World Famous Comics: Arnie & Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Golf's Greatest Rivalry
Arnie & Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Golf's Greatest Rivalry
By: Ian O'Connor Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Houghton Mifflin Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 368 Publication Date: April 11, 2008
Product Description: Surprisingly, one of sport's most contentious, complex, and defining clashes played out not in the boxing ring or at the line of scrimmage but on the genteel green fairways of the world's finest golf courses. Arnie and Jack. Palmer and Nicklaus. Their fifty-year duel, in both the clubhouse and the boardroom, propelled each to the status of American icon and pushed modern golf to the heights and popularity it enjoys today.
Yet for all the ink that has been spilled on these two essential golf figures individually, no one has ever examined their relationship in this way. Arnie was the cowboy, with rugged good looks, Popeye-like forearms, a flailing swing, and charm enough to win fans worldwide. Jack was scientific, precise, conservative, aloof, even fat and awkward. Ultimately, Nicklaus got the better of Palmer on the course, beating him in major victories, 18-7. But Palmer bested Nicklaus almost everywhere else, especially in the hearts of the public and in endorsement dollars -- Palmer was the top-grossing athlete for thirty years, until Michael Jordan surpassed him.
With dogged reporting and crisp, colorful storytelling, the award-winning sports columnist Ian O'Connor explores this heated professional and personal battle in fascinating, intimate, and revelatory detail. Drawing on unique and exclusive access to Palmer and Nicklaus, and informed by some two hundred new interviews, O'Connor illuminates the two men's extreme differences and sprawling influence through mini-dramas, such as their little-known first meeting on the course at the topsy-turvy U.S. Open in 1962, their early involvement with marketing and a small agency called IMG, and their intense competition for golf-course designs in their later years.
By the end of this page-turning narrative, which spans five remarkable decades, we see that each man wanted what the other had: Arnold had the adoring fans but wanted the trophies. Jack had the trophies but wanted the love.
Arnie & Jack: Fortunately, their golf was better than O'connor's writing. I enjoyed the stories about Palmer and Nicklaus, especially the account of their first meeting at Athens Country Club in 1958. Unfortunately, the writing is surprisingly poor. O'Connor uses every cliche and trite phrase to describe the players, almost ruining the otherwise interesting stories. I would not expect this from an experienced sportswriter.
Good golf read, even though a bit over done and repetitive In order to tell his story, the author goes out of his way to draw a contrast between Palmer and Nicklaus; Jack was calculating, Arnie was daring; Jack wasn't aware of galleries, Arnie played to them; Jack was tubby and not photogenic, Arnie was built like a middleweight prize fighter and charismatic; Arnie played a low draw, Jack a high fade; Arnie was blue collar, Jack was pampered, and on and on. In short, Arnie wanted what Jack had (the best golfing talent) and Jack wanted what Arnie had (fan's adoration.) It's ok to hear this a few times in the early part to set the stage, but the author seems to repeat and rephrase this every few pages. He also makes too much of the Nicklaus/Palmer rivalry, to the near exclusion of any other players entering into the picture.
But the stylistic flaw and over stated case don't overwhelm what is otherwise an extremely well researched book with many heretofore unknown revelations. For example, did you know that:
- Palmer 1st played with Nicklaus in an exhibition when Nicklaus was an amateur. Even at that early age Nicklaus easily won their impromptu long drive competition; - Nicklaus was relentlessly harassed by Palmer's galleries, no more so than the US Open at Oakmont where he beat Palmer in a playoff; - Nicklaus hated being paired with Palmer at the Masters in the late 90's, because he never wanted to play a ceremonial role in competition and he was distracted by Arnie's playing to the galleries; - Their rivalry extended off the course in the arena of product endorsements, golf course design contracts and their own tournaments at Muirfield and Bay Hill.
These are just a few of literally hundreds of "gee, I didn't know that" revelations.
Perhaps some of the most interesting parts come towards the end when the book focuses on the race and gender aspects of golf. Neither Jack nor Arnie were proactive in helping to eliminate the PGA Tour's former caucasian-only policy and they were silent during Augusta's men-only stand-off with Martha Burke. Whereas Gary Player differentiated himself from both with a very vocal opposition to Augusta's policy and support for black golfers Lee Elder and Charlie Sifford.
All in all a very worthwhile golf read, despite its flaws. As Gary Koch might say "better than most, better than most!"
"A Classic Work with the Most Riveting of Personal Moments" Good book, great book on two of golf's greatest names, greatest players and greatest guys...This book is "a keeper," giving a dynamic inside look at the personalities and competitive instincts of both men. The reader comes to a new and deeper appreciation and understanding of the two golfing giants of our time.
Ian O'Connor takes the easy way out in some of the writing at times, but the story (and stories) he tells far overcome the few and slight wordsmsithing that could be made by the most critical of readers.
This book is an eagle, a sure eagle, for those who remember Arnie and Jack and for those who want to learn about them.
Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods, the best of all time. It's a shame he doesn't have a competitive adversary such as Jack and Arnie had in each other. Then we could see just how good Tiger could be.
Edwin Pope may have best described this book: "A classic work...the most riveting personal moments..the best I've read in a long while..."
How Arnie and Jack Liked to Defeat Each Other . . . in Detail If you want the long and short of this book, it's easy to summarize: Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus loved nothing better than to one-up each other; Arnold wanted to win more on the golf course, and Jack wanted to be more popular with the fans; their wives kept the rivalry from getting out of hand; and they are more at peace with one another now than before.
If you want to read about the various times they played each other, the off-course competition, slights to one another, and what bugged each one about the other, then you'll want to read every page of this detailed dual biography. If you would rather read just about one or the other . . . and their whole career in perspective, another book will undoubtedly be more pleasing.
I had never read anything about the backgrounds of either golfer so I learned a lot. As soon as the book got into the years where I was well aware of both men, the book didn't add very much to what I knew already. In fact, Mr. O'Connor left out material that I would have included.
Because the two men are ten years apart in age, they aren't the kind of playing rivals that some of the earlier champions were who competed against each other in their prime years. In the process, the astonishing rise of golf as a spectator sport isn't given as much attention as it should.
But if you want to get an overview of both men, magnified by their feelings about one another, this book will serve you all right. But don't expect the book to be compelling reading. It's more like those long-winded stories you hear at the country club in the bar that are shared by the oldest member after quite a few libations.
golf fanatics When your husband has EVERYTHING golf...a new and interesting golf book a must ! Thank you for quick delivery,book in excellent condition.
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