About the Book
The time: 1931. The place: the golf links at Krewe Island off Savannah's windswept Atlantic shore. The event: a mesmerizing thirty-six-hole match in which Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, legends of golf in their own time, are joined by an unsung opponent, the troubled war hero Rannulph Junah. The key to the outcome lies not with these titans of the game but with Bagger Vance, a caddie who carries the secret of the Authentic Swing. His mysterious powers guide the play and leave a lasting imprint, not only on the lives he touches on that day so long ago, but also--sixty years later--on the future of a brilliant but discouraged young medical student.Once in a great while comes a book different from all the rest. You long to compare it to something great that went before, and yet no comparison truly holds. Such is The Legend of Bagger Vance. Readers have likened it to Bernard Malamud's The Natural or to Golf in the Kingdom, they mystical classic by Michael Murphy. Although Steven Pressfield's work has a kindship with both, it is a true original, a page turner, a spellbinder, an inspiration for golfers and nongolfers alike--a story in which the search for the Authentic Swing becomes a metaphor for the search for the Authentic Self.
About the Author :
Steven Pressfield has been an enthusiastic golfer since the age of ten. He is the author of the novel Gates of Fire and a well-known screenwriter whose screenplays include "Above the Law" and "Freejack." He lives in the Los Angeles area.
Review :
"Pressfield's story is a dazzler and a thought provoker."-- "The Los Angeles Times."..thoroughly beguiling"-- "Publishers Weekly."..splendid...As a page turner "Bagger Vance is a success, climbing to an uplifting conclusion on a well-constructed scaffold of suspense."-- "Sports Illustrated"Golf has been wonderfully served by its literature through the ages, but very seldom by its novelists. "The Legend of Bagger Vance is quite simply the best golf novel I have ever read, but it is so much more than that. We all know that the true game is played against one's inner self. Steven Pressfield has captured the essence of that battle better than any of his predecessors. I was utterly riveted by this work of art, and literally covered with goosebumps for many hours until I had finished it at a single sitting!"-- Ben Wright, "CBS commentator and author of "The Spirit of Golf"The only golf novel ever written that earns 'couldn't put it down' accolades."-- "Book Page"Practitioners of the game have a theory that golf, of all sports, is the best metaphor for life. The Legend of Bagger Vance, rich in incident and insight, proves this theory conclusively. A marvelous, life-affirmingbook."-- Mark McCormack, Chairman & CEO of International Management Group and author of "What They Don't Teach You At Business School."Anyone who can imagine a match such as this one must love golf. And that makes Steve Pressfield my friend.-- The late Harvey Penick, author of "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book and "If You Play Golf, You're My Friend"Reading "The Legend of Bagger Vance was truly a delight. The mystical, magical storytelling ability of Steven Pressfield came to life for me. Even now when I play in professional tournaments I think of the positive effect Bagger Vance had on everyone associated with him. He will be with me for many years to come."-- Patty Sheehan, US Women's Open Champion, 1992 and 1994; member of the LPGA Hall of Fame"Steven Pressfield's "The Legend of Bagger Vance is like one of those old fashioned Southern cocktails: one part Herb Wind, one part Shivas Irons, a dash of Bernard Darwin and Farrell's Caddie, mix and serve. The result is delightful and refreshing, and by the end you want more."-- Michael Bamberger, author of "To The Linksland"I loved "The Legend of Bagger Vance. I couldn't put it down until the final putt dropped. It's a wonderful story, beautifully told."-- Pat Hurst, US Women's Amateur Champion (1990); winner of the 1998Dinah Shore Tournament"I read "The Legend of Bagger Vance with delight and amazement. This is the rarest of gems - a truly good novel with golf at its core...it deserves a wide audience."-- Bud Shrake, co-author of "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book and "If You Play Golf, You're My Friend"I'm recommending "Bagger Vance to golfers and non-golfers alike. Not only is it a great sports story, it reveals why controlling one's inner self is life's greatest management challenge."-- Ken Blanchard, author of "Playing The Great Game of Golf and co-author of "The One Minute Manager"A hole-in-one on every page!"-- Harvey Mackay, author of "Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive"The "Legend of Bagger Vance is pure magic! I read it straight through in one sitting. It should be required reading for anyone who loves the game and has a sense of its history and its mystery."-- Deane Beman, Former and Long-Term Commissioner of the PGA Tour"An amazingly sensitive insight into the mind and spirit of a competitive golfer." -- Willie Turnesa, US Amateur Champion (1938, 1948); British Amateur Champion (1939)"An exciting story that explains the mysteries of a gamewhere we are all looking for the answer. After reading about this legend I shot my age for the first time."-- Ralph Kiner, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and sports commentator"I'm putting this book in my library between Arnold Haultain's "The Mystery of Golf and "Michael Murphy's Golf in the Kingdom. This is an extraordinary work that belongs in the great timber of golfing literature. Bob Jones and Walter Hagen vividly are brought to life in this stirring and enlightening novel that's as much about the mystery of life as about the mystery of golf."-- Richard Miller, author of many golf books including "Triumphant Journey: The Saga Of Bobby Jones And The Grand Slam Of Golf"A superb golf thriller. The author makes the story come so alive that as I read it, I was willing to believe that this match had actually taken place."-- James R. Hand, former President, USGA"Having read pretty much all of the top golf-related fiction in 40-some years of writing and editing about the game, I have no doubt that Steven Pressfield has pulled off something special. He writes well with a distinctive style, he has a powerful imagination, and his historical and philosophical offerings indicate a richly-stocked mind. Most of all, though, he knows his golf...his great love of and enthusiasm for the game comes through splendidly. Also, I thought his renderings of Jones, Hagen and Keeler particularly fine."-- Ken Bowden, author and co-author of many golf books, including the bestselling "Golf My Way with Jack Nicklaus"Golf more than any other sport illustrates the constant struggle that is synonymous with life, to do better on the next hole. The author skillfully portrayed that metaphor. I really enjoyed "Bagger Vance." -- David Paterson, coach and director of golf, Yale University"One of the most captivating golf books I have ever read."-- The late Roy Benjamin, co-author of the "The Golfer's Stroke Saving Handbook"The game of golf as a metaphor for life's mysteries has been explored in literature more than once, but perhaps never more vividly than in "The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield. Pressfield's writing style is a pleasure to read, and his message - drawn from the Bhagavadgita - is about character and courage against the grimmest of odds. "The Legend of Bagger Vance is a fine story about the game of golf, but it is first simply a fine story. Besides, you didn't think golf was just a game, did you?"-- "San Antonio Express News."..a fantastic story and one you will believe totally as long as you're caught in its spell. My only problem is that one reading wasn't enough; my first instinct on turning the last page was to go back to the first one."-- "The Island Packet(Hilton Head Island)"This first novel...not only coaxes the reader into suspending disbelief but also transforms the game of golf into an exciting adventure.""Library Journal."..genuine insight into the mysteries of the swing and the special talents of Jones and Hagen. Golfers will want to read [this] book."
