Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season [Hardcover]

Robert Lusetich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2010

The definitive chronicle of the most stunning year in the legendary career of Tiger Woods, when the world’s greatest golfer returned to competitive play following major knee surgery—only to have his personal life unravel in the public spotlight at year’s end. Who is the real Tiger Woods? The unbeatable, indomitable, and ultimate competitor? The husband and father who cares more about his family than anything else? Or the supremely confident controller who thought fierce management of his image and those around him would allow him to lead a double life? In Unplayable, veteran journalist Robert Lusetich offers an in-depth look at the world’s most recognizable yet least known athlete, Tiger Woods. Lusetich, who first interviewed Woods in the late 1990s and has written about him since 1996, was the only writer to cover every PGA Tour event the world’s number one golfer played in 2009. Unplayable tells of the unfolding of Tiger’s most pivotal season on the golf course— with his first ever hiatuses from professional play—and provides extensive reporting and the backstory to show who the most elusive man in all of sports really is. Lusetich peels away the layers of the Woods persona to create a portrait that is neither unsympathetic nor hesitant to shed light on Tiger’s shortcomings. This rich, insightful account reveals: what actually makes Woods the game’s dominant player; how his upbringing influenced who he is today and how he has changed over time; and the nature of his relationships with his family, former and current friends, celebrity athletes, peers, coaches, sports agents, sponsors, and the media and public itself. Based on one-of-a-kind access, Unplayable is a gripping look at the man who changed golf and inspired more fans around the world than anyone else in the history of the sport.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An indepth look into Woods on and off the course...[and] a strong account of how the No. 1 player's life has changed."

—USA Today

"Lusetich takes on the difficult task of penetrating the insulation of Woods's world as few others have."

—New York Daily News

"A very interesting account...with some strong reporting and interesting takes from a very knowledgeable long-time Tiger watcher."

—Alan Shipnuck, Sports Illustrated's golf.com

"Lusetich did a nice job."

—ESPN.com

"The best book on Woods so far...[UNPLAYABLE offers] deeply absorbing insight into the factors that make Woods the man and the golfer he is, backed by a host of revealing interviews, not least with his long-serving caddie Steve Williams."

—The Independent (UK)

"An explosive account."

—The Mail on Sunday (London)

"A terrific new book on Tiger Woods."

—The Observer (London)

"Unplayable is an altogether more intelligent book. Lusetich...knows his stuff."

—Daily Telegraph (London)

"Describes the unfolding drama of tournament golf beautifully."

—The Word magazine (UK)

About the Author

Robert Lusetich is one of the most influential sports writers who cover golf and Tiger Woods. In more than twenty years as a journalist, he has reported on everything from election campaigns to Olympic games all over the world. A veteran foreign correspondent for The Australian national daily newspaper and a senior columnist for FoxSports.com, Lusetich covered Tiger Woods's return to the PGA Tour throughout 2009 in preparation for this book.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books (May 11, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439160953
• ISBN-13: 978-1439160954
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FULL ACCESS - AN OBJECTIVE REPORT FROM INSIDE, May 12, 2010

By 

Bob (Studio City, California United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season (Hardcover)

If you like Golf - insight into the makings of a huge Superstar - and an understanding of 'the perfect storm' underlying the fall - you will love this Book. Access to Tiger, his Caddie, Reporters, PGA Professionals, and friends provides an unusual insight, which separates this Book from others.

Covering all of Tiger's 2009 Tournaments, the Author lays out Tiger's early relationship and upbringing, along with his relationships with PGA Players, the Press, Team Tiger, close friends - and - finally - the Fall. Tiger's dominance over those around him (Including the 'Golf' - really 'Tiger' Channel)ultimately undermined him. When he needed some friends and Professional Mentors to take him aside, he had none - only clinging admirers, fellow party goers, and money managers.

Delicate yet direct, this Book chronicles Tiger's 'comeback' year, which blows up @ Thanksgiving and beyond. The tournament by tournament insight builds a portrait of this insulated self centered world class superstar. The same qualities that contributed to his success, also brought him down. The 2007 wake up call involving the 'Fitness' magazine did nothing, as he paid it no heed. 'Unplayable' is a journalistic hit, which gets you under the layers of the multitude of spins and counter spins. It also brings you the Golf - which is sometimes now forgotten.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational, May 18, 2010

By 

LM (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season (Hardcover)

I could not put this book down. If you love golf and are curious to know the thinking of a great champion this writing gives the clearest insight I've ever read about any great player and their highly competive nature! Before you finish it you will certainly have a much better understanding of all those who surround him, especially his caddy Steve...priceless info. You will make no mistake buying this book. This is the real deal.

LM

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond the Escalade Escapade, August 12, 2010

By 

Pro-Am Veteran - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season (Hardcover)

After the barrage of media coverage following the shocking implosion of Tiger Woods' once-impenetrable personal life, Robert Lusetich's book, UNPLAYABLE, proves to be an extremely pleasant surprise. Well-written and well-researched, the book follows Woods throughout the 2009 playing year leading up to late November Escalade crash, which ultimately proved to be only the tip of the iceberg in a story far more salacious than anyone might have expected.

To his credit, while Lusetich incorporates this angle to the story, he does not dwell on it. In fact, he presents a very even-handed account of the man, one that shows a far more likable version of Woods than we are ever allowed to see in his obligatory and clearly-loathed moments with the media - and Lusetich does so with a nice serving of insider stories and snippets of his own, often-lighthearted dealings with the sports star.

Among these are insights to his ever-thorny relationship with Phil Mickelson, whose own ego and "hidden sides" often fuel the problems between them more than one might initially believe. Also, there is much insight regarding Tiger's relationship with caddie Steve Williams, whose candor both with the author and with the world in general are refreshing, but also serve to again reflect well on Tiger, who stays loyal to Williams even when the Kiwi's mouth gets them both in trouble. Another interesting throughline concerns Tiger's relationships with his various swing pros, and and reveals a shockingly unanimous opinion by fellow and pros and caddies alike that Tiger's game has suffered greatly under superstar swing doctor Hank Haney's tutelage. Finally, there is Tiger's relationship with other pros, which is almost Machiavellian in its ruthlessness during tournament rounds, while sometimes surprisingly tender in other moments - and Lusetich does a nice job of revealing whose company and work ethics Tiger appreciates (often surprising) and whose he doesn't (not so much).

Meanwhile, during the book's largely chronological detailing of the fateful year, Lusetich also entertains with details regarding the various courses, and tournament sights, and the histories of same. For a loyal golf fan who has read no shortage of golf-related books, this is yet again a treat that deserves recommendation.

Overall, Lusetich does a tremendous job with a difficult assignment and subject, and the reader will be the one rewarded for his hard work.