The Masters » (Unabridged)

As Curt Sampson reveals in The Masters, a cold heart beats behind the warm antebellum facade of this famous Augusta course. And that heart belongs to the man who killed himself on the grounds two decades ago. Club and tournament founder Clifford Roberts, a New York stockbroker, still seems to run the place from his grave. Roberts, an elusive and reclusive figure, pulled the strings that made the Masters the greatest golf tournament in the world. His story -- including his relationships with presidents, power brokers, and every golf champion from Bobby Jones to Arnold Palmer to Jack Nicklaus -- has never been told. Until now. No mere recitation of birdies, bogeys, and tournament winners, The Masters is the intricate tale of the interplay among the town, the tournament, and the club. It is an amazing slice of history, taking us inside the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Augusta's most famous member. It is a look at how the new South coexists with the old South: the relationships between blacks and whites, between Southerners and Northerners, between rich and poor. It is a portrait of a tournament unlike any other as well as the town in which it lives and breathes -- with such characters as James Brown, the Godfather of Soul; the great boxer Beau Jack; and Frank Stranahan, the playboy golfer and the only white pro ever banned fromthe tournament.

Library Journal

Arguably the most prestigious event on the Professional Golfers Tour, the Masters imposes 13 specific qualifications a player must meet to be on the invitation list. Even then there is no guarantee that a golfer will be selected to participate. No wonder this competition is a who's who of the world's best golfers. Sampson, author of several books on golf (e.g., Hogan, Rutledge, 1996), has compiled an interesting study complete with bibliography and index. This portrait of the Masters, appropriately subtitled "gold, money, and power in Augusta," traces the tournament's history since 1933, revealing both the dramatic moments and the controversial secrets, most notably racismcertainly a book to raise eyebrows at the Augusta National Golf Club. The members' code of silence and a tight control of the media have kept a lid on the club's less-than-flattering side. Golfing enthusiasts will enjoy the publication. Purchase where demand warrants.

--Larry Robert Little, Penticton Public Library, BC