Arnie - by Tom Callahan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this definitive biography, veteran sportswriter Tom Callahan shines a spotlight on one of the greatest golfers ever to play the game, Arnold Palmer.

The winner of more than ninety championships, including four Masters Tournaments, Arnold Palmer was a legend in twentieth century sports: a supremely gifted competitor beloved for his powerful hitting, his nerve on the greens, and his great rapport with fans. Perhaps above all others, Palmer was the reason golf's popularity exploded, as the King of the links helped define golf's golden age along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

In addition to his talent on the golf course, Palmer was a brilliant entrepreneur off it, and one of the first sportsmen to create his own successful marketing brand. Forging an alliance with sports agent Mark McCormick, Palmer parlayed his popularity into lucrative deals, and helped pave the way for the multi-million-dollar contracts that have become standard for stars across all sports. But beyond his business acumen, Palmer was always a larger-than-life character, and Arnie recounts a host of unforgettable anecdotes from a long life in the spotlight.

Tom Callahan knew Palmer well for many years, and now pays tribute to this golfing icon. Filled with great stories from the key people in Palmer's life, Arnie is an entertaining and illuminating portrait of a remarkable man and his extraordinary legacy.

This intimate sports biography reveals the man behind the legend:

• Golf's Golden Age: Go inside the ropes for the legendary rivalries and friendships with Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Ben Hogan that defined an era of golf.
• A Swashbuckling Hero: Relive the daring, go-for-broke style of play and the powerful charisma that captivated millions and made him the most popular golfer of the twentieth century.
• The Ultimate Sportsman: Learn how Palmer, alongside agent Mark McCormick, transformed his popularity into a pioneering sports marketing empire that changed professional athletics forever.
• An Intimate Portrait: Filled with unforgettable anecdotes, this definitive biography is penned by veteran sportswriter Tom Callahan, who knew Palmer for years and shares a deeply personal tribute.

From the Back Cover

The winner of more than ninety championships, including four Masters Tournaments, Arnold Palmer was a legend in twentieth-century sports: a supremely gifted competitor beloved for his powerful hitting, his nerve on the greens, and his great rapport with fans. Perhaps above all others, Palmer was the reason golf's popularity exploded; as the king of the links, he helped define the sport's golden age, along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

In addition to his talent on the course, Palmer was a brilliant entrepreneur off it, and one of the first athletes to create his own successful marketing brand. Forging an alliance with sports agent Mark McCormack, Palmer parlayed his popularity into lucrative deals and helped pave the way for the multimillion-dollar contracts that have become standard for stars across all sports. But beyond his business acumen, Palmer was always a larger-than-life character, and Arnie recounts a host of unforgettable anecdotes from a long life in the spotlight.

Tom Callahan knew Palmer well for many years and now pays tribute to this golfing icon. Filled with great stories from the key people in Palmer's life, Arnie is an entertaining and illuminating portrait of a remarkable man and his extraordinary legacy.

Review Quotes

"Arnie, a lovely tribute by the great Tom Callahan about his friend Arnold Palmer, is an absolutely worthy bookshelf partner to Callahan's previous books about Johnny Unitas and Ernie Accorsi." - New York Post

"A 2017 biography so rich in anecdotes it begs to be savored like a box of chocolates." - New York Times

"A comprehensive and engaging look at a man who was one of America's biggest sports personalities." - Forbes

"Consider this laudatory biography to be the screenplay for the movie." - Library Journal

"Under Tom Callahan's spell, words soar, spin and do the samba on the head of a matchstick. There's nobody better." - Rick Reilly, ESPN

"Tom Callahan writing about anything is like Julia Child saying, 'If you don't have any plans, stick around and I'll make you dinner.'" - Tony Kornheiser, Pardon The Interruption

"I've never knowingly blurbed anyone's book, and I'm not likely to do so for someone who calls me 'Al.'" - Alistair Cooke, who left Callahan an all-purpose blurb in case he ever needed it

"A joyful, definitive biography.... Callahan shows obvious affection for Palmer, [and] successfully argues that Palmer's seemingly charmed life included great difficulty even as he revolutionized golf." - Publishers Weekly

"Callahan's lively and brisk writing style makes for an eminently readable book jam-packed with anecdotes and stories golfers will love." - Kirkus Reviews

"Mr. Callahan has teed up a different sort of biography and knocked it dead center down the fairway." - Leigh Montville, Wall Street Journal

"Before I played in a Masters or U.S. Open, I played golf with Tom Callahan in Pretoria. So we go back a ways. In my first American major, I was paired with Arnold Palmer. Now Tom and Arnold are paired forever." - Ernie Els

"Tom knows the game of golf as well as anyone in the business. A lot of years, not just a lot of nights, went into this." - Jack Nicklaus

"Tom has been a good friend and a respected journalist in golf for a very long time... [He] has a special way of getting to the heart of the story." - Gary Player