Book Description
Authorized, 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.
Customer Reviews:
An honest, compelling, literary accomplishment for more than just Hogan fans.......2006-03-04
As both an avid golfer, and Ben Hogan admirer, I was more than satisfied with this book. Once i turned the first page I couldn't put it down. The information shared on the life of who I consider to be the greates golfer ever is unparalleled. Although this will instantly become a cherished part of any Ben Hogan fan's book collection, anyone who enjoys American history, sports history, sports in general, and golf in particular, as well as those who like true stories of sucess against all odds, will enjoy this book. It's a well-written portrait capturing all the good and bad of Ben Hogan and his life, and there was plenty of both. Anyone who thinks they know anything about Ben Hogan the man owes it to themselves to read this book. As Arnold Palmer himself said of the book: "I thought I knew Ben Hogan pretty well, until this book came along...". If you were interested enough in this book to read the reviews, you should buy it. You will not regret doing so.
Outstanding .......2006-01-11
I would greatly recommend this book. It is a very comprehensive study into the life of a true legend and is also a very incisive insight into America during the thirties and forties. In the course of reading about such an outstanding career the name Tiger Woods inevitably enters one's thoughts. Just how would Hogan have compared to Woods during the prime of his career. Woods continues his gallop into history but Hogan's name will always be the one who was responsible for taking golf out of the country clubs and into the municipal courses.
The truth be known.......2005-10-18
An outstanding insight to the life and times of Mr. Hogan. So much was presented that never came to the public eye. And even though a discredit was given by one reviewer in his May 9, 2005 review, based on the fact that 10 birdies in an US Open on a par 74 course was not possible, this individual did not do his homework. The US Open was played on a par 74 course in Savannah, Georgia in the early 1930s. A great book, a wonderful revelation, a must read for those interested in golf history.
Weak Effort.......2005-05-10
Only reason I'm not giving one star is simply because Dodson had access that no other writer was previously granted. I can only imagine what Curt Sampson would have done with all this extra information. The only reason I made it through this book is because I'm a Hogan geek. Anyone remotely well versed in Hogan's history will notice a factual error in just about every chapter. And for those not well versed in Hogan's history, there are many basic golf facts that don't make sense. I write this without the book in front of me, but one instance still stands out: Dodson refers to a 10 birdie round of 64 - with no bogeys. I know times have changed, but I don't recall many par 74 courses back in the day. By itself, this can seem like an innocent mistake, maybe even a typo. But when you pair it with the 100 other similar mistakes you lose credibility in the author. You also get the idea that Dodson himself isn't very familiar with the game of golf itself - the type of guy who keeps score on his wrist watch and uses 'golf' as a verb. The last half of the book I was just reading to find a decent quote or two. There's a reason Sampson's book was so popular and this one wasn't.
Perfect.......2005-03-19
I just finished this book last night and think it was perfectly written. I can't imagine a more in-depth look at the life of the greatest golfer to ever walk the planet. I highly recommend it to anyone that considers himself a fan of the game of golf.
Average customer rating:
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French East India Companies: An Historical Account and Record of Trade
Donald C. Wellington
Manufacturer: Hamilton Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0761834753 |
Book Description
French East India Companies is a comprehensive and readable historical narrative and economic statistical analysis of France's import trade with the Far East during the 17th and 18th centuries. Supplemented with an appendix that includes a detailed glossary of textile terms and 77 pages of statistical data from French archives not previously collected nor published, French East India Companies is an indispensable historical and economic resource.
Book Description
Wellington said that of all his battles Assaye, fought during the Second Mahratta War (1803-05) in central India, was 'the bloodiest for the numbers that I ever saw'. A small British force, under Major-General the Honourable Arthur Wellesley (as Wellington was then known), crossed into Mahratta territory in March 1803 to restore the Peshwa to his throne - by force if necessary. On September 23, 1803, Wellesley encountered what turned out to be the entire Mahratta army in a strong position on the banks of the Kailna River. The battle, which lasted four hours, witnessed costly infantry and cavalry assaults, but was won by the steadiness of Wellesley's troops and his inspiring leadership.
Customer Reviews:
One side view of Assaye.......2006-11-23
I found Simon Millar's Assaye to be pretty one sided in its approach. While the book tries to followed the standard Osprey Campaign format, the information on the Maratha's side proves to be very lightweight. The previous reviewer went into depths on this book so I won't go into the details that is already written. I would like to write that for a person who actually went to India and visited the locations of the campaign, Mr. Millar writes with certain lack of insight. His account of the campaign and battle isn't clearly written or insightful in giving the reader a clear understanding.
Its also interesting to note that despite of his visit to Assaye, the author came away with mininal understanding of Maratha's military motives of the campaign and battle. This is reflected by the book's Anglo-centric outlook.
In summary, the book is useful but it can be better. A more serious reader may find books like Wellington in India by Jac Weller to be a more suitable reading material.
Good, but the Maratha side is incomprehensible.......2006-07-21
Simon Millar, a serving officer in the British Army, provides a well-written summary of the relatively-obscure Battle of Assaye in Osprey's campaign #166. This volume was interesting because the subject is generally over-shadowed by the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. However, the author's Anglo- and Arthur Wellesley-centric narrative makes it difficult to comprehend the nature and actions of their opponents, the Hindu Marathas. Wellesley and his older brother, upon arriving in India, found that an internal Hindu power struggle among the dominant Maratha confederacy offered the perfect opportunity to expand British domination in South Asia. Given the volume's focus on its `hero' Wellesley, it may slip by some readers that the British forces were involved in a war of aggression and that the Marathas were defending their homeland against a foreign invasion. The author also presents this campaign as evidence of Wellesley's superior generalship, but I found my opinion of Wellesley taken down several notches after reading this account - luck, not skill, seemed to have played an important part in this campaign. Overall, this is a good addition to the Osprey campaign series, but readers should be aware that they are essentially presented with the British view of the battle.
Assaye 1803 is not really structured as a typical Osprey campaign series in that it omits the opposing plans section and spends a great deal of time describing the political maneuvering and military movements that led to the battle. The section on the opposing commanders focuses primarily on Arthur Wellesley, with relatively little insight provided into the Maratha leadership. The section on opposing armies is more balanced, providing information on the Maratha forces as well as the British. Unfortunately, the order of battle never lists any strengths for the British units and the author is rather coy throughout the narrative on the strength of Wellesley's command (around 6,000 troops). The volume includes six 2-D maps (India in 1802; Wellesley's march north, February-April 1803; movements of opposing forces, August-September 1803; opposing forces prior to the Battle of Assaye; initial battle movements at Assaye; movements after the battle) and one 3-D map (the second phase of the battle). Typically there are 2-3 3-D maps in the Osprey campaign series and this volume seemed to be a bit `light' on maps with the inclusion of only one. There are three excellent battle scenes by Peter Dennis: the escalade of Ahmednugger pettah walls; Wellesley reconnoiters the Maratha camp; the British attack on the Maratha infantry. The author personally visited the Assaye battlefield in March 2005 and provides some 22 photos of the modern battlefield and surroundings - about 25% of the entire photo/illustration content. A solid and up-to-date bibliography compliments the author's narrative.
After reading the author's narrative - in which we learn more about Wellesley's three horses than we do about the Maratha leaders - I found it difficult to understand Maratha or British actions. Wellesley invaded Maratha territory with a relatively small force and divided his army into two columns, while enemy dispositions were unclear - isn't this one of the cardinal sins in warfare? The author notes that the Marathas had some `very good' European-trained infantry and artillery and that they outnumbered the British by 6-1 or more, yet they passively sat and watched as the two British columns marched about and took several forts. Why no reaction? The most amazing thing is Wellesley's decision to attack the main Maratha camp of 35,000+ troops with his small force of only 6,000 troops and not wait for the second column. Given the fact that the enemy were armed with muskets and modern artillery, not spears, this moves seems absolutely foolhardy - along the lines of Charles XII's attack on Narva in 1700. Wellesley based his plan on hope, not good intelligence, since he wasn't even sure there was a ford available - but he lucked out. Why the Marathas chose not to attack the British as they were crossing the Kailna River is absolutely incomprehensible, as is there failure to use their artillery to mow down the British frontal assault that followed. Why Wellesley chose the expensive manner of a frontal attack on a gun line with slow-moving infantry - who stopped 50 yards short to deliver a volley - instead of cavalry, is also incomprehensible; this attack should have ended in a repulse. Although the author describes the Maratha infantry as professional and high quality, their actions at Assaye were rather pathetic, routing after only a volley or two from the British. I also found the descriptions of the two British leader personal reconnaissance missions (one by Wellesley) were odd, almost contemptuous of the enemy. Indeed, the entire campaign narrative appears premised that the nothing could stop the great British Army (actually more like 5% British, 20% Scottish, 75% Indian) from just bowling over those inept Marathas and bringing `peace' to the Deccan. Based upon what I read here, Wellesley was darn lucky that the Marathas mostly sat on their hands and allowed him to do what he wanted to do, but it also seems that if the Marathas had shown a bit of cunning and initiative in defending their homeland that Arthur Wellesley's little force would have ended up as piles of bleached bones in the Deccan.
Book Description
This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.
Book Description
Jac Weller gives a complete account of Wellington's career in India, the battles and sieges he undertook and the lessons he learned that prepared him for the campaigns he would later undertake against the best European armies.
Customer Reviews:
Wellington's apprenticeship in arms in India.......2005-01-17
Jac Weller's "Wellington in India" is a highly readable study of Arthur Wellesley's formative military experiences in India, and one of remarkably few books devoted to the topic. The book in battlefield level detail sketches the future Duke's 1797-1805 campaigning against a variety of native opponents. The battlefield narratives are closely informed by Weller's understanding the terrain, based on having walked all the principal battlefields. In addition, Weller lays out the complex political environment in which the young Wellesley operated. What emerges from this portrait is a young, ambitious, and professional officer who operates with increasing confidence and success in a challenging battlefield and political environment. From his experiences in India comes the future Duke's understanding of the importance of logistics, intelligence, planning, and the careful deployment of well-trained troops on the battlefield. Wellesley's long apprenticeship in India and later in the Peninsular War of 1808-1814 made him a master of battlefield tactics and operational-level planning, skills that would serve him well in the decisive battle of Waterloo in 1815 against Napoleon. This book is highly recommended to the serious student of Wellington's military career and of the Napoleonic era.
A truly excellent book........2001-07-15
Jac Weller's Wellington in India is a truly excellent book. It is very readable and flows extremely well. It is one of the few books of its kind that I've read literally cover-to-cover - forward, preface, body, and appendixes - everything. The detail of the book is also exceptional. He tells the reader why and how Wellington achieved his successes not just when.
Wellington's forgotten wars.......2001-06-07
When Wellington's name is mentioned, people tend to think first of Waterloo, then of the Peninsulars Wars. It is easy to forget that he got his start in India, and that is the period which Jac Weller covers so well in this book. This was a completely different kind of warfare than that fought in Europe, and Wellington (or Wellesley, as he was then) had to contend not only with far superior forces, but also with the climate, which caused Europeans to die like flies. Two things above all should be remembered: first, that when Wellington was asked what his greatest victory was, he said not Waterloo, but Assaye; and second, Weller's three books about Wellington's campaigns were named by Bernard Cornwell as the best source material for his Sharpe series.
Average customer rating:
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The Maratha War Papers of Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley Wellington ,
Anthony S. Bennell ,
Army Records Society (Great Britain) , and
Anthony Bennell
Manufacturer: Alan Sutton Publishing, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0750920696 |
Book Description
In association with the Army Records Society, this is the first modern edition of this pivotal collection of political and military documents on the Raj written by the Fist Duke of Wellington during the Second Maratha War of 1803-1805 for commercial domination of India.
Book Description
With the return of the brave English sergeant Richard Sharpe--here, to battle the mercenary forces of the Mahratta confederation in India in 1803--Bernard Cornwell claims his rightful place alongside Patrick O'Brian as a contemporary master of historical narrative. Sharpe's Triumph is a riveting story of betrayal and revenge that showcases the deft blend of suspenseful military adventure and sweeping historical detail that has made each new installment of the Richard Sharpe series a number one bestseller in Great Britain and around the world.
In the four years since he earned his sergeant's stripes at the bloody siege of Seringapatam, young Richard Sharpe has lead a peaceful existence. But this relatively easy life meets with a brutal end when he is the sole survivor of a murderous attack at the hands of Major William Dodd, a cold-blooded English officer who has defected from the East India Company to join the mercenary forces of the Mahratta confederation.
Sharpe rises from the killing field at Fort Chasalgaon vowing to avenge his dead comrades, even if it means pursuing the turncoat Dodd to the very ends of the continent. It is a quest that takes him deep into the heart of enemy territory, where the accepted rules of engagement have been discarded, where ever-shifting loyalties create an environment of dangerous uncertainty, forcing Sharpe to guard against attacks from enemy and friend.
The paths of treachery ultimately lead to the small village of Assaye, where Sharpe's company joins the army of Sir Arthur Wellesley--the future Duke of Wellington--to take on the Mahratta horde. Outnumbered and outgunned, Wellesley bravely seizes an unexpected geographical advantage and charges into the white heat of a battle that will make his reputation. It is a bloody confrontation that will make Sharpe's name, too--but first he must survive the carnage and live to tell the tale of what will be remembered as one of the greatest battles of its century.
Download Description
"E-book Extras: Bernard Cornwell On: The Origin of Richard Sharpe; Sharpe's Adventures; Sharpe's Trafalgar.
The next installment in Bernard Cornwell's wildly popular Sharpe series. India, 1803. Richard Sharpe has been enjoying his sergeant's stripes for four years when he witnesses a murderous act of treachery by an English officer and a mercenary army commanded by his nemesis, Anthony Pohlman. Now he must find the traitor and defeat the army -- if he can survive the white heat of the battle of Assaye.
Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Assaye,
September 1803
It is India, 1803.In the four years since he earned his sergeant's stripes, young Richard Sharpe has led a relatively peaceful existence. But Sharpe's reverie ends when he barely survives a murderous act of treason by a bitter English officer who has joined the mercenary forces of the Mahratta confederation, determined to drive the British from the continent. Vowing to hunt down the turncoat, Sharpe plunges headlong into the white-hot battle of Assaye alongside Sir Arthur Wellesley -- the future of Duke of Wellington -- in the fiercest fight of his career. Sharpe's Triumph is a riveting story of betrayal and revenge that showcases the deft blend of suspenseful military adventure and sweeping historical detail that has made Bernard Corwell's books bestsellers around the world.
"
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-08-20
My husband loves these books and actually came back to get more after he was done with this one.
Excellent book about a forgotten battle.......2007-07-10
This is a fine book about a forgotten but important battle in a long-gone empire. The battle of Assaye, won against far superior numbers of natives and European mercenaries by a great general who made his reputation there, quelled native revolt and let the British push north into previously unoccupied parts of India.
Richard Sharpe is a sergeant here, longing for promotion to officer but with scant chance of it in the class-constrained British army. He is detached to hunt a deserter who has gone over to the other side, to become a coldblooded but effective officer. Sharpe is the sole survivor of a massacre by Major William Dodd's troops, and wants him taken down.
Dodd serves Colonel Anthony Pohlmann, also a defector from the East India Company. Now army commander of the Mahratta Confederation, he has become in the process a fabulously rich, elephant-riding, harem-keeping nabob. Sharpe must weigh Pohlmann's atractive offer to change sides himself, and meanwhile dodge a trumped-up criminal charge levied by an enemy suspecting Sharpe's deepest secret.
The period and place detail are excellent. The descriptions of India under the British Raj reminded me of Fraser's "Flashman in the Great Game", although the Flashman black comedies are quite different in tone.
Bernard Cornwell writes Sharpe with some subtlety. His overall detail compares with Patrick O'Brian's, although not his tale's charm. Cornwell's battlefield descriptions of Assaye - not only of the battle itself but of its preliminary maneuvers - are exemplary. Readers of military fiction know how hard it can be for authors to describe multiple units maneuvering over complicated terrain, responding to each other simultaneously and in the smoke of chaos, and for readers to keep it all straight. Cornwell makes it all crystal clear despite the passage's length and the battle's complexity. And Cornwell plausibly fits the fictional Sharpe into a key moment of the historical general's career.
I do have a few problems with Sharpe's character development. In opening chapters he is portrayed as scheming to embezzle part of an ammunition shipment. Petty graft like this may have been common among noncoms in India (and a lot of wars) but it's an odd way to depict someone intended to be developed as the hero of twenty or so historical novels. Perhaps Cornwell does it to dramatize the grim life and outlook of the enlisted ranks,and of someone from Sharpe's low birth, but it didn't work for me.
A flaw, but not enough to compromise an otherwise excellent story.
Sharpe's Triumph.......2007-06-11
This is number two in the series and is typical of Bernard Cornwell with detailed accounts of historical events that support the storyline of his work. Action packed throughout. Easy reading but hard to put down.
Sharpe Gets His Commission.......2006-10-17
In this earlier installment of the Richard Sharpe series, we find Sgt. Sharpe performing his duties with the Royal Army in India. He is assigned to commissary duties and likes his CO and likes even more his newly received stripes. When he leads a group on a mission to pick up some ammunition recovered by the local garrison, though, things change. He is the sole survivor when a turncoat British officer conducts a massacre while attempting to retrieve the same ammunition. It is only dumb luck and a need to relieve himself that spares him.
Since he is the only person who has actually seen the officer in question, he is assigned to help the intelligence officer tasked to bring him in. In doing so, the mercenary leader to whom the turncoat defected offers Sharpe a commission and gets him to thinking. He would like to be an officer. He is not, however, willing to betray the trust of those he likes. Still, the seed of the idea is planted.
Those tasked with taking the defector are attached to Wellington's army. It is his first big campaign. Sharpe has come to Wellington's notice before but, in this installment, we finally get to read the story in which he saves Wellington's life during the climactic battle. The result is a commission for Sharpe and the expectation by everyone is that he will fail. You only have to read the original series to know how wrong that expectation is.
This is neither Cornwell's best nor his worst. It does fill in a big piece of the Sharpe story and is well worth reading.
Sharpe's Triumph: Richard Sharpe and the Battel of Assaye, September 1803.......2006-08-19
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT! Cornwell is extremely descriptive in his writing and his ability to convey characters as real people. Richard Sharpe, a rake, but an honorable rake! I'm already on the next book in the series and loving it, as well.
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