Tournaments Books

Did Curt Sampson come to Carnoustie, Scotland in 1999 expecting to turn the British Open upside-down like he did Augusta National in "The Masters?" If so, he was beaten to the punch by a genial Frenchman named Jean Van de Velde who gave golf's signature event its wackiest finish ever.

I didn't like "The Masters" much; its agenda was a little harsh. But "Royal And Ancient" sees Sampson approach his topic with more respect, and get better results. He takes in the history of the Open, champions from Old Tom Morris to young Tom Watson, the sound of Carnoustie's winds whipping through the media tents and the dry fescue, and the separate pilgrimages three American golfers take for the big event.

"Royal And Ancient" is scattershot in many ways; none of the three golfers Sampson spotlights make the cut. He spends a good deal of time honing his Dan Jenkins aspirations, detailing the misadventures of a tour hanger-on who doesn't merit the print. Sampson wrote a famous bio on Ben Hogan, and there are times Sampson seems in danger of writing another here.

But after a slow beginning Sampson puts you right at the center of things, analyzes expectations against results and giving a thorough sense of what a British Open entails by using this particular year's edition as a case study. He rambles some, but he tells some fun stories and quotes some interesting people.

The big controversy at Carnoustie most of the week was the condition of the course, with the rough grown so high players could not try to advance the ball if it went off the fairway. A writer likens it to asking basketball players to play with a medicine ball. Meanwhile, course superintendent John Philp argues the game is supposed to be a test of skill and not a birdie racket.

"Carnoustie in 1999 looked like it had been working out," Sampson opines. "And had joined a motorcycle gang."

A tough layout made for a strange leaderboard, topped much of the time by Van de Velde, a Frenchman who at the last hole in regulation demonstrated the Frenchness of the words "elan" and "folly." Sampson does a great job describing the scene, Van de Velde going for the green with a three-stroke lead rather than sensibly lay up. The result was one of those bizarre moments that make sports fans out of casual bystanders, and a Scot named Paul Lawrie who made the local fans very happy.

"Except for the heroic Nicklaus versus Watson duel at Turnberry in 1977, no Open finish in the TV age could compare. But there is romance in tragedy, and tragedy in romance, and the travails of the doomed, flawed hero affect us more deeply than someone's big win," Sampson writes.

Maybe, but Sampson finds Van de Velde months after defying expectations he would shrivel up like a raisin from his shame. Instead, he kept his head high, determined to enjoy what he can from life.

Still, it was a lot easier to enjoy the 1999 British Open if you weren't Van de Velde, and easier still enjoying it with the help of Sampson's clever, comprehensive book.

Sampson for me is the consummate golf writer; clever, knows his game and does it all creatively. Witness the way he puts together this chronicle of The Open. Starts with the Morris' and their famed dominance of early golf, then the interest of England and the rest.

Interwoven here are the rest of glorious Open history-Palmer, Player, Nicklaus, Watson, and Hogan. Then the tie with Carnoustie and the wee little iceman.

Boy this author can captivate you while getting it all down. This flows and ebbs till it ends up at the Burn and that 18th. Never Compromise --- great putting with new found friend--- never compromise style -- must go for it!

This is like author's other books (try them out, especially Hogan and Eternal Summer and Masters, they're favorites) this was just excellent reading to the end.

a great job of not only capturing the 1999 open, but also giving the reader the feel for the history and passion of the open.

Golf is more than a game. When we can not play the game, we watch it. When we can not watch the game, we read about it. And who is best at capturing the feeling of the game of golf on print than Curt Sampson? He is the story-teller of golf.

Only the very best writers can sustain drama when they're recounting events whose outcome is already well-known--and who isn't aware of Jean Van de Veld's slow-motion deflation on the final hole at the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, the culminating event in Curt Sampson's splendid new book, Royal and Ancient? Sampson's a wonderful phrase-maker-writing of Tiger's "adhesive gallery" is a good example-with an ample feeling for the game and the people who make it interesting, from the tournament players at the forefront to the deeply sequestered greenkeepers, such as Carnoustie's John Philp, who tried to defend the old links against the assaults of a generation of golf pros who regard birdies as a birthright. Sampson's written other good books, but this one is superb.

There are not any new ideas or theories presented but it does consolidate just about everything you need to know for advanced poker tournaments. Very well written and a must read for any serious players, worth its weight in gold. Study it and prosper, thank you from SuperAggressive.com.

Normally when I review a poker book (and I've reviewed perhaps a dozen, including Mitchell Cogert's previous one on Razz) I like to take issue with a recommended play or two. The truth is there IS more than one way to skin a cat (a catfish, that is), and opinions can differ. Furthermore it's fun to offer a different strategy. Here, however, I'm going to skip the quibbling and just say straight out that Cogert knows what he's talking about and his advice really is "expert."

What I especially like about this book is how Cogert combines personal experience (he's a very good player who has, among other things, won the Northern California Championship for no-limit hold'em in 2002) with knowledge from books and from watching some of the top pros. His basic point is that to get beyond the bubble in no-limit tournaments you have to be willing to take risks. Nobody ever won a big no limit tournament who didn't gamble, and some of the most spectacular wins (Chris Moneymaker in 2003 and Jamie Gold in 2006) came about after some really wild risk taking! The plain fact is that in any tournament luck is a huge factor. You can increase your luck (or decrease it!) by taking chances. What is taking a chance? It means not playing "scared poker." Yes, it will happen that 65 percent of the time an overcard to your pocket jacks will fall on the flop (as Cogert explains in the appendix on "Most frequently asked poker questions"). And yes, pocket rockets tend in no-limit to win a lot of small pots, but when they get cracked, they drain your chips seriously--although people tend to forget that some of the biggest pots are won when pocket aces improve, or when somebody decides to make a stand with a painted pair.

Regardless of the danger, to have any hope of winning a tournament you must play aggressively and, well, bravely. In poker the aggressive player has the edge--that is, up to a very fine point where one can be too aggressive. Most players, as Cogert points out, tend to revert to survival mode sometime during a tournament. This can be a huge mistake. Follow Cogert's dictum: "Risk is good" and don't be caught leaning back in your seat until the tournament is over.

Another thing I like about "Tournament Poker: 101" are the tips themselves. They have the power even if never used of opening the player's mind to the possibilities and to what the other guy may be up to. And of course you're unlikely to ever use all 101 of them, and in fact, as some of the plays become routine, you'll have to abandon them, and come up with counter plays. But that is the beauty of poker. You need to change your strategy for the situation, to counter the moves of your opponents. Switch gears. Be creative, but avoid Mike Caro's Fancy Play Syndrome, Cogert advises.
In a way this book is a kind of original digest of the three volume set written by Dan Harrington, which is considered the "bible" of tournament play. Cogert's book doesn't have the seating diagrams with pot size and bets that Harrington's book has--which I think are okay but unnecessary--but it does have something else. Instead of precise analysis (although there is plenty of that), Cogert gives the reader the view from reality with the understanding that you and I are not Jesus Ferguson level mathematicians or Dan Harrington level analysts. Cogert conveys in his recounting of hands played, or in his advice on how to play a hand or how to make a "play," the actual sense of the experience, and lets you know how it feels to get there. Or not.

Cogert emphasizes the rough and tumble of tournament play, the psychology of not only your opponents, but the psychology of the tournament milieu itself and how it can affect you, as for example a run of dead cards leading to a migraine. He provides an appendix on "planning" which he calls "boring but necessary," both before the tournament and during each hand, from before the cards are in the air through the flop, turn and river.

Finally, "Tournament Poker: 101" is just simply a lot of fun to read.

This book is one of the best , I have seen or purchased almost every poker book available.The only way it could be improved is if by magic the
pages turned into full motion video. Highly Instructive, Informative and Interesting, what more can you ask of a book.

I had intensely studied the books refered to as the "poker bibles" yet I had been continuously finishing on the bubble in major tournaments. After reading "Tournament Poker: 101 Winning Moves" I finally had my first breakthrough and finished in the money in a $1500 No Limit Hold'em Event at the 2008 WSOP. The ideas in this book were key to my getting there. If you are looking for success - and the ideas missing from the poker bibles - then this is the book for you. Thanks Mitchell!

It's not all original, very little of it is groundbreaking, and most of it has been written before. What is amazing is that in a book less than an inch thick, you get the best of books you would have to spend perhaps thousands of dollars on to get the same great information.

Some of the 101 tips you may never use, but just one or two of them may end up making you 100 or more times the price of the book. Here's a problem for you: you have 4000 chips and are on the button. The blinds are 100/200 and a player in early position raises to 600. Everyone folds to you and you look down at 88. What do you do? This is the type of hand that presents a problem for many novices, and causes angry debates among experienced players. After reading this book, there's no doubt how to play this hand, and when I read the tip regarding this situation and the explanation, it was like the brightest light bulb ever went off in my head.

This book has the potential to set off 101 of those light bulbs. Consider me impressed, and grateful to have this tool that so many other players don't.

Quite fascinating to see how an agressive player thinks. I dont think it helped my game though. I tried some of that stuff and got killed. Still, it is a great book. Maybe it will come to me.

I am relatively new to poker, but I've read the Harrington's and the Phil Gordon's etc. etc.

Those books teach you the basics and then go on to teach some strategy.

Winning One Hand at a Time is strictly strategy driven. You're shown a hand, and then Rizen, Pearljammer or Apestyles breaksdown how to play the hand. It sounds pretty simple, but it's cool to see how these internet greats play their hands.

It's well formated, and easy to read. The writing is clear and easy to follow. I think any fan of poker, or anyone learning or studying poker will enjoy this book.

I can't wait for Vol. II.

I really don't want any of my opponents to have read this book. Enough said

Any online player is familiar with these 3 great players & has probably already ordered this excellent book. It is chock full of the thought processes that are used in almost all situations that might arrive in a poker tournament. You aren't just presented with theories and hand charts, but with the real "nuts and bolts" of how to think through the situations that most often occur and are puzzling to even advanced players. John "PearlJammer" Turner's section is the best part of this book, but you will learn plenty from all the authors.
If you are a brick and mortar player make sure you buy this book.
This is Required Reading & should be a part of any Poker Library.

I just finished this book up last week...first thought is what an easy read. The book really moves through and organizes everything well.

Rizen and Pearljammer are a good contrast since Rizen is a looser player while Pearljammer seemingly makes some impossible laydowns. The best part of this book is that it goes through the thought processes that true pros go through during a hand. It really helps you out when you're thinking through a hand in a tournament.

I thoroughly enjoyed the organization of the breakdown on the thought processes. It shows you what they were thinking during the setup, pre-flop, flop, turn, and river individually. It also updates the pot size accordingly, which most books I have read in the past do not.

"One hand at a Time" was a great read, very informative, and actually has improved my tournament play already. I would highly recommend adding it to your collection as soon as possible.

This book taught me so much stuff about Chess. I suggest you read this book. It has suspense and teaches some stuff about Chess. Its a very, very, very good book!

This story combines two of my passions, chess and who-done-its. The world's two leading junior chess players, Donna Winston and Greta van Leeuwen, are the favorites in a 64-player junior championship, but the tournament is marred by mysterious telephone threats and anonymous messages aimed at both contenders. Nancy Drew is assigned the task of unraveling the mystery in time to save the final-round match between the favorites. The excitement never stops. It is especially gratifying that most of the leading characters, including three of the four tournament finalists, are women, even in the traditionally male-dominated field of chess. This story should help to overcome some stereotypes, but its main value is superb entertainment.

Nancy friend is the top chess player in the world and her have to face other kids to win the match but it is a piece of cake but not for another girl that her sister is kidnapp and she will never see her again unless she drops out of the chess. And Nancy Drew will solve this mystery until her sister is safe .

I liked this book because it was a good mystery and I learned some things about chess too! My mom read Nancy Drew books when she was my age (11) and now I'm also starting to like them a lot. Besides Nancy, George and Bess, the other characters are interesting as well. If you like mysteries, you'll like Nancy Drew!

It's this story of a chess compitition and Greta's little sister gets kidnapped and Greata must win in order to see her alive. The other girl, donna all kinds of starnage things happpen. but Nancy and Donna get attacked in the park. Who will win? Will Anna survive?

If you never read any endings book before, you should try this book first before jump to another advance book. This book has helped me to climb up my rating up to from 1800 to 2200...thanks Howell

Endgames are hard to play because there are numerous cases where general endgame principles ("put the rook behind passed pawns"; "passed pawns must be pushed"; "move the pawns to a color opposite your bishop", etc.) are not only wrong, but suicidal: if you put your pawns on squares of the opposite color than those of your bishop in an opposite-colored bishops' ending, for example, you will lose in short order.

Howell's book to the rescue. First, he deals only with practical endings, so as to keep the book to a manageable length. For example, the rook endings chapter deals with two cases of 4-vs.-3 pawns: when they're all on the king's wing and when one side has an extra queenside pawn. But Howell, correctly, doesn't bother with the theoretical possiblity where, say, white has three passed pawns on the kingside an black four passed pawn on the queenside--as it never occurs in practice.

For each specific type of ending (say, oppositve-colored bishops, rook endings when one side has an extra passed queenside pawn) Howell not only gives many examples, but also detailed principles that apply *to that particular type of ending*. One should position one's pawns differently in opposite-colored bishops' endings and same-colored bishops' endings, for example; one should employ one's rook differently when one's king is cut off from enemy's pawns or when it isn't; and so on.

The result? The student avoids falling into the trap of following "general principles" of the "put your rook behind the pawns" sort in situations they don't apply, while also avoiding studying thousands upon thousands of theoretical "exceptions" to such general rules that rarely if ever occur in practice.

Highly recommended.

This book discusses the basics (and not so basics) of pawn endings, rook endings (two chapters), minor piece endings, queen endings and finally pawnless endings. It is written in a clear expository style with helpful examples and exercises. I bought it because I decided my endgame play needed remedial work, which I regarded as a necessary evil. Through reading it my attitude was completely turned around and I have become an avid student of endings. I personally found the last chapter, on pawnless endgames, a particular eye-opener.

Four stars does not seem generous to such a book, but I had to admit that after reading the chapter on minor pieces I was not much the wiser about how to use knights in the endgame. In contrast to the policy in other chapters, even the basics of knight blockades were not explained, and I found myself having to supplement the material (as opposed to further study). While omissions in general can be overlooked in a work of limited size, I feel that this one is a distinct flaw in what is generally a fine book.

Background: Currently, my ELO fluctuates between 1950 to about 2000, and I've made steady progress from about 1500 3 years ago. My initial upward surge could be attributed to a lot of tactical practice, and applying good middle game principles, and avoiding rapid chess. Most importantly, I kind of over-analyzed my losses, which really helped.
Just to give you a reference point, I'd give the Amateur's Mind 4 stars, although of course, it's a different subject (the Middle Game). Quite simply, James Howell has written a very high quality and more importantly, a very verbose end game (EG) book that I think is the ideal 2nd stage book on the EG. I also happen to have Dvoetsky's EG manual CD, and I realized that I was much better served by following Dvoertsky's own advice - learn a few concrete positions on the EG, but learn them thoroughly. If you've completed a basic chess ending's book such as those by Seirawan, Pandolphini, etc., then this book is a highly recommended next step.
I throughly enjoy Howell's didactic writing style - he takes the time to give you guidelines (often 4 or 5 steps) for both the superior side and the inferior side. I've learned not only the correct plan or technique to execute a winning position, but also, the correct plan to make life a lot harder for my opponent when my position is inferior. This is a critical piece of advice, given that (your opponent's) time pressure often allows you to save a lost ending. Another important thing about his heavy use of text and guidelines is that it is important for an intermediate level player (roughly 1600 - 1900 ELO) to have the ideas explained in detail. This is a little different from tactics books/CDs where the emphasis is on practice, practice, and more practice along multiple themes/motifs.
I'm quite surprised that this book hasn't gotten much press (although Silman's comments that this is a quality book is spot on).
My suggestion: After going through a basic endings book/CD/pgn file, this is a GREAT next step. I've finished 75% of this book over a 3 month period (remember, study these positions thoroughly), and I'm pretty sure that Dvoretsky's will be a very good next step.
Finally, as I look back at all the various books and phases I've picked up, I can firmly conclude that the thing that has helped me most is lots of tactical practice (starting with Winning chess Tactics, and then the George Renko CD), along with a basic understanding of the MG (Amateur's Mind), and then James Howell's book. This is a short & sweet, but very good quality book.

Some background: I have read HOW TO PLAY THE CHESS ENDINGS by Znosko-Borovsky (a wonderful text for beginners; don't worry about "Related Squares"), A GUIDE TO CHESS ENDINGS by Euwe and Hooper (boring but excellent), WINNING ENDGAME TECHNIQUE by Beliavsky and Mikhalchishin (very underrated!), FROM THE MIDDLEGAME TO THE ENDGAME by Mednis (the best "transition phase" book I have ever read, and I believe an essential work), along with FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS by Muller and Lamprecht (of course I did not read all of it, but it is excellent). I have also read other works, and I have DVORETSKY'S ENDGAME MANUAL, but never really took to it.

ESSENTIAL CHESS ENDINGS: THE TOURNAMENT PLAYER'S GUIDE is the first (the only?) enjoyable endgame book I have ever read (I'm not done with it quite yet). GM Howell is an author who, for once, does not feel the need to write for the theoreticians! I am fascinated by the theoretical stuff, but found that I am not nearly as good an endgame player as I assumed I was (because of all the books I read).

I say that this book is mandatory reading because you can actually stay with it and learn the "why's" of the endgame. From the standpoint of helping the competitive player, I may come to regard it as the best endgame text I have yet read, which includes all those other works mentioned. Howell clearly explains play in the most important types of endgames (pawns, rooks, minor pieces, queens). He also has a sense of humor, a rare species indeed in endgame works.

My advice (I'll say that I am an 1800 player so that you know my point of view) is to look at Znosko-Borovsky's endgame book first. If this seems too daunting at first, begin with a Pandolfini book (I usually don't recommend his books, but some are good), then move on to Znosko-Borovsky. After that, Howell's book. Also, please get the Mednis book I mentioned above--I think it is his best work (nearly all of his works were high-quality, and I have read most of them), and fills a void in chess literature. Later on, try the Beliavsky/Mikhalchishin work.

Having read a lot of the theoretical endgame books above, my advice (further) is to skip them! I can impress my friends by giving checkmate with 2 knights vs. pawn (we practiced this one Friday night!?!), but you know what? I recently realized that I shortchanged myself in learning REAL endgames. Don't let this happen to you as well. And if it has, remedy this as quickly as possible!

I also have gotten Chernev's CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS, and while I havent't really studied it yet, it looks FANTASTIC in terms of showing winning technique-in-action.

Noted choreographer Sandra Bezic really gives figure skating fans something new to read. Non-fans will probably want more gossip or more mention of specific skaters, but Bezic's unique perspective gives her book its own distinct flavor.

What an excellent job Sandra has done! This book features great pictures and it is well-written. This book isn't meant to tell you how to spin or jump, but to explain what the sport is all about and what it means to the skaters. Bezic was once a skater herself (although she didn't win any major medals or events) and is now a choreographer and works for Stars on Ice. This book was excellent for the insight it gives to the reader. Anyone who enjoys skating for the beauty and grace should read this book--don't deprive yourself of a good piece of work as this is.

I received this book as a Christmas present a few years ago, and it is one of my favorites. Sandra Bezic begins the book by telling about her life as a skater and how she became one of the world's most prominent skating choreographers. She continues by describing what she feels the "passion to skate" is. Bezic takes the reader into the lives of many of the most popular skaters on the pro-circuit today including Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, Ekaterina Gordeeva and the late Sergei Grinkov, Victor Petrenko, Kurt Browning, and Katarina Witt. She describes some of the competitive highlights these skaters have had as well as some of the projects they were working on at the time of print(Katarina Witt's Carmen on Ice)etc... Toward the end of the book is a small section dedicated to the Celebration of a Life Skating memoir to Sergei Grinkov. This book features many large color photos of all the skaters mentioned above. It is a great book and I highly recommend it.

This book gives an excellent "back stage" look at figure skating. While somewhat self-aggrandizing on Bezic's part, only her shows and those associated with them are included, this book would be an excellent choice for a variety of ages, skaters, fans, and photo or entertainment buffs.

I picked this book up at my local bookstore last christmas and have enjoyed it very much there were so many photos in this book that I had never seen before and that are now my favorites the book gives readers a look at what goes on behind the scenes of many of her specials and of course Stars on Ice....I personally think the book is worth getting just for the photos...sandra wherever you are thanks for including all the photos of G&G I adore them

I found the book easy to read and understand. I have applied some of the things I read in the book and found them useful and I feel over time the new approach to bowling will improve to my good.

When ever you buy a book containing psychology, you think to say "I knew that!", but this book pinpoints the essens of bowling psychology. I've focused on several things that for sure will make me a better bowler.

I purchased this book to help with my bowling, since as a novice bowler,
I was dismayed by my embarrassing performance when bowling with friends.
I would bowl a strike and then have a string of gutter balls.

I found this book really helpful, not just for bowling, but for achieving excellence
in other sports. I was able to apply the lessons to other challanging areas in my life.

The book gives a comphrehensive overview of this incredibly popular sport. The writers have laid out a step by step mental
plan of action that accounts for most contigencies and can used when someone has to psychologically prepare
onself to perform at a high level.

The use of acronyms such as RALLY ( react, accept, learn, lean, yes )and the examples
of positive self talk particularly useful.

I think this is one of the most up to date and detailed bowling books to date. It dives into the mental game aspect of the game and just helps you with the skills that most bowlers will need to take their game to the next level.

Very in depth book on all facets of bowling not just the psychologoical aspects. Has good drills and if the drills are performed, your average will go up.

First, the book is very well written and presented. It was entertaining to read. There were some amusing quips.
Second, the hands are excellent. There are a large number of double squeezes, so if you look for them, you can maybe find some of them. Of course these were made at the table under pressure.
Third, the book will make you think about what the hands will look like after a certain number of tricks have been played (i.e. a suit run)

I was a bit surprised at some of the poor defense plays. Perhaps top level card play has improved in 40 years.

Fun, enjoyable book to read. Highly recommended.
If you are not familiar with Double squeezes and Criss Cross squeezes you probably wont get much out of the book. Study for a while and come back in a couple of years.

This is a classic book that everyone should read for the sheer genius of declarer play and defence. Remember these hands were played at this elevated level AT THE TABLE against world-class opposition. It is a shame that Amazon doesn't have this book. For people desperate to read this and who don't want to pay high used prices, it is available new at Baron Barclay's for about twenty-five dollars.

This book deserves us to read it more than three times. Which level the best bridge are? You can find it in this book.

I agree. This is a large collection of hands that were played double-dummy AT THE TABLE. Many themes and combinations come up including squeezes, deceptive plays and defense.

It is too bad Amazon take so long to ship this book. It is widely accepted in the bridge-playing community as one of the best collections of bridge hands, if not THE BEST! The amazing thing is that all the hands described in this book were actually played in real life by the Italian Blue Team. They are not ready-made concoctions. Certainly this book is one of my favorites.

What a trip! Though I am not a golfer, I have long held an admiration for Tiger Woods' finesse with his chosen sport. To be able to walk his 2008 journey with him. and laugh all the while at Bob Smiley's adventures makes this book a keeper.

I was first drawn to Follow the Roar because it was written by a classmate of my daughter. Oddly, I found that Bob Smiley had many of the same feelings about Tiger that I have had. In an effort to root for the underdog, I looked for every reason to dislike Tiger. As I read this book, it brought to the forefront the subtle change in my feelings about Tiger. Yeah, we all want to see the average Joe have his day, but Tiger is so darn good it is hard to not be won over by him. Bob makes this an easy and enjoyable read, while sometimes making fun of himself for things we have all thought or done. A fun book that will be a great gift for your golfer friends.
Eleanor Renshaw, Ventura, Ca

Follow the Roar chronicles Tiger's every move and gives the reader a unique perspective on golf's most famous current player, Tiger Woods. Easy to read and full of details, this is a great book to add to your golf collection.

As a nominal golf fan, I picked up this book with skepticism: could 300 pages of hole-by-hole coverage capture my attention? To my surprise Bob Smiley's international escapades not only kept me reading, but Follow the Roar is quite the page turner. The story is not just Tiger but a traveling memoir in celebration of fandom. At the centerpiece of this great story is one of the greatest seasons of the best golfer ever. Smiley's perspective and Tiger's greatness through adversity create a great read for any sports fan. I've already purchased copies as gifts for my dad and the president of the organization I work for, both avid golfers.

This book is a must for the golf fan - or any dedicated sports fan for that matter. Yes, the book is about Tiger's season, but the real story is the entertaining, season long adventures of the ultimate golf fan - Bob Smiley! Read this and prepare to laugh. The book is entertaining, educational, and a keeper.

Still not recovered from Wimbledon? Looking for your next tennis fix? Sheelagh Mawe's debut novel could be the answer. Old pals Austin (hardworking, serious) and Jack (flash ladies' man) are tennis buffs who arrange to meet for one last game in the Florida sunshine. Like any good match it's an epic, psychological grudge match. The narrative viewpoint bounces across the net with every volley, as we gradually realize just how much is at stake for each player. A simple idea, delivered with all the style and pace of a Henman backhand.

Midlife epiphany on the tennis court is what it's all about in Grown Men, and a grueling, marathon rematch under the hot Florida sun is the setting. Two fiftyish former rivals in the sport who have neither seen nor played together in decades have hidden motives for taking each other on again, and Mawe lobs the point of view from one to the other as the game, and the personal stakes involved for each, intensifies.

The story's pace ranges from quick to breakneck, and the characters are believable, sympathetic, and for those over forty, perhaps very familiar. A highly recommended read for summer vacation or any situation that allows time for reflection, Grown Men leaves its readers not only as breathless as Austin and Jack, but with plenty of food for thought about their own youthful dreams and the outcome thereof.

I finished Grown Men in a few days. This is a fast and fantastic read. Can't wait for more from the author!

I recently read the remarkable debut novel, Grown Men, by S.M. Mawe. The author takes the reader to a combat zone where the weapons of choice are tennis racquets, athletic prowess, and well-honed mental skills. Mawe does not rely on exotic settings, gratuitous sex, violence, or complicated plot to hold the attention of his audience. Instead, one is riveted by the thought processes of the characters as communicated vividly in the colorful language of the players and sees the origination of these thoughts through insightfully chosen, gem-like flashbacks. Well placed conversations, thoughts, and descriptions in the person of friends/associates of the "combatants" help create additional personality recognition. Mawe's ability to get inside the head of his characters can only come from personal experience. The intricacies of the play, as the book progresses through games and sets that are set forth in exciting, fast-paced detail, also reveal an uncommon knowledge of the game. To bring two men through the harrowing experience of self-analysis to mid-life, turning point decisions within the time frame and diversion of an intense, physically draining, mind numbing tennis match is a daunting task. S.M. Mawe has successfully met such a challenge and given us a truly unique, expertly presented, beautifully written, absorbing story. I encourage everyone who likes a "really good read" to pick up a copy of Grown Men at your nearest book store

George Steiner the European social philosopher says that tennis is seldom played for fun anymore. A friendly match at the club or the public courts more often than not takes on the air of a monumental struggle for power, dominance and status. In S.M. Mawe's first novel Steiner's observations seem fulfilled as two former high school players and rivals play a match some twenty years later in which all of this and more seems at stake for both. Austin Sinclair and Jack Winston play a tennis match in the noonday Florida summer sun which carries both to the brink of exhaustion. Each sees the match as an opportunity to redeem a lifetime of failure, while each sees the other as being highly successful. As boys Austin and Jack learned the game together and developed a great rivalry and respect for one anothers game. They lifted each other to a level of excellence that they had not achieved anywhere else, and they shared a joy in the game. After high school their lives moved away from tennis and away from one another, although both continued to play the game and both continued to live in the same small Florida community. Austin Sinclair was from the respected middle class, worked extremely hard, went to college, returned to marry the high school prom queen, worked his way to the top at the town bank, helped found a country club and designed the tennis courts, and found little joy in life off the courts. Jack Winston was the high school star. Women fell all over him, he had a warm and easy going personality, could charm anyone out of anything, bypassed college and succeeded quickly in business, had married several times always to beautiful women, moved up and down the ladder of success, came from the wrong side of the tracks, and refused to conform to middle class respectability. After years apart and barely acknowledging one anothers existence Austin Sinclair approaches Jack Winston at a restaurant and asks him for a match at Sinclair's club. Jack jumped at the opportunity, as he was looking for a way to approach Austin about a loan that would salvage his boat business and his life. As for Austin this would be an opportunity to see up close the man whose life he envied, and perhaps restore some spark in his own life by renewing his friendship with Jack. The tale is told from the point of view of both men, going back and forth from one chapter to the next, like a tennis ball across the net. The story flows very well, with drama and tension not unlike the match itself. The pace and tension build to the exh austing and not entirely conclusive end. Both leave the match having learned more about themselves than one another, and both leave the match knowing once again why they love the game of tennis. For the most part the narrative device works well. The tennis is woven nicely through the inner thoughts of the players, and despite long digressions into the past or long narratives about life's trials, the game is always there to drive the story forward to its dramatic conclusion. One does wonder at times if it would be possible for anyone to play tennis at such a high level, while being so distracted by a lifetime of memory and a caseload of current personal and psychological problems. At one point there is so much going on in the heads of these two men that the narrative loses track of the game, while at other times the language seems a bit stilted or a bit too melodramatic. The introduction of three other narrators in scattered chapters is another distraction the novel does not need. But these are small points and they detract only slightly from an exciting and compelling story that is difficult to put down. The writing about the game itself often finds the essence of tennis, as here when Jack reflects on Austin's skill: Watching him, you'll read a backhand and turn for it, only to see the ball bounce to your forehand and go flipping off over the doubles line. So what you do is, you shuffle around during the toss, let him think you've out-guessed him and know exactly what way he's going. You try to make him change his mind. Lose some concentration. Take away some of his power. Force a fault or at least a tentative shot. And mostly none of it works. (p.64