Wild, High and Tight: The Life and Death of Billy Martin (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Martin (1928-1989) grew up poor in Berkeley, Calif. A high school drop-out, he tried out for the Oakland baseball team of the Pacific Coast League; the manager was Casey Stengel, who took Martin to New York when he became manager of the Yankees. There Martin played a key role on several championship teams. But a drunken fistfight--which seems to be Martin's favorite recreation--at a nightclub ended his Yankee career. The other central figure in this book is Yankee owner George Steinbrenner. In alternating chapters Golenbock shows how the lives of Martin and Steinbrenner paralleled each other, which, ironically, highlights Martin's achievements and magnifies Steinbrenner's ineptitude. Golenbock ( The Bronx Zoo ) looks into Martin's womanizing, his prodigious drinking and his death in a car accident. Although his friend, Bill Reedy, was charged with driving while impaired, Golenbock maintains that Martin was the drunk driver. This is an extremely thorough and comprehensive biography of one of baseball's most controversial figures. Photos. Major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As portrayed by the author, former baseball player/manager Martin's life was a triangle of baseball, alcohol, and sex, each of which he embraced with a fervor and all of which ultimately consumed him. Symptomatic of Martin's psyche were his many feuds with managers, players, wives, girlfriends, and owners, including his celebrated tiffs with George Steinbrenner, whom the author considers Martin's equal as a manipulator. Considerable attention is given to the manner of Martin's death in a car wreck. Golenbock argues that, contrary to official findings, it was Martin and not a companion who was driving at the time of the accident. As in his controversial work on college basketball, Personal Fouls (LJ 8/ 89), the author does not always cite specific sources. Nonetheless, this raw treatment of a most controversial characters is sure to generate heavy demand.
--William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 545 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312105754
• ISBN-13: 978-0312105754
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,245 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars .................Best Biography Ever, November 30, 2007

By	P. Michael Murphy "Mike Murphy" (usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ever want to get to know someone famous that you have haven't met? This is absolutely the best of the many biographies I have ever read. I feel like I know Billy Martin and understand where he was coming from with his sometimes erratic behavior. The George Steinbrenner relationship is very vividly explained and the impact of his personality on Martin's life. It is also some of the best writing you will ever see. Peter Golenbock has the ability to write whatever he wants to. You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this one. Mike Murphy

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read if you're a baseball fan, September 6, 2006

By	Bookworm - See all my reviews

One of the best sports biographies that I've read. It tells of the relationship Billy had with George Steinbrenner and Billy's women (well a few of them anyway). You've heard of women who couldn't pick men, well Billy couldn't pick women or at least those you might want to consider for a long-term relationship. His daughter gave him good advice about his women, but unfortunately he didn't take it. Billy's family and friends detested his last wife. Billy wouldn't get rid of his women once he had them and felt obligated to keep them. The book tells of Billy's battles with teams' front offices and owners. The book is a long one, but I couldn't put it down so the time went fast.

5.0 out of 5 stars Let's Play Two, August 23, 2006

By	Mr. Richard D. Coreno "Mr. C" (Berea, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The excellent biography by Peter Golenbock actually covers indepth the lives of Martin and George Steinbrenner.

So much had been written about the relationship between the two, but the reader will learn so much about the pair in the closing chapters. This is the point where Martin's professional career and personal life is in a shambles and Steinbrenner seemingly dangles the opportunity of managing the Yankees one more time to "Number One," since he has what amounts to a personal services contract with "The Boss."

Golenbock's research into the death of Martin is outstanding and was highly controversial at the time of publication. Essentially, Golenbock reports, Martin's friend in the truck falsely admitted to police that he was driving the vehicle at the time it struck the culvert, knowing it would help Martin's family in dealing with the financial meltdown he had suffered in the final years of his life.

The only negative is the typographical errors, something that plagues most of Golenbock's books. Even the reprint of The Bronx Zoo contained its original typographical errors!

I think it's safe to say the book certainly isn't prominently on the shelf in Steinbrenner's office in Yankee Stadium, but it remains the most thorough writing concerning the lives of Martin and Steinbrenner.