March 1, 1999
While his peak playing time was some 30-plus years ago, Palmer, who has been battling prostate cancer since early 1997, remains a beloved figure and a symbol of the grace of golf. Palmer grew up poor in Youngstown, Pa., where his father eventually became course superintendent and head pro at the Latrobe Country Club. From the time he could hold an iron, Palmer spent as much time as possible playing the game with his "Pap," a hot-tempered disciplinarian, but he remained outside of club culture. On seeing Babe Didrikson Zaharias play, Palmer realized "how great it would be to make lots of people--complete strangers at that--ooh and aah over a golf shot." After attending Wake Forest on scholarship (where his roommate was killed in a car accident) and spending some time in the Coast Guard, Palmer went on the amateur circuit, barely stopping for a honeymoon with Winnie, his wife of nearly 50 years. In animated detail, his autobiography chronicles these events and the subsequent ups and downs of his career and personal life, including his first victories on the tour, his relationship with rival Jack Nicklaus, his friendship with Dwight Eisenhower, the decline of his game in the mid-1960s, his forays into the endorsement arena, his flying lessons and more. Palmer appears intelligent and artless when discussing the problem of "whites only" clubs as he recalls the 1965 PGA Championship he hosted, barred from California because of its exclusionary policies: "it wasn't in my nature to openly attack the organization." Most thrilling to fans will be his shot-by-shot perspective on legendary golf matches, such as the 1960 U.S. Open, where Palmer, Hogan and Nicklaus converged. While not quite a hole in one, this memoir shoots below-- that is, better than--par. Major ad/promo; first serial to Golf magazine; Literary Guild selection.
June 1, 1999
Palmer, the first golfer to earn more than a million dollars in his career, narrates the story of his life both on and off the links with the help of acclaimed golf writer Dodson (Final Rounds: A Father, a Son, the Golf Journey of a Lifetime, Bantam, 1997). To his many fans, known collectively as "Arnie's Army," Palmer is more than just a golf champion. His immense popularity is widely credited with rescuing professional golf in the late 1950s and 1960s. Written with humor and candor, the book recounts Palmer's friendships and rivalries with the greats of the game, his enduring marriage to Winnie Palmer, his legendary triumphs and disasters, and his battle against cancer. Although a bit sentimental, this compelling memoir takes dead aim at the ups and downs of a true sports legend. But behind the icon, there is Palmer the person--a man of wit, compassion, and courage. Recommended for all public libraries.--Peter Ward, Smithtown Lib., West Islip, NY
Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 1998
At last, the golf great's autobiography.
March 15, 1999
A golfer's life, even if you're Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus, is a story of defeat more than it is victory. Palmer had his share of victories (among them, seven major championships), but most of those were packed into his glory years, from 1958 through 1964. After his horrendous loss at the 1966 U.S. Open (blowing a seven-stroke lead with nine holes to play), he never won another major and came to know the agony of defeat every bit as intimately as the thrill of victory. And, yet, as he reflects on his golfer's life, Palmer remains adamant that his go-for-broke style, although it may have contributed to quite a few of those blown leads, also led to his most famous victories, including the 1960 U.S. Open, in which his final round 65 came from seven strokes off the pace to best, among others, an aging Ben Hogan and a young Jack Nicklaus. Golf fans of a certain age will be thrilled to hear Arnie tell all the familiar stories one more time, and they will agonize right along with the King when he misses four-foot putts or duck-hooks tee shots. Palmer's triumphs, timed perfectly to the advent of television, brought golf to a mass audience, and Arnie, every inch the hero, has played his role to perfection. His golfer's life remains a pivotal chapter in the history of the sport. ((Reviewed March 15, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)