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Ted Williams (Abridged): The Biography of an American Hero Audiobook
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(4.00) - 785 listener ratings
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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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"I didn't know much about Williams before I listened to this book on tape. I'm glad I listened to it because I always had a negative connotation attached to Williams--I have no idea why. Now I know that negativity existed for no reason. That negativity should have been attached to his son, John Henry, the whole time. The chapters about John Henry were the hardest to listen to because he is such a despicable, disgusting human being."
— Beth (4 out of 5 stars)
Ted Williams Listener Reviews
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" Ted Williams is obviously very interesting. Focused. "
— Matt, 2/9/2014 -
" Another great baseball read. I read a biography he wrote about Babe Ruth and really liked it so I went for this one too. Here's what I knew about Ted before the book: a really great hitter, head is cryogenically frozen. It was very interesting to learn about his life and baseball prowess. His baseball career is over by the middle of the book and rest is basically about fishing, but whatever. "
— Dan, 1/7/2014 -
" The best thing I cn say about Ted Williams is that he lived the life that John Wayne thought her did. Sports hero, War Hero, and a bigger than life figure. "
— Dave, 1/7/2014 -
" It was about the skyrocketing career of Ted Williams all of the awards,his numbers that he put up every year which led up to a hall of fame career. I liked this book it was an interesting book. "
— Mikel, 12/17/2013 -
" The second greatest baseball player of all time. "
— Josh, 12/12/2013 -
" This is a teasure trove for baseball and Ted Williams fans. Something I learned was that he was half mexican and born in SD. This is a great biography. "
— Jaime, 12/7/2013 -
" This was a random pick to listen to on a road trip. It turned out to be fairly interesting to listen to, and now maybe I'll know a Sports and Games answer on Trivial Pursuit! "
— Lori, 12/5/2013 -
" One of the best sports biographies ever, Awesome. "
— Scott, 12/4/2013 -
" Bio of John Wayne of baseball. Entertaining. Well written and pro Ted. "
— Kris, 11/25/2013 -
" Williams doesn't come off as a nice person, but it's an interesting read. "
— Ellen, 5/3/2013 -
" One of my favorite books ever. "
— Mike, 3/3/2013 -
" Ted was a terrible husband and a worse father, but led a fascinating life. Montville chronicles the slugger's post-baseball career in great detail, getting input from many who have never spoken on the record before, such as Ted's second wife Lee Howard. "
— Straker, 8/16/2012 -
" A good biography of a weird dude. In reality, nowhere near the legend you might think he was. "
— Joe, 5/12/2012 -
" Ted Williams lived a life worthy of a biography and Montville gives us the definitive version. Generally speaking, sports books can be dismal but this bio is an exception to that rule. "
— Raimo, 5/3/2012 -
" I love the Red Sox and I love Ted Williams. My grandmother always told my mom about how she dated him, and by reading this book it was interesting get a glimpse into the life of someone that was a part of my grandma's life and "was the first man she loved". "
— Sheila, 4/26/2011 -
" An open and fair look at both the good and bad of Ted Williams. "
— Casey, 11/17/2010 -
" Williams doesn't come off as a nice person, but it's an interesting read. "
— Ellen, 10/2/2010 -
" I love the Red Sox and I love Ted Williams. My grandmother always told my mom about how she dated him, and by reading this book it was interesting get a glimpse into the life of someone that was a part of my grandma's life and "was the first man she loved". "
— Sheila, 2/19/2010 -
" Bio of John Wayne of baseball. Entertaining. Well written and pro Ted. "
— Kris, 1/28/2010 -
" A good biography of a weird dude. In reality, nowhere near the legend you might think he was. "
— Joe, 10/19/2009 -
" Ted was a terrible husband and a worse father, but led a fascinating life. Montville chronicles the slugger's post-baseball career in great detail, getting input from many who have never spoken on the record before, such as Ted's second wife Lee Howard. "
— Jonathan, 9/3/2009 -
" The second greatest baseball player of all time. "
— Josh, 1/15/2008 -
" This was a random pick to listen to on a road trip. It turned out to be fairly interesting to listen to, and now maybe I'll know a Sports and Games answer on Trivial Pursuit! "
— Lori, 8/7/2007
About Leigh Montville
JD Jackson is a theater professor, aspiring stage director, and award-winning audiobook narrator. He is a classically trained actor, and his television and film credits include roles on House, ER, Law & Order, Hack, Sherrybaby, Diary of a City Priest, and Lucky Number Slevin. He is the recipient of more than a dozen Earphones Awards for narration and an Odyssey Honor for G. Neri’s Ghetto Cowboy, and he was also named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of the Year for 2012 and 2013. An adjunct professor at Los Angeles Southwest College, he has an MFA in theater from Temple University.