 "Great Book on Golf and Friendship" | 2006-05-26 |
| - Reviewed By gwfeds0 |
I've read several of John Feinstein's books, and have never been disappointed. This was one of his better efforts. It's the story of Bruce Edwards and Tom Watson. Edwards was a caddy, and was lucky enough to hook up with Watson back in 1973. He spent most of the next 30 years caddying for one of the best golfers and best people in the game.
The book tells the story of these two remarkable individuals, and shows how well-liked they both were on the PGA tour. The last part of the book describes the 2003 season, and how tough it was for both of them. Edwards was diagnosed with ALS at the beginnig of the year, and struggled to make it through one final season as Watson's caddy.
Watson is portrayed in the book as a great friend and boss. He realized how lucky he was to have Edwards as his caddy and friend for all those years, and Edwards was just as aware of how lucky he had been. It's just a shame they didn't have a few more years together. |
| |
 "Glimpse Into Humanity" | 2005-09-01 |
| - Reviewed By mba_finished |
| On several occassions, I found myself getting choked up while reading this book. It is intensly personal and we're lucky to be provided with an up close view of what Bruce Edwards and those who loved and worked with him went threw. Experience is a hard thing to acquire, unless you actually have it. This book offers a rare exception to its reader. |
| |
| "A tale of golf, friendship and courage" | 2005-01-10 |
| - Reviewed By dcfilmguy |
Perhaps my only mistake was choosing to start reading this book the same night I had finished John Feinstein's most recent effort, "Let Me Tell You a Story," his book about the legendary Celtics figure, Red Auerbach. For that reason and that reason only, it took me a little longer to get into this one. After all, following that one is almost impossible.
But this one does. It is at times funny and sad and as a result, there are times this book brings out a smile, but many times it brings out a tear. But through it all, Feinstien's gift for telling a story makes this book one of the best books I have read. It is a story about a caddy with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Bruce Edwards, the long-time caddy to golf great Tom Watson, was diagnosed with the fatal illness in January of 2003, a little more than two years ago. The book chronicles his life on the PGA Tour with, not only his brother-like relationship with Watson, but with everyone who ever came into his life. It is apparent that he touched a lot of lives during his 30+ year career on tour.
Through it all, until the end, Edwards was a picture of perservearance, bravery and courage. He refused to let the illness get the better of him. If memory serves, Edwards passed away shortly after this book was published. May he rest in peace. |
| |
| "Never Ever Give Up" | 2004-09-23 |
| - Reviewed By themanifestman |
Being an Avid Golfer, I was drawn by this story of courage under the face of the biggest adversity a person could ever face, knowing you are going to die. This story is a touching tribute to Bruce Edwards, the long time caddy to PGA tour vetran Tom Watson and a tribute to Bruce as not only a great caddy but a great person as well. It is a story of two men who forged a freindship over the years that brought them "Closer than Brothers" and a tribute to the class and dignity in which Bruce displayed in facing ALS or "Lou Gehrigs" disease.
We never know if and when something devestating will hit us or someone we love, but Bruce Edwards shows that you can have dignity in dying and that the Human Spirit prevails in the worse of conditions. A must read right there with Tuesdays with Morrie!
|
| |
| "Rather Gehrig's disease than Liberace's!" | 2004-09-17 |
| - Reviewed By rodboomboom |
Never quitting what he was passionate about, that was Bruce Edwards. Certainly he was passionate about caddying, about caddying for Tom Watson, passionate about always being upbeat and humorous. "AT least Lou Gehrig was a great athlete. I'd rather tell people I have Gehrig's disease than Liberace's disease."
He set standard for pro caddies before finding out he had this dreaded killer.
This consumate team which had been through so much thrilled the sporting world at Olympia Fields. Watson's passion for his friend and his plight.
Feinstein's wordsmithing of this unique relationship and its unfurling from a fateful incident where hhe missed out caddying for veteran Dale Douglass only to chance upon a new upstart yound college grad from Stanford.
The rest is golfing history and told so well in this engaging and emotionally charged book.
May it inspire much good in the game and for this dreaded killer of a disease. |
| |
| "For the love of the game." | 2004-06-20 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Bruce Edwards was passionate about golf, and he realized at a young age that the itinerant life of a caddy was ideal for him. He worked mostly with one man, the great Tom Watson, who also became his lifelong friend. If Edwards had not been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease when he was in his late forties, this book would not have been written. However, in 2003, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic told Edwards that he had only a short time to live. "Caddy for Life," by John Feinstein, is the poignant, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting story of this courageous man. Feinstein writes knowledgeably not just about Bruce Edwards, but also about the game of golf. When Edwards started out as a caddy, he worked for peanuts, and his living accommodations were spartan. It was only in later years that Edwards and other caddies gleaned substantial financial rewards for their efforts. People like Edwards completely changed the nature of caddying. Edwards studied each golf course thoroughly and took meticulous notes about every bump and ridge on each green. In many ways, a sharp and experienced caddy can raise a golfer's game to a higher level, and Edwards was one of the best caddies in the game. "Caddy for Life" is, most of all, an emotional paean to the close friendship that developed between Tom Watson and Bruce Edwards. Since they went through so much during their almost thirty years together on various golf courses, Watson and Edwards knew and loved each other like brothers. Watson cried often in the days and months after Edwards told him the grim news about his fatal illness. Since then, Watson has done his best to raise awareness as well as funds for research that may someday lead to a cure for this horrendous disease. Edwards's illness devastated his loved ones, including his parents and three siblings. What a cruel fate that a short time after Edwards proposed to the love of life, Marsha, he was diagnosed with ALS. However, he refused to shut himself in his room and brood about his misfortune. Edwards spent the rest of his life caddying with Watson to the best of his ability, and fighting the disease that was robbing him of his speech and his strength. "Caddy for Life" is not only about the sadness of a man cut down in his prime. It is also an entertaining and often amusing account of how various golfers have struggled to tackle some of the most challenging courses in the world. Feinstein illustrates time and again that golf is as much a mental as a physical game, and few golfers have the psychological makeup to handle the pressure. "Caddy for Life" is an engrossing, moving, and informative look at the world of golf and at one particular individual who has left an indelible mark on the game he loved so much. |
| |
| "APPRECIATE EDWARDS' AND FEINSTEIN'S PASSION FOR GOLF" | 2004-06-04 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Bruce Edwards's parents expected their son to attend college and to enter the medical field in a worthy career. After working as a caddy, Edwards took them by surprise with the news that he would seek a career as a caddy. Author John Feinstein tells us how Edwards eventually became the caddy for golf champion Tom Watson. Together, Watson and Edwards brought home many prestigious awards and titles. After hearing Feinstein's audio book, listeners will discover it wasn't the material things that deemed caddying worthwhile for Bruce Edwards; rather, it was his personal, as well as his professional life in the golf world. Feinstein relays Edwards' relationships, especially with Watson, to show why Edwards was held in high regard by his friends. The abridged edition goes behind the scenes of professional golf, but not in as much as the book version. Reading the book or listening to the audio, golf fans will appreciate Bruce Edwards's passion for golf, as well as Feinstein's dedication to writing about it, especially when it gets personal. |
| |
| "Take it from a non-golfer... this book is a MUST!!!" | 2004-05-27 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| I am not a golfer. I don't play golf, watch golf or even play an impressive round of putt putt. This is the third Feinstein golf book I've read and probably the best. I was amazed not only by the power of the story but once again at Feinstein's writing power. I first experienced it when I happened upon my ex-husbands "A Good Walk Spoiled" and thought I'd read a few chapters until I got to the library to pick up something I wanted to read... 544 pages later I was fired up and completely engaged in the world of golf. Since then I have suggested that book to everyone I know who even has a mild interest in golf and many who don't. I was sitting in a hotel room in California when I saw on the news that Bruce Edwards had died. I immediately ordered "Caddy for Life". Feinstein had me hooked after the first page of the introduction. He has helped share the legacy of Bruce Edwards with a non-golfer like me. He treated Edward's life with dignity and compassion while giving the special gift of letting the reader meet the remarkable man which Bruce Edwards embodied. He will be missed not only on the golf green but also on this planet. Read this book... may we all be able to live a life as intentional and giving as Bruce Edwards. |
| |
| "walked past this book in every airport but finally....." | 2004-05-20 |
| - Reviewed By paul4golf |
| I like Feinstein's writing (especially his book about the US Open) but I didn't see a whole book on this subject. Finally stuck in an Omaha airport, I broke down. And it has been an enjoyable read. You really come to care for Edwards and appreciate his love of the game, his profession, the Tour atmosphere and Watson. It is a book that is hard to put down and one that is hard to leave behind once you are done. |
| |
| "Good book--but...." | 2004-05-16 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
This is a good book. If you want to find out more about the terrible disease that killed Bruce Edwards, read
HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER: A STORY FROM THE EDGE OF MEDICINE by Jonathan Weiner. |
| |
Expedited Available
