My brother, an avid golfer like me, recommended this book. I took it on a cruise ship vacation for occasional night reading, and it was perfect for that relaxed atmosphere.

My major observation is that America fawned over celebrities in the 1930s with the same level of adulation we use now--or maybe they were more intense about celebrities then, since there were fewer of them. Then as now, a person could even establish himself or herself as a celebrity without having a long track record of accomplishment, as with Paris Hilton on the contemporary scene.

Additionally, the legal system treated celebrities with more leniency than officials allowed for ordinary citizens. Today's daily news stories describe how TV and movie stars and athletes don't get the same penalties as nonfamous individuals.

One limitation, for me: Much of the suspense disappeared with the crime scene account that opened the book. If Montville had placed that item later in the book, I would have been far more curious about why Montague didn't want publicity, even when his feats were so newsworthy.

Even so, you are likely to consider this book an enjoyable glimpse into a bygone era, and a visit with some of the more colorful characters who dominated the scene.The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication-change Your Life!

This is an entertaining summer read about a minor celebrity of the Thirties. There is a dark undercurrent of violence to the light story of the amazing and unknown golfer who played with the Hollywood stars. He is an unstable youth who gets into trouble in a brutal incident. As an adult, he apparently keeps this violent tendency under control, but when his true identity is discovered, there is no restitution or apology for the victims of the crime for which he is indubitably guilty (a unique clue left at the scene leaves no doubt of that.) Montague also married well, so he never had to have a real job.
He never really accomplished anything other than entertaining some sports writers and readers. While he accomplished no real good, he did some real harm. At least we can be thankful that his dark side was controlled after a certain point--with his terrific strength, he'd have made a very successful murderer.

This is a good read...Although Montague was probably a con man from the start he certainly led an entertaining life. Even though he got away with almost everything he did he provided his friends with entertainment and laughter. I would recommend this book as a good read, but I wouldn't take Mr. Montague too seriously.

A detailed recollection of events in the life of a very mysterious person.
Leigh Montville brings back a time when personalities were indeed bigger than life, and one that reluctantly stood out in that crowd is the subject of the story. As the reader enjoys amazing stories involving some famous hollywood names it becomes clear why our subject is not willing to share the spotlight. I found The Mysterious Montague a wonderful read, and recommend it to all.

LaVerne Moore was one of the more colorful figures in the world of golf in the 1930's and Leigh Montville tells his tale in all its boisterous glory in The Mysterious Montague, A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery.

John Montague, as Moore was better known, was a trick shot artist who could chip a ball into a highball glass or under the sash of a partially-opened window across the room. He reputedly knocked a bird off a power line from 170 yards and consistently drove the ball over 300 yards with a specially-made oversized driver the weighed twice as much as the standard club of its time. Most famously, he once beat Bing Crosby while playing only with a rake, a shovel, and a baseball bat.

Montague had a secret, though. It was why he never allowed himself to be photographed and reputedly why he never entered any professional events. When that secret was revealed, it led to a sensational trial in upstate New York that turned into a celebrity-laden media fest. The secret is told in the first chapter of the book: Montague was wanted under his real name, LaVerne Moore, for the armed robbery of a roadside restaurant in the Adirondacks in 1930. The trial and its aftermath is an interesting window into the media world of the time.

Montville entertains the reader with tales of Montague's prowess, although it's obvious many of them grew to legendary status mainly through the re-telling such feats engender. He also gives us a good look at the celebrities who flocked to Montague's cause. Babe Ruth, Bing Crosby, Oliver Hardy, W.C. Fields, Howard Hughes, Babe Didrickson Zaharias, and many more were tied to Montague one way or another. Sportswriter Grantland Rice was his biggest fan.

The end of the book, which chronicles Montague's late-in-life attempt to break into the ranks of professional tournament golf, may be of the greatest interest to players of the game. Weakened by too many years of Hollywood parties and lack of practice, Montague was a miserable failure in his attempts to compete with PGA stars, who had disdained him from the start.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

This is a good read, with an entertaining view of a time gone by that we have only read and heard about. John Montague is larger than life but stuck with the human flaws that the rest of us have. You don't have to know golf to enjoy this as Montville makes it a story for every one.

This is the fascinating, intriguing tale of a man who changed identities to start a new life in Hollywood and leave a criminal past behind - or so he hoped. It's one of those "only in America" stories - featuring golf and Hollywood celebrities such as Bing Crosby - with a surprise ending that actually seems fitting although justice isn't done, strictly speaaking.

The book brings to life of an man, whom I was unfamiliar with, and brought to live America before World War II. The story is a fascinating journey that causes the reader to wonder what is true and what is legend. The stories will amaze you and the people who surrounds the man are legendary.

Before there was Tin Cup.. there was Montague. (after reading, I realize that Tin Cup was a rip off of this great story!)

The title of Leigh Montville's new book tells you a lot about the story without ever having to read a page. John Montague played golf and schmoozed with some of the most famous of the 1930's Hollywood celebrities. However, something in his personal life would eventually turn his world totally around. This book will probably not win any literary awards, but it is entertaining, amusing, and at times quite unbelievable. Golfers will love it, non-golfers will enjoy it.

The title of Leigh Montville's new book tells you a lot about the story without ever having to read a page. John Montague played golf and schmoozed with some of the most famous of the 1930's Hollywood celebrities. However, John had something in his personal life that would eventually turn his world totally around. Montville dips you in quickly and then holds you there to the end. A fantastic and unbelievable story, the book is a quick read and should be enjoyed by golfers and non-golfers alike.