The Grand Slam

Bobby Jones, America, and the Story of Golf

By: Mark Frost

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 19 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

In the wake of the stock-market crash and the dawn of the Great Depression, a ray of light emerged from the world of sports. In the summer of 1930, Bobby Jones, a 28-year-old amateur golfer, mounted a campaign against the record books. In four months, this natural, self-taught player conquered the British Amateur Championship, the British Open, the United States Open, and finally the United States Amateur Championship, an achievement so extraordinary that writers dubbed it the Grand Slam. No one has ever repeated it.

Yet, soon after the Grand Slam, Jones made the shocking announcement that he was retiring from the game. His abrupt disappearance from the public eye helped create the mythological image of this hero from the Golden Age of sports that endures to this day. Mark Frost uses a wealth of original research to provide an unprecedented intimate portrait of golf great Bobby Jones.

©2004 Good Comma Ink, Inc. (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A swift, surefooted account of Jones's remarkable life and career." (Publishers Weekly)
"Frost does a fine job of recounting the tenor of the times....Highly recommended for all sports collections." (Library Journal)

thank you

just what i was looking for! felt i was relieving the times as a fan and just what we need today once again to inspire everyone...thank you!

Awesome

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Great man, good story and a lot of insight into US history in those days.

What did you like best about this story?

To learn about golf's greatest

Which scene was your favorite?

His speech at St. Andrews when he returns

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Probably

Awesome historical walk through golf and the 1920s

Learned so much and will probably listen to this one again
The strength and resolve of the golfers are inspiring.

You need to Listen to this One.

Was very enjoyable. After listening to the whole book I walked away with "That was a great Book" To hear about the life and times of Bobby Jones, Golf, and America for the first half of the 20th century was fascinating and very well told.

My Favorite Golf Audio

Any additional comments?

I'm a golf nut. So to say this is my favorite golf audio is saying a lot. I love the history of golf, the details from a time gone by and I enjoy hearing about Jones. Jones was more dominant in his era than Tiger was in his prime. On top of that Jones was a legendary golfer in his spare time. He was a lawyer by trade. It's an amazing story that is well told.

Golf is just a game, How one acts is not,,,

I, to date have often performed "The eye roll" when hearing something, that, to me was a complete fib, or should I say, a magnification of what was, at one time,a fact!
Let me explain,,, "I once caught a fish THIS BIG!!!", I believe this to be one of the all time favourites. You will all hook a grin and say ,, Oh aye,, I know that man.and think of him as OK but an ass..
A free man can not get jailed for thinking, or having an opinion, for that thought is between him and his own God.
Thats where most of us fail in our perception of people who make these magnifications , I believe that Bobby Jones simply looked on it as " a big fish tale! Then he smiled, a real smile
This man was , in reality something , that in my 45 years to date, I can count on one finger a person of his like, that I knew and did not see it.But , I see it now , 10 years after his death at 32.....
Golf is just a game,,, When you read this book and experience the big fish tale weeks or months after completing this , you will not only be a better and happier golfer, I do believe , you will never call anybody an ass again, they will be ,, and very simply ,, a good storyteller, which is a gift.....
Bobby Jones the man was more than normal , was it his father ? , was it his grandfather that made him and his ideal?
In my opinion, as an agnostic, I have the very uneviable honour of perhaps having to face the notion that fate is a fact,and this man was put on this earth to better us, like other great golfers of their day , Jesus Christ, Elvis, Martin Luther King, and Santa,,,,, Many years will I wrestle with this one, but, one thing is sure, .....

My golf is going to get better,,,and I will think twice before making an ascertion on a person for the rest of my days.......

Golf and life ,, enough said I believe, Fantastic read and have started it again............

Stevesblakely

Spectacular

What a life!
Very well represented.
Mark Frost is such a great golf writer.
Highly recommend to any golfer and any sports fan. To know history, to know a man, and what is possible…

Fantastic

Frost is amazing, another golf masterpiece. I recommend The Greatest Game Ever Played and The Match as well. All three are incredible.

Essential for the sports fan

"The Grand Slam" is more than a story about golf's most enduring record. It is a story of the Roaring 20s and the establishment of sports as an important part of American life. It is the story of athletes becoming heroes and of one the greatest sportsman of all time, Bobby Jones. The wealth of detail is intimidating but the story is compelling and essential for any sports fan.

Storytelling at its Finest

A book that will entertain not only those who are fans of the great game of golf but of American history in the early 20th century.

To say this book is a fabulous read and while rated it 5 stars across the board, it still does not seem to give it due credit. I truly felt as if I were taken back in time and was drawn into story that chronicled the amazing life of Bobby Jones and the early history of golf in America.

Truly an amazing read and Grover Gardner does an phenomenal job as always in bringing the story to life. You will not be disappointed.