Bethpage - Pro Tour Memorabilia - 22085 BET Cheap Lowest Price

One of the more disappointing books by John Feinstein. He acts like the people putting on the 2002 U.S. Open were working on a cure for cancer. But seriously if the people described have all the abilities that Feinstein accredits them with, why aren't they doing something more meaningful than putting on a Golf Tournament. ALSO since I am a Huge Tiger Woods fan the usual Feinstein bashing of Tiger is not appreciated. One thing that surprised me is that NBC dictates pairings and starting times. If David Fay has all the integrity that Feinstein gives him credit for, he should not allow NBC to be so selective.
Also, I remeber watching this event on the tube. And Feinstein does not capture the enthusiasm that New Yorkers displayed for Phil Mickelson. The Book does not mention that he was called "The Mick."
The only question was how low to rate this book. Though unscientific 3 stars "feels" right.

Typical Feinstein ("A Season on the Brink" excepted). Quick, gossipy, superficial, fawning, etc., etc. This book is about the 2002 U.S. Open Golf Championship at the Bethpage Black Golf Course, a New York State Park course on Long Island. The subtitle, "Inside the Ropes at Bethpage Black," is used here as a figure of speech, meaning "behind the scenes." ("Inside the ropes" is normally used in the context of a professional golf tournament to refer to the actual playing area itself -- spectators are separated from the golfers, caddies, officials, and other chosen few by thin ropes that tell the spectators how close they can get to the action.) Feinstein's purpose is to give the reader a look at the unfolding of a golf tournament from its conception to its completion. We see U.S Golf Association (the organization that conducts the tournament) leaders in action and learn something about the logistics of putting on a golf tournament (e.g., 4,850 people willing to volunteer their time so that the professional golfers and U.S.G.A. can have a huge payday), about random qualifiers and random competitors, and about the resurrection of the Black golf course. Yet the book does not fulfill its promise. My guess is that Feinstein's indebted to too many golf people for both his past and anticipated future lifestyle to offer the kind of critical insights and analysis I had hoped for.

John Feinstein's writting never sucks you in to leave you with the "I can't put it down" feeling. No, his books move slower and more methodically.

But in the end his books, this title included, leave the reader with a satisfied feeling. A feeling that they have gotten an in depth look, with thorough reporting and a sometimes unique perspective, at a sports issue.

The beauty of "Open" is that this event was widely reported on and covered by the media at the time of the U.S. Open. But the author's reporting starts us on this jpurney decades earlier and shows us many more reasons why this particular U.S. Open was an historic and dramatic event, aside from the obvious answers that are already known.

He merges the players on the course with the players behind the scenes who made the event happen. He shows the history of the financing of the U.S. Open and how that has evolved. His wrttting is crisp and clear and he sets the scenes in the book nicely with important details about key figures that help the reader appreciate their role in the events even more.

This book should appeal greatly to the golf fan and have a slightly broader appeal to those who enjoy good reporting from behind the scenes of major news events.

I loved the book -- absolutely loved it. But then, I'm a golf geek. I love to learn all the details about running a classic event like the U.S. Open. But if you're not a golf geek, you'll hate the book. You won't care about the groundskeeper and how his team brought this aging course back to life. You won't care about how the USGA caters to corporate sponsors. You'll skip pages, maybe even chapters. It'll be a complete waste of your time and money.

But for a golf geek, the story is fascinating. I found myself turning page after page, soaking in every detail about bringing the U.S. Open to Bethpage. And while there's alot of detail, Feinstein's narrative moves you through at a good clip. He doesn't labor for pages on the needless or the pointless. All-in-all, it's a solid book. If you enjoyed Feinstein's "A Good Walk Spoiled," you'll enjoy this. (Note: If you haven't read "A Good Walk Spoiled," buy that first. "Open" is good. But "A Good Walk Spoiled" is better, and you shouldn't miss it.)

I love the civil war series on PBS. It really got me into history. It was a real landmark in my life, and listening to this cd brings all that back. For the CD itself, the beginning is stronger than the end, with the haunting Ashokan Farewell, the 'main' theme for the series coming up early along with the always recognizable Battle Hymn of the Republic and Dixie.

The other thing I loved is that I don't really listen to any other music that reminds me of my days in band in High School. There is a lot of band music here and it's a really great change of pace to modern music.