The author of ""The Ultimate Golf Trivia Book"" gathers candid memories and insights into ""the Hawk"" through more than 100 original stories and observations offered by friends, peers, partners, and apprentices.
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.
you'll either love it or hate it...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
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.)
Terrific book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
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.
Excellent Book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
This book really gave some great insights into Hogan as not only a golfer but a man. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about him.
Hogan - the mystery and mystique
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
This work is an outstanding collection of insights into the pysche of Ben Hogan told from the perspective of his friends and rivals. These stories helped me to understand who Ben Hogan really was and the substantial impact that Hogan had on the development of professional golf. The variety, and depth of the recollections combined to produce a very readable book that is a must for any Hogan enthusiast. I have read other works about Ben Hogan but this collection allowed me to see him in a new way and gave a depth to him that I had previously missed. Pick this one up and I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did.
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