Amazon.com
As baseball legend Ted Williams lay dying in Florida, his old Boston Red Sox teammates Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio piled into a car and drove 1,300 miles to see their friend. Another member of the close-knit group, Bobby Doerr, remained in Oregon to tend to his wife who had suffered a stroke. Besides providing a poignant travelogue of the elderly Pesky and DiMaggio's trip, David Halberstam's The Teammates goes back in time to profile the men as young ballplayers. Although it is enlightening to learn about Doerr, Pesky, and DiMaggio, the leader of the group and star of the book is Williams. Halberstam portrays the notoriously moody and difficult Williams as a complex man: driven by a rough childhood and a fiercely competitive nature to become perhaps the greatest pure hitter of all time while also being a magnetic personality and loving friend. While there is nothing exceptionally unusual about old men who have stayed friends (plenty of people stay friends, after all), baseball gives this particular relationship a unique makeup. Unlike most friendships, that of Williams, Doerr, Pesky, and DiMaggio was viewed all summer long by hooting, hollering Red Sox fans. As such, their bond is forged both of individual accomplishment, win-loss records, numerous road trips, and, since they played for the Red Sox, annual doses of disappointment. Halberstam, author of Summer of '49 and October 1964 is the ideal writer to tell two equally intriguing stories, both rich in America's pastime. Although he occasionally drops himself into the narrative, one expects that of Halberstam and gladly accepts it in exchange for the highly readable exposition infused with poetic majesty that has become his trademark. --John Moe
Book Description
As baseball legend Ted Williams lay dying in Florida, his old Boston Red Sox teammates Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio piled into a car and drove 1,300 miles to see their friend. Another member of the close-knit group, Bobby Doerr, remained in Oregon to tend to his wife who had suffered a stroke. Besides providing a poignant travelogue of the elderly Pesky and DiMaggio's trip, David Halberstam's The Teammates goes back in time to profile the men as young ballplayers. Although it is enlightening to learn about Doerr, Pesky, and DiMaggio, the leader of the group and star of the book is Williams. Halberstam portrays the notoriously moody and difficult Williams as a complex man: driven by a rough childhood and a fiercely competitive nature to become perhaps the greatest pure hitter of all time while also being a magnetic personality and loving friend. While there is nothing exceptionally unusual about old men who have stayed friends (plenty of people stay friends, after all), baseball gives this particular relationship a unique makeup. Unlike most friendships, that of Williams, Doerr, Pesky, and DiMaggio was viewed all summer long by hooting, hollering Red Sox fans. As such, their bond is forged both of individual accomplishment, win-loss records, numerous road trips, and, since they played for the Red Sox, annual doses of disappointment. Halberstam, author of Summer of '49 and October 1964 is the ideal writer to tell two equally intriguing stories, both rich in America's pastime. Although he occasionally drops himself into the narrative, one expects that of Halberstam and gladly accepts it in exchange for the highly readable exposition infused with poetic majesty that has become his trademark. --John Moe
Download Description
Halberstam frequently interviewed Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Peske. In this book, Halberstam offers a rare glimpse into the special lives and friendships of these men. But it focuses on the more than 50-year friendship among them and serves as a testament to loyalty and the bonds of friendship. Complete with stories of their glory days with the Boston Red Sox, their lifelong friendship, and the reaction of the remaining three to the death of Ted Williams, THE TEAMMATES is a must-buy for anyone who wants to know more about these legends but more importantly, for those who want a close look at the type of friendship that comes only through sharing trials and triumphs over many years.
Customer Reviews:
Stupidity in living color.......2007-09-16
Good books need no blurbs, they can speak for themselves. This one has at least ten blurbs on the covers.
If you're curious about just how much of a bastard Ted Williams really was, read the book and marvel at the stature of a person who would repeatedly curse out a friend for "not fishing right". Then find out about his son's exploitive tendencies, presumably learned from his father. (Nah, a cryofreezing company would never, ever, not in a billion years, pay anyone to freeze their famous father. Couldn't possibly happen.)
I feel sorry for the other three guys who got lumped in with this mess, because they seem like reasonably decent people. And some of the stories are entertaining, though I felt like I had to fight through a lot of unnecessary verbiage to get there.
If you're in the target audience (people who worship sports heroes) this probably will work well for you. I was quite disappointed, and I'm not likely to read any of the author's other works; the effort wasn't worth it.
Nicely done by Mr. Halberstam.......2007-05-27
This is an intimate story of friendship between four ballplayers who were the stars of their team. It is a wonderful journey of friendship that passes through nearly 60 years. This provides some great insight especially for those of us who watch baseball now and can forget that these people are human beings with interesting lives and not just big money iconoclasts.
Well Done Book About Baseball and Friendship.......2007-05-16
"The Teammates" begins and ends with a trip taken in October 2001 by former Red Sox players Dominic DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky (along with local television personality Dick Flavin) to visit a dying Ted Williams. The three, along with Bobby Doerr who could not make the trip, were not only teammates but also friends for years. "The Teammates" is the story of the friendship between four entirely different men.
"The Teammates" is a wonderful and thoroughly engrossing book about baseball and friendship. Baseball was different back then and with the exception of Pesky, the only team the four played for was the Red Sox which helped cement their friendship. David Halberstam does a terrific job of catching the personality of each player. While it would have been easy to focus just on Ted Williams, he focuses equally on each player and readers get to know all four as individuals by the end of the book. Johnny "needle nose" Pesky, who still works for the Red Sox, became a Red Sox player because his family liked the Red Sox representative; old-fashioned and all American boy Bobby Doerr, was the closest to Williams; Dom DiMaggio, playing in the shadow of his brothers, struggled to make it to the big leagues; and of course Ted Williams, immensely talented and as hard on himself as he was on the people in his life. "The Teammates" is filled with anecdotes about the players including two memorable encounters between Williams and Pedro Ramos, a young pitcher for Washington and a fishing trip that Williams and Doerr took in the early 1960's that tested Doerr's patience and friendship. Williams was a complex, not always likable, person and Halberstam does a remarkable job of creating an even-handed profile of him. Some of the interesting information in the book includes how Tom Yawkey almost blew the deal that landed Ted Williams; how much pitching has changed these days (back then teams had more than one pitcher who won 20 - 25 games a year); and how Williams was called to serve in both World War II and Korea and how the dynamics of the Red Sox had changed by the time Williams got back from Korea. Halbertstam also touches on the Red Sox "curse" notably in the 1946 World Series in which DiMaggio got hurt and Pesky was considered the goat for years, which he quietly accepted. The book ends, as it began, with the surviving teammates as they are today.
"The Teammates" is a well done book about friendship.
They Killed My Father, Now They're Coming After Me.......2007-05-10
"Marty Nolan, the former editorial page editor of the 'Boston Globe', once famously described the pain that came with being a Red Sox fan, "They killed my father, now they're coming after me". Johnny Pesky
Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky were all members of the famed 1940's Boston Red Sox. Their careers led the Red Sox to a pennant championship and ensured the men a place in sports history.
David Halberstam, had followed the members of the 1949 championship Boston Red Sox team for years, especially Williams, Doerr, DiMaggio, and Pesky. He met up with the fellas and learned about their friendship and their trip. He knew he wanted to write about it. David Halberstam gives us an inside look at how these four teammates became friends, and how that friendship thrived for more than 60 years.
The book opens with Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio and , Dick Flavin a friend, on a 1300-mile car trip travelling to see the ailing Ted Williams in Florida. It's the last time they will see him. The journey is filled with nostalgia and memories, but seeing Ted is a shock. The most physically dominating of the four friends, Ted now weighs only 130 pounds and is hunched over in a wheelchair. Dom, without even thinking about it, starts to sing opera and old songs like "Me and My Shadow" to his friend.They had a short memorable time with Ted,and it was worth it. Every morning until the day Ted Williams died, Dom would call him with an update of the Sox.
"This book is filled with stories of their wonderful days with the Boston Red Sox, memories of plays and players, and the reaction of the remaining three to Ted Williams' death. The Teammates offers us a glimpse into the lives of these Red Sox men. and great insight into the nature of loyalty and friendship. The book tries not to dwell on the imposing power, problems, and slugging achievements of Ted Williams or reveal new sensational material or revelations. Halberstam focuses on the teammates' shared attributes: their desire to compete and succeed in baseball, their willingness to learn how to use physical/mental talents, how to provide for post-depression families yet display genuine appreciation and gratitude for each other's contributions and careers." David Johnson
For any Red Sox fan, baseball fan and David Halberstam fan this book is a must. A book of love of fellow man and baseball. It is a rare book that fills the reader with hope for the future of baseball.
Highly Recommended. prisrob 5-09-07
Great book on the power of long term friendship.......2007-04-24
A great book on the power of lifetime friendships. While the focus of the book was Williams, it was great learn more about Dom Dimaggio, who lived in the shadow of his brother and Williams.
Amazon.com
Leigh Montville's Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero is the definitive biography that baseball fans have been waiting for. Montville, who was a sports columnist for the Boston Globe and then a senior writer for Sports Illustrated is an admitted Red Sox and Williams fanatic, and his passion for his hero rings clearly from every page, along with his clear baseball expertise. But Montville does not hide Williams's flaws. The young Williams was temperamental and justified bad behavior with batting prowess that could excuse just about anything. Quick to anger, "the Kid" had a gift for foul language, too.
Montville's study offers insides accounts of Williams's obsessive development as a hitter and his constant struggle to perfect his swing (mistakenly called "natural" by sports writers with little understanding of his extensive preparation). The chapter on 1941, perhaps the greatest year in his career, draws on research and interviews never before published. Montville lets whole passages stand uninterrupted--from Williams's manager, Joe Cronin, from his teammate Dom DiMaggio, and from other players and baseball officials who tell the story of Williams's quest for a .400 batting average. The tale of the final day of the season (when he refused to be benched and went six for eight in a double header to jump from .39955 to his final total, .406) is as pulse-pounding as any thriller.
Alongside its essential focus on Williams's baseball life, the book also delves into his military service during both World War II and the Korean War, his passion for sports fishing, and his commitment to helping children through the Jimmy Fund. Finally, Montville devotes a chapter to the controversy after Williams's death, exposing the back-and-forth among Williams's heirs in the bizarre decision to freeze his body in a cryogenic warehouse in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Montville's biography makes a good case that Williams was, if not the greatest hitter ever to play the game, certainly among them. For his focused, scientific approach to hitting, Williams is unmatched in the history of the game. His life, marred perhaps by a temper and occasional immaturity that soured his reputation in Boston, is one of true sports greatness. Early in the book, Montville argues that Williams is less appreciated today than he might be because he played out most of his 19-year career in the era before televised highlights. But with Montville's efforts to capture first-hand accounts of Williams's achievements, The Splendid Splinter's legacy is assured. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
He was The Kid. The Splendid Splinter. Teddy Ballgame. One of the greatest figures of his generation, and arguably the greatest baseball hitter of all time. But what made Ted Williams a legend – and a lightning rod for controversy in life and in death? What motivated him to interrupt his Hall of Fame career twice to serve his country as a fighter pilot; to embrace his fans while tangling with the media; to retreat from the limelight whenever possible into his solitary love of fishing; and to become the most famous man ever to have his body cryogenically frozen after his death? New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville, who wrote the celebrated Sports Illustrated obituary of Ted Williams, now delivers an intimate, riveting account of this extraordinary life.
Still a gangly teenager when he stepped into a Boston Red Sox uniform in 1939, Williams’s boisterous personality and penchant for towering home runs earned him adoring admirers--the fans--and venomous critics--the sportswriters. In 1941, the entire country followed Williams's stunning .406 season, a record that has not been touched in over six decades. At the pinnacle of his prime, Williams left Boston to train and serve as a fighter pilot in World War II, missing three full years of baseball. He was back in 1946, dominating the sport alongside teammates Dominic DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr. But Williams left baseball again in 1952 to fight in Korea, where he flew thirty-nine combat missions—crash-landing his flaming, smoke-filled plane, in one famous episode.
Ted Willams's personal life was equally colorful. His attraction to women (and their attraction to him) was a constant. He was married and divorced three times and he fathered two daughters and a son. He was one of corporate America's first modern spokesmen, and he remained, nearly into his eighties, a fiercely devoted fisherman. With his son, John Henry Williams, he devoted his final years to the sports memorabilia business, even as illness overtook him. And in death, controversy and public outcry followed Williams and the disagreements between his children over the decision to have his body preserved for future resuscitation in a cryonics facility--a fate, many argue, Williams never wanted.
With unmatched verve and passion, and drawing upon hundreds of interviews, acclaimed best-selling author Leigh Montville brings to life Ted Williams's superb triumphs, lonely tragedies, and intensely colorful personality, in a biography that is fitting of an American hero and legend.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific Book.......2007-08-01
I have been reading quite a few baseball biographies over the past 4-5 years and this one was absolutely and by far the most thoughtful, the most thorough, and simply the best. And frankly, I was not even a Ted Williams fan before I picked it up. I knew very little about him and didn't remember him, having been born in 1961. But the portrait Montville draws is remarkably detailed and nuanced. This book goes beyond the person and gives glimpses of the times.
In life, he waited on the wrong pitches.......2007-07-30
A 2007 summer reading list mini review
Ted Williams had a simple hitting philosophy: get a good pitch to hit. In Leigh Montville's riveting biography of the splendid splinter we learn about his legendary patience at the plate. We infer that patience translated in his life long love of sports fishing. Ultimately, we do not see that same patience in his personal life: swinging and missing in 3 of 4 marriages, not connecting in fatherhood much better.
Mistakes in baseball especially for a career .344 hitter with over 500 homeruns don't have many residual effects. Relational miscues are less static and often lead to more consequences. Montville does a good job chronicling how the controversy that embroiled Williams in death may have developed from these earlier errors.
A "Jekyll & Hyde" of a Biography.......2006-11-08
Leigh Montville's biography presented quite the conundrum for this reader. Quite extensive (weighing in at just over 500 pages) the book is crammed full of wonderful anectdotes that give a great look at both the positive and negative aspects of Ted Williams the man and player. It also contains more information on his post-baseball life than most biographies do. What bothered me about the book though was the numerous mistakes in key dates from Williams' life. Montville's book lists the wrong month for Williams' birth, the wrong date for his first homer, his first 2-homer game, opening day 1942, and even the wrong date for his wedding to Doris Soule (just to name a few). If you are only looking for a book that brings you a closer look at Ted Williams personality, then this is the book for you, but, if you are a stickler for details, then perhaps stick with the earlier biographies by Ed Linn and Michael Seidel which do not suffer from so very many errors.
Ted Williams: The Biography of and American Hero.......2006-11-04
This is a great book about a great ball player. If you are a baseball fan you will love this book.
Solid Job - Excellent Biography of the Complete Person.......2006-07-16
I enjoyed the book and would buy it again. Having said that the book only rates 4 stars because the author spends too much time - in my opinion - on non baseball issues after Ted Williams had retired.
Here is my rational. This is a detailed biography written by the former Boston Globe sports columnist Leigh Montville using a combination of many interviews and lots of background research. He puts it all together with a nice selection of photos to produce a detailed and comprehensive biography of Ted Williams. It is about 500 pages long and remarkably fair. Although the book is 500 pages long the author dedicates only about 175 pages or 1/3 to his actual playing career. The rest covers a lot of detail on some crazy subjects such as the "Refrigeration" and his other marriages or many fishing trips. I think the book would have been better with more baseball and less post baseball, but that is my opinion that it deserves just 4 stars for him as a player but maybe 5 stars as a "personal" biography covering his whole life. But I bought the book as a baseball fan so as a baseball book it gets 4 stars.
I have read and posted reviews on other baseball books from David Cone to Pete Rose, Babe Ruth and DiMaggio, and on the Oakland A's, Cooperstown, and the Cal Ripkin's book on baseball skills recently published. This book is similar in quality and scope of the DiMaggio book "The Hero's Life" - a book that I thought was excellent and sparked controversy about DiMaggio's personal life - and interestingly covers the same time period including that famous 1941 season when Williams broke 400 in Boston while DiMaggio had the 56 game streak with the Yankees.
The book is somewhat similar to the DiMaggio book - in that it gives a fairly well researched and informative picture on and off the field. There is much to discuss about the book such as his exhibition game with Babe Ruth, the 1946 world series, his days in the marines air corps, Korea, etc. But again, the book covers a lot more than baseball. It is 500 pages long and by page 260 the vote is in and he is on his way to Cooperstown, so it covers him to the end of his life in detail with about half on his post playing career. His actual MLB playing is covered in about one third of the book and for myself those sections where he is playing for Boston are the most interesting parts of the book, and I skipped a couple of late chapters, I had read enough, and did not need to read 35 pages on the "Refrigeration" episode at the end of the book and similar stories about fishing or other marriages.
In comparing him to DiMaggio it is clear that Williams was more of a loner on the field than even the reserved DiMaggio, no matter what either did off the field. Williams has a complex and thin skinned personality. He takes time to help many young fans and sick children and for that he is loved and admired. He is bigger than life. Unfortunately, and even though in some ways Williams is likeable in the book, Williams reminds me of some modern players that are often surly around the press, sometimes poison in the dressing room, and seem more interested in their personal contract than the win loss record of their own team. We are told in the book that sometimes it was clear that team's winning came second to his personal performance in determining his post game mood in the clubhouse. But taking that to the next step and saying that is why they never won a World Series is not 100% clear since Boston did not seem to have the player roster depth of other teams like the Yankees, and Williams had an elbow injury during the 46 World Series - the best Boston shot of winning that championship when he played - and when he had his so called "choke". So it is impossible to make a definitive conclusion from the book. In any case, he is one of the best hitters to have ever played, and if he had been a Yankee I am sure he would have been on many winning teams.
Quite good and I learned a lot about Ted Williams and baseball, but I skipped most of the last half, the personal trivia.
Book Description
Fenway Park is the most famous ballpark—and arguably stadium—in all of sports. From the ominous Green Monster, to the notorious cramped seats (including the lone red seat that marks Ted Williams's record-setting longest home run), to the hand-operated scoreboard (if only those walls could talk), Fenway Park has inspired more lavish praise and outrageous comparison than any American sports arena in history. From the best-selling author Dan Shaughnessy and the two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer Stan Grossfeld, Fenway is the ultimate memorial to the beloved Boston ballpark. This expanded and updated edition features a new foreword by Peter Gammons, updated text throughout, including a new chapter on Fenway under the current ownership, and more than thirty new photographs covering, among other things, the 2004 World Series, the new Green Monster seats, the reconstruction of the ".406 Club" for the 2006 season, and more.
Product Description
In spring 2007, Walden Media will be releasing the motion picture Amazing Grace which features the life of William Wilberforce and his 30-year fight to abolish slavery in England. Film producer Ken Wales has now teamed with Ted Baehr of MOVIEGUIDE and author Susan Wales to create a lavish, full-color book about the enduring legacy and powerful faith of Wilberforce. Filled with exciting historical details, this exciting book takes an indepth look at the life, times, and faith of this incredible man including essays from leading scholars demonstrating the tremendous impact of Wilberforce in his own time and in ours. Learn about the fascinating behind the scenes story of the six-year effort to see the film completed by its producer, Ken Wales, as well as enjoy the most comprehensive treatment of Wilberforce on the market including character sketches, contemporary commentaries, and images from the exciting film Amazing Grace.
Customer Reviews:
The Amazing Grace of Freedom: The Inspiring Faith of William Wilberforce.......2007-03-22
This is an excellent book. It has beautiful pictures and is laid out in an 'easy to read' manner.
Excellent all-around look at the big picture.......2007-03-13
If you're interested in Wilberforce and want to learn more about his life-- but are not excited about the idea of ploughing through long (or possibly dull) biographies, this book is perfect. Accessible, colorful, and refreshing, it's a well-organized collection of 'articles' written about aspects of Wilberforce's life, friends, colleagues, relationships, influence, and legacy. The variety of authors who penned the book gives it balance, and gives you insight from the perspective of people in different walks of life (who have different reasons for being drawn to Wilberforce).
This is definitely not a 'coffee table book' in the sense one is used to; it's basically just a great anthology that looks attractive like a coffee table book. You'll get some great inside info on the film Amazing Grace as well, but it's not at all the focal point of the book--no fluff involved. Also, the physical quality of the book makes it absolutely worth more than its low price--I was actually surprised that this was not a $24.99 book. Highly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
best overall biography; best biography of a writer.......2004-06-08
I have never written a review for amazon.com before but I had to add my two cents to the few reviews listed here. This book changed my life. I was already familiar with Burroughs' writing and had read several of his books before I found Morgan's excellent biography. I've read this lengthy tome several times, but I remember the feeling after I finished the first reading: I was inspired to write, write, write. The book cleared up my writer's block and has continued to do so every time I read it. His life really was as strange or stranger than his fiction, and it reminds me always to write what I know. I can't believe this is out of print. Highly recommended to all writers and all fans of biographies.
The World of William Burroughs.......2002-11-21
After a failed attempt to read "Naked Lunch" I turned to this book to gain some insight into William Burroughs that might aid me with future reading. I did not find that the book went into great detail about Burroughs ideas, except for ones that I find either trivial or even "wacky", like his interest in some aspects of Scientology and Reich's "Orgone Box". In fact, I might have given up on my plans of reading Burroughs after reading this biography; I could have easily concluded that Burroughs was a man who had led an interesting, albeit tragic, life but who, because of his heroin use and open homosexuality, had just become a "trendy" author. I might have concluded that he was a precursor to the cultural revolution of the 60s but of little importance today. Quite frankly I persist in my quest of getting to know Burroughs because of the importance attributed to him by one of my favorite philosophers, Gilles Deleuze, who claims that Burroughs has a lot to teach us about the "society of control". Only my future readings of Burroughs' novels will reveal rather I am right to persist in my study of him.
If this book failed in being an intellectual biography, it certainly succeeded in portraying the world of William Burroughs in an interesting fashion. Burroughs life seems for the most part
a series of tragedies. It appears as though he was molested as a youth and one is tempted - perhaps due to the saturation of "pop psychology" in our day- to conclude that somehow his future misfortunes (and brilliance) were rooted in that event. Subsequently driven from the United States, then Mexico (where he committed the infamous "William Tell" fatal shooing of his wife) he spends the greater part of his life wandering between Tangiers, Paris, London and New York. Oddly enough, he only seems to find some kind ofhappiness at the end of his life in Lawrence, Kansas.
His meeting with the other members of the "Beat Movement", Allen Ginsburg, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, seemed fated, and unlike the others he did not become a "Beat Stereotype but remained authentically himself, behaving in many ways like a conservative midwesterner. Perhaps this authenticity is what appealed to his groupies who could not manage to retain their own identity separate from the various trends in which they participated.
Whether I will find anything intellectually stimulating in the works of Burroughs remains to be seen. Despite his many shortcoming, he was a key cultural force in undermining the foundation of the narrow, cocktail sipping, coutnry club 50s generation.
FIND THIS BOOK!.......2002-01-12
When I read this book in 1990, or thereabouts, I had only read William Burroughs' book Junky, and I had read nothing by Jack Kerouac or Allen Ginsberg.
After I finished reading Literary Outlaw, by Ted Morgan, I was so fascinated that I read all of Burroughs' novels, and several books by Kerouac and Ginsberg. I also read two more Burroughs biographies, just to get more information on this weird old guy.
Literary Outlaw is just that good.
There are newer biographies of Burroughs by Barry Miles and also Graham Caveney. Nevertheless, Literary Outlaw remains the definitive Burroughs biography written to date.
This is a fascinating biography that reads like a pageturning novel. Burroughs grew up in a privileged St. Louis family, spent some time at a rough ranch-style boarding school in New Mexico, attended Harvard, travelled in Europe, and lived in New York, Mexico, New Orleans, Texas, Tangier, London, New York (again), and finally Kansas. Along the way he became the most scandalous figure in modern letters. His adventures and misadventures are related in this marvelous book.
Literary Outlaw is more exhaustive than either Caveney's or Miles' biographies. Chapters with titles like "Tangier: 1954-1958" and "The London Years: 1966-1973" make for easy navigation. As the book's coverage ends in 1988, there is no information on Burroughs' life in the 1990s, but the essays in the book Word Virus (by James Grauerholz) act as a good supplement, for biographical information.
Morgan did a good job. He wrote a page-turning biography, but not at the expense of Burroughs' literary reputation. Burroughs' value as a writer is challenged throughout, and it holds up. Biographical detail is linked to popular criticism of the texts. There is an extensive section of notes. There is an index.
You can't go wrong with this biography. If you've never read a biography of William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, or Allen Ginsberg, I advise you to try Literary Outlaw. This book is very well written, and is probably the most fascinating biography I have ever read.
ken32
Burroughs Explained.......2001-11-03
The only book of, or by, William Burroughs that I have read twice. His life was stranger than his fiction.
The amazing life of a junkie genius.......2001-09-19
The late William S. Burroughs was one of the most compelling and frustrating writers of our times. For every work of dryly humorous genius like Junky and Naked Lunch, there were dozens of frustrating, obscure works that seemed to be more the product of Burroughs' infamous heroin addiction than his own imagination. As others have stated, to truly understand much of Burroughs' work, one has to first understand the man himself and, to my knowledge, there is no better resource than Ted Morgan's long, detailed, but never boring biography. In Literary Outlaw, we get the details of Burroughs' seminal friendships with such future literary icons as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac and we also explore the most controversial aspect of the man's life -- the shooting death of his wife, Joan. (After shooting her in the head, Burroughs claimed they were simply playing a game of "William Tell.")
If just for this information, this book would be a valuable resource but Morgan goes further. He details Burroughs' life after his fame as one of the original beat writers faded. He explains what was actually going on in Burroughs'head when he created the later works that left so many readers not only confused but often rather angry at this man they'd previously clutched to their own artistic souls (perhaps a bit too quickly, as Morgan reveals with an unflinching candor).
The Burroughs who emerges in this book is neither the decadent bohemian of the literary imagination nor the devil incarnate that so many of his critics imagined him to be. Instead, William S. Burroughs comes across as nothing less than the Forrest Gump of modern literature. Somehow, this quiet, rather reserved midwesterner manages to pop up at just about every important underground cultural event of recent history -- often, it seems, just by chance. In Literary Outlaw, Morgan not only gives us a revealing look at the usual suspects -- Kerouac, Ginsberg, Corso, and the other Beats -- but also draws sharp portraits of figures ranging from Terry Southern to Dennis Hopper to James Baldwin to John Houston to thousands of others. Some are famous, some obscure, but all prove to be as fascinating as Burroughs himself.
This is an amazing book, a must for anyone with any interest in the Beats, American literature, world history, or who just wants a chance to relive a truly fascinating life. Be warned though -- Burroughs was both very open about his homosexuality and his drug addictions. Morgan, to his credit, doesn't shy away from detailing these aspects of Burroughs' life. Also to his credit, Morgan neither condemns nor celebrates. In short, prudes need not apply. For the rest of us though, this is a valuable book to be cherished.
Book Description
Now available for the first time in years, My Turn at Bat is Ted Williams' own story of his spectacular life and baseball career.
An acclaimed best-seller, My Turn at Bat now features new photographs and, for the first time, Ted's reflections on his managing career and the state of baseball as it is played in the 1980s. It's all here in this brilliant, honest and sometimes angry autobiography -- Williams' childhood days in San Diego, his military service, his unforgettable major league baseball debut and ensuing Hall of Fame career that included two Triple Crowns, two Most Valuable Player awards, six batting championships, five Sporting News awards as Major League Player of the Year, 521 lifetime homeruns and a .344 career batting average. And Williams tells his side of the controversies, from his battles with sportswriters and Boston fans to his single World Series performance and his career with the declining Red Sox of the 1950s.
My Turn at Bat belongs in the library of everyone who loves Ted Williams, baseball, or great life stories well-told.
Red Barber proclaimed My Turn at Bat to be: "One of the best baseball books I've ever read." John Leonard of The New York Times said My Turn at Bat was "unbuttoned and wholly engaging...the portrait of an original who is unrepentant about being better than anyone else."
Customer Reviews:
From the hip.......2007-05-14
In his autobiography, legendary Ted Williams details his illustrious career in baseball with a wide spectrum of human emotions. From passion to disparity, Williams tells it like it is.
He blasts sports writers for their one sidedness's and fabrications, talks highly and respectful of many managers, players and close friends, and above all he talks baseball...especially hitting.
Losing nearly six years to military service and injuries, there is a strong possibility that Williams would have set even more incredible records.
A strong-willed reflection of his life in his own words. It's as if you have Ted right there in your own home and listening directly to the greatest hitter of all time.
Good Hot Stove League.......2005-12-17
"My Turn at Bat" is a biography of the late Ted Williams, slugging left fielder for the Boston Red Sox from 1939-1960. MYB is very pleasant and easy reading. The tone is conversational, as if there were no ghostwriter. The reader might almost believe Ted is present in the room. There are few surprises. The tale unfolds in linear fashion from TWs childhood through his career-ending homer against young Jack Fisher of the Orioles. The reader of "a certain age" will be reintroduced to some old friends both on the Bosox and other teams: Del Baker, Joe Cronin, Lou Boudreau, Dom Di Maggio, Bobby Doerr, Billy Goodman, Pinky Higgins, Jim Tabor and TWs favorite manager, Marse Joe McCarthy are all here. TW makes his love for fishing quite clear. Those salmon in New Brunswick's Miramichi River must be wonderful! There are some negatives: The spacing of the paragraphs makes reading a challenge and the chapters are oddly sequenced. MTB has a patched together undertone. These flaws are not fatal; they are listed here for the record. There is also a sense of melancholy to MTB. This reviewer always thought TW gave that vibe in his final years. It seemed TW would leave a game early for no apparent reason. In fact TW lost the 1954 and 1955 batting titles due to insufficient times at bat and he never did achieve 3,000 hits. Something was going on there. Perhaps it was the 5 (!) seasons lost to military service. If TW had those seasons back, he would own the record book. The final word on MTB remains positive. The only major warning label might be that the potential audience is limited. Fans with little curiosity concerning the TW era may be disappointed. Hardcore Bosox fans or those who remember Ted from the good old days should pounce.
My Turn at Bat!!!!.......2005-08-12
My turn at bat!!!!
by:TED WILLIAMS....
This book refers to a kid whose dreams were to become a ballplayer.As any kid he always kept the hope that one day he would have made his dreams come true. One of his opportunities came while he was playing ball with his friends in a field near to his house. He used to play baseball almost every single day.
He was told by his friend that he had a lot of abilities at bat. From that day he thought that becoming a famous player could be easier than he thought. He spoke to his father that he wanted to be a ballplayer. That's how he started getting into this sport.
He played for his school team by couples of times and then he joined one of the major national baseball leagues. After becoming a famous ballplayer it was not easier than he thought. He went through a lot of difficulties ,but he never gave up on his dreams. He could count on his father who helped him as much as he could to realize his son's dreams.
This story is very similar to story of Roberto Clemente,who was a legendary figure as a player.Both of them played the game with passion.
I would like to recommend this book to someone who thinks that dreams do not come true. Because i do belive if you put effort on something that you do love, and are interested in, it would make you change your mind, because it would help you to believe in yourself and keep your hopes and never and ever stpo thinking that you are not able to do it, Also ages between 15 and 20 could read this book,it contains a good vocabulary for those who are taking English as a second languaje...
A Hall of Fame book by one of the greatest Hall of Famers.......2003-03-28
The story is an entertaining look at Williams' career as a ballplayer, fisherman and ex ball player. It talks about his strange career with the Red Sox fans that would boo him in spite of his brilliant hitting. His study of the game, especially batting and dedication to being a near perfect hitter is a pretty good insight into why the booing bothered him so much and led to some bad displays of resentment by him to the fans. The spitting incidents and the time he accidentally threw a bat into the stands and hit a lady spectator on the head are well covered. His resentment toward most sportswriters is a continuation of his reaction to the reception he received in Boston. It's a large contrast to the welcome given to Joe DiMaggio in New York and the rivalry between Williams and DiMaggio is covered too. In later years, Williams mellowed and so did the fans so that their relationship was a good one. One wonders what kind of statistics Williams would have had if he had not missed five years in the military service, being a pilot in World War II and in Korea. One of his statistics that I don't often see mentioned is the fact that he is one of only two players to win the Triple Crown twice.
Besides being a "Hall of Fame" ball player, Ted Williams was also a hall of fame fisherman and there is a lot of fishing talked about in the book.
Ted Williams was definitely one of Baseball's greatest hitters and an individualist, plus being quite a character. This book gives a good insight into these things in his "own words". It should be a must for any baseball fan.
Complex personality.......2003-03-13
First, a quick qualifier: the four stars is for "My Turn at Bat" as a baseball book. Unlike "The Boys of Summer," for example, it is not also a literary gem, nor, I suspect, was it intended to be.
That said, Williams and his collaborator, the fine writer John Underwood, achieve a peppery tone in the book that one certainly heard in Williams's voice when he spoke out after his baseball life. Williams's language is rich and funny and-especially when he speaks about baseball writers-sometimes bitter.
The book paints a vivid picture of Williams's childhood in San Diego which, he says, included countless hours playing ball in backyards and city parks. Ted is at pains later in the book to point out that his enormous success as a hitter came from this constant practice, not as a result of his keen eyesight, which was the subject of much legend.
The book also brings to life the storied Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, which of course produced a lopsided advantage in favor of the New Yorkers during Williams's career. You feel his frustration when he discusses the final-game loss to the Yankees in 1949 that ended the Red Sox season and the team's subsequent decline over the remainder of his career. That loss came after his poor showing in the 1946 World Series-the only one of his career-and a season-ending playoff loss to the Indians in 1948.
These frustrations and his vicious battles with the press bring out the human side of Ted, important because as a hitter he seemed to most in a world of his own. To his credit, he doesn't dwell unduly on his achievements, but to ignore the magnitude of them is impossible: only one season below .300, 521 career home runs, an incredible on-base percentage, and so on. The humanity is also revealed in his description of his final at-bat (which resulted in a home run). Despite his emotion, he was unable, he says, to acknowledge the crowd (famously commented on in an essay by John Updike) despite its clamoring and the urging of his teammates to take an extra turn in the spotlight. Not my way, the Splendid Splinter says.
A final section of the book is also very interesting for Williams's comments on the secrets of hitting and his recommendations for improving the game. Some of the latter are timely for the game today: he urges hitters and pitchers to work more quickly, and he advocated before its adoption the use of a designated hitter. Personally I don't find that to have been one of baseball's shining ideas, but he certainly was foresighted.
If you're looking for much on Ted's personal life, look elsewhere, but as a fine read for the student of baseball, "My Turn at a Bat" should get a turn with the reader.
Average customer rating:
- Great information, but......
- I would read it again
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The Kid: Ted Williams in San Diego
Bill Nowlin
Manufacturer: Rounder Books
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It's Only Me: The Ted Williams We Hardly Knew
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Ted Williams at War
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Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero
ASIN: 1579400949 |
Book Description
The Kid portrays the life of Hall of Fame baseball player Ted Williams before he made it to the majors. The book digs into Ted's high school baseball and the semipro games he played on the sandlots with more detail than any full-life biography could hope to offer. Contains extensive accounts of his three seasons in organized ball, before his major league debut in 1939.
Customer Reviews:
Great information, but.............2006-02-17
This book was a very pleasant surprise. It is one book that details his early years in San Diego. Reading of Ted's high school games, tournaments, the PCL, his exibition games in SD, etc, was great. Unfortunately the second half really bogs down with some information that I was not interested in. Researching the origins of his family; the father's military and work record; etc. were not the things I was looking for. Too much time was spent debating the years his parents were born - and then never really coming to a conclusion. Again, there was too much in the second half of the book that was of very little interest to me. I would rate the first half of the book 5 stars. The second half detracts from the book.
I would read it again.......2006-01-03
Ive read 8 books in the last year about ted williams and I found that this book doesnt talk as much about his life but more of his statistics throughout his years in the PCL , AA , HS , and MLB. It is amazing that they were able to find the statistics they did for his highschool days and the few tournaments he played in. But if you are going for a more complete book about his life I would go with Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero by Leigh Montville.
Amazon.com
This definitive biography of Ted Williams provides a balanced portrait of the man, the ballplayer, the war veteran, and the hitter. This last side of Williams--the man in the batter's box, the last player to hit .400, the Splendid Splinter--is the most widely and fondly remembered. But Linn also gets beneath the varnish on the bat, examining the Williams known by teammates and sportswriters as difficult and moody. Finally, this is an assessment of a ballplayer who was frequently ignored by the press, despite accomplishments the likes of which we may never see again on a professional diamond.
Book Description
At first he was The Kid, then The Splendid Splinter and Thumping Theodore - to say nothing of Teddy Ballgame. But the tag that really fits is Hitter. “A riveting retrospective” (Baseball americanca). Index; career statistics; photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Teddy Ballgame gets his due.......2003-10-15
Ed Linn says that Williams was the greatest hitter of all-time, he should have won 5 MVP awards, and his 1941 season was more impressive than DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. That he gave up his potentially most productive years to fight in two wars says as much for his character as it does for his projected totals. The biggest hurdle to recognition was his rascally personality that alienated hometown Boston sportswriters.
In a media age, it is very hard for accomplishments to be recognized without supporting prose. But in Williams' case, his attitude not only cost him prose, but MVP votes from local sportswriters. Had the hometown scribes written glowingly about his .406 average in 1941 the way the New York papers lionized DiMaggio's hitting streak, he may have won his first MVP. Instead it took time for that accomplishment to be realized, and it continues to grow as the years pass without any .400 hitters. Add the two Triple Crowns he won without getting the award and you have to wonder what sportswriters were doing with their votes.
Linn doesn't comment much on Williams' years as the manager of the Washington Senators. It's just mentioned to say that Williams wasn't cut out to be a manager. He says a little about Williams' service record, but reminds us that he was John Glenn's wingman. And we get just enough about Williams home life to know that he wasn't the best husband. This book isn't about those things it's about Williams the great hitter.
Linn stresses that Williams proved his greatness by the way he played when his tools were diminishing in the 1950s. While the rest of his body was breaking down with injuries his bat could still light up a ballgame. That he won the 1958 batting title at age of 39 is a feat that Linn says is amazing. Linn makes a dramatic telling of his last at bat home run by explaining Williams before and after the contest.
This is an informative and thorough telling of Williams the ballplayer and a good choice if you want to know more about Williams and his era in the big leagues.
What a great book!.......2003-03-29
If you want to know everything you possibly can about Ted and his effect on the game you need to read this book.
The Authoritative History of Ted Williams.......2002-07-09
This is an absolutely FABULOUS book. It details not only the career, but also the life of the greatest hitter who ever lived. I am generally not a big book reader, but I could not put this one down, reading it in a little over a day. I guarantee that if you are a baseball fan, you will love this book!
Excellent Biography.......2001-01-19
Biographies often waste time describing things like the "childhood home". While this book gives an overview of Williams' early life, it focuses on his historical impact on baseball and his attitudes toward the game. Linn does an excellent job of measuring Williams statistically and creating the perspective of his career that, as a 34 year old, I did not get to experience first hand. An understanding of each season, his teammates and adversaries, creates for me an appreciation that did not exist before. Some great segments on Ted's mentality toward the game and hitting specifically, was great not only for me but also my 10 year old. Note: this is a biography NOT an instructional manual - see The Science of Hitting for the "other half of the story.
HITTER is like a triple off the Green Monster..........2000-06-10
Ed Linn's HITTER is a excellent biography on Ted Williams life and baseball career. It's a solid 400 pages about Williams, his youth, his personality quirks and flaws, his talent at hitting a baseball, and his glorious seasons at Fenway Park. What Ed Linn does best is to write about The Kid's best seasons and comparing them to other baseball greats using statistical analysis. Also the many stories about Williams' war with the Boston Press. Linn was very careful to write both the good and bad of Williams, and is not afraid to criticize his behavior. The only reasons why this book isnt a home run is because I feel that there could have been more details in certain situations,or maybe Linn suffers from the same problem as Ted Williams had in front of the Fenway Crowd, they both did such a good job that you just wanted a little more from them.
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Doctors' Work: The Legacy of Sir William Osler
Ted Grant
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
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ASIN: 1552976033 |
Book Description
A photographic tribute to the man who changed the practice of medicine.
A little over a hundred years ago, becoming a doctor was dangerously easy. Admission requirements for training were low and the M.D. was automatically given after the second term, regardless of the student's academic performance. Teaching was by lecture alone, and a student could graduate without ever seeing a patient.
Within the space of his lifetime William Osler (1849-1919) worked tirelessly to change medical schools from trade schools into intellectually demanding academic institutions. Osler founded the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and later became a professor emeritus of medicine at Oxford University.
Doctors' Work shows how one remarkable man revolutionized medical schools and redefined the physician-patient relationship.
A biographical profile of Osler is followed by photographs of physicians, nurses, and medical technicians at work. Photographed by Ted Grant using extremely high-speed film and virtually silent cameras, these images capture the compassion and dedication of front-line healthcare professionals. Each photograph is accompanied with an insightful quotation by Osler, Pasteur, Curie, Einstein, Nightingale, and many others.
Through words and photographs,
Doctors' Work is a celebration of MDs, RNs and health care professionals everywhere.
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Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero
Leigh Montville
Manufacturer: RH Audio
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Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero
ASIN: 0739333437
Release Date: 2006-07-18 |
Book Description
He was The Kid. The Splendid Splinter. Teddy Ballgame. One of the greatest figures of his generation, and arguably the greatest baseball hitter of all time. But what made Ted Williams a legend – and a lightning rod for controversy in life and in death? What motivated him to interrupt his Hall of Fame career twice to serve his country as a fighter pilot; to embrace his fans while tangling with the media; to retreat from the limelight whenever possible into his solitary love of fishing; and to become the most famous man ever to have his body cryogenically frozen after his death? New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville, who wrote the celebrated Sports Illustrated obituary of Ted Williams, now delivers an intimate, riveting account of this extraordinary life.
Still a gangly teenager when he stepped into a Boston Red Sox uniform in 1939, Williams’s boisterous personality and penchant for towering home runs earned him adoring admirers--the fans--and venomous critics--the sportswriters. In 1941, the entire country followed Williams's stunning .406 season, a record that has not been touched in over six decades. At the pinnacle of his prime, Williams left Boston to train and serve as a fighter pilot in World War II, missing three full years of baseball. He was back in 1946, dominating the sport alongside teammates Dominic DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr. But Williams left baseball again in 1952 to fight in Korea, where he flew thirty-nine combat missions—crash-landing his flaming, smoke-filled plane, in one famous episode.
Ted Willams's personal life was equally colorful. His attraction to women (and their attraction to him) was a constant. He was married and divorced three times and he fathered two daughters and a son. He was one of corporate America's first modern spokesmen, and he remained, nearly into his eighties, a fiercely devoted fisherman. With his son, John Henry Williams, he devoted his final years to the sports memorabilia business, even as illness overtook him. And in death, controversy and public outcry followed Williams and the disagreements between his children over the decision to have his body preserved for future resuscitation in a cryonics facility--a fate, many argue, Williams never wanted.
With unmatched verve and passion, and drawing upon hundreds of interviews, acclaimed best-selling author Leigh Montville brings to life Ted Williams's superb triumphs, lonely tragedies, and intensely colorful personality, in a biography that is fitting of an American hero and legend.
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Summer of '49 (P.S.)
October 1964
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The Best and the Brightest
