Lines of Charm

I know you've been losing sleep over the extreme secrecy surrounding the release of my latest book. Well, no secrecy, just a little uncertainty over when exactly the book would go to press. But it's on the Ann Arbor Media Group presses now and should be shipping early in October.

Lines of Charm: Brilliant and Irreverent Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes from Golf's Golden Age Architects can be preordered at Amazon.com. I've set up the Lines of Charm page so you can get a preview of the contents and a link to the Amazon page, where the book is $13.57 (Amazon says it will ship Nov. 4, but I suspect much sooner than that). If you prefer to buy it in a store, look for Lines of Charm in late October.

I'm very excited about this one for a few reasons. First, to be doing books again with some of the former Sleeping Bear Press people is a joy, and I think they'd done a fine job on the production of this one.

More importantly, this is my first contribution to the bathroom reading/cash register gift book genre.

All kidding aside, if you like the quotes posted at the top of the website each day, I think you'll enjoy Lines of Charm. The various chapters open with a humorous architecture anecdote (including a few fun ones from Darwin). And besides the classic lines on each subject, the book is decorated with over 100 old drawings, ads, architect field sketches and a collection of really funny old New Yorker-like cartoons about golf architecture-related topics.

My hope is that this is a quality reference book for aficionados, architects, writers, superintendents and golf pros. But more importantly, Lines of Charm should be a pain free introduction to the Golden Age architects. So hopefully it's a gift that you'll feel comfortable giving out to friends who can't understand our fascination with Redans, punchbowls and St. Andrews.