The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf

by Ron Rapoport

Book Overview

Acclaim for The Immortal Bobby

"Just when you think there is nothing new to be said or written on the subject of Bob Jones, Ron Rapoport comes along and proves that theory completely untrue. The Immortal Bobby is wonderfully reported and superbly written."
--John Feinstein, author of A Good Walk Spoiled and Caddy for Life

"The story of Bobby Jones's singular life is one of the most fascinating in sports history. Ron Rapoport's thoughtful,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471473723
• ISBN13: 9780471473725
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Wiley (TP)
• Length: 345 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Best sports book I've read in a long time

Ron Rapoport is a gifted and entertaining writer. His thorough research and effort to provide a detailed background in each chapter adds depth and interest that would be missing from a more straightforward sports story--without diminishing the excitement of the sports story itself. You will learn much about not only Bobby Jones and his life but also other golfers, Atlanta and other cities, England and Scotland, and American history as well. I thought this was a wonderful book and recommend it highly.

A Fascinating Portrait--Warts and All

Having heard about Bobby Jones since I started playing golf at age thirteen, and having attended many Masters tournaments, I was drawn quite naturally to this book. Rapoport serves as a keen biographer. While he praises Jones as the most gifted golfer of his era, he doesn't avoid including passages that show Bobby's warts. The book details Bobby's early temper tantrums, his longstanding feud with another leading amateur golfer, and how he missed opportunities to use his fame and good name to pave the way for racial transition in golf and in the Atlanta area. Even so, Jones comes across very positively in the way he handled his crippling illness that drove him from the game so early. In my judgment, his most heroic deeds happened when he clutched a wheelchair instead of a golf club. From the sporting angle, golfers will welcome the shot-by-shot replay of Bobby's most heralded victories. Also, the behind the scenes story of the Bobby Jones/Clifford Roberts relationship uncovers events known to only a few at the time. If you've never encountered Bobby Jones in print, this is a great place to start. The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication-change Your Life!

A Must Read on Bobby Jones for Golfers

I have read a few books on Bobby Jones including his book Down the Fairway and this is definitely one of the better books about Jones. Well written with a different and interesting look at the life of Jones on and off the course. If you are an admirer of Bobby Jones this book is a must read and will make you admire and respect Jones more than ever before.