He came like a gentle zephyr, charming all the girls and turning everyone’s pockets inside out…selling books that is! Kevin Cook left everyone spellbound last night at his book reading for “Titanic Thompson” – his captivating biopic of America’s greatest proposition swindler, then accepted the 2010 Jazzy Award for the year’s best sports writing with the same grace and humility with which he offered everyone a drink.
He may have written about Titanic, but he’s as unsinkable as Molly Brown. It was the second sports writing Jazzy Award in three years for the affable Cook, former editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine. He won in 2008 for “Driven,” the story of the kids who go to the IMG/Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton.
“The only thing that surpasses his ability as a writer, is what a great guy he is,” said Ken Kubik, a Cook friend, fan, and golf industry executive. “He wrote yet another marvelous book.”
Cook narrowly defeated Union Square Press, who burst onto the scene this year in headline-grabbing fashion with a stunning success – a collection of ancient article about the U.S. Open. They were certainly a worthy honorable mention and we look forward to their next works on the British Open and PGA Championship.
OTHER BOOK REVIEWS
I received and read two other books and will briefly do some housekeeping addressing their release.
David Barrett, who makes a good case for the most genteel and quiet sports writers in America, wrote a good review of Ben Hogan’s 1950 U.S. Open. Written a bit clinically for my taste, the PGA of America and Golf Observer both gave it rave reviews. I do write for Golf Observer with David, and enjoy working with him, he’s as fine a co-worker and colleague I could have. That being said, I wish the story he told had a little more color, but then again, david has never been about flash…and that’s why people like him so much. Even on my best days, I wish i got along with people as well as he did.
John Garrity wrote a wonderful story about golf and his Irish heritage in “Ancestral Links,” which should make a good run for the Book of the Year at the GWAA golf writers awards. Garrity is also a prince of a guy, who incidentally is a dead ringer for Umberto Eco’s famous character, Brother William, from “the Name of the Rose.”
2009: Dan Jenkins, Jenkins at the Majors
2008: Kevin Cook, Driven
2007: Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, San Francisco Examiner, Game of Shadows
2006: Jason Whitlock, Fox Sports
2005: Robert Thompson, Canadian National Post
