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The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf
 
 
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The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf [Hardcover]

Ron Rapoport (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Book Description

March 16, 2005
Acclaim for The Immortal Bobby

"Just when you think there is nothing new to be said or written on the subject of Bob Jones, Ron Rapoport comes along and proves that theory completely untrue. The Immortal Bobby is wonderfully reported and superbly written."
--John Feinstein, author of A Good Walk Spoiled and Caddy for Life

"The story of Bobby Jones's singular life is one of the most fascinating in sports history. Ron Rapoport's thoughtful, graceful style is well suited to telling that story."
--Bob Costas, broadcaster, NBC Sports and HBO Sports

"Beyond the grainy newsreels and the confetti falling on Broadway and Peachtree Street, there was an essential Bobby Jones, and Ron Rapoport reveals him splendidly in a portrait as graceful as the man. There's more here than Grand Slam 1930--the jangling nerves and self-doubt, the towering modesty in response to fame, the complexity of an Atlanta patrician, a life richly lived."
--Gary M. Pomerantz, author of Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn

"The skills of writing and reporting that fans of Ron Rapoport, like me, have come to expect from him over the years--candor, thoughtfulness, insight, perspective, humor--are once again demonstrated and illuminated in The Immortal Bobby. It is an important book about an important sports figure that, typically for Rapoport, goes beyond the confines of sports and fits firmly in the context of our culture."
--Ira Berkow, sports columnist and author of Red: A Biography of Red Smith

"Here is Bobby Jones as you've never seen him, almost fearful in the fires of competition, and Ron Rapoport shows us how that man became a legend."
--Dave Kindred, coauthor (with Tom Callahan) of Around the World in 18 Holes

Frequently Bought Together

The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf + The Bobby Jones Story: The Authorized Biography + The Grand Slam: Bobby Jones, America, and the Story of Golf
Price For All Three: $44.10

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A thorough biography of Jones. Solid reporting." (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

"Bobby Jones' golf Grand Slam, achieved 75 years ago, ranks among sports' greatest accomplishments… He did it, but as Ron Rapoport discovered… not without a great deal of suffering, mental and physical." (USA Today)

"The Immortal Bobby is a well-researched and unvarnished biography of Jones by Ron Rapoport, a Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist and National Public Radio commentator. Rapoport excels at adding sociological context to Jones' achievements." (GolfWeek)

There are several Bobby Jones books out this spring commemorating the 75th anniversary of his 1930 Grand Slam, but none so far is better researched, or told with greater detail, than this one by Rapoport, a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Rapoport recounts the more fascinating details of Jones' life after doing scores of interviews and poring over the golfer's many correspondences. Jones was a prolific writer; in fact, his own accounts of his golf matches occasionally appeared in the next day's paper. Rapoport says he "discovered a disparity between the man and the myth that was not always so simple." He recounts that despite his gentlemanly image, Jones could hold a fearsome grudge, as he did against fellow pro Chick Evans, whose every attempt at reconciliation was rebuffed. As for 1930, Rapoport brings much of the detail of the Grand Slam quest back to life. Forgotten, until now, are the numerous near-disasters and the internal turmoil that make Jones' ultimate triumph all the more admirable. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Review

"If you want to learn a thing, or three about Jones and the defining times in which he lived, you should read this book."
--Brian Hewitt, TheGolfChannel.com

"The story of Bobby Jones' singular life is one of the most fascinating in sports history. Ron Rapoport's thoughtful, graceful is well suited to telling that story."
-- Bob Costas, Broadcaster, NBC Sports and HBO Sports

"Beyond the grainy newsreels and the confetti falling on Broadway and Peachtree Street, there was an essential Bobby Jones and Ron Rapoport reveals him splendidly in a portrait as graceful as the man. There’s more here than Grand Slam 1930―the jangling nerves and self-doubt, the towering modesty in response to fame, the complexity of an Atlanta patrician, a life richly lived."
-- Gary M. Pomerantz, author, Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn

"The skills of writing and reporting that fans of Ron Rapoport, like me, have come to expect from him over the years―candor, thoughtfulness, insight, perspective, humor ―are once again demonstrated and illuminated in The Immortal Bobby. It is an important book about an important sports figure that, typically for Rapoport, goes beyond the confines of sports and fits firmly in the context of our culture."
-- Ira Berkow, sports columnist and author of Red: A Biography of Red Smith.

"Just when you think there is nothing new to be said or written on the subject of Bob Jones, Ron Rapoport comes along and proves that theory completely untrue. The Immortal Bobby is wonderfully reported and superbly written."
--John Feinstein

I haven't read a better golf book since Tiger Woods was a cub.
--Mike Downey, Chicago Tribune


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 16, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471473723
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471473725
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,010,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Portrait--Warts and All, December 26, 2007
This review is from: The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf (Hardcover)

Having heard about Bobby Jones since I started playing golf at age thirteen, and having attended many Masters tournaments, I was drawn quite naturally to this book.

Rapoport serves as a keen biographer. While he praises Jones as the most gifted golfer of his era, he doesn't avoid including passages that show Bobby's warts. The book details Bobby's early temper tantrums, his longstanding feud with another leading amateur golfer, and how he missed opportunities to use his fame and good name to pave the way for racial transition in golf and in the Atlanta area.

Even so, Jones comes across very positively in the way he handled his crippling illness that drove him from the game so early. In my judgment, his most heroic deeds happened when he clutched a wheelchair instead of a golf club.

From the sporting angle, golfers will welcome the shot-by-shot replay of Bobby's most heralded victories. Also, the behind the scenes story of the Bobby Jones/Clifford Roberts relationship uncovers events known to only a few at the time.

If you've never encountered Bobby Jones in print, this is a great place to start.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read on Bobby Jones for Golfers, December 3, 2006
This review is from: The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf (Hardcover)
I have read a few books on Bobby Jones including his book Down the Fairway and this is definitely one of the better books about Jones. Well written with a different and interesting look at the life of Jones on and off the course. If you are an admirer of Bobby Jones this book is a must read and will make you admire and respect Jones more than ever before.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Best sports book I've read in a long time, June 25, 2008
By 
Henry (Jackson, Montserrat) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf (Hardcover)
Ron Rapoport is a gifted and entertaining writer. His thorough research and effort to provide a detailed background in each chapter adds depth and interest that would be missing from a more straightforward sports story--without diminishing the excitement of the sports story itself. You will learn much about not only Bobby Jones and his life but also other golfers, Atlanta and other cities, England and Scotland, and American history as well. I thought this was a wonderful book and recommend it highly.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Bobby Jones played his first competitive game of golf when he was six years old and lost. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
black golfers, competitive golf, tee shot, double bogey, amateur championship, birdie putt, greatest golfer, amateur title, long putt, tournament golf
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Immortal Bobby, Bobby Jones, British Open, East Lake, New York, United States, Grand Slam, Golf Association, Walker Cup, Horton Smith, Bob Jones, Walter Hagen, World War, Augusta National, Chick Evans, Little Bob, Los Angeles, Old Course, Stewart Maiden, Alexa Stirling, Macdonald Smith, Cyril Tolley, Tommy Armour, Grantland Rice, Harry Cooper
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