Customer Reviews

Jack Nicklaus

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

 

 

Having been a golfer for 26 years and taught by my Dad, I can relate well to this book. Jack is one of my top 2 favorite players, the other being Tiger Woods. This book tracks Jacks career from kid to Senior Tour. To look back at it, he was a tremendous player. Tiger has his work cut out to surpass Jacks career achievements. Good stuff about his family, mentors and fellow players. A must for Jack fans.

Certainly one of the leading sports figures of our times and beyond a doubt one of the best golfers of all times, this autobiography of Jack Nicklaus is both interesting and informative. Nicklaus, like Palmer, Jones, Player, et al, are a passing breed. Not only are they great atheletes, but they are gentlemen in every sense of the word. Mr. Nicklaus' approach to the game and to life reflects this at every turn. This is a work that can be enjoyed by both golfers and non-golfers equally. I have probably ran into better writers that Ken Bowden, but hey, he did an adequate job and certainly got Jack's story across. Enjoyed this one a lot and very much recommend it.

Insights into this champion and our time in golf will be read by the future generations through the Bear's eyes. Humble yet intense, this guy never quits. Especially enjoyed his sharing of what was going on inside with his famous finish at Turnberry in 1977. He's a guy you respect for his game and his person.

This book provides Nicklaus's views on his championship golf contests and focuses on relevant aspects of Nicklaus's mental approach. Since Nicklaus is the greatest of golf champions (for the time being), and it is his thinking that's credited by his peers and himself for much of his success, his exposition is interesting both in itself and as something for golfers to learn from. So far so good. Unfortunately Nicklaus's book is badly let down by the ghostwriter, Ken Bowden, who is, frankly, a poor writer. There's little variation of tone or pace or, even, vocabulary. Accounts of Nicklaus's many incredibly exciting championship battles (e.g. vs. Hogan and Palmer at the US Open; vs. Miller and Weiskopf at the Masters; vs. Watson in the British Open; vs Ballesteros at the Masters) fail to capture the excitement of those great contests. A comparison of this book with Nicklaus's earlier autobiography with Herbert Warren Wind illustrate what a wonderful writer Wind was and what a positive contribution a really good writer can make.

In fact, I have only very minor complaints about the book. One is that his "contributor", Bowden, uses some phrases ad nauseam. I don't know how many times we read that Jack finished the third round 3 shots "adrift" of the leader. Not trailing by three, or behind by three, but "adrift" by three. Using that term for variety is okay, but it's used to death. I think he's a golfer, not a sailor.

Again, though, that's a minor distraction that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of reading about the greatest.

Jack Nicklaus' career is one of the greatest in all sports. Especially famous are his 18 major victories (20 if you count the US Amateur), and this book is a story about those victories, and his life in between. His book is divided into 20 chapters - one for each of those major victories, and in them he discusses the events which transpired before that particular tournament, and the tournament itself. What a natural yet perfect structure for a book like this!

The best aspect of the book, I felt, was the immediacy with which Nicklaus writes. When you read this book you almost feel as if Nicklaus is talking to you, just yourself, at points.

Each chapter talks about a particular tournament and what happened before it. Particularly amazing is the clarity with which Nicklaus can recall those tournaments he describes. He describes individual key holes, what was going through his mind, and the general up and downs which accompany a round of golf. After reading this book, we know Nicklaus is a champion: he can win not only when he's up, but also when he's (to some extent) down. Also, as an interesting side note, Nicklaus also gives a few golfing tips - perhaps no one can become as great as him, but it never hurts to try!

And the last aspect of the book I found enjoyable were the photographs. True, they were black and white, but show how he changed over time, and chronicle some of the most memorable moments of his major career wins.

You come away more convinced than ever of Nicklaus' greatness. A great book to read anywhere, anytime.

the one-line summary says it all . . . for me, it provided a bit too much detail on various golf tournaments . . . would have wanted to see more on business side . . . also, it virtually elminated the last 10 years of his life . . . but a great gift item for a true golfing enthusiast

This book starts a little slow, and it takes awhile to get the feel of how it's written and where it's going. But once you get into it, the story becomes more compelling. What I liked most about this book is gaining the perspective on what Nicklaus' career has meant to the game. His achievements over the past 30 years are unparalled, clearly separating him from the rest of the pack. Once you've grasped Jack's amazing career, you then begin thinking about the recent emergence of Tiger Woods and can appreciate what it will take for him to top Jack's accomplishments. Jack's personality as all over this book. He can come off as aloof and somewhat opinionated with his views, but it's still enjoyable reading for the true golf enthusiast.

Who won 2 U.S. Amateurs, 6 Masters, 4 U. S. Opens, 3 British Opens, 5 PGA Championships and countless other golf tournaments? Who was honored and the greatest golfer in the 20th century? Jack Nicklaus and nothing more need to be said.

This 13 tape, that's right 13 tapes, collection is a truly one of a kind audio book, that I will hold onto for years to come and pass on to my children. Jack Nicklaus exemplifies every that golf stands for.

Reading the book was a great experience, however listening to it added even more to the already exciting and glamorous career that has spanned over 40 years. I enjoyed each and moment of the audio book.

One thing I think may have added even more to the recording would have been if the Golden Bear himself has done the reading. Overall this ranks as one of the great books I have reviewed so far!

Jack Nicklaus's reflections on his years in the golfing spotlight is a fascinating personal review of his years of success as a golfer, with somewhat less insight into Nicklaus as a businessman, father and husband. His successes and more famous failures are recorded with much description on his approach to the game, including the inestimable effort he put into building the game that made him the most successful golfer of all time. I particularly enjoyed the discussions of his approach and preparations for important tournaments including some he lost. He even touches on the near collapse of his business enterprises.

It's difficult to tell what Ken Bowden contributed to this book; certainly it wasn't much in the line of editing for style and originality. The book is full of cliches which may well tell a story about the plain old midwestern boy Jack is at heart, as he says. But there are too many examples ("my goose was cooked") to not get your attention, one way or another. And while most of the book was very readable, there were more than a few awkward sentences that could have stood some pruning.

Still, fans of Nicklaus and of golf should add this one to their reading list. It's (nearly) a hum-dinger!