Simpson & Co. - Golf Architects

[Niall C]

Folks


Just to give you a heads up that Donald Steel/Fred Hawtrees book on Simpson, as published by Rhod McEwan, has just been released. It's a limited run of 750 copies and can be ordered on Rhods website. I'm pleased to say I've got mine ordered already.


Niall

[BCrosby]

Niall -


Any thoughts on the quality of the book? Fred Hawtree passed away several years ago, no?


Bob

[Adam Lawrence]

Niall -


Any thoughts on the quality of the book? Fred Hawtree passed away several years ago, no?


Bob

He did. Fred started the book, with Simpson's diary as his key source item, but it was not finished when he died. Donald has completed and edited the manuscript.

[Jim McCann]

Niall:


I'm afraid Rhod's search facility isn't the most user friendly that I've ever come across.


Can you please tell me the ISBN for the Simpson book?


Many thanks.   

[Ally Mcintosh]

Great,

I've been looking forward to this.

Fred W. had a lot of insight in to Simpson and others from the time.

So this won't be just another modern day biography from a historian three steps removed.

[David_Tepper]

https://www.rhodmcewangolf.com/shop/books/books-books/simpson-co/

[Michael Graham]

Niall,


Thanks for the heads up. I just placed my order this morning. Looking forward to receiving my copy.

[Niall C]

Bob


Obviously I've yet to see the book but as Adam points out it was started by Hawtree and finished and edited by Steel with Simpsons diary as the source item. I know Donald Steel also cast about for any other material he could find with Tom MacKenzie and the Simpson Society providing additional info. I've passed a number of articles that Simpson wrote to the society and I'm sure others have given them a lot more than that, so between the Society info and the diary info he should have quite a lot of information on probably the most interesting of the golden age architects.


I got an email from Rhod with a link to order the book. Judging from the page I was directed to there will be quite a lot of illustrations/photos/plans etc. Add into the mix that Steel is a very good writer and you have all the ingredients for it being a very good read. Here's hoping.


Jim


I sent you an email forwarding on Rhod's email. Hopefully that will work, if not let me know.


Niall

[Tony_Muldoon]

This is form Jess Stiles who set up the Simpson Website and entertained us at the Liphook BUDA.


[size=0pt]Tony: [/size]
 
[size=0pt]I think that you will like the illustrations - quite a few Tom Simpson sketches - and the quotations.  I think that Donald Steel's Forward and Afterword are significant additions to the book written by Mr. Hawtree.  [/size]
 
[size=0pt]Regards,[/size]
 
[size=0pt]Jess[/size]
http://www.tomsimpson.org.uk/biography.htm 
[size=0pt][/size]

[Sean_A]

Niall


Thanks.  I ordered my yesterday.  Knowing that Steel finished and edited the book sold me cuz he is one of the best writers ever involved in golf....maybe the best alive.   


The price is too is very reasonable considering the cost of some other golf books that have hit the market.


Ciao

[Ally Mcintosh]

Not to mention Fred W.'s writing. He could spin a yarn with the best of them.

In other words, I expect this to be a book more in the Patrick Dickinson old-school mode.

Here's hoping.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

£15.00 p&p to Sweden 

[Marty Bonnar]

I'm still in the huff with Donald. Maybe it's just everyone called Donald at the moment...

F.

[Niall C]

I'm still in the huff with Donald.

F.

do tell ?

[Marty Bonnar]

I'm still in the huff with Donald.

F.

do tell ?

THE EDEN!

[Niall C]

£15.00 p&p to Sweden 

Donal

I've had an email from Rhod advising that it's only £10 to Europe and has added a rider to his webpage to that effect. Don't know if that will make a difference to you. With regards to the quality of the book, I was away over the weekend so haven't had a proper chance to read the book which arrived just before I left. However from first glance it's very well produced with some great photos/plans etc. From what I can see it's largely if not all written by Hawtree with Steel doing the Foreword (very well) and editing.

Niall

[Joey Chase]

I just got a copy of the book yesterday and I can't wait to get into it.  With only a quick flip through it, it looks great.  I hope it reads as well as it looks.  I do love the old sketches that Simpson did, that are both present in this book as well as Architectural Side of Golf.

[Niall C]

Joey

I just finished the book and it's very enjoyable although not encyclopedic. For instance there are a few gaps, noticeably pre1910 and certain courses such as Cruden Bay that I personally would like to have read about. That said it is a very good read. The book is entirely written by Hawtree from what I can see, and might not quite be the final polished draft he would have hoped for but there are still moments where he talks about personally meeting some of Simpsons former partners and proteges, and being in France in the 1930's, that gives the text a bit more resonance. Also ti is very well put together.

Niall

[Joey Chase]

Niall,


Thanks, I can't wait to finish the other book I am reading to get into this one.  I am in love with his work at Morfontaine, which has led me to visit some of the other courses that he created over here in France.  He did some really cool work, that you just don't really see anywhere else.  It is too bad that there isn't anything on Cruden Bay, it is another of my favorites.

[Niall C]

Joey

The book is largely based on the scrap book of press cuttings and the Architects Bible that Simpson left behind which kind of explains some of the omissions such as the early days when perhaps he wasn't collecting cuttings. It does however give a good impression of what Simpson was like. There was also a bit of family background info that was good.

Niall