Editorial Content for Little Poison: Paul Runyan, Sam Snead, and a Long-Shot Upset at the 1938 PGA Championship
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
The adage of not judging a book by its cover can also apply to the title. LITTLE POISON: Paul Runyan, Sam Snead, and a Long-Shot Upset at the 1938 PGA Championship, by John Dechant, is far more than an account of an iconic golf match. It is the compelling story of a Hall of Fame career often overlooked by golf historians and fans of the game. Read More
Teaser
Paul Runyan --- the Arkansas farm boy who stood 5'6" and weighed 130 pounds --- shocked the golf world by defeating long and lean, sweet-swinging Sam Snead in the finals of the 1938 PGA Championship, thus earning the nickname “Little Poison.” Runyan did more than beat Snead: he shellacked him as decisively as David toppled mighty Goliath. His resounding victory was so convincing, so dominant, that even Snead had to shake his head when it was finished and wonder how the porkpie-wearing, pint-sized golf pro had gotten the better of him in the 36-hole final. LITTLE POISON is the story of a man who made a career out of punching above his weight on the golf course.
Promo
Paul Runyan --- the Arkansas farm boy who stood 5'6" and weighed 130 pounds --- shocked the golf world by defeating long and lean, sweet-swinging Sam Snead in the finals of the 1938 PGA Championship, thus earning the nickname “Little Poison.” Runyan did more than beat Snead: he shellacked him as decisively as David toppled mighty Goliath. His resounding victory was so convincing, so dominant, that even Snead had to shake his head when it was finished and wonder how the porkpie-wearing, pint-sized golf pro had gotten the better of him in the 36-hole final. LITTLE POISON is the story of a man who made a career out of punching above his weight on the golf course.
About the Book
Paul Runyan --- the Arkansas farm boy who stood five feet, six inches and weighed 130 pounds --- shocked the golf world by defeating long and lean, sweet-swinging Sam Snead in the finals of the 1938 PGA Championship, thus earning the nickname “Little Poison.” Runyan did more than beat Snead: he shellacked him as decisively as David toppled mighty Goliath. His resounding victory was so convincing, so dominant, that even Snead had to shake his head when it was finished and wonder how the porkpie-wearing, pint-sized golf pro had gotten the better of him in the 36-hole final. One bookmaker made Snead a 10-to-1 favorite before the match. Despite Snead’s physical gifts --- he routinely outdrove Runyan by 50 yards or more --- Snead was no match for Runyan, the underdog victor in one of golf’s four major championships.
LITTLE POISON is the story of a man who made a career out of punching above his weight on the golf course. Runyan won 29 PGA tournaments between 1930 and 1941, as well as another major championship in 1934. Runyan served in the navy during World War II, joining Snead and other prominent professionals who played exhibition matches to entertain troops and help raise money. After the war he played sparingly --- but successfully --- and focused on his career as an instructor, teaching his revolutionary short-game techniques. LITTLE POISON follows Runyan throughout these stages of his life, from anonymity to stardom and into golf mythology.
At the heart of Runyan’s story is his Depression-era grit. He believed passionately that proper technique and relentless hard work would outlast talent and brawn. Americans who emerged from the Great Depression likely had a little Runyan in them, too, making him the perfect sports hero for the era. His story began not on the immaculate fairways of a country club but on a farm in Hot Springs, Arkansas, near a golf course with oiled sand greens. A disadvantage, some would say --- but not Runyan. On those sand surfaces he developed a sustainable technique that became the bedrock of his hall of fame career.
April 4, 2023
In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of April 3rd and April 10th that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers, along with Bonus News, where we call out a contest, feature or review that we want to let you know about so you have it on your radar.
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Out in paperback this week is FOUR TREASURES OF THE SKY by Jenny Tinghui Zhang, a dazzling debut novel set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act, about a Chinese girl fighting to claim her place in the 1880s American West. Scroll further down the newsletter for more about the book and some of the wonderful praise it has received since its hardcover release last year.
April 4, 2023
This Bookreporter.com Special Newsletter spotlights a book that we know people will be talking about this spring. Read more about it, and enter our Spring Preview Contest by Wednesday, April 5th at noon ET for a chance to win one of five copies of TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY by Linwood Barclay, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that is now available in paperback. Please note that each contest is only open for 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly!
