The Battle for Augusta National : Hootie, Martha, and the Masters of the Universe

Rating:
Summary: He Knows of What He Speaks
Review: The day after I finished this fine book I read in the newspaper that Martha Burk had won her 1st Amendment court case against the city of Augusta. The author had all but predicted this would happen, part of an insightful final chapter that basically carried the message,"This ain't over yet, folks." There is a tremendous amount of insight in "The Battle for Augusta National", and that's just one example among many. Most books in the Sports section are mindless hagiographies, but Shipnuck has written a book full of ideas - about the media, the meaning of private clubs, the culture of big business, the cronyism of Southern politics. There are plenty of other amusing digressions along the way. I will continue to scan the newspaper, awaiting new developments that I have already been told to expect.

Rating:
Summary: very good, but wanted more about the masters
Review: this book is well-written with a lot of good research, but i was disappointed there wasn't more about the 2003 masters tournament. especially the winner, mike weir. i guess that's a different kind of book, but weir deserved more than a few pages.

Rating:
Summary: very entertaining!
Review: This book was a real page-turner, full of fascinating subplots and interesting people. Shipnuck did an excellent job providing context and insight on a controversy that has many shades of gray. There are also a surprising number of laugh-out-loud moments here. Shipnuck has a good ear for the absurd. His dinner with the One Man Klansman is hysterical, and there are too many other funny little moments to mention. This is the kind of book you can read in a couple of days, and I mean that as a compliment!

Rating:
Summary: great read
Review: well organized, well researched, well thought out, and extremely well written