Book Review: Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero

Ok, let's get something straight right off the bat. I am and always will be a New York Yankees fan. However, I can certainly appreciate greatness… even if that means acknowledging a Red Sox great. Let face it, there weren't too many greater than Ted Williams. Leigh Montville does an excellent job of depicting that greatness and so much more in Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero.

There's no questioning Williams' prowess in the batters box and on the field. Montville expertly describes some of Williams' greatest accomplishments in thrilling fashion. This is because of Montvilles' extensive baseball knowledge and experience as a sports writer. However, it's not the detailed description of  Williams' 1941 .406 season that sets this biography apart from previous ones. It's the detail into the man off the field that makes the book a must read for any Red Sox or baseball fan. From Williams' time as a pilot in WWII and the Korean War, his notoriously foul mouth, exploits as an outdoors man to his final resting place in a cryogenics lab,  this biography lets the reader understand the ballplayer and the man.

I certainly recommend the book, but I must warn you, it's a bit lengthy. There were sections that certainly could have been taken out to shorten the book. Otherwise, Montville does a great job of intertwining the man's flaws, greatness, personality and exploits on the field.