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The Mysterious Montague: A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery
He was a 1930s golf legend and Hollywood trickster who adamantly refused to be photographed. He never played professionally, yet sports-writing legend Grantland Rice still heralded him as “the greatest golfer in the world.” Then, in 1937, the secrets of John Montague’s past were exposed—leading to a sensational trial that captivated the nation.
From three-time New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville
John Montague was a boisterous enigma. He had a bagful of golf tricks, on and off the course. He could chip a ball across a room into a highball glass, and knock a bird off a wire from 170 yards—and when the big man arrived in Hollywood in the early 1930s, he quickly became a celebrity among celebrities. He lived for a time with Oliver Hardy (whom he could lift, one-handed, onto the country club bar) and played golf with everyone from Howard Hughes and W. C. Fields to Babe Ruth and his close friend Bing Crosby, whom he famously beat while playing only with a rake, a shovel, and a bat. Yet strangely Montague never entered a professional tournament, and in a town that thrived on publicity, he never allowed his image to be captured on film.
The reasons became clear when a Time magazine photographer snapped his picture with a telephoto lens … and police in upstate New York quickly recognized Montague as a fugitive wanted for armed robbery. As Montague was indicted in the tiny upstate town of Jay, New York, hordes of national media descended and turned a star-studded legal carnival into the most talked about trial of its day – the trial of “the Mysterious Montague.”
From the glamour of 1930s Hollywood, to John Montague’s extraordinary skill and triumphs on the golf course, to the shady world of Adirondack rumrunners and bootleggers, three-time New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville captures a man and an era with extraordinary color, verve, and energy. The Mysterious Montague is Leigh Montville’s most entertaining achievement to date.
From three-time New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville
John Montague was a boisterous enigma. He had a bagful of golf tricks, on and off the course. He could chip a ball across a room into a highball glass, and knock a bird off a wire from 170 yards—and when the big man arrived in Hollywood in the early 1930s, he quickly became a celebrity among celebrities. He lived for a time with Oliver Hardy (whom he could lift, one-handed, onto the country club bar) and played golf with everyone from Howard Hughes and W. C. Fields to Babe Ruth and his close friend Bing Crosby, whom he famously beat while playing only with a rake, a shovel, and a bat. Yet strangely Montague never entered a professional tournament, and in a town that thrived on publicity, he never allowed his image to be captured on film.
The reasons became clear when a Time magazine photographer snapped his picture with a telephoto lens … and police in upstate New York quickly recognized Montague as a fugitive wanted for armed robbery. As Montague was indicted in the tiny upstate town of Jay, New York, hordes of national media descended and turned a star-studded legal carnival into the most talked about trial of its day – the trial of “the Mysterious Montague.”
From the glamour of 1930s Hollywood, to John Montague’s extraordinary skill and triumphs on the golf course, to the shady world of Adirondack rumrunners and bootleggers, three-time New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville captures a man and an era with extraordinary color, verve, and energy. The Mysterious Montague is Leigh Montville’s most entertaining achievement to date.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2008
45 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Leigh Montville
20 books27 followersLeigh Montville is a highly respected sportswriter, columnist and author. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut.Montville is married to Diane Foster and has two children. He lives in Massachusetts and is an ardent supporter of the Boston Red Sox.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
January 25, 2014
Reminds one of the novel Jack Torrence wrote during his residence at the Overlook Hotel. John Montague golfed really, really well. There, you have been spared maybe 300 of the 400 pages of Montville's really, really repetitive retelling of Montague's rise from armed robber to Hollywood swell to guy on trial for armed robbery. In between he played golf really, really, really well with famous people at the Lakeside Country Club. To break up the long cataloging of his really, really, low scores (60!, 62!, 67!), Montville tosses in tales of his trick golf exploits although if you pay careful attention it is really just the same two tall tales over and over again including one you saw in the Kevin Costner movie "Tin Cup" where he plays golf with garden implements. Montville eventually grows bored enough to through in the origin story of a sportswriter of the time named Grantland Rice - in case you were wondering about how he came to write things about sports. So to sum up, John Montague played golf really well.
February 9, 2022
Mysterious is a good title because the subject is still a mystery at the end of the book. Some of this reads like a bad Hollywood movie but the book indicates it is a true story.
You can tell the writer, while making a generally readable and interesting book, is a sports writer. There are periods when the book drags as golf score after golf score is listed. I have a passing interest in golf but it did seem to go on a bit more than my interest could endure.
Some of the story was engrossing while other parts dragged a bit. But at the end, I felt I still did not know the person I had just read about, though I knew a lot about what he had done.
You can tell the writer, while making a generally readable and interesting book, is a sports writer. There are periods when the book drags as golf score after golf score is listed. I have a passing interest in golf but it did seem to go on a bit more than my interest could endure.
Some of the story was engrossing while other parts dragged a bit. But at the end, I felt I still did not know the person I had just read about, though I knew a lot about what he had done.
April 27, 2020
Interesting story! I downloaded the audiobook mostly because I like the narrator (Scott Brick, he reminds me of Dr Spaceman from 30 Rock haha)
April 28, 2020
Interesting history of an enigma that I'd certainly never heard until I stumbled across this book in some alleyway bookstore in South Korea.
Really fun history of this strange person, a golfing legend who maybe was all legend, filled with other stories of Hollywood celebrities who knew him.
Fun. The writing at times goes off kilter though, and there are even times when the author is seemingly stretching for intrigue with this admittedly quite brief charter of history.
Really fun history of this strange person, a golfing legend who maybe was all legend, filled with other stories of Hollywood celebrities who knew him.
Fun. The writing at times goes off kilter though, and there are even times when the author is seemingly stretching for intrigue with this admittedly quite brief charter of history.
March 23, 2021
This is an interesting story of an eccentric guy. His incredible ability on the golf course, as well as several other athletic feats, made John Montague/LaVerne Moore into a 1930s celebrity. His curious reputation was probably enhanced by his extreme reluctance to enter golf tournaments, at any level.
The downside of keeping a low profile was that he remained in a sort of twilight zone of myth throughout his golfing life. He had a very good reason for this strategy. He'd been involved, on the other side of the country, in a Prohibition-era armed robbery (though he was cleared in 1937 trial). In fact, the DA had a good case that he was the violent robber, nearly killing an elderly man during the heist. Thanks to a clever attorney, Moore benefited from what seemed to be perjured testimony from family members, who provided an air tight alibi for him.
This isn't so much a true-crime book, nor a sports book; though these themes are well-detailed here, we're really focusing on the enigmatic protagonist, Moore/Montague. He's a lot of things, but not precisely just one: a smooth-talker, show-off, prankster, con-man, criminal, gambler, risk-taker, hoaxer, schemer, good friend, great company, loyal family member, cheery and optimistic.
In other words, a very complex personality. Although the author explores what Montague does, there isn't much concern with why he behaves how he does. It would seem that some of his behavioral traits were present in his family.
But he certainly took his incredible skill-set to a higher level. One could say that his exploits, particularly on the golf course, were a successful way of avoiding a regular job. In fact, we learn that his extravagant lifestyle was supported first by his high-class friends, and then by his wife's money. But there's no point in judging the guy for essentially trading his companionship for perks, lodging, and cash.
The ultimate party, bar, and golf buddy, he definitely served an essential function; we could even say that he created business, particularly for the venues that put on golf exhibitions for him. Who wouldn't want to nurture a hobby, and live well into the bargain? I admire him for that. I was taken in to the extent that the trial seemed more of a bad nightmare than a consequence of evil-doing.
When the law caught up with him, there's a very apt newspaper quote: (paraphrase) that it's as strange that New York authorities would pursue him to California for a seven-year-old crime as it was that he'd essentially hid out in plain sight for so long. Nonetheless, and especially considering the fact that he'd confessed to the crime before the trial, he lucked-out. That pretty much sums up his entire life up to that point.
His subsequent attempt to prove himself on the golf course was counter-productive. I can see why he wanted to enter tournaments, but he was too out of shape and out of practice to be more than marginally successful. Despite many setbacks, he never really lost his upbeat view of life, though. In a sense, having created a larger than life persona (he could, they say, lift up a car by the bumper), he couldn't just become another ordinary good golfer.
Perhaps his refusal to go professional before 1937 was his best move; he could entertain--if by legend as much as fact--and thoroughly enjoy himself. Maybe a sense of insecurity haunted him to the extent that he was afraid to fail. His last big gamble was to try and go mainstream in the PGA; this was one bet he couldn't cover.
This is a fine book on a tricky subject. I'd have liked to see some psychological analysis and speculation about this intriguing personality.
The downside of keeping a low profile was that he remained in a sort of twilight zone of myth throughout his golfing life. He had a very good reason for this strategy. He'd been involved, on the other side of the country, in a Prohibition-era armed robbery (though he was cleared in 1937 trial). In fact, the DA had a good case that he was the violent robber, nearly killing an elderly man during the heist. Thanks to a clever attorney, Moore benefited from what seemed to be perjured testimony from family members, who provided an air tight alibi for him.
This isn't so much a true-crime book, nor a sports book; though these themes are well-detailed here, we're really focusing on the enigmatic protagonist, Moore/Montague. He's a lot of things, but not precisely just one: a smooth-talker, show-off, prankster, con-man, criminal, gambler, risk-taker, hoaxer, schemer, good friend, great company, loyal family member, cheery and optimistic.
In other words, a very complex personality. Although the author explores what Montague does, there isn't much concern with why he behaves how he does. It would seem that some of his behavioral traits were present in his family.
But he certainly took his incredible skill-set to a higher level. One could say that his exploits, particularly on the golf course, were a successful way of avoiding a regular job. In fact, we learn that his extravagant lifestyle was supported first by his high-class friends, and then by his wife's money. But there's no point in judging the guy for essentially trading his companionship for perks, lodging, and cash.
The ultimate party, bar, and golf buddy, he definitely served an essential function; we could even say that he created business, particularly for the venues that put on golf exhibitions for him. Who wouldn't want to nurture a hobby, and live well into the bargain? I admire him for that. I was taken in to the extent that the trial seemed more of a bad nightmare than a consequence of evil-doing.
When the law caught up with him, there's a very apt newspaper quote: (paraphrase) that it's as strange that New York authorities would pursue him to California for a seven-year-old crime as it was that he'd essentially hid out in plain sight for so long. Nonetheless, and especially considering the fact that he'd confessed to the crime before the trial, he lucked-out. That pretty much sums up his entire life up to that point.
His subsequent attempt to prove himself on the golf course was counter-productive. I can see why he wanted to enter tournaments, but he was too out of shape and out of practice to be more than marginally successful. Despite many setbacks, he never really lost his upbeat view of life, though. In a sense, having created a larger than life persona (he could, they say, lift up a car by the bumper), he couldn't just become another ordinary good golfer.
Perhaps his refusal to go professional before 1937 was his best move; he could entertain--if by legend as much as fact--and thoroughly enjoy himself. Maybe a sense of insecurity haunted him to the extent that he was afraid to fail. His last big gamble was to try and go mainstream in the PGA; this was one bet he couldn't cover.
This is a fine book on a tricky subject. I'd have liked to see some psychological analysis and speculation about this intriguing personality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2021
Man takes part in restaurant robbery, escapes to Hollywood where he hob nobs with celebrities, takes their money, is proclaimed a golf genius and leads the high life. He is eventually identified as one of the restaurant bandits, is extradited back to Syracuse and beats the rap. Sadly, his golf game craps out on him as he tries take advantage of his new found fame and finds he has to play better golfers than Bing Crosby. Was he ever really that good a golfer? Probably not. Dies in obscurity. The End.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2021
I'll be honest, I didn't make it all the way through this book. About halfway through I realized I didn't really care about this "Mysterious Montague" or how good he was at trick golf shots. He's a criminal who used his celebrity and skill to attempt to thwart justice. And one can only read about trick golf shots so many times.
March 29, 2024
Absolutely fascinating history of friend of celebrities Bing Crosby, Hardy, Johnny Weissmuller, John Montague, The Mysterious Montague , golfer extraordinaire. Until he was arrested for a armed robbery committed in upstate NY years earlier. He was tried, found innocent with lawyers hired by Crosby and others. But karma had its way in the end.
August 8, 2024
Montague was certainly an enigma. He was an incredible golfer, a strongman, very wealthy, a pal to Hollywood celebrities, and an armed robber on the lam. The early part of the book is interesting, but once his trial is over he is just another washed up celebrity.
May 7, 2018
Well-written story of a fascinating and unknown person. This story needs to be a movie ASAP
June 23, 2019
This ia a fascinating book! Truly a great read.
July 30, 2020
An interesting biography of a non-conventional golfer. And I don't even like golf!
November 5, 2020
Solid read and story with a backdrop of golf.
December 31, 2022
An easy read, but ultimately a sad and depressing tale.
February 6, 2023
Great read!
August 23, 2023
Fun yarn about a the guy who inspired the Shovel, Rake, Bat sequence in the movie Tin Cup.
April 5, 2024
This book is all about golf. If you enjoy golf you'll enjoy this book!
June 25, 2008
LaVerne Moore was one of the more colorful figures in the world of golf in the 1930's and Leigh Montville tells his tale in all its boisterous glory in The Mysterious Montague, A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery.
John Montague, as Moore was better known, was a trick shot artist who could chip a ball into a highball glass or under the sash of a partially-opened window across the room. He reputedly knocked a bird off a power line from 170 yards and consistently drove the ball over 300 yards with a specially-made oversized driver the weighed twice as much as the standard club of its time. Most famously, he once beat Bing Crosby while playing only with a rake, a shovel, and a baseball bat.
Montague had a secret, though. It was why he never allowed himself to be photographed and reputedly why he never entered any professional events. When that secret was revealed, it led to a sensational trial in upstate New York that turned into a celebrity-laden media fest. The secret is told in the first chapter of the book: Montague was wanted under his real name, LaVerne Moore, for the armed robbery of a roadside restaurant in the Adirondacks in 1930. The trial and its aftermath is an interesting window into the media world of the time.
Montville entertains the reader with tales of Montague's prowess, although it's obvious many of them grew to legendary status mainly through the re-telling such feats engender. He also gives us a good look at the celebrities who flocked to Montague's cause. Babe Ruth, Bing Crosby, Oliver Hardy, W.C. Fields, Howard Hughes, Babe Didrickson Zaharias, and many more were tied to Montague one way or another. Sportswriter Grantland Rice was his biggest fan.
The end of the book, which chronicles Montague's late-in-life attempt to break into the ranks of professional tournament golf, may be of the greatest interest to players of the game. Weakened by too many years of Hollywood parties and lack of practice, Montague was a miserable failure in his attempts to compete with PGA stars, who had disdained him from the start.
John Montague, as Moore was better known, was a trick shot artist who could chip a ball into a highball glass or under the sash of a partially-opened window across the room. He reputedly knocked a bird off a power line from 170 yards and consistently drove the ball over 300 yards with a specially-made oversized driver the weighed twice as much as the standard club of its time. Most famously, he once beat Bing Crosby while playing only with a rake, a shovel, and a baseball bat.
Montague had a secret, though. It was why he never allowed himself to be photographed and reputedly why he never entered any professional events. When that secret was revealed, it led to a sensational trial in upstate New York that turned into a celebrity-laden media fest. The secret is told in the first chapter of the book: Montague was wanted under his real name, LaVerne Moore, for the armed robbery of a roadside restaurant in the Adirondacks in 1930. The trial and its aftermath is an interesting window into the media world of the time.
Montville entertains the reader with tales of Montague's prowess, although it's obvious many of them grew to legendary status mainly through the re-telling such feats engender. He also gives us a good look at the celebrities who flocked to Montague's cause. Babe Ruth, Bing Crosby, Oliver Hardy, W.C. Fields, Howard Hughes, Babe Didrickson Zaharias, and many more were tied to Montague one way or another. Sportswriter Grantland Rice was his biggest fan.
The end of the book, which chronicles Montague's late-in-life attempt to break into the ranks of professional tournament golf, may be of the greatest interest to players of the game. Weakened by too many years of Hollywood parties and lack of practice, Montague was a miserable failure in his attempts to compete with PGA stars, who had disdained him from the start.
June 15, 2009
SPOILER ALERT: Do not look at the pictures. One of them gives away the outcome of trial and deflates the story’s tension.
It wasn’t golf that attracted me to Leigh Montville’s biography of The Mysterious Montague. It was the True Tale of Hollywood…and Armed Robbery. I’m a sucker for Old Hollywood stories.
John Montague appeared on the Hollywood scene in 1934 and was soon dubbed “the greatest golfer in the world.” Better than any professional great of the day.
No one knows where he came from, where he made/got his money, or why he was there, except maybe to play golf. He quickly became friends with stars like Oliver Hardy and Bing Crosby. He even lived at Hardy’s place for a while.
Montague was amazing. He could things with his oversized clubs that no one else could do. He never golfed over 70. He once beat Crosby with a shovel, a rake, and a baseball bat. As amazing as those feats were, his feats off the course became as legendary. Many, many times he was known to lift the overweight Hardy onto a bar with one hand. Montague was a charmer. He did have two idiosyncrasies though.
First, no matter how much pressure his friends would put on him, he would never enter a tournament. His claim was that he only golfed for his personal enjoyment, but there were always some superstitious betting gong on at almost each hole. Second, he refused to have his picture taken. An odd thing in the land of stars, but that’s how he was.
However, John Montague’s gig was up in 1937. He was arrested and taken to Syracuse, New York, as a suspect in an armed robbery back in 1930 under the name of LaVerne Moore. His high-powered friends rallied around him, but the courts were determined to have their day.
Montville’s well-written biography is fun to read, albeit there are just too many golf scores. Maybe I know more about golf now that I’ve read The Mysterious Montague: A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery. Or maybe not. I won’t be hitting the links anytime soon.
Original review appeared on www.armchairinterviews.com
It wasn’t golf that attracted me to Leigh Montville’s biography of The Mysterious Montague. It was the True Tale of Hollywood…and Armed Robbery. I’m a sucker for Old Hollywood stories.
John Montague appeared on the Hollywood scene in 1934 and was soon dubbed “the greatest golfer in the world.” Better than any professional great of the day.
No one knows where he came from, where he made/got his money, or why he was there, except maybe to play golf. He quickly became friends with stars like Oliver Hardy and Bing Crosby. He even lived at Hardy’s place for a while.
Montague was amazing. He could things with his oversized clubs that no one else could do. He never golfed over 70. He once beat Crosby with a shovel, a rake, and a baseball bat. As amazing as those feats were, his feats off the course became as legendary. Many, many times he was known to lift the overweight Hardy onto a bar with one hand. Montague was a charmer. He did have two idiosyncrasies though.
First, no matter how much pressure his friends would put on him, he would never enter a tournament. His claim was that he only golfed for his personal enjoyment, but there were always some superstitious betting gong on at almost each hole. Second, he refused to have his picture taken. An odd thing in the land of stars, but that’s how he was.
However, John Montague’s gig was up in 1937. He was arrested and taken to Syracuse, New York, as a suspect in an armed robbery back in 1930 under the name of LaVerne Moore. His high-powered friends rallied around him, but the courts were determined to have their day.
Montville’s well-written biography is fun to read, albeit there are just too many golf scores. Maybe I know more about golf now that I’ve read The Mysterious Montague: A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery. Or maybe not. I won’t be hitting the links anytime soon.
Original review appeared on www.armchairinterviews.com
April 19, 2014
This book was written I am assuming for more a curiosity then anything. The legend continues or more correctly a story is told of a person most had never heard of, in current generations anyway. One thing I particularly found curious is that the picture of Montague on the cover looks a lot like Jackie Gleason in golf pose. Also in the picture section where we see probably quite rare pictures of Oliver Hardy and Bing Crosby with Montague, there is one of an aging Montague that looks a lot like Mickey Rooney.
Not giving the story away the book is about the life with great gaps particularly in his youth of the man that briefly held the nation as kind of gossipy intrigue like you would see in today's outlandish tabloids and Internet sites. The mystery of a man who appears from nowhere to befriend himself to early show biz folks of Hollywood. His entry is made through his sensationalized golfing feats, or tricks, and his ability to blend well with the cast of characters in this mix of mostly successful actors and a sportswriter.
The mystery culminates in the man's shady unknown background that implicates him in a crime years earlier back east. The two things that were driven home to me was that it is a good thing to have famous friends. And secondly Montague did manage to be ahead of his time in introducing formats to golf that would become successful application by modern era golfers. Sadly he did not quite capitalize on his mystique and creative folklore like so many who have attempted the same.
Not giving the story away the book is about the life with great gaps particularly in his youth of the man that briefly held the nation as kind of gossipy intrigue like you would see in today's outlandish tabloids and Internet sites. The mystery of a man who appears from nowhere to befriend himself to early show biz folks of Hollywood. His entry is made through his sensationalized golfing feats, or tricks, and his ability to blend well with the cast of characters in this mix of mostly successful actors and a sportswriter.
The mystery culminates in the man's shady unknown background that implicates him in a crime years earlier back east. The two things that were driven home to me was that it is a good thing to have famous friends. And secondly Montague did manage to be ahead of his time in introducing formats to golf that would become successful application by modern era golfers. Sadly he did not quite capitalize on his mystique and creative folklore like so many who have attempted the same.
February 18, 2011
This is a very enjoyable, page-turning read about an intriguing character, known variously as (The Mysterious) John Montague or LaVern Moore. Leigh Montville tells the tale well with an easy, flowing style that makes for quick and fun reading of a rather interesting story.
In an otherwise enjoyable experience, the most disappointing thing about the book is that its protagonist disappoints in the end. Essentially, for the vast majority of the story, Moore/Montague is an intriguing, freakishly talented and lovable rascal, but, after a serious turn of events, his life thereafter is a series of failures that contrast so completely with the successes that preceded them. In other words, after being so lucky and good, under the spotlight the Mysterious Montague fades and the story goes with it. I guess it's not the author's fault, but it definitely means that the book finishes on a downtrend.
Overall, then, I like and appreciate the book but rated it good but not great because its underlying story limits it. This being said, it's still a very enjoyable read (for the first three-quarters or so) and so should be considered by fans of biographies (esp. sports-related ones), sports enthusiasts (esp. golf ones) and those interested in a slice of history and a subset of the culture of Great Depression.
In an otherwise enjoyable experience, the most disappointing thing about the book is that its protagonist disappoints in the end. Essentially, for the vast majority of the story, Moore/Montague is an intriguing, freakishly talented and lovable rascal, but, after a serious turn of events, his life thereafter is a series of failures that contrast so completely with the successes that preceded them. In other words, after being so lucky and good, under the spotlight the Mysterious Montague fades and the story goes with it. I guess it's not the author's fault, but it definitely means that the book finishes on a downtrend.
Overall, then, I like and appreciate the book but rated it good but not great because its underlying story limits it. This being said, it's still a very enjoyable read (for the first three-quarters or so) and so should be considered by fans of biographies (esp. sports-related ones), sports enthusiasts (esp. golf ones) and those interested in a slice of history and a subset of the culture of Great Depression.
May 2, 2008
A pleasant diversionary book about a man who seems to have been a brief national phenomenon, about whom I knew nothing about.
I read an advance readers copy, so I was bereft of photographs, and they probably would have added more of a personal side to the story, but it was nonetheless fun to walk through the early life of this man, his criminal days, then hanging out with the Hollywood elite such as Bing Crosby and the sporting elite, such as Babe Ruth, and living with Oliver Hardy (of Laurel n' Hardy fame, dont'cha know)---then his subsequent trial for an armed robbery in his oh-so misguided youth.
Still...while I can't say that the book had any weak spots, it didn't really seem to have much in the way of strong points, either. It was a run of the mill biography, interesting only because the subject was interesting. I felt the author stepped possibly too far back from his subject, so that the book rarely feels written, but rather just reported.
I read an advance readers copy, so I was bereft of photographs, and they probably would have added more of a personal side to the story, but it was nonetheless fun to walk through the early life of this man, his criminal days, then hanging out with the Hollywood elite such as Bing Crosby and the sporting elite, such as Babe Ruth, and living with Oliver Hardy (of Laurel n' Hardy fame, dont'cha know)---then his subsequent trial for an armed robbery in his oh-so misguided youth.
Still...while I can't say that the book had any weak spots, it didn't really seem to have much in the way of strong points, either. It was a run of the mill biography, interesting only because the subject was interesting. I felt the author stepped possibly too far back from his subject, so that the book rarely feels written, but rather just reported.
July 16, 2008
Fascinating tale of a guy who once might have been the greatest golfer that ever lived--the only problem was he was living under an assumed name, wanted in connection with an armed robbery in upstate NY. Montville lays out the tale in more-or-less chronological fashion, letting the incredible facts speak for themselves. Not only does he do a nice job of retelling the story, but also presents an interesting picture of the Hollywood country club set of the 1930s and the small town tourist and bootlegging economy of upstate New York in the same era.
The only real flaw is not really Montville's fault--its just that since he primarily had to rely on aging secondary sources (newspaper reports, letters etc) it was difficult if not impossible for him to unravel what percentage of the incredible stories about his exploits were true and what were legends, although the author seems to side with Grantland Rice, who surely rated Montague as an exceptional talent.
The only real flaw is not really Montville's fault--its just that since he primarily had to rely on aging secondary sources (newspaper reports, letters etc) it was difficult if not impossible for him to unravel what percentage of the incredible stories about his exploits were true and what were legends, although the author seems to side with Grantland Rice, who surely rated Montague as an exceptional talent.
May 12, 2010
This could have been a great magazine piece. Unfortunately there is not enough meat for a full length book so the author has to stretch it out using all sorts of filler, extraneous material and repetition. The result makes for a very unevenly written story with some high points. The fungo, shovel and rake story is retold so many times, sometimes with different facts, that by the end I wish I had that shovel to break over the author's head!! Underneath all the excess verbiage is a real mystery that will never be unraveled.
March 8, 2012
The Mysterious Montague is an enjoyable story about a man named LaVerne Moore from Syracuse, NY who fled after a robbery and resurfaced as a mysterious golf player named John Montague in California. He was so good at the game of golf, and he surrounded himself with such a popular crowd of celebrities that an article and picture made its way back home to the authorities who were eager to put him on trial, even after many years had passed.
This book is a fun book about John and his story. I don't enjoy golf, but I enjoyed this book.
This book is a fun book about John and his story. I don't enjoy golf, but I enjoyed this book.
March 2, 2011
A pretty decent account of the life of a guy I had never heard of, there's a reason for that but I won't spoil anything. Could have been a lot better, more narrative and less reliance on other source material would have been nice but it wasn't critical and overall did nothing to add to or take away from the experience. If it had been longer (400-500 pgs) I would not have finished it. Mostly its a book about a semi-somebody turned nobody.
April 17, 2012
A very detailed telling of the celebrity years of the Paul Bunyan of the golf world. The author presents the escapades of John Montague through the experiences of those who knew the infamous man. Montville avoids filling-in gaps in Montague's history and does an excellent job of telling the story objectively from the information available in newspaper articles, editorials and written accounts of those who knew him.
August 16, 2012
I read about this book in ESPN magazine and was interested. I bought it and I was amazed this book filled all of my expectations the book kept me reading the characters were interesting but this book was not my favorite from this author.Interesting story of a depression-era robber turned friend to the stars, who was regarded as the best golfer of his day. Also he performed a great robbery at the same time.
May 31, 2011
This is the kind of book you expect from Leigh Montville, one of Sports Illustrated company of superb writers. It's a yarn full of twists and turns, and demonstrates, once again, that truth is stranger than fiction. The subtitle says it all, and it is a real page-turner; you don't have to be a golfer, or even a golf fan, to enjoy "Montague".
September 30, 2008
I started out thinking this was a biography of Jackie Gleason . . .but it's just someone who looks like Jackie Gleason. He's a pretty remarkable guy, but once you've heard a few stories the rest of the book is just more of the same.
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