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The Legend of Bagger Vance (Movie Tie-In) (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.03) - 953 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The time: 1931. The place: the golf links at Krewe Island off Savannah's windswept Atlantic shore. The event: a once-in-a-lifetime 36-hole match...in which the stakes are higher than anyone imagined.
In Steven Pressfield's richly imagined, vividly detailed story, golf legends Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen are joined by a local unsung opponent, the troubled war hero Rannulph Junah. Played above raging Atlantic surf and under gathering storm clouds, their match is thrilling competition. But the key to the outcome lies with Bagger Vance, a caddie who carries the secret of the Authentic Swing. His mysterious powers guide the play and leave a lasting imprint on the lives he touches that day and in years to come.
A sports fable worthy of comparison to The Natural, The Legend of Bagger Vance reveals that, in life as well as golf, the real battle is not with outside opponents but with oneself.
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"I love golf, so anything I can read about the sport is fair game to me. That being said, I read The Legend of Bagger Vance alongside the Bhagavad Gita as part of a Religion in Literature course at boarding school. Bagger Vance, on its own, is incredible, but when read alongside the Bhagavad Gita, the 700-verse scripture that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the book takes on new meaning. It is no longer just a novel about a mysterious friend helping a golfer overcome his demons, it is a look at a spiritual journey inspired by Hinduism. I honestly believe I would have loved The Legend of Bagger Vance regardless of whether or not I'd read the Bhagavad Gita, but I do honestly believe that first reading the Bhagavad Gita helped me interpret and reflect on the themes and true meanings behind the book more than if I'd not read it."
— Johny (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Good stuff…a philosophical fantasy imagined on a golf course, heavy with fog, storm, fireworks and howling winds of supernatural forces.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“The Legend of Bagger Vance is quite simply the best golf novel I have ever read…I was utterly riveted by this work of art, and literally covered with goose bumps for many hours until I had finished it at a single sitting!”
— Ben Wright, CBS golf commentator -
“Deeply entertaining, a terrific read…a deft fairy tale with a light engaging touch.”
— St. Petersburg Times -
“Every listener should enjoy Pressfield’s novel about a 1931 golf match between Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen…Barrett Whitener’s reading evokes the sense of life in this Georgia town, its good and bad. What makes this book special is the way Whitener transfers this page-turner into a performance the listener never wants to stop. The book and movie received excellent reviews; this rendition adds to those well-deserved kudos.”
— AudioFile
The Legend of Bagger Vance (Movie Tie-In) Listener Reviews
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" A mystical golf book. Okay, but after a while my eyes started to glaze over after so many golfing descriptions. "
— Christie, 2/2/2014 -
" I saw the movie but the book has an indepth and more feel to what actually happened. "
— Fan, 1/22/2014 -
" A nice story and very close to the movie version. "
— Marylu, 1/16/2014 -
" Very different from the movie. All the characters are there but there's no love story, the focus is all on the golf tournament and who Bagger really is. "
— Suzie, 1/14/2014 -
" One of the strongest opening chapters I've experienced. Magical writing in the first 40 pages. "
— Greg, 1/8/2014 -
" It was different from the movie. Bagger Vance was a lot more mysterious. "
— Willie, 12/31/2013 -
" Best golf book of all time. You gotta read it before you see the movie but the movies sweet too. "
— Jordan, 12/31/2013 -
" Very nice read. I am sure I would have enjoyed it more if I was a golfer and understood better the descriptions of the holes and fairways. Even so, one does not need to be a golfer to appreciate the story and Legend of Bagger Vance. "
— Nick, 10/25/2013 -
" Decent book - not a fast or easy read. Preferred the golf over the philosophical parts. Haven't seen the movie yet, but am interested in how they translated this. "
— Robert, 10/15/2013 -
" I read this book a number of years ago, but it is one of my favorites. It is so different from Pressfield's other books that it is hard to believe that the same person wrote the book. There are good life lessons in this book that looks at a person's life that was marred by war "get his game back." "
— Steve, 10/10/2013 -
" This book is about far more than golf and sports. It is about one's search for enlightenment. However, if you are a golfer you'll like it. "
— Laurie, 10/6/2013 -
" Be one with the club "
— Otis, 9/13/2013 -
" It was a good read, but seemed to almost get carried away in the theory and philosophy of find ones' self. The metaphor is a bit stretched. "
— Travis, 6/14/2013 -
" Odd. Entertaining enough, it kept my interest. At times it was strongly relevant and thought-provoking. Most of the time it was just ridiculous. "
— Amanda, 5/29/2013 -
" Reading because it is not about golf. More about the idea that every "player" is born with one true "Authentic Swing" and it is "folly" to try to teach another... "
— Susan, 2/15/2013 -
" This was a fun book of religious philosophy with my favorite topic as the background...sports! An excellent read for anyone who wants some sports fiction that makes you think. "
— Anna, 12/29/2012 -
" Pretty good book. I really like this author - very different topic from all his other books. "
— David, 10/29/2012 -
" this wonderful book can help your golf game, but it is oh so much more- it is an incredible look at life! "
— Vince, 8/13/2012 -
" A nice little tale. "
— Harald, 6/17/2012 -
" Playing golf is much more interesting than reading about it. Plus it didn't help that the book version doesn't come with Matt Damon, Will Smith and Charlize Theron. "
— Megan, 4/21/2012 -
" The conclusion got a little too metaphysical for me, but otherwise enjoyed it. "
— Mattb, 2/12/2012 -
" I liked the movie alot better. The book was much more mystical. "
— Connie, 1/14/2012 -
" Best book I've ever read. If you've only seen the movie, you're a ruined soul. If you've read the book, you know what I mean. "
— Jason, 11/15/2011 -
" a blending of spirituality and golf unlike any other. "
— Alan, 11/5/2011 -
" I know nothing about golf, but dang this was exciting to read even if i had no idea what some of the terms meant. An updated Bhagavad gita, very wry in its telling. I read this to see what Pressfield's fiction was like. I was not disappointed. "
— Gloriavirtutisumbra, 5/22/2011 -
" One of my all time very favorite books. Ever! "
— Lisa, 4/17/2011 -
" This was a fun book of religious philosophy with my favorite topic as the background...sports! An excellent read for anyone who wants some sports fiction that makes you think. "
— Anna, 3/11/2011 -
" It was a good read, but seemed to almost get carried away in the theory and philosophy of find ones' self. The metaphor is a bit stretched. "
— Travis, 2/17/2011 -
" This changed the way I viewed our relationship with God. "
— Ryan, 1/30/2011 -
" I really liked this book. Saw the movie after I had read and was very disappointed, not the same story so do not judge the book by it if you have also seen the movie. <br/> "
— Tim, 12/4/2010 -
" It was different from the movie. Bagger Vance was a lot more mysterious. "
— Willie, 11/2/2010 -
" Odd. Entertaining enough, it kept my interest. At times it was strongly relevant and thought-provoking. Most of the time it was just ridiculous. "
— Amanda, 8/10/2010 -
" Just once of those fun books. It has sports, tragedy, love, philosophy, reality, and imagination. I read it and loved it, am presenting it to our library book club in two weeks. "
— Jim, 8/6/2010 -
" the book is about 9.8x better than the movie. this book convinced me that golf has a lot of redeeming qualities and that I should abandon my hating ways. "
— Jeff, 12/12/2009 -
" One of the strongest opening chapters I've experienced. Magical writing in the first 40 pages. "
— Greg, 11/23/2009 -
" Reading because it is not about golf. More about the idea that every "player" is born with one true "Authentic Swing" and it is "folly" to try to teach another... "
— Susan, 9/11/2009 -
" I've never done more than miniature golf; however, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. One could argue that it is more of a philosophy on life than a book about golf; its about finding one's "authentic swing." "
— Jo, 6/9/2009 -
" Pretty good book. I really like this author - very different topic from all his other books. "
— David, 5/8/2009
About Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield is the author of the hugely successful novels Gates of Fire, Tides of War, and Last of the Amazons, among others. His debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was made into a major motion picture starring Matt Damon and Will Smith in 2000. He lives in California.
About Ronny Cox
Ronny Cox is an actor, singer-songwriter, and musician who made his acting debut in the acclaimed 1972 film Deliverance as Drew Ballinger, a businessman and one of the banjo players in that film’s famous dueling banjos scene. Other roles include Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil in Beverly Hills Cop, Richard “Dick” Jones in RoboCop, and Vilos Cohaagen in Total Recall, and many appearances in television series throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In addition to acting, Cox has also released five albums and tours music festivals.