Customer Reviews

The Greatest Player Who Never Lived

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I am so impressed! What a terrific book! Mr. Veron brought Beau Stedman to life and made Bobby Jones alive once more. I don't think I can come up with enough superlatives for this book. It was great in every way. The writing was superb; the plot-line kept you going until the end; the descriptiveness of the golf courses made you feel as though you were there. I had to continually remind myself that this was, in fact, fiction as I felt myself wanting to look up information about Beau Stedman to find out more about him. I know Mr. Veron is a lawyer but I think he has a great career ahead of him as a writer. I highly recommend this book and look forward to his next book.

Look out Grisham, because Michael Veron has done it with this one. The Greatest Player who Never Lived has been masterfully written and keeps you wondering as Charlie Hunter, a young law clerk reveals in Bobby Jones's old files the great playing record of Jones's private protege Beauregard Stedman. What he reveals next is the twisted secret that would keep this young man from ever competing in professional golf. This book keeps you yearning for more and leaves you wishing it were all true fact. A great can't put-it-down novel by Michael Veron.

The book is fiction but there is a lot of golf history which serves as a back drop to the story. A summer associate at Bobby Jones old law firm is assigned to go through Jones' files. He stumbles accross records of a protege of Jones who, because of a murder allegation, had to go underground and play the world's greatest golfers under a series of assumed names. Of course, one of the focuses of the novel is to get to the bottom of the allegations. As a 'whodunit" the outcome is predictable but, there are several other twists and surprises which are masterfully woven into the plot. A highlight of the book is a blow by blow account, replete with course descriptions, of a round of golf played at Augusta National, the famed home of the Masters. I noticed one huge mistake, the author states that the world famous Greenbrier golf resort is in Virginia. Uh uh!! It's in West Virginia. Despite that error, it is an enjoyable book which I read in a day and deserves five stars.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and his overwheling endorsement convinced me to read it. I can never thank him enough ! This is without argument one of the finest books I have read and it is an amazing effort by J. Michael Veron. For anyone remotely passionate about golf this is a must read. This book transports you to another era, to when golf was in it's infancy and our nation was as well. The name Bobby Jones has always conjured up images of insurmountable golf achievements, this book brings to life the man and his unshakable devotion to someone seemingly unworthy of his cosideration. Loyalty, True Friendship, Devotion, Respect and Honor are all attributes that emerge in this captvating book. Anyone who reads this will forever have a deeper appprecation of the above traits and an increased fondness for the essence of the great game of golf.

For any fan of golf (and golf history) this book is a must read. Veron captures the glory of the game in a captivating manner. The history of Beau Steadman is a history of the game post- Bobby Jones. The manner in which Veron brings in the history of the game and its greatest legends (Sarazen, Hagen, Hogan, Palmer, etc.) was smoothly blended in with the underlying story. My precocious teenage son who asks me much about sports history found the book fascinating and now knows that golf was played prior to the emergence of Eldrick Woods.

So many times golf books, and especially golf novels are just something that you get as a gift and never read, never like and never want. Over the years, there are a few exceptions, Hogan's Five Lesson's, Dead Solid Perfect, The Little Red Book, Augusta National & The Masters: A Photographer's Scrapbook. The New York Times exclaimed this weekend that THE GREATEST PLAYER WHO NEVER LIVED is GOLF's LITERARY ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, and after not being able to put it down for two days, twisting and turning with every page, I agree that this, too, should be added to the list. Veron's refreshing style is hard to describe. Not Feinstein; closer to Grisham's earlier work. It is so wonderfully simple, yet complex and spellbinding. This isn't just a golf book, though all hardcores will love it, too...this is a book for all lovers of fiction. I can't wait for the movie !

The Greatest Player is one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in the last year, and I am an avid reader of fiction. I read half the book the first night and told all my friends at work about it the next day, starting a wonderful discussionof what would happen next, and polished off the rest the next night. Written in first person, I loved the feel that this was a true story, and no doubt alot of this book must be. Somewhere a Beauregard Stedman lives or at least, lived. Readers will love the intrigue, mystery and wonderful pace the Mr. Veron (hard to believe, but a first time novelist) has in the book. No doubt, he will develop a following for his work. He is very talented, or I should say, on this book, his talent shines bright ! I think the book would make a superb movie.