Product Description

There are golfers, and there are golfers. And then there's Seve. Severiano Ballesteros is perhaps the most naturally gifted golfer ever to have walked a fairway. From the moment his brother Manuel gave him his first club - a 3 iron - he was unstoppable; he played shots others could only dream of. A few weeks before his seventeenth birthday he turned pro. Five years later, he won the Open. A year after that, he became the first European ever to win the Masters. A genius had arrived. For the best part of two decades, Seve dominated the golfing landscape. With 94 wins to date as a professional (including 5 Majors), 6 European Order of Merit titles and the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Rankings, he became a sporting phenomenon, an athlete who transcended - and still transcends - his sport. But Seve stands for more than simple excellence. Almost single-handedly, Seve gave European golf credibility; almost single-handedly, he made the Ryder Cup one of the greatest contests in world sport. And when, as captain, he finally lifted the trophy on home soil in 1997, a whole continent rejoiced. His pride and passion have inspired millions, and we have taken him to our hearts. Now, for the first time, Seve tells his story. From his humble beginnings right up to the present day, here at last is the man behind the magic in his own words. Like its author, Seve is utterly entertaining, blazingly charismatic and unique; and, like its author, it wears its heart on its sleeve. But Seve is more than Seve the golfing magician, Seve the proud family man, and Seve the fierce patriot. It is, simply, 'Seve'.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32419 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Synopsis
There are golfers, and there are golfers. And then there's Seve. Severiano Ballesteros is perhaps the most naturally gifted golfer ever to have walked a fairway. From the moment his brother Manuel gave him his first club - a 3 iron - he was unstoppable; he played shots others could only dream of. A few weeks before his seventeenth birthday he turned pro. Five years later, he won the Open. A year after that, he became the first European ever to win the Masters. A genius had arrived. For the best part of two decades, Seve dominated the golfing landscape. With 94 wins to date as a professional (including 5 Majors), 6 European Order of Merit titles and the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Rankings, he became a sporting phenomenon, an athlete who transcended - and still transcends - his sport. But Seve stands for more than simple excellence. Almost single-handedly, Seve gave European golf credibility; almost single-handedly, he made the Ryder Cup one of the greatest contests in world sport. And when, as captain, he finally lifted the trophy on home soil in 1997, a whole continent rejoiced. His pride and passion have inspired millions, and we have taken him to our hearts.

Now, for the first time, Seve tells his story. From his humble beginnings right up to the present day, here at last is the man behind the magic in his own words. Like its author, Seve is utterly entertaining, blazingly charismatic and unique; and, like its author, it wears its heart on its sleeve. But Seve is more than Seve the golfing magician, Seve the proud family man, and Seve the fierce patriot. It is, simply, 'Seve'.

Customer Reviews

Seve, his story for once.
Contrary to the previous review, this autobiography is not a 'boring rant' but is very revealing about Seve's upbringing and his battles with various authorities to sell the great game of golf to his home country and the European tour.The Ryder Cup, especially, would not be what is today without the influence of Seve.

The book also made me aware of how early in his career his back problems started and how through great determination and self belief he became the most dominant and charismatic golfer of his era.

Fiercely competitive but with a genuine love of the game and its traditions, anyone who saw him play will always have fond memories of how he lit up the world of golf in the 70's and 80's.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse of the behind the scenes world of the 'European Arnold Palmer'. A book, written genuinely from the heart and I only wished he could have expanded more on the people he came across and the players he battled with.

A boring rant
Before i say this, let me tell you i love Seve. I think he is the greatest ever golfer, and i love watching the guy. With that said, his book bored me.
I enjoyed reading the first third of this book, but after a while, you begin to notice a pattern. It is basically just one big rant about all the things the golf world did during his career that he didnt agree with, what he felt about it, and then tells us how what he was doing was always right and how great he is.
When someone writes an autobiography, chances are i buy it because i already think they are great, and so i dont need them to keep telling me that throughout the book. Its fine for them to write down their successes, but there is no need to keep saying "look at me, wow, i did this, im fantastic"
I found this book very boring, needless to say

A legend
Seve is a legend and this book is a great read for golf fanatics with fond memories of the maestro in his prime. He tells his story with passion, humour and honesty which gives you fantastic insight into the fiercely competitive boy caddy that became the world number one golfer, a husband, a father and a businessman and the rebelious nature that always ensured Seve took the non conformant path less travelled by his golfing peers.