From Library Journal
Williams, perhaps baseball's greatest hitter, was a controversial figure during his playing years. His baiting of the press, especially in Boston where he spent 19 years with the Red Sox, is almost as legendary as his swing. Seidel, author of Streak: Joe DiMaggio and the Summer of '41 (LJ 5/1/88), researched contemporary records and interviewed Williams's acquaintances for this book. Many of Williams's cohorts had few positive things to say about the legendary ballplayer. However, Seidel manages to keep his account balanced, painting a larger picture of the nature of baseball in the 1940s and 1950s. Others have chronicled Williams's life, most notably the ballplayer himself in the classic My Turn at Bat ( LJ 8/1/69), but Seidel's work should stand the test of time as an accurate, evenhanded portrait. This is recommended for young adults and general collections.- Cindy Faries, Pennsylva nia State Univ. Lib., University ParkCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From the Inside Flap
"Seidel’s work should stand the test of time as an accurate, evenhanded portrait."—Library Journal. "Michael Seidel’s rounded biography . . . Suggests, delicately, why, in spite of his virtuosity at the plate, [Williams] does not belong on any all-time all-star team. . . . Still, as a pure hitter Williams was in a class by himself."—New York Times Book Review. Ted Williams (1918–2002) was a paradox. His cool, controlled, and patient attitude while at the plate was incongruous with his explosive, unpredictable temper out of the batter’s box. With a swing that was both admired and feared, Williams has been called the greatest hitter of the last half of the twentieth century and was perhaps the greatest left-handed hitter of all time. In this biography Michael Seidel explores the complexities of the mercurial personality and amazing career of the near-mythic "Splendid Splinter." With the death of Williams in the summer of 2002, baseball lost one of its true greats. Yet controversy continued to surround Williams in death as news of a bizarre family dispute over the fate of Williams’s body captivated the country. In a new foreword to this edition, the author discusses the odd events surrounding the ballplayer’s death and their significance to the legend of Ted Williams.


About the Author
Michael Seidel is a professor of English at Columbia University and the author of several books, including Streak: Joe DiMaggio and the Summer of ’41 (Nebraska 2002).

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Ted Williams (1918-2002) was a paradox. His cool, controlled, and patient attitude while at the plate was incongruous with his explosive, unpredictable temper out of the batter's box. With a swing that was both admired and feared, Williams has been called the greatest hitter of the last half of the twentieth century and was perhaps the greatest left-handed hitter of all time. In this biography Michael Seidel explores the complexities of the mercurial personality and amazing career of the near-mythic "Splendid Splinter."

With the death of Williams in the summer of 2002, baseball lost one of its true greats. Yet controversy continued to surround Williams in death as news of a bizarre family dispute over the fate of Williams's body captivated the country. In a new foreward to this edition, the author discusses the odd events surrounding the ballplayer's death and their significance to the legend of Ted Williams.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal