- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc (20 May 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0306819295
- ISBN-13: 978-0306819292
- Product Dimensions: 24.4 x 17.5 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
132,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #38 in Books > Biography > Sport > Golf
- #45 in Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Golf > History & Biography
Tiger: The Real Story
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Steve Helling...draws on intimate sources, many speaking out for the first time, to create a never-before-seen portrait of the golfer - not the carefully groomed handlers' image, not the media-maintained façade, but Tiger as he really is." --The Northern Echo
"Helling shows how the people closest to Tiger, an ambitious father, a fiercely protective mother and a star-struck wife, have shaped him into a singularly complex and conflicted man. At the heart of the story is Tiger himself, an insecure and socially inept adolescent thrust into the spotlight."
--National Club Golfer
"Helling shows how the people closest to Tiger, an ambitious father, a fiercely protective mother and a star-struck wife, have shaped him into a singularly complex and conflicted man. At the heart of the story is Tiger himself, an insecure and socially inept adolescent thrust into the spotlight."
--National Club Golfer
Product Description
Before the scandal, the world knew very little about Tiger Woods. After the scandal, they knew him even less. He was born to a father who described him as the Chosen One, with the power to shape the fate of nations. His mother called him the Universal Child, with the ability to hold the races together. Selecting the unlikely avenue of golf, they groomed their son for the fame and influence that they always believed was his destiny. At age twenty, Tiger Woods made his debut in a Nike commercial. 'Hello, World,' he said. 'Are you ready for me?' The world was ready. For the next thirteen years, Tiger nearly lived up to his parents' outsize expectations. He conquered the world of golf with skills the sport had never before seen. He became a global icon and a Madison Avenue darling, earning more for his squeaky clean persona than he earned for his sport. He settled down with a beautiful Swedish model and started a family. His net worth approached a billion dollars. Everything was going according to plan - until the scandal hit. As the media breathlessly mixed news with speculation, Tiger became the poster boy for self-destruction. Corporate America exercised its fickle option and Tiger Woods was suddenly transformed from a commercial spokesman into a tabloid King. But for all the media reports on this or that revelation, Tiger's true character remains a mystery. Steve Helling, a "People" magazine staff writer who has long covered Tiger Woods, draws on intimate sources, many speaking out for the first time, to create a never-before-seen portrait of the golfer-not the carefully groomed handlers' image, not the media-maintained facade, but Tiger as he really is. Helling shows how the people closest to Tiger - an ambitious father, a fiercely protective mother, and a star-struck wife - have shaped him into a singularly complex and conflicted man. At the heart of the story is Tiger himself, an insecure and socially inept adolescent thrust into the spotlight, whose later sudden fall from grace has nearly destroyed his personal and professional life. Where does he go from here?
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My son is an avid golfer who enjoys reading biogrophies of his favourite golfers. He is staggered by the amount of money Tiger earns.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
25 reviews
58 of 67 people found the following review helpful
Not worth the digital ink it was printed with
25 May 2010
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
By the author's own admission he has had no meaningful interaction with Tiger Woods. As a result, most of what's in this book is a re-hash of newspaper and magazine articles. The reader will find no new insight into Tiger Woods or what makes him tick. There's really nothing here for someone interested in the game of golf. This is just another product of a culture mad about celebrity. The best parts of the book were mini-biographies of Tiger's parents who are in many ways more interesting than he is (off the course, that is). The book reads like a People magazine article which was explained when I got to the end of the book and found out that the author is a writer for the same magazine. If you like People magazine or other publications of that variety, then this may be your cup of tea. If you are looking for something substantive about Tiger, the spirit of an elite athlete or the game of golf you will be disappointed by this book.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
If you're a golfer, nothing new
19 Jun 2010
Format:Hardcover
I've been golfing about 25 years now and have regularly been a fan of the PGA Tour.
Consequently, there is nothing about Tiger Woods in this book that I already didn't know. I learned a little about his mother and father, but to me it was irrelevant.
If you are not a golfer, this book may give you a little insight into Tiger's past. Anything you may want to know since last Thanksgiving, you can get more than enough from news reports on the internet, People mag, US mag, etc.
Also, way too much ink is wasted on the transcript of Tiger's public apology.
I plan on buying Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season by Robert Lusetich and hope I will get more insight as to what made/makes Tiger tick. The reviews look promising.
Consequently, there is nothing about Tiger Woods in this book that I already didn't know. I learned a little about his mother and father, but to me it was irrelevant.
If you are not a golfer, this book may give you a little insight into Tiger's past. Anything you may want to know since last Thanksgiving, you can get more than enough from news reports on the internet, People mag, US mag, etc.
Also, way too much ink is wasted on the transcript of Tiger's public apology.
I plan on buying Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season by Robert Lusetich and hope I will get more insight as to what made/makes Tiger tick. The reviews look promising.
18 of 23 people found the following review helpful
A Certain Understanding
17 May 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Though I do not follow golf, it was hard not pay attention to Tiger. Naturally, I was left shaking my head with everyone else, wondering what drove someone so disciplined to make such a mess of his life. Steve Helling's book answers some of those questions, though it would be impossible to answer all of them. It is not a book of sensationalism or speculation, but well-written journalism that give us an inside look at both the life and the downfall of a paragon who never asked to be placed on the pedestal on which the world displayed him.
This book follows the clues that tell us some of what makes Tiger Woods who he is, starting with the breadcrumbs that were dropped long before his birth. While a bemused public looked on as a toddler putted against Bob Hope, not one of them could have predicted that that same child would grow to be not only the world's greatest golfer, but also a hero and role model with such a carefully constructed persona that even his handlers would forget that a real person lay behind the smoke and mirrors. Tiger Woods was not a god, but an unforgiving public would punish him for not acting like one.
While he is responsible for his mistakes, one can't help but wonder who Tiger would have been had he been allowed to be Tiger Woods rather than a meticulously crafted ideal.
This book follows the clues that tell us some of what makes Tiger Woods who he is, starting with the breadcrumbs that were dropped long before his birth. While a bemused public looked on as a toddler putted against Bob Hope, not one of them could have predicted that that same child would grow to be not only the world's greatest golfer, but also a hero and role model with such a carefully constructed persona that even his handlers would forget that a real person lay behind the smoke and mirrors. Tiger Woods was not a god, but an unforgiving public would punish him for not acting like one.
While he is responsible for his mistakes, one can't help but wonder who Tiger would have been had he been allowed to be Tiger Woods rather than a meticulously crafted ideal.
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