Sam: The One and Only Sam Snead

by Al Barkow

Until now, few people could truly say they knew Sam Snead—his fears, his secrets, his dark side. Until today, there has never been a definitive biography of one of the greatest golfers of all time. Sam is not only a peek behind the mask, but an arresting look into the life of one of the game's most engaging yet enigmatic figures.

Genres: Sports

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2005

Reviews

[Quentin Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in West Virginia in the 50's and 60's I was always under the impression that Sam Snead was a West Virginian. That misconception was cleared up for me in future years, but I have always considered Sam Snead a native of my state and Hot Springs, VA is not that far from West Virginia. Golf was not one of the sports I was interested in growing up, but through my father and grandfather I followed Sam Snead's career because he was tied to the Greenbrier and that was in our state. I knew that he hit long and he won a lot, but beyond that I simply associated the man with the state. Thus I was interested in learning more about the man and this book has opened my eyes about the man and his career.

He started as a professional golfer earlier then I ever believed. He played a long time. He became a celebrity known not only in this country but in other countries that golf was played in. But I believe one of the points Mr. Barkow tries to get across is that Sam Snead did not change as an individual. He was born a raised in the mountains of rural VA and that never left him. He was as honest to his upbringing as he was to his game of golf. As any man he had his shortcomings and Mr. Barkow brings those out. But what many may consider shortcomings were character traits that come from the culture that he was raised in. Being raised near the Homestead in his home town brought him into early contact with those who may have considered him to be beneath them in social standing and social graces. Sam allowed his golf game to do his talking and refused to move away from his birthright.

It is a short book but for me it was an eye opener on one of the men I grew up admiring for his skill on the golf course. Now my admiration has grown stronger for the man that Sam Snead. I wish I had paid more attention to that "perfect swing" and followed him a little closer. He appeared to most as a simple country boy with a gift to play golf, but there was much more to Sam Snead then that and Mr. Barkow brings that out in this book. ( )

[Anders Olow · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, first published in 2005, we'll get to learn about the man behind the Slammin' swing, legendary golfer Sam Snead. I've always admired Sam Snead, his swing yes, but also his attitude of which I really knew nothing. But there was something different...
Author Al Barkow, one of golf's most knowledgeable writers, has chaptered his book into Sneads childhood on the family farm in Virginia, his love for golf, fishing and hunting, a chapter about his character being a ladies man, his well known dirty jokes and his senior years.
Some posh people looked upon Sam as something the cat had dragged in, but perhaps it was just that, being a simple guy from Virginia standing up for himself not letting himself be squeezed in somebody else's uniform, besides his fantastic golf as the pro with most victories ever on the PGA Tour, really cemented his reputation as the peoples guy.
And of course his awesome straw hat, made for him exclusively by Stetson. :-)

[Richard Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful biography of the golfer who played the best for the longest. Not a simple hillbilly, but a complex and fascinating personality with many remarkable characteristics in addition to his amazing athletic talent. Overall, a lieable fellow but with some very rough edges. Unlike Ben Hogan, Sam Snead was outgoing and sociable and obviously enjoy people and absolutely loved playing the game.

[Marcie Kremer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Nicklaus’s quote on the cover of SAM, THE ONE AND ONLY SAM SNEAD, encapsulates the excellent job done in this biography by famed sportswriter Al Barkow. “…I think you will find that the man behind the simple swing was more complex than most of the public knew.” [return]In this well-researched and entertaining book, Barkow paints a picture of a complicated, gifted athlete, sussing out the subtle influences of Snead’s West Virginia backwoods upbringing and his early experiences as a “country boy” who could play golf far better than the country club set he played with and against. Snead emerges as a Shakespearean tragic character within whose greatest gift lay the seeds of his own destruction – his matchless, rhythmic swing – which, in a world so dramatically different from his own native roots, created preconceptions and expectations that anyone – even with more education and world experience -- would have struggled to overcome and meet.[return]Readers might sometimes wish Barkow’s chronology in the narrative were a bit smoother, but, in order to do justice to a man whose legend is almost larger than life, it had to be difficult to blend the aspects of the golf swing, the daily competitions, the historic tournaments, and the development of Snead’s character in a strictly-adhered-to timeline. For non-golfers, one or two of the detailed descriptions of tournament play might prove to be confusing, but for lovers of the game, they prove fascinating and insightful.[return]Al Barkow’s thorough biography of Sam Snead will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy complex characters as well as the drama of competition in the centuries-old game of golf.

[Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Nicklaus’s quote on the cover of SAM, THE ONE AND ONLY SAM SNEAD, encapsulates the excellent job done in this biography by famed sportswriter Al Barkow. “…I think you will find that the man behind the simple swing was more complex than most of the public knew.” [return]In this well-researched and entertaining book, Barkow paints a picture of a complicated, gifted athlete, sussing out the subtle influences of Snead’s West Virginia backwoods upbringing and his early experiences as a “country boy” who could play golf far better than the country club set he played with and against. Snead emerges as a Shakespearean tragic character within whose greatest gift lay the seeds of his own destruction – his matchless, rhythmic swing – which, in a world so dramatically different from his own native roots, created preconceptions and expectations that anyone – even with more education and world experience -- would have struggled to overcome and meet.[return]Readers might sometimes wish Barkow’s chronology in the narrative were a bit smoother, but, in order to do justice to a man whose legend is almost larger than life, it had to be difficult to blend the aspects of the golf swing, the daily competitions, the historic tournaments, and the development of Snead’s character in a strictly-adhered-to timeline. For non-golfers, one or two of the detailed descriptions of tournament play might prove to be confusing, but for lovers of the game, they prove fascinating and insightful.[return]Al Barkow’s thorough biography of Sam Snead will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy complex characters as well as the drama of competition in the centuries-old game of golf.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS. NOT ENOUGH GOLF, TOO MUCH BACKGROUND.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting topic but not well-written. More of a reporter rather than author/story-teller. I expected more golf stories and history.