The legendary James Patterson has written a fascinating book about golfing great Tiger Woods. The many elements that connect in this dynamic tale have been diligently drawn together, so readers of TIGER, TIGER will see this man standing forth as an icon of his profession and an individual with human flaws and frustrations behind the scenes.

Eldrick Woods was born in California to Earl Woods, a Vietnam War veteran, and Kultida Punsawad. The boy nicknamed “Tiger” was introduced to the sport by watching from his highchair as Earl hit balls into a net in the garage. Tiger hit his first golf ball when he was 10 months old. It was a destiny that Earl formed for him, which led to amazing results, including winning the Junior World Golf Championships six times. His successes grew until, as a young man, he was not only setting national records but even trying to surpass his own best showings.

"By focusing on Tiger Woods, Patterson has woven a tapestry of an astonishing rise to fame based in large part on the golfing luminary’s determination to be a winner and his natural bent for constantly examining his own moves and inventing new ones."

Patterson follows Tiger onward and upward in the sports world, sometimes battling the racial bias and restrictions that still plagued his nation and infused the regulations of some venues where he sought to compete. Through it all, Earl was his most devoted fan, attending matches even when advised not to due to failing health. Tiger met and married Swedish model Elin Nordegren, but their marriage collapsed by 2010 when his private life --- extramarital affairs and drug abuse --- was revealed after a much-publicized automobile accident.

Having won countless championships, Tiger was forced to drop out for several years because of scandal and an increasing litany of injuries and surgeries. But, as Patterson shows in the later chapters of his well-researched biography, Tiger has never left the golfing realm for long. He has made numerous comebacks and contributions that even now are shaping his positive, well-deserved legacy.

Patterson has written about other celebrities, including John Lennon, Princess Diana and the Kennedys. He has received an Edgar Award, 10 Emmys and the National Humanities Medal, among other sterling recognitions, for his ability to attract readership by offering salient, newsworthy facts combined with intimate, personal viewpoints. Tiger’s verve can be seen now, after many setbacks, in the enthusiasm for sports inherited by his two children, just as he himself gained his golfer’s grit from his father.

By focusing on Tiger Woods, Patterson has woven a tapestry of an astonishing rise to fame based in large part on the golfing luminary’s determination to be a winner and his natural bent for constantly examining his own moves and inventing new ones.