Jack Nicklaus

My Story

By: Jack Nicklaus, Ken Bowden

Narrated by: Ian Esmo

Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

During his more than 40-year career as champion amateur, dominating professional, and senior star, the Golden Bear has won almost 100 tournaments around the world. Topping that astounding achievement are his record 20 major-championship victories: two U.S. Amateurs, six Masters, four U.S. Opens, three British Opens, and five U.S. PGA Championships.

This is Jack Nicklaus’ complete and compelling in-depth account of his legendary major triumphs, along with many other competition highlights—and some lowlights, too—of one of the greatest sports careers of all time.

©1997 Jack Nicklaus (P)1998 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

“The most important golf autobiography since that of Nicklaus’ boyhood hero, Bobby Jones. A chronicle of rare insight and depth. It manages to increase the reputation of its subject. And like him, it will last.” ( Washington Times)

“Nicklaus is very calming in that unpretentious Midwestern way, and Ian Esmo's reading is controlled and blissfully unintrusive. It's like listening to the Golden Bear himself as he recounts the 20 major championships he won between 1959 and 1986.” ( AudioFile)

"Really Mr. Peabody?"

I was really looking forward to hearing about one of Golf's greatest players of all time only to have the dialog delivered by an atrocious narrator. Ian Esmo sounds exactly like Mr. Peabody of Bullwinkle's Sherman and Peabody fame. Horrible. I couldn't get thru the first 20 minutes before I ejected with plans of returning. Too bad too.

Good story, bad narrator

at first I thought the book was being read by Siri's father. way to robotic, very little inflection.

however, the story was well written.

How he played

This book is an excellent recount of Jack's golf life. He treats his emotional ups and downs, with shot evaluations, satisfaction with his technique, and the many times others helped him. It gives a good feeling for how Jack lived and prospered I found it helpful to know that he faced many of the doubts that I have.

Great golfer, but terrible book

Really like Jack's golf game, but this book renders his incredible story as interesting as dry oats. No story, no personality, no life. Oppressively stuffy sentences that sound like they're written by a country club committee, Roman Patrician, or the Monopoly Man. Then there's the listing of accomplishments that read like a college application, plus persistent passive voice, detached tone, word choices straight from the 1800's (thus, beloved, hallowed, renaissance, "dear old Gerald", fuss, inviting, renowned, handsomely, herein, facsimile, "all to pot"), and uses 15 words when one will do. Also strangely refers to himself in the third person and his wife as "Mrs. Nicklaus", another throwback to the 1800s. Similar problem for the narrator who sounds like he's reading a technical manual on the constituent components of asphalt or maybe instructions for operating a cotton gin. Hoping I have time to return this since I can't make it halfway through. Update: too late to return; so using it as a sleep aid, and works great -- dead sleep in five minutes every time!

Great Story

The narrator was a little robotic sounding. To.the point I had to Google his name to see if he was a real person. The Golden Bear was Golden.

Great Story of Jack as you learn about family, golf, friends, and how hard he worked at golf

I recommend this story to all golfers and sports enthusiasts . A truly amazing life he has has on and off the course. The world is lucky to have Jack and Barbara as they have been great leaders setting a high bar on how to live life. Thanks

Terrible narration

Story is great but narration sounds like an old SciFi speech synthesizer. So bad it is very hard to listen to the book. I'd return it if I could...

Come Back Kid

Where does Jack Nicklaus rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It was pretty detailed, jumped around alittle bit.

What other book might you compare Jack Nicklaus to and why?

Greg Norman's

What does Ian Esmo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think just by changing his voice for a different person.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No but the 86' Masters was the best.

Any additional comments?

Long but a great career does not take 10 minutes to cover.