The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf
* ""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 Bobbyis a well-researched and unvarnished biography of Jones by Ron Rapoport, aChicago Sun-Timessports 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)