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Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump Hardcover – April 2, 2019

by Rick Reilly (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,654 ratings
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER




"Reilly pokes more holes in Trump's claims than there are sand traps on all of his courses combined. It is by turns amusing and alarming."-- The New Yorker




"Golf is the spine of this shocking, wildly humorous book, but humanity is its flesh and spirit." -- Chicago Sun-Times





"Every one of Trump's most disgusting qualities surfaces in golf." -- The Ringer





An outrageous indictment of Donald Trump's appalling behavior when it comes to golf -- on and off the green -- and what it reveals about his character.


Donald Trump loves golf. He loves to play it, buy it, build it, and operate it. He owns 14 courses around the world and runs another five, all of which he insists are the best on the planet. He also claims he's a 3 handicap, almost never loses, and has won an astonishing 18 club championships.





How much of all that is true? Almost none of it, acclaimed sportswriter Rick Reilly reveals in this unsparing look at Trump in the world of golf.



Based on Reilly's own experiences with Trump as well as interviews with over 100 golf pros, amateurs, developers, and caddies, Commander in Cheat is a startling and at times hilarious indictment of Trump and his golf game. You'll learn how Trump cheats (sometimes with the help of his caddies and Secret Service agents), lies about his scores (the "Trump Bump"), tells whoppers about the rank of his courses and their worth (declaring that every one of them is worth $50 million), and tramples the etiquette of the game (driving on greens doesn't help). Trump doesn't brag so much, though, about the golf contractors he stiffs, the course neighbors he intimidates, or the way his golf decisions wind up infecting his political ones.





For Trump, it's always about winning. To do it, he uses the tricks he picked up from the hustlers at the public course where he learned the game as a college kid, and then polished as one of the most bombastic businessmen of our time. As Reilly writes, "Golf is like bicycle shorts. It reveals a lot about a man." Commander in Cheat "paints a side-splitting portrait of a congenital cheater" (Esquire), revealing all kinds of unsightly truths Trump has been hiding.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hachette Books
  4. Publication date
    April 2, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    6.38 x 1 x 9.38 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0316528080
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0316528085
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Golf is the spine of this shocking, wildly humorous book, but humanity is its flesh and spirit....It's all hilarious in Reilly's gifted hands."―Chicago Sun-Times

"The American sportswriting great has written my favorite sports book of 2019...By turns hilarious and shocking. In a game that prides itself on gentlemanly conduct, Trump is exposed by numerous witnesses (most of whom are surprisingly happy to go on the record, a tribute to Reilly's reporting skills) as a first-class cheat....I thought my opinion of the 45th president could not get any lower. I was wrong."―The Times (London), Sports Book of the Year

"Relying on testimony from playing partners, caddies, and former Trump employees, Reilly pokes more holes in Trump's claims than there are sand traps on all of his courses combined. It is by turns amusing and alarming....P.G. Wodehouse would have approved."―The New Yorker

"Commander in Cheat is an incredibly creative book, regardless what you think of President Trump, regardless of where you are on the political spectrum. It takes us places behind the press conferences and the staged interviews....It take us into Trump's past, places where there were no cameras, no speech writers, no handlers, no aides. It is just Donald Trump with his appetites, Donald Trump with his excesses, Donald Trump with his flaws. Donald Trump with both his love for golf, and his propensity to play games with the truth."―The Providence Journal

"Building on his firsthand experience by interviewing scores of golf pros, caddies, and opponents, Reilly paints a side-splitting portrait of a congenital cheater."―Esquire, Most Anticipated Books of the Year

"Assails Trump's 'ethics deficit.'"
―Associated Press

"Reilly uses golf to reveal larger truths. Or, in this case, lies."
―The Arizona Republic

"Diamonds among the divots - [one of] the best golf books ever written....It was not exactly a secret that Trump plays fast and loose with the rules, but Reilly's catalogue of his moral failures takes the breath away....Hilarious and rather alarming stuff."―The Times (UK)

"Great writing...If you really don't like Trump, this is your perfect book."―Chris Matthews, MSNBC's Hardball

"Sportswriting can be a lens into any part of our culture, and [Commander in Cheat] proves my point... a clever way to make sense of White House chaos."―The Week,Books to Read in 2019

"There's a new tell-all book about the president...The specific anecdotes are where Commander in Cheat really takes off."―Stephen Colbert, TheLate Show

"Commander in Cheat is one of the most surprising pieces of muckraking of the Trump era....Reilly's right to say Trump sees a golf course like he does the Oval Office...Every one of Trump's most disgusting qualities surfaces in golf."―The Ringer

"The latest anti-Trump exposé isn't about Russia collusion, his taxes or his tweets. It's about his favorite pastime....Delve[s] into allegations the president isn't always honest out on the course."―Fox News

"An eye-watering account of the president's abuse of the rules of golf....[an] unrelenting hatchet job."
―The Times (London)

"Stunning -- and damning."―Golf Digest

"Renowned sports columnist Reilly...has known the president for 30 years...If Reilly was once a Trump favorite, he no longer will be...[An] amusing, entertaining assessment of a congenital liar."―Kirkus Reviews

"A hilarious and well-researched indictment of President Trump and his golf game....Mr. Reilly, probably the most acclaimed sports writer of his generation, details and highlights in incredulous and often times comical fashion...'The Donald,' both before and after he became the nation's 45th president."―Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Brilliant...Very, very funny when it comes to the details of what Donald Trump does....[Commander in Cheat is] the great Father's Day Book."―Laurence O'Donnell, MSNBC's The Last Word

"[Commander in Cheat] is filled with vivid allegations about Trump's cheating -- how he once threw broadcaster Mike Tirico's ball off the green during a round, how he manipulates the value of his courses to get tax breaks, how he exaggerates his golf scores."―The Washington Post

"Eye-popping."―Los Angeles Times

"A must-read for Democrats and Republicans alike."
―DelcoTimes

"This richly researched expose hilariously pulled down The Donald's golf pants and would have humiliated a normal human. Chapter after chapter reveals the myriad ways Trump egregiously cheats at every conceivable aspect of golf."
―The Colorado Sun

"I laughed uncontrollably."―Ottawa Citizen

About the Author

Currently a screenwriter and author, Rick Reilly for years wrote for Sports Illustrated and appeared on and wrote for ESPN. In addition to being voted the NSMA National Sportswriter of the Year eleven times, he has also been recognized with the Damon Runyon Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. USA Today called him, "the closest thing sportswriting ever had to a rock star."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hachette Books (April 2, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316528080
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316528085
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 1 x 9.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,654 ratings

About the author

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Rick Reilly

Rick Reilly

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I'm a recovering sportswriter -- two meetings a day -- who now writes books and movies and tries not to shoot his weight in golf.

I cranked out the back-page column for Sports Illustrated for more than 20 years and then did TV features and columns and swept up for ESPN for eight years.

I'm not a particularly smart man. Once, in Malaysia, I was about to pop the little hotel bedside chocolate into my mouth when my wife hollered, "That's the bug incense, you idiot!" Once, I was kayaking by myself when it began to rain. I paused, cursing my luck. Then the rain stopped. I started paddling again. Rain again. Pause. No rain. Started paddling again. Only then did I realize it was my paddle throwing drops on my head.

I'm crazy for people and their swings and misses and their small victories and sorrows and, most of all, their stories. I think that's what's always driven my writing. It was never about the sports -- I tried hard not to ever put numbers in my columns -- it was about the people who played them.

This latest book about Trump, though, rose out of the sheer gall he had to tell people he'd won 18 club championships, when I knew he faked most of those. How did I know? He told me! (Liars have a hard time keeping all their lies straight.) That set me on the trail of what other lies he was telling the world about his golf and his golf courses, which wound up being my latest: "Commander In Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump."

Anyway I hope you like it.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
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5 Stars
Consider Yourself Warned
This book provides a scary level of insight for Mr. Trump. It's readability is remarkable given the subject. Revelation is not pretty. but it is necessary. Money well spent.
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Top reviews from the United States

Joel
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
Rick Riley’s connections and attention to detail is unmatched in sports reporting. As a golf lover he is an amazing read!
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Pamela Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars So Much Better Than I Expected
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
Even though I've been reading Rick Reilly's work since I was a kid, this is one of the Trump books I was least interested in reading. Since the book was on sale, I decided to check it out. I'm so happy I did.

Reilly, an avid golfer and golf fan, believes that how a man plays and approaches the game of golf reveals a lot about his character. In the case of Donald Trump, the way he plays golf indicates that he's a cheater who must win at all costs and has no concern regarding how actions to boost his ego negatively impact the lives of the people around him. The way Donald Trump does business when it comes to building and developing golf courses is very similar to how he runs this country.

Most of the books written about Trump reveal a man whose actions are sad, devastating, and appalling. This book shows the side of Trump that is ridiculous, absurd, and hilarious. There are stories in this book that actually had me laughing out loud. Rick Reilly's sense of humor is sprinkled throughout this book and gives the subject matter levity. As soon as I started reading the book, I couldn't put it down until I was finished.
9 people found this helpful
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Rabid Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Golf (In)Digest(ion)
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019
Verified Purchase
First, confession:
I do play golf...very, very, poorly. As in I shoot probably a 200. Why? Because it's just a game to me and I have no burning desire to smack a little ball into a little hole...it's a game! It's not the end-all and be-all for my self esteem.

I do, however, play with very, very good golfers--and we DO play by the rules--and I DO record my pitiful score, much to everybody's chuckles and delight.
And it was an avid golfer who recommended this book to me.

Further, I do not think highly of DT. To put it mildly.

But even I was totally taken aback by this very humorous romp through DT's Golf Life.
I mean, he spends half his time golfing....so...What??? WHAT???
He cheats!
He cheats PUBLICLY! On record! On video! ALL the time.
He cheats gleefully! He lies about his score! He doesn't care if you can see it! He doesn't care!

And he cheats (publicly & on record) and sues his way (publicly & on record) when he builds or takes over or buys golf courses. All of which is on record. In the courts. In village meetings. In memos, contracts, and conversations. It reaches staggeringly, unbelievably ridiculous levels.
Which aren't so ridiculous when you begin to see the connections between the courses, the people who play there, the "Trump empire" and the under-the-table way influence works.
(And, apparently DT does NOT play golf with women... so it's easy to see there that women are excluded from these under-the-table agreements and deals. This was supposed to be passee decades ago. Guess not.)

And that's rather the point of this funny little book.
It goes into great detail about DT's game and his golf-resort investments. The golf resort part could probably fill its own book... but this was just enough. And a very amusing, if utterly disturbingly enough at that.

If you don't play golf, don't despair...I think the explanations of right & wrong are pretty direct here.
Like: If you hit the little ball off the manicured part, you are supposed to HIT IT BACK, not pick it up and toss it closer to the putting green, etc. And: You are supposed to count all the times you hit the little ball.

So, even if you have trouble remembering who Tiger Woods is, you will probably still find this a cute little book.

What's not so cute about it, however, is the dawning and inescapable realization that it describes to a T the personality and driving motivations behind the guy in the Oval Office right now, and it is not an admirable nor funny picture.

If you like Trump? Maybe this book isn't for you.
If you like Trump AND Golf, then you might want to read it.
If you don't play golf, maybe borrow it from the library.
If you can't stand either one? Give it a pass (but you will be missing a few laughs).

Me? After reading this I so wanted to wrap a 7 iron around his neck; golf will never be quite the same for me.
36 people found this helpful
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BTST
5.0 out of 5 stars He truly is SUB-par!
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2019
Verified Purchase
What can I say that hasn't already been said... First of all, this is a very funny book, with many LOL moments. That is, of course, until you remember we are reading about our current prez. And we know (we can see it with our own eyes) the "golf trump" is the same as the "prez trump". Very "funny" anecdotes and examples, until you want to cry about it when you remember he is representing the USA on the world stage and is responsible for these insane policies, statements, behaviors etc that are defining our current times. It is interesting to note that trump seems to have a quality that is magnetic at times, and people will comment how "fun" he is to play with and how engaging he is (even when they KNOW he is cheating). I guess it is that same quality he is projecting when his supporters cheer him for making outrageous, bullying statements at his rallies.

As Mr. Reilly says, golf is supposed to be a gentleman's game, based on absolute honesty about scoring and self-reporting. Unfortunately, that is not trump's take, on golf, or anything really. Those qualities are not even in the same universe. It is unfortunate for "real" golfers who take that code seriously. It would be different if he was just playing for fun (i.e. Clinton), but things like boasting about how many tournaments he has "won" (even when not actually there) makes it especially insulting to honest golfers. Read it and weep...
3 people found this helpful
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Richard Roeder
5.0 out of 5 stars Most entertaining book I’ve ever read on politics or sports and this is both.
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
Rick Reilly is a very smart and funny writer. Maybe more importantly, every revelation being touted nowadays in the media as current breaking news was fully revealed years ago by Reilly in this book. Nothing is more important to me when I read than the depth of knowledge of the writer. This author knows his subject and I now make it a point to read everything he produces. I have the audio version of this book. It was read by the author and is a rare combination of non stop entertainment and surprising revelations from start to finish.
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Top reviews from other countries

Donald Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars The former US president’s sportsmanship and golf habits
Reviewed in Canada on November 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book makes a wonderful read and enlightens the reader to the lack of sportsmanlike behaviour by the former US President, Donald Trump. Throughout my life I have played hundreds of games of golf, and I have found that the sportsmanlike behaviour displayed by a golfer often told me much about their character, sense of fairness and their respect for the rules of the sport and for their fellow golfers. This book reveals that Donald Trump only respects himself and he lies and cheats at every opportunity. He is a pitiful individual who only has regard for himself and will cheat at every opportunity to ensure that he comes out first!
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4GBRam
3.0 out of 5 stars A different perspective
Reviewed in India on November 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
For someone with zero knowledge on how golf works, it was an interesting spin on Trump's thought process. A different perspective on the shortcomings of someone, it would've helped if the author had furnished a bit more pro-trump facts (sprinkled lightly) to help the reader form an unbiased opinion.
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bilbocroft
5.0 out of 5 stars Trump’s golf legacy - he’s left, “a big orange stain on the game that they may never get out.”
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
Well, I’ve completed the book, Commander in Cheat. Although not actually ‘reading’, I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to the audio version with the author, Rick Reilly himself reading aloud. I thoroughly enjoyed the amusing personal experiences he’s had with Trump and the anecdotes collected from caddies, golf professionals, other journalists and Trump staff or golf partners (most of whom wanted to remain, for obvious reasons, incognito). Rick and his family are steeped in a love of golf and he uses the game’s protocols and etiquette and vast amounts of detail to illustrate with fascinating insights, the (lack of) character of the so-called leader of the free world - non of which will be surprising or shocking for those of us well-versed in the Trumpian MO. The lying, the cheating, the shameless bullying, the meanness, the BS. The book is dense with detailed research which I appreciated - the only error which stuck out is the same one as Trump himself made and that is the stated birthplace of his father. Overall I was left with an impression that Rick was both sad and angry. Certainly Trump was no sort of a gentleman but nobody was a bigger loser than Trump himself, cheating himself out of the pleasure and satisfaction of the honest achievement of a good, fair game of golf with trusted friends all pitting themselves against a course and the elements. Worst of all for Rick was Trump’s golf legacy. That he’s left, “a big orange stain on the game that they may never get out.”
Trump’s elitist view of golf seen as a game only for the already successful, (despite the vast majority of golfers playing on public courses, “four hours of fresh air fun”, costing no more than $35) Trump’s affect on the future success of Rick’s beloved game of golf, his lies and his cheating has made, “golf terrible again”.
Apologies to any golfers - I’m as yet a golf 🏌️‍♀️ virgin.
10 people found this helpful
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Pit Gutzmann
5.0 out of 5 stars Golf???
Reviewed in Germany on July 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
When I first saw this book I wondered: aren't there more important things to tell about Trump than handycaps and little golg lies? How about world politics? But when I read this book it really opened my eyes. Many of Trump's actions have a lot to do with his golfing. Did you know why the travel ban on Muslims did not include Saudi Arabia or the Emirates? Golf is the answer. Did you know that while Trump denies climate change he sues Scottish local authorities for not letting him build a wall around one of his golf courses to prevent the steadily rising sea levels from submerging his property? This book is a must-read!
3 people found this helpful
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Dicko
5.0 out of 5 stars What An Amusing Read!
Reviewed in Australia on May 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
Loved the book. Easy to read and thoroughly enjoyed it. When he rambles when speaking at rallies, you can see this through his actions in the book. It was very comical. Actions speak for themselves.
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