Seve: The Autobiography - Tapa dura

"His autobiography captures the sense of excitement in this era of change, especially in the Ryder Cup." (Leo McKinstry Sunday Telegraph)

There are golfers, and there are golfers. And then there's Seve.

Severiano Ballesteros is perhaps the most naturally gifted golfer ever to have walked a fairway. From the moment his brother Manuel gave him his first club - a 3 iron - he was unstoppable; he played shots others could only dream of. A few weeks before his seventeenth birthday he turned pro. Five years later he won the Open. A year after that he became the first European ever to win the Masters. A genius had arrived.

For the best part of two decades Seve dominated the golfing landscape. With 94 wins to date as a professional (including 5 Majors), 6 European Order of Merit titles and the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Rankings, he became a sporting phenomenon, an athlete who transcended - and still transcends - his sport.

But Seve stands for more than simple excellence. Almost single-handedly, Seve gave European golf credibility; almost single-handedly, he made the Ryder Cup one of the greatest contests in world sport. And when, as captain, he finally lifted the trophy on home soil in 1997, a whole continent rejoiced. His pride and passion have inspired millions, and we have taken him to our hearts.

Now, for the first time, Seve tells his story. From his humble beginnings right up to the present day, here at last is the man behind the magic in his own words. Like its author, Seve is utterly entertaining, blazingly charismatic and unique; and, like its author, it wears its heart on its sleeve. But Seve is more than Seve the golfing magician, Seve the proud family man, and Seve the fierce patriot. It is, simply, 'Seve'.