Sir Walter and Mr. Jones: Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, and the Rise of American Golf

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Summary: A Very Insightful Book!
Review: A meticulously researched book, an asset to any avid golfers bookshelf.

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Summary: Great read
Review: After reading this book, I found that Dr. Stephen Lowe really brings to life the lives of Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. This book is written in a descriptive oriented reading. Before reading this book, I found that golf was not much of a sport. I found that there is truly a rich history in golf that I have come to respect and want to learn more about. I applaud Dr. Lowe and hope to read future writings.

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Summary: Wonderful biography of two great golf legends
Review: Beautifully written and factual.
The author introduces us to the two most accomplished golfer of their era.
This book is for anyone who not only enjoys the game of golf but also its historical context.
Very good and enjoyable read.

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Summary: The flowering of golf in the U. S. captured in two great men
Review: Hagen and Jones. Hogan and Nelson. Palmer and Nicklaus. Woods and ... well, Woods hasn't found his equal yet. But Sir Walter Hagen and Mr. Bobby Jones made all the others possible. Their careers intertwined all too infrequently, and their paths to greatness were very different. Yet, both are honored among the best golfers of all time. Lowe captures the character of each man as revealed through a detailed chronology, with special attention to the events in which their forces conflicted - or combined. At times, too much detail is given , but one would rather that the story be meticulous instead of losing flavor in conciseness. Every anecdote, legend, and bit of trivia is included; with support from contemporary writers and reporters. I would recommend this book not only to golfers, but to historians. A unique period of time in America is viewed through the double lens of Hagen and Jones - and the golf they played. To quote the book jacket, "If not for golf, their paths would likely never have crossed." Make sure that your path crosses the words within.

Rating:
Summary: The flowering of golf in the U. S. captured in two great men
Review: Hagen and Jones. Hogan and Nelson. Palmer and Nicklaus. Woods and ... well, Woods hasn't found his equal yet. But Sir Walter Hagen and Mr. Bobby Jones made all the others possible. Their careers intertwined all too infrequently, and their paths to greatness were very different. Yet, both are honored among the best golfers of all time. Lowe captures the character of each man as revealed through a detailed chronology, with special attention to the events in which their forces conflicted - or combined. At times, too much detail is given , but one would rather that the story be meticulous instead of losing flavor in conciseness. Every anecdote, legend, and bit of trivia is included; with support from contemporary writers and reporters. I would recommend this book not only to golfers, but to historians. A unique period of time in America is viewed through the double lens of Hagen and Jones - and the golf they played. To quote the book jacket, "If not for golf, their paths would likely never have crossed." Make sure that your path crosses the words within.

Rating:
Summary: All facts!
Review: I was very disapointed in this book. It seemed more like a collection of facts than a insightful biography. I felt I learn little about the two man that I could not have found in a enclopedia.

Rating:
Summary: All facts!
Review: I was very disapointed in this book. It seemed more like a collection of facts than a insightful biography. I felt I learn little about the two man that I could not have found in a enclopedia.

Rating:
Summary: Best Golf Biography Ever
Review: Stephen Lowe's story of Hagen, Jones, and American golf in the 1920s is first-rate; it is a must-read for golfers and sports-history enthusiasts. As an historian, Lowe's research goes well beyond any golf book that I've read; as the end notes will indicate, Lowe's sources well exceed the dozen or so interviews on which many recent biographies are soley based. It goes far beyond anything that has been written on Bobby Jones and is the first work of substance on Walter Hagen that I have come across. The stories of the two champions are masterfully woven together in a seemless tale of how the state of American golf caught, and finally surpassed that of Great Britain, and how Hagen and Jones were the "Tiger Woods" of their day. While it is impressively detailed, it is an easy read, and golf-nuts will find themselves unable to put it down, feeling like they have been transported back to the "Golden Age of Sports." This book will prove to be a monumental work in this genre. We can only hope that Dr. Lowe gives us addtional books like this one in the near future.

Rating:
Summary: Best Golf Biography Ever
Review: Stephen Lowe's story of Hagen, Jones, and American golf in the 1920s is first-rate; it is a must-read for golfers and sports-history enthusiasts. As an historian, Lowe's research goes well beyond any golf book that I've read; as the end notes will indicate, Lowe's sources well exceed the dozen or so interviews on which many recent biographies are soley based. It goes far beyond anything that has been written on Bobby Jones and is the first work of substance on Walter Hagen that I have come across. The stories of the two champions are masterfully woven together in a seemless tale of how the state of American golf caught, and finally surpassed that of Great Britain, and how Hagen and Jones were the "Tiger Woods" of their day. While it is impressively detailed, it is an easy read, and golf-nuts will find themselves unable to put it down, feeling like they have been transported back to the "Golden Age of Sports." This book will prove to be a monumental work in this genre. We can only hope that Dr. Lowe gives us addtional books like this one in the near future.

Rating:
Summary: Know what you're getting!
Review: This is a serious work by a professor of history. It ISN'T filled with anecdotes ("And then Walter said to Bobby ..."), descriptions of shots ("Bobby then drilled a quail-high mashie between the towering pines ..."), gossip, swing analyses, etc. If this is what you're looking for, you'll be sorely disappointed. It's fairly dry -- make that extremely dry -- but is well-researched (hundreds of endnotes) and will be fascinating for anyone with an interest in the history of American golf. The format is a dual biography of Jones and Hagen in which their respective careers are compared and contrasted to give the reader an understanding of the rise of American golf in the era 1900-1930. The two men were so different in virtually every respect that this approach is very effective. Those who think golf began with Palmer, Nicklaus or Woods will gain an appreciation of what "gods" Jones and Hagen really were during the era in which they played. Hagen especially tends to be overlooked, but this book is an important reminder that he was one of the true greats of the game in addition to being one of its two or three all-time "characters." I didn't have the feeling that the author was particularly knowledgeable or avid about the game -- instead, this is a work of historical research, just as you or I might produce a history of badminton if we were willing to spend the time to do the research. When you're done, you won't "know" Bobby Jones as well as you'd know him if you read his and O. B. Keeler's own voluminous writings, and you won't be a fount of anecdotes, but you will have a solid grasp of Jones' and Hagen's place in history, how golf became an American obsession and how American golf eclipsed British golf. All of this for the price of a couple of dozen Top-Flite x-outs.