Hitter: The Life and Turmoils of Ted Williams [Hardcover]

Ed Linn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1993

A biography of the great Red Sox hitter chronicles his lonely boyhood in San Diego, his overtaking of Joe DiMaggio's record in 1941, his wartime service as a Marine flyer, and his career after the war. By the author of Koufax. 25,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran baseball writer Linn ( Veeck--As in Wreck ) here looks at the life of "Splendid Splinter" Ted Williams, perhaps the greatest natural batter of the modern era. Son of a fanatically religious mother and an alcoholic father, the often neglected young Williams, who was born in 1918 and raised in San Diego, Calif., spent countless hours by himself compulsively learning the intricacies of hitting a baseball. Linn follows Williams from his start as a Boston Red Sox rookie in 1939; the .406 batting average of 1941; the 1946 championship team; his 39 combat flights during the Korean War; and the dramatic home run in his final at-bat in 1960. Much of the book deals with Williams's love-hate relationship with the Boston press and fans--virulent, surly and sometimes downright obscene. But we are also shown Williams the champion of the underdog and strong supporter of the Jimmy Fund children's cancer charity. The book gives us an in-depth look at the rich and colorful personality of Williams; its only fault is that it leaves us looking for more. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 437 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt; 1st edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151931003
• ISBN-13: 978-0151931002
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,276,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( W ) > Williams, Ted

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Biography, January 18, 2001

By 

Phil (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitter: The Life and Turmoils of Ted Williams (Paperback)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Authoritative History of Ted Williams, July 8, 2002

By 

L. Griffel (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitter: The Life and Turmoils of Ted Williams (Hardcover)

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!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars HITTER is like a triple off the Green Monster..., June 9, 2000

By 

Nick A. Rini - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitter: The Life and Turmoils of Ted Williams (Paperback)

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.