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4 out of 4 stars
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In Seve: The People’s Champion, Paul Daley revives memories of an outstanding golfer and personality called Seve Ballesteros. The coverage within this publication extends well beyond Seve, and readers would learn fascinating tidbits about Seve’s rivals, tournament details, and a good slice of general golf history. The author tells the story of how Seve came through the caddie ranks at Real Golf de Pedreña to rise to become the most popular golfer to grace the sport through his charisma, shot-making skill, incredible concentration, legendary powers of recovery, unparalleled adaptability, among others.
The writer also takes us through the numerous awards Seve collected, individually and collectively, as well as how he contributed to the European golfing community and quashed the belief that the top European golfers were incapable of matching the finest players from the United States. Readers would also see how Seve's love for another sport in his formative years may have led to his back problem much later in his career. The book also explains the events leading up to his death and ten years after that. Read this book to find out about Seve's key life developments, successes, defeats, and everything in between.
There are lots of things to like about this book. First, I like how the writer made the book look like a magazine with pictures scattered throughout. The pictures not only made me refreshed while I read but also made me appreciate the events of Seve’s stellar career. I also like how the writer provided in-depth accounts of several important tournaments where Seve’s capabilities as a golfer were illustrated. For example, the way the author described Seve’s three-wood recovery at Ryder Cup in 1983 was a joy to read. Another event I felt like the author described in a way that kept me glued was when Seve made his debut as non-playing captain for the European team against the US at the Ryder Cup in 1997 in Valderrama.
Additionally, I like how the author provided a list of Seve’s victories towards the end of the book. That list helped me appreciate the true extent of the success he enjoyed throughout his career and how much of an entertainer he must have been to his audience. Another thing I like is how the author provides a “table of contents” page at the beginning of the book. That way, it is easy to find the location where certain tournaments are narrated. It was also nice to see what some of his rivals and opponents thought of him. For example, I learned that after Seve’s performance at Royal Birkdale in 1976, the winner, Johnny Miller, was impressed by what he observed of Seve that he wrote a letter to the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and persuasively outlined the case for Seve to receive an invitation to the 1977 Masters. What a man Seve was to have been admired by his competitors!
The only thing I don’t quite like about the book is the size of the font. I often had to zoom in on my screen to see the text. Apart from that, I found nothing to dislike about the book. Moreover, the text is professionally edited. I rate the publication a comprehensive 4 out of 4 stars. The negative point I explained isn’t enough reason to deduct any point. People who like golf would enjoy this piece, and I recommend it to them. People that like reading about other people’s biographies would also find this book interesting. Happy reading!
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Seve: The People's Champion
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