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Ben Hogan: An American Life by James Dobson
Book Summary InformationAuthor: James Dobson Brand: Booklegger Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published) Published: 2005-05-03 ISBN: 0767908635 Number of pages: 544 Publisher: Broadway Product features:
Book Reviews of Ben Hogan: An American LifeBook Review: It goes beyond golf ... it's DRAMA! Summary: 5 StarsBeing from Fort Worth ... Ben Hogan's territory ... I had the pleasure of chatting with this great man many years ago. I had been warned by some of my fellow broadcasters to "be prepared", since the "little iceman" was known to be very cold and uncaring after granting limited radio interviews. Instead, I found Mr. Hogan to be both warm and cordial. During my visit with him, I noticed he took his time in answering my questions, indicating he was giving deep study to my words of inquiry before responding. The seriousness of my humble interview was reflected in his dark eyes. It appears that most happenings in Ben Hogan's life were serious to him. Even a simple 3-foot-putt was given a deep, analytical study.
Ben Hogan was not only the greatest golfer during his years on the "tour", he was also a study in perfect concentration. His brain was locked into the game. His dedication to each individual "swing" during a round of golf forced him to ignore the happenings around him at the time. His wife, Valerie, said he sometimes failed to recognize her as she walked near him, outside the ropes, when he was in a tournament. She said, "Although he would look my way from time-to-time, his mind was so locked on the game that he actually didn't see me!"
This very good book is not restricted to golf. In reality, it is a focus on a perfectionist and his moods. There's never a dull moment. James Dodson, the author, took his time in capturing the real Ben Hogan.
Back in the early 50s, 20th Century Fox released a film on the life of Ben Hogan titled, "Follow The Sun", starring Glenn Ford as Hogan. It was a passable movie. However, it failed to present the "real" subject.
James Dobson's BEN HOGAN: AN AMERICAN LIFE doesn't miss a single putt!
Summary of Ben Hogan: An American LifeAuthorized, intimate, and definitive, Ben Hogan: A Life is the long-awaited biography of one of golf's greatest, most enigmatic legends, narrated with the unique eloquence that has made author James Dodson a critically acclaimed national bestseller.
One man is often credited with shaping the landscape of modern golf. Ben Hogan was a short, trim, impeccably dressed Texan whose fierce work ethic, legendary steel nerves, and astonishing triumph over personal disaster earned him not only an army of adoring fans, but one of the finest careers in the history of the sport. Hogan captured a record-tying four U.S. Opens, won five of six major tournaments in a single season, and inspired future generations of professional golfers from Palmer to Norman to Woods.
Yet for all his brilliance, Ben Hogan was an enigma. He was an American hero whose personal life, inner motivation, and famed "secret" were the source of great public mystery. As Hogan grew into a giant on the pro tour, the combination of his cool outward demeanor and invincible, laser-guided accuracy on the golf course froze formidable opponents in their tracks. In 1949, at the peak of his career, Hogan's mystique was reinforced by a catastrophic automobile accident in which he and his wife, Valerie, were nearly killed after being hit head-on by a Greyhound bus. Doctors predicted Hogan might never walk again - let alone set foot on another golf course. But his miraculous three-year recovery and comeback led to one of the greatest performances in golf history when in 1953 he won the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the British Open (something that's never been repeated).
In this first-ever family-authorized biography, renowned author James Dodson expertly and emotionally reconstructs Hogan's complicated life. He discovers an intensely honest man handicapped by self-doubt, buoyed by the determination to prove his own abilities, and unable to escape a long-buried childhood tragedy - the core of the Hogan "secret." Dodson also reveals both the legendary devotion and eventual strain in Hogan's sixty-two-year marriage, and a Hogan rarely seen by the public: a warm, jovial man whose charitable spirit and sharp business sense enabled him to build the powerful golf equipment company bearing his name to this day. Ben Hogan: A Life is the authoritative inside portrait golf fans have long awaited.
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