Rating: 
Summary: Complex personality
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: great hitter writes great autobiography
Review: I have always been a huge fan of the game of baseball, the greatest game in sports. To tell you the truth, I didn't know much about Ted Williams. All I knew was that he was some great hitter in his time, nothing more or less. Of course, Ted Williams played in his prime decades before I even entered the world so I felt there was no reason to know who he was. I was more interested and knowledgable about stars like Griffey and Bonds, Maddux and Schilling. However, after the tragic and recent death of The Kid, I became interested, too late of coarse. I read articles written by Sports Illustrated and the like and then I picked up My Turn At Bat. Let me tell you this, Ted Williams is not just a great hitter, he is an American hero. So, to make a long story short, Ted Willaims writes about all his troubles with the press in Boston, his quarrels with fans, his military service, his fishing and hunting passion, and of cousrse everything else that a legend writes about in his autobiography, all from his side of the story. The funny thing about My Turn At Bat is that it doesn't feel like you are reading a book. Instead, it is more like you are in small conversation with The Splendid Splinter on a cool summer night. Ted Williams was the man that Hollywood has tried for years to duplicate. But he is no John Wayne or James Bond. He was America's true hero on and off the field, something that no baseball player today can become. There are a lot of great ballplayers out there today, A-Rod, Chipper, Ichiro, etc., but there are none that can come close to Teddy Ballgame. If you are a fan of the game of baseball, the way it should be played, I strongly recommend this book. In Mr. Williams words, "Put it in capital letters and run it on page one."
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book By A Great Ballplayer And American Hero
Review: I have always been a huge fan of the game of baseball, the greatest game in sports. To tell you the truth, I didn't know much about Ted Williams. All I knew was that he was some great hitter in his time, nothing more or less. Of course, Ted Williams played in his prime decades before I even entered the world so I felt there was no reason to know who he was. I was more interested and knowledgable about stars like Griffey and Bonds, Maddux and Schilling. However, after the tragic and recent death of The Kid, I became interested, too late of coarse. I read articles written by Sports Illustrated and the like and then I picked up My Turn At Bat. Let me tell you this, Ted Williams is not just a great hitter, he is an American hero. So, to make a long story short, Ted Willaims writes about all his troubles with the press in Boston, his quarrels with fans, his military service, his fishing and hunting passion, and of cousrse everything else that a legend writes about in his autobiography, all from his side of the story. The funny thing about My Turn At Bat is that it doesn't feel like you are reading a book. Instead, it is more like you are in small conversation with The Splendid Splinter on a cool summer night. Ted Williams was the man that Hollywood has tried for years to duplicate. But he is no John Wayne or James Bond. He was America's true hero on and off the field, something that no baseball player today can become. There are a lot of great ballplayers out there today, A-Rod, Chipper, Ichiro, etc., but there are none that can come close to Teddy Ballgame. If you are a fan of the game of baseball, the way it should be played, I strongly recommend this book. In Mr. Williams words, "Put it in capital letters and run it on page one."
Rating:
Summary: great hitter writes great autobiography
Review: I have been reading baseball books for over 40 years and this is the best baseball autobiography I have ever read. I loved Theodore Ballgame because I loved baseball and I loved to hit, so I was very glad this book is such a good representation of the great man. Captures the angry, humane, vital qualities of a man bursting with humanity.
Rating:
Summary: The True Essence of Ted Williams
Review: I read this autobiography many years ago, and recently, decided to give it another look. Mr. Williams pulls no punches in this very honest, entertaining, and well-written story of his life in and out of baseball. Unfortunately, due to the strange circumstances surrounding his recent death, many fans will forget his tremendous achievements in our national pasttime. Along with the fact that Mr. Williams lost five or six prime years of his career due to his military commitments. He was a true patriot, and his war anecdotes are entertaining, educational, and provocative. He flew planes with the same focused determination as hitting a baseball. Reading the book again also reminded me of a childhood memory. My father, Michael, was a batboy for the Washington Senators during the 1940s. He knew Mr. Williams, along with Mr. DiMaggio and other stars of that era. I used to ask my father about both of them. "DiMaggio was a complete all-around player, but Williams was the better hitter. He used to stay for hours in the clubhouse after the game. Weighing his bats. Sanding them down. They both were very quiet men, but Williams was even more taciturn. But writers of the day used to goad him on, and he would take their bait. That's how he got his tempermental reputation." When I was a child, I attended the Ted Williams Baseball Camp in Lakeville, MA. It was run with military precision, and even as a child, you were treated as an adult. Coaches never berated you in front of your teammates as was customary in the Little Leagues or Boy's Clubs. The whole atmosphere and environment were conducive to promoting your best efforts. The presence of Mr. Williams was felt everywhere. On rainy days, we used to watch countless films about the science of hitting. This book is an excellent story, and for many of us, will take us back to our youth. But young baseball fans also can benefit from this tale of one of our greatest athletes and patriots. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Best Books Of All Time
Review: If you ever end -up talking baseball for hours with your friends then pick this book up. Because it is like talking about baseball with Ted Williams. You get to hear how an ecenteric kid grows up to be the best hitter ever, but still be an ecentric man. I never read a book by someone who loved his work as much as Williams, even with the disapiontments of his life. The book is realistic in its prespective. Williams is matter of fact (endless cool facts and pitching hitting deuls) about the negatives in his carrer. He shows his obessive side and professional drive all at once. BONUS GREAT PICTURES OF WILLIAMS AND OTHER GREAT PLAYERS! I also suggest my favorite baseball book of all time My Luke and I by Elanor Gerhig (OUT OF PRINT BUT DEFINATLY worth the hunt)
Rating:
Summary: My second favortite baseball book of all time.
Review: If you ever end -up talking baseball for hours with your friends then pick this book up. Because it is like talking about baseball with Ted Williams. You get to hear how an ecenteric kid grows up to be the best hitter ever, but still be an ecentric man. I never read a book by someone who loved his work as much as Williams, even with the disapiontments of his life. The book is realistic in its prespective. Williams is matter of fact (endless cool facts and pitching hitting deuls) about the negatives in his carrer. He shows his obessive side and professional drive all at once. BONUS GREAT PICTURES OF WILLIAMS AND OTHER GREAT PLAYERS! I also suggest my favorite baseball book of all time My Luke and I by Elanor Gerhig (OUT OF PRINT BUT DEFINATLY worth the hunt)
Rating:
Summary: He's as mad as hell & he's not going to take it anymore
Review: Rest in peace, Ted Williams, the last great angryman. This is a wonderful read for all baseball fans & for anyone who loves colorful characters. People have alternately called him the world's greatest hitter, world's great fisherman & the world's greatest pilot. Was there anything Ted couldn't do? Unfortunately, he was also great at holding grudges. He recounts in minute detail insults that go back decades. I wish he had let go of the anger...but I guess that's part of what made Ted Ted.
Rating:
Summary: A mirror of yourself growing up with "The Game"
Review: So much of this book makes you reflect to a time when the simple pleasures in life revolved around an old leather glove and a dinged up ole bat. It brings to light how maybe we too as young kids chose to escape personal tragedies by going out and dreaming of playing " The Game". Ted Williams will have you reflecting on that boy you once knew so eager and dedicated to playing baseball, that he just lost sight of everything else. I am on my third round in reading this book(1975, 1977, 1998). A must for any young kid aspiring to play "The Game".
Rating:
Summary: The inner truth surfaces in an easy-read style
Review: Ted Williams reveals a lot about his personality and lifestyle that the media failed to recognize. His style of writing makes it seem as though Ted is speaking directly to the reader; it was the kind of book that made you think that you were listening to him talk to YOU. "My Turn at Bat" is a journey that anyone, baseball fan or not, can enjoy.
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