwhile as well when featuring authors such as Dan Jenkins, Herbert Warren Wind and other masters. Where the prose falls woefully short, I'm afraid, is in the summary of each of Jack's major titles and these pieces are the responsibility of Martin Davis, a writer who thinks so highly of himself that his photograph appears on the inside flap of the dustcover, rather than on the back as would happen with a more modest writer. Regardless of the event, Davis is content to simply piece together a few facts, often disregarding the main story that was present throughout a particular week.
   
   Finally, did I mention this book was big? Unnecessarily so but it follows a trend in publishing that says "bigger is better and thereby worth a premium price." Jack Nicklaus deserved a good deal more than this ambitious but disappointing effort.



2. I have been a Jack Nicklaus fan for many years and was delighted to receive this book as a Christmas gift.
   
   However, I must say that my enjoyment was significantly diluted by the extremely poor editing that is apparent in several places throughout the book.
   
   Specifically:
   
   
   
   1) On page 40 in the blue box Thomas Bjorn's quote states "no matter where you go in the golfing word" when it clearly should be "world". Further this same quote has the same error in it on page 41. My daughter who is a teacher calls this a "spellcheck error". i.e. someone ran spellcheck but didn't read the text to see if it made sense.
   
   2) On page 188 the individual match results for the 1969 Ryder Cup for the afternoon singles on Day Three show that Miller Barber beat Maurice Bembridge but both players are shown as having won 1 point. Similarly for Gene Littler and Christy O'Connor. The day three totals, 8 points each, are correct but if you add up the individual points as they are shown in the table the GB team has 10 because these two points should be zeros.
   
   3) On page 233 the first sentence in the second paragraph says that "Jack won his sixth major" describing the 1975 PGA. If my math is correct it was his fourteenth major.
   
   4) Page 269 - the second sentence of the third paragraph says "with as a strong contingent of foreign players" - there should not be an "as". Another "spellcheck error".
   
   5) On page 317 in the results for 1999 the money shown as won for the Wendy's three tour challenge either has the comma in the wrong place or an extra zero depending upon whether the prize was $10,000 or $100,000.
   
   
   
   I realize this may be "nitpicking" but it is disappointing that a book memorializing the career of someone who in many ways was a driven perfectionist should be spoiled by these careless errors.



3. I bought this book for my husband, he loves it. A great gift for a golf fan.
   He liked the stories about Jack Nicklaus not only a great golfer, a great dad and friend.

No comments about Dominant Dany Heatley.

No comments about Rafa Bentez: The authorised biography of the Liverpool Football Club Manager.

1 comments about The Fox In the Cupboard: A Memoir.

1. As an American horse-mad child I consumed all the Pullein-Thompson and "Jill" pony books I could get my hands on, but the culture of riding to hounds, with its arcane language and fastidious customs, remained opaque and perplexing. Jane Shilling is an outsider herself, bringing the reader along on her journey as a middle-aged single mother attempting to learn to ride and join a hunt. While the politics of hox hunting cannot be avoided, Shilling wisely does not make them the center of her story, but rather lays out the situation as she observes it and ultimately lets the reader decide for herself.

5 comments about Bob Feller: Ace of the Greatest Generation.

1. I really enjoyed how Sickels was able to blend historical information with statistics to make this biography more complete. Through this interesting approach, the reader really gets a more complete picture of Feller, not only through the eyes of his peers/contemporaries, but through placing him in his historical context.
   
   This is a book the deserves a wider readership. Even if you are not a fan of Bob Feller or of the Cleveland Indians, you will be able to find a lot of value in this book.



2. THIS IS THE STORY BOB FELLER STAR PITCHER FOR THE CLEVELAND INDIANS DURING THE 1930'S THRU THE MID 1950'S. THE BOOK TOUCHES ON HIS CHILDHOOD WHERE BOB AND HIS FATHER BUILT A PLAYING FIELD ON THEIR FARMLAND (FIELD OF DREAMS) TO HIS DAYS AS A STAR PITCHER. HIS CAREER IS COVERED IN GREAT DETAIL AND IS WELL WRITTEN. THE AUTHOR ALSO TOUCHES ON HIS STINT IN THE NAVY DURING WORLD WAR 2 AND ALSO SOME INSIGHT AND OPINIONS BY VARIOUS PEOPLE CONCERNING BOB. AMONG THESE ARE JACKIE ROBINSON, EX TEAMATES AND VARIOUS WRITERS. BOB WAS NEVER ONE TO BE TIMID IN HIS OPINIONS AND THIS STORY COVERS IN DETAIL HOW HIS CANDIDNESS GOT HIM IN TROUBLE. THE ONLY COMPLAINT I HAD WAS THAT IT DID NOT COVER MUCH OF WHAT HE HAS DONE RECENTLY. OVERALL A GREAT TRIBUTE TO RAPID ROBERT. RECOMMENDED TO ALL BASEBALL FANS.



3. I was given this book as a gift from a good friend. I thought it might be full of baseball statistics - I found it to be not only informative but entertaining. Many times during my reading I had a smile on my face or was laughing about a comment Mr. Sickels made. It was very enjoyable reading.



4. This is one of the best baseball biographies that I have ever read -- balanced, throroughly resaearched, very well written.
   
   I am of Feller's generation, was a Cleveland Indians fan throughout his career, and therefore knew a great deal about him. I have read Feller's autobiographies.
   Yet I learned a great deal from Sickels books and found it fascinating reading -- hard to put down. Some of it was a very pleaseant trip down memory lane.



5. The book is written in an intersting, insightful and entertaining manner. It covers Feller's individual baseball seasons in detail. It alos presents interesting info. about his military service in WW 2. It presents an insightful analysis of his complex personality. Its weaknesses are: (1) it covers reatively little of his personal life, especially his post baseball life; and (2) it includes few, if any, recollections of Feller, based on interviews by the author with players and other people who knew Feller.

   The author seems to rely entirely on synthesizing information from the various articles and books that have been writtem about Feller, plus the results of one or two interviews with Feller. Why the author chose not to contact any of Feller's former teammates or others who knew him is bewildering. Since Bob has been retired for 47 years, it would have been nice to hear more about his post-baseball life. There's a little on this in the book, but not that much.

2 comments about Capt. Nat Herreshoff: The Wizard of Bristol : The Life and Achievements of Natanael Greene Herreshoff, Together With an Account of Some of the Yachts He Designed.

1. This book gives a very good overall story of the designs N.G. created and also tells the story of the Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Part of me wishes the book went into more detail on some of the designs but that book would be ten times as large. Overall this book presents Captn. Nat's live from beginning to end and gives a very interesting view into a time long since past.



2. This book is a reprint of the classic 1953 edition. It reads as though it was written some years before that.
   
   Capt. Nat was one of the preeminent yacht designers from the late 1800's to about 1920. He and his shipyard built a lot of the more famous racing yachts of the time. This included some that he designed for the successful defense of the America's Cup.
   
   Part of the interest in this book is that these boats were being designed at a time long before computers came on the scene. Capt. Nat first made a small sketch of the boat. Then he built a half hull model. He had a machine of his own design that would then trace along the model at prescribed intervals and draw the lines of the boat.
   
   Of coure, in these days, all the boats were wooden or steel. The exotic material of todays boats had not been invented.
   
   This is interesting reading from a time long past.

5 comments about Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story.

1. Authors Cindy Thomson and Scott Brown pen an all-star book for the Hot Stove League that chronicles the life of one of the greatest pitchers in the "Dead Ball Era" of Major League Baseball, Mordecai "Three Fingered" of "Miner" Brown.
   
   Sporting a lifetime MLB record of 239-130, with 1375 strikeouts and an amazing 2.06 ERA, Brown is oftentimes more known for his main nickname, which was due to a farm-machinery accident as a youth, losing parts of two fingers. His other nickname came from his work in the Indiana coal mines before baseball became his profession.
   
   His is truly an American story, as Brown sparked the Chicago Cubs to victories over the Detroit Tigers in the 1907-1908 Fall Classics, turned away from threats by mobsters in 1908 to throw a game and attempted to end the MLB monopoly on the pro game by joining the "outlaw" Federal League.
   
   But its in retirement where Brown gave back to the sport - and to the local fans who followed his pro career - that made him a household name. When back home again in (Terre Haute) Indiana, he played in the minors, participated in exhibition games and also coached. Brown also operated a gas station in Terre Haute.
   
   Like home plate being dusted off after a long winter, the biography brings to life a legend who was buried under yellowed pages of newspapers that had been weathered by time and neglect.



2. Excellent book. Provided new insight into a storied career. Shipment and quality were excellent.



3. The past few years I have been reading more and more books about baseball history. I highly recommend this book.



4. If you want to know more about Mordecai Brown, this is the book. The book appears to have been thoroughly researched, and it seems unlikely a future writer or historian will be able to add much to the story. The quality of the writing isn't great, but it is solid, and the organization and clarity of the presentation is good. If you're trying to pick out a book to entertain your teenager, this is probably not it. But if the goal is to learn more about this fascinating baseball star who is too often overlooked when the all-time greatest lists are assembled, you won't do better than this book.



5. As a Deadball Era fan and researcher, I have been waiting for this biography for several years. Three Finger Brown was one of the main keys to the Cubs' success from 1906-1910, when they were the premier team of the National League. Cindy Thomson and Scott Brown have done their homework in the research that they did for this book, and they have also made it a highly enjoyable and easy read, despite the amount of research that backs up their writing.
   
   This book is also good for general baseball readers who want to read about one of the greatest pitchers in the game. And of course, Cubs fans will enjoy it, as pointed out by the introduction by Ferguson Jenkins. Finally, it is a tribute to a man who overcame a disability with hard work, humility, and grace.

5 comments about Playing With the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War, and a Field of Broken Dreams.

1. Playing with the Enemy hits you on several levels at once. Yes, it is a baseball story, but so much more.
   
   It's Sesser, IL, a small town where "everybody knows your name" and where everyone breathes with the same rhythm. A place where the entire population is attached to the ups and downs of a young baseball player and his career prospects. They live vicariously through him, assigning his life choices the same importance as their own, convinced that his escape from the mines of Sesser can be their own.
   
   It's WWII and the interruption of yet another life plan. It's how humanity can overcome the natural enmity between combatants, building a bridge to a future where peace prevails and we must all get along.
   
   And finally, it is defining yourself by the person you are and continue to be rather than what you do for a living.
   
   Playing with the Enemy is a well written, brisk read that will take you from the sandlots of Sesser, IL to the battlefields of North Africa and back. Enjoy the journey.



2. PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY is a true story about Gary Moore's father, Warren Eugene "Gene" Moore. Gene was a boy from small-town Illinois who had an amazing talent for baseball. He was an incredible catcher, could hit the ball out of the park, and he was a born leader. As one of the youngest on his baseball team at The Lumberyard, he encouraged and motivated his older teammates to work together.
   
   Gene didn't go unnoticed. The Brooklyn Dodgers stood up and took notice before Gene was old enough to play in their professional league. They signed him and put him in a farm team where he could hone his skills until he was old enough to be moved up. However, World War II came along and threw a wrench in THOSE plans.
   
   This book is the story of Gene's experiences in baseball, in war, and beyond. He kept these experiences a secret from his children until the day before his unexpected death. Gary retells the story of his father's life as his father told it to him. Probably his very last gift to Gary.
   
   Jim Morris writes the Forward to this book and he says, "PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY is a book about many things on many levels, but to me, it is a heartwarming story about what we do with second chances." While I agree with this, for me the book was also about the power of a love. In this case it was a love for baseball. This love has the power to bond, the power to overcome, and the power to scar.
   
   PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY is about a LOVE of baseball. And I'm not talking about what you see in the Major Leagues. Unfortunately I think the love is lost there - players/coaches/owners/managers are too in love with themselves and with money to remember the love they had for the game. This is about a true, unadulterated love of the institution of baseball. As Gene says,
   
   "...and that's what I love about baseball. When you step onto that field, the size of the man is determined by his heart, not his height."
   
   When that love is present, the members of the team DO come together and form a family bond. As with any family, there's often a member that functions like the glue...keeping all the pieces together when times turn rough. Gene was that glue for his teams. I admired that quality above all else in him. Every team needs a Gene Moore. What's more, Sesser, Illinois, needed Gene Moore. Gene was growing up at the tail end of the Depression. Sesser was a very poor town and they had very little, but Gene was able to motivate and inspire them as well as his teammates.
   
   PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY is a non-fiction work written like a fiction work. I often found myself thinking, "Wow! I don't think a professional fiction writer could have come up with the likes of this man's story." Isn't it amazing how sometimes life can create irony and suspense better than our own imaginations?
   
   Gene Moore touched the lives of many. And his inspiration continues to be passed along to others through this book. He has inspired me!



3. I began reading this book with excitement because it was written about a man from Sesser. I grew up in Southern Illinois about 30 minutes north of Sesser, and recently moved here. I excitedly began to identify with places in the book. Maple Hill Cemetery, Bruno's, Mulberry and Matthew street. All of that is what first drew me in. Then the story came to life. It could have been set anywhere in small town American when things were hard. The young man playing ball, for love of the game, and all of the things that are pure about it. I began the book from a friend on Friday afternoon and couldn't put it down until I finished it on Saturday. The stories brought to life a town, a war, a person, and the era. I have already sent my copy to a friend to share what I learned. I am buying more to share with my dad, grandpa, and friends. This book should be read by anyone who has ever missed out on a dream. I am thankful that Gene went after his. Thank you to Gary Moore for sharing the story of his father and the hopes of small town.



4. Only someone who is an ardent student of the intricacies of our national pastime and has a passionate love affair with the game, beyond just being sports entertainment, can truly appreciate the devastation Gene Moore must have felt upon learning his dream of playing major league baseball had been shattered, and the impact it had on the rest of his life. But Playing With The Enemy captures that emotion for everyone. This is not only a story of a baseball player. It's a war story, a human interest story, and above all, a love story. And just when you think you have it figured out, you don't.
   
   This story is so incredible on so many fronts, it would seem it surely must be a figment of someone's imagination. But, as is stated in the acknowledgments, life really can be stranger than fiction.
   
   Playing With The Enemy may well be the best book I've ever purchased, and would recommended it to anyone. It promises to inspire us all about relationships we hold dear, and that life is so fleeting that we all need to grasp it while we can.
   
   Tim



5. I loved this book. Two of my favorite subjects are baseball and World War II, so this book was perfect for me. I have also been in the submarine U505 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, so that made the story even more interesting to me. I was also one of the people that incorrectly assumed that the character of Ray Laws was actually Elroy Face, but I apparently was far from alone in making that assumption. I am eagerly anticipating the movie and hope they get started on it soon.

2 comments about Remembering the Golden Jet: A Celebration of Bobby Hull.

1. THIS BOOK DOES A GOOD JOB DESCRIBING THE CAREER OF THE GOLDEN JET. IT LACKS GREAT DETAIL BUT MAKES UP FOR IT WITH SOME GOOD INTERVIEWS, PICTURES AND ALOT OF FACTS I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT BOBBY'S PRIVATE LIFE. A MUST READ FOR FANS OF THE GOLDEN JET AND THOSE WHO LOVE HOCKEY. THE AUTHOR CRAIG MACINNIS GETS A HAT TRICK FOR THIS SIMPLE BUT ENTERTAINING READ.



2. The "Remembering..." series transcends normal biography by showcasing top quality journalist's recollections with statistics and insights into the player and their game.

   Remembering the Golden Jet is no different. From Bobby Hull's early days playing minor hockey, to his watershed defection from the NHL to play for Winnipeg, a move that would rock the hockey world and force the league to re-evaluate it's salary policy forever.

   For Blackhawks fans this book charts the progress of a player who was feared by goalies everywhere for his blistering slapshot.

   I have read every Bobby Hull book out there, and nothing comes close in it's insights, in it's recognition of Hull as a true Legend of the game, as this beautifully designed book.

   I can't recommend it highly enough.

2 comments about Don't Look Back : Satchel Paige in the Shadows of Baseball.

1. Satchel Paige is an enigmatic figure in american histroy. Mention his name, people inevitably think of the negro leagues,or thta terrible bingo long movie.In fact, Paige was ,in many repects, the first modern ballplayer. He played for a percentage of the gate, would only pitch a couple of innings in these contests,had no compuction about jumping from team to team{or country to country}The minstel show,stephifetchit aura that he calculated with the all too eager white press was, of course, a huge ruse. He was a sometimes bitter man{quite understandably so}He knew, instinctively, that he was the best pitcher in the world{although,curiosly, his peers voted Smokey Joe williams better in a 1950 vote in the Pittsburgh Courrier} He despsed the Jim Crow laws, and what he had to do to get around them. HIs civil rights stands were taken in the 20's 30's and 40's, when such things often meant death. He pitched for what might have been the greatest team of all time{the Pittsburgh crawfords of the early 30's] Dimaggio called him ethe toughest pitcher he ever hit against.All of these nuggets are in this book. Mr. Ribowsky did a fine job here. Paige is a figure who should be celebrated for what he was:an american original,a species often sighted but rarely seen. A wonderful book!



2. After reading this book, I am utterly convinced that Satchel Paige is as much of a baseball legend as a Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth. This book not only entertains but it fascinates, so much that I would'nt be suprised if someone mistook this biography for a peice of baseball folklore or a non fictitious work designed to capture the imaginations of baseball fans. This book portrays the life of Robert Leroy Satchel Paige in a most interesting way. In some cases he stands biggerthan life portrayed as a demi-god in the face of the gods of Major League Baseball and in some cases his mortality is revealed in the very midst of his immortality, and this is what makes this portrayal so unique.