The Greatest Player Who Never Lived [Paperback]

J. Michael Veron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000

Unwritten in the annals of the sporting world is the story of a man with unlimited potential who was denied his rightful place in the lore of golf His story had remained a mystery for so many years, yet it wasnt a mystery at all, since he had long been forgotten. It is a story that may never have been told had Charley Hunter not accepted a summer internship at Butler & Yates, a prestigious Atlanta law firm. Bobby Jones, the legendary amateur golfer, had once been a partner at the firm and his old legal files had been severely neglected over the years. The task of cataloging these files soon presents the young law student with much more than he anticipated. Charley learns quickly that there is a compelling tale buried within the files of Bobby Jones.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With very few exceptions--think Dan Jenkins's Dead Solid Perfect and Steven Pressfield's The Legend of Bagger Vance--golf's most notable fictions are generally consigned to the imaginative mathematics that weekend duffers jot down on their scorecards. Consider The Greatest Player Who Never Lived a truly rare birdie then. It's a thrilling golf novel that not only captures the game, but transcends it.

J. Michael Veron's engaging fantasy begins when young law student Charley Hunter accepts a summer internship at the Atlanta law firm in which the great Bobby Jones was once a partner. Assigned to catalog Jones's dusty files, Hunter comes upon an intriguing correspondence that hints at an extraordinary story. True to his name, Hunter then sets out to learn the truth behind the unlikely exchange of letters between Jones, golf's erudite and nonpareil pillar, and a semiliterate phenom named Beau Stedman, who, on the verge of golfing greatness in the early '30s, disappeared under the cloud of a murder charge. With Jones's secret help and support, Beau manages to survive. A fugitive determined to honor his golfing destiny, he emerges here and there to play the greatest golfers of the era. Hunter isn't satisfied just with uncovering Beau's past, though; his obsession turns into a search for Beau's present, with unexpected complications.

The novel is filled with lots of good golf, and with good writing about golf's enigmatic hold on those captivated by the game. But Veron, a Harvard-educated lawyer, aims beyond golf here--and holes it. In Player, he's crafted a solid legal thriller that smartly confronts issues of character, truth, justice, and guilt, which are, of course, pretty much the same issues every golfer confronts the moment he or she steps up to the first tee. --Jeff Silverman

Review

"...A GRIPPING READ..." -- Los Angeles Times

"...[Veron is] a master of fiction...a tale that mixes crime, mystery, and courtroom drama..." -- Mike Snider, USA Today

"...[if you] appreciate clear, spare writing with a touch of To Kill a Mockingbird, you will love this book." -- Edwin Pope, Miami Herald

"A page turning mix of golf history and mystery, almost as if John Grisham played 18 holes with Bagger Vance..." -- T.R. Reinman, San Diego Union-Tribune

"It is dual parts John Grisham and John Feinstein, a legal mystery with a golf backbone...this book is a keeper." -- Dan Raley, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"The book gives us history and mystery in the same dose. It had more turns than a 30-foot putt at Augusta..." -- Blaine Newnham, Seattle Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Gale Group; First Edition, 2nd printing edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886947899
• ISBN-13: 978-1886947894
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,181,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was written for me, April 25, 2000

By 

nick campbell (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Greatest Player Who Never Lived (Paperback)

I am equal parts history buff and golf enthusiast. I could spend all day reading about two events: the sinking of the Titanic and the 1986 Masters. I am sure ther are many others out there like me. if so, the novel "The Greatest Player Who Never Lived" by Michael Veron, was also written for you. It is difficult to describe how captivated I became while reading about the relationship between Beau Stedman and Bobby Jones. Veron's writing style could not be clearer; his character and plot development are as compelling as any Grisham, Clancy or Follet novel i've read. The ultimate compliment for an author comes when the reader is so enthralled with a book that the reader feels an ovewhelming urge to contact the author personally to thank him. I am in the process of trying to locate Mr. Veron.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Kill A Mockingbird?, March 21, 2000

By 

Bob Hampton (Naples, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Greatest Player Who Never Lived (Paperback)

I had heard about this book and when it arrived, the back cover had the Miami Herald comparing it with To Kill A Mockingbird. It is rare when such an endorsement is backed up with what is actually between the books covers.

After the first 30-40 pages I couldn't put the book down. Every time I thought I had the plot figured out, it twisted another way. The way the main character, Beau Stedman had his life ripped away from him at such an early age, and had to carve a new one was spectacular. The development of the characters, the southern setting and the plot were all very well done. The author's writing style was very crisp and very readable.

I would highly recommend this book for any avid reader of fiction and certainly anyone who has any interest whatsoever in golf.

One question I did have, how much of this book is based on fact, as a majority of the book was so realistic, I just don't think the author could have thought it up, or if he did, he will undoubtedly get a big following.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In a word - brilliant!, June 1, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Greatest Player Who Never Lived (Paperback)

If you are debating on whether you want to read this book please don't hesitate another moment. Even if you aren't a golf fan this clever novel will keep you fixated on the wonderful mysterious friendship between two friend - Beau Stedman and the legendary Bobby Jones.

If you are a golf fan, it should be required reading over the summer. An absoultely terrific novel from Michael Veron. I can't wait for The Greatest Course that Never Was.