The Legend of Bagger Vance

Written by Steven Pressfield

Narrated by Barrett Whitener

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 Bagger Vance reveals that, in life as well as golf, the real battle is not with outside opponents but with oneself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jun 1, 1995
• ISBN: 9781442353855

Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield has been an enthusiastic golfer since the age of ten. He is the author of the novel Gates of Fire and a well-known screenwriter whose screenplays include "Above the Law" and "Freejack." He lives in the Los Angeles area.

Reviews for The Legend of Bagger Vance

[buckeyeaholic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderfully written. The tale of a young boy & his brush with the some of the greatest golfers (& one caddy) to play the game.

[voracious_reader_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield was ok, not wonderful. It reads like a fantasy/philosophy story that is well excuted, but the religious/philosophical portions are jumbled. It is a little like: let's put some ancient Greek ideas of religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity (and golf) in a pot and see what we cook up. Some of its sentiments, like God is always with you etc., are nice. But I can't quite say I enjoyed the book as a whole.

[neale_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story, well told. You'll get the most out of it if you've played golf but you can still enjoy it if you've watched it on TV. Uses golf as a metaphor for life.

[jimocracy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although they were two completely different stories, this is one of those rare occasions (The Shawshank Redemption comes to mind) when the book and movie do not match but both are superbly told stories. I wouldn't change either and I feel uplifted by the two.

The book is far more supernatural and spiritual than the movie and (given my own skepticism and atheism) I was surprised to find that I enjoyed this fictional tale immensely. On previous occassions, I have tried reading books with similar themes and they've always fallen short. Until now, I chalked it up to my own personal doubts and agnosticism.

But now I know that if the story is good enough, I can let go of my unbelief and surrender to the story teller. That is a comforting feeling and in its own way, has a kind of spiritual virtue in and of itself which I would have denied even existed prior to discovering the genius of Steven Pressfield. I want more!