5 comments about A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance.

1. So older women are sexy too? Thank goodness! What a great read from and of a fabulous dame. I guess others would call her a lady (yes, she is certainly that), but she is a lot more than a prim grandma type. And she writes beautifully. Thanks, Jane, for letting us come along for the ride. Great read.



2. A rare treat, there isn't much I can say that other reviewers haven't already...Save read it.(And buy a copy; she says the royalties help immensely.) Jane Juska's an inspiring find. Her courage, wit and warmth will stay with you long after the book's finished.



3. I enjoyed reading Jane Juska's book - love her wit and as a former teacher, I laughed at some of the antics in her classroom.
   
   BUT - what I found ironic was that as much as she was so apt to help the "greater good" i.e. volunteering at Planned Parenthood and at the prison, she overlooked the well-being of her SELF (dealing with alcoholism & weight issues) and her OWN SON. Typical of those who claim "world peace" and "helping others" - they neglect to find peace within themselves and in their households.
   
   The other ironic thing from the book is that the most mature of all the men she encountered was Graham - the 33 year old. So much for the "maturity" and "wisdom" of older men!
   
   At the very least she had some adventures in New York - THAT was the most valuable part of the book.



4. What Juska is offering to herself (and to her readers) is a piecemeal solution to sexual loneliness. She's presenting a modern fable for women "of a certain age," for older women who miss having sex and who (it must also be said) are too easily pleased. But some readers will miss vicariously experiencing the intensity and drama of a real love affair, the vicarious thrill of being one of the chosen, the deranged efficiency that locates every virtue within a single man.
   
   In fact the men in Juska's book, although she does a good job of evoking them, blur and run together long before the end. This could be because there are too many of them. Or it could be because the trajectory is missing, the arc that's made up of the stages of love: the chemistry, the euphoria, the despair, the dancing in the dark, the tenderness. But even taking all this into consideration, and even if Juska's writing is sometimes too pat and too girlishly gushy, and even if she too often takes refuge in hokey diction ("oh gosh," "omigod," "you betcha"), and even if these flaws also greatly handicap her story, her revelations are nevertheless entertaining while also at times either foolhardy or brave.



5. and have tried online dating so I was interested in what the author had to say. The book was more about her and not so much about her sexual encounters. More about life as a single 60+ woman. It was amusing, sad, enlightening, entertaining. I passed it on to a 60+ (married friend) she also read it in less than 5 days. I would purchase another book by this author. I see she is now writing articles for Match.com.

5 comments about Fire Lover: A True Story.

1. This is the first Wambaugh book that I've read. I've heard lots of good things about his books. I work in law enforcement and have enjoyed other true crime books written by former law enforcement personnel, so thought I would Wambaugh as well. I had seen the documentary about John Orr and wanted to know more.

   However, although the author is an excellent writer, this book was very biased and Wambaugh comes across to me as very arrogant -- a trait that I cannot tolerate under any circumstance. In fact, his bias that police officers are better than firefighters is downright cocky.

   Although I knew the story of John Orr and felt he was guilty, while reading Fire Lover, I found myself wanting him to get off from page to page because of the cockiness of the writer.

   I would NOT recommend this book to anyone.




2. I think he could have written in 200 words or less that he hated John Orr, thinks cops are better than firemen, and thinks prosecutors should always have the upper hand.

   One thing he could have included was photos, to make the book less boring. And, he could have explained just how we went from the judge disallowing Orr's manuscripts into evidence to the prosecution being allowed to use them as evidence.




3. This is an unusual book. I don't think I've ever read a book about an arsonist before, certainly not a non-fiction book, and the story that it tells is so fantastic that it's one of those stranger-than-fiction tales that defies belief.

   The book tells the story of John Leonard Orr. Orr was a frustrated individual, from a split household, who tried to become a policeman and failed, and wound up becoming a firefighter, both in the Air Force and then in the city of Glendale here in Southern California. He rose to become Glendale's senior arson investigator, actually teaching classes that other arson investigators, even Federal ones, attended. He was considered one of the leading authorities on arson fires and arsonists in California. Then suspicion fell on him and his activities, and he was arrested and accused of being an arsonist himself. The accusation was followed by a pair of trials.

   Now I live in Montrose (yards from the border of the city of Glendale) and used to actually live in Glendale, so it was interesting to read about the locale and the people of my new home (I've lived here for five years). Everything's reasonably well-recreated, though I didn't think Glendale was made that unique compared with other Southern California cities. Orr comes across as something of a nerd, a doofus who's always trying to fit in while never quite making it, and always cheating on the current wife with the prospective one, while paying child support to the ex.

   Wambaugh's writing style is interesting, in that he uses a lot of slang and emphasis to show what he means, and has a very conversational style. It'd be interesting to hear Ken Howard read this book: it reads as if it would sound better than it looks on the page. I will confess that the cast of characters is large enough that I had trouble keeping track of all of the investigators and attorneys involved, and I think it would have helped if the author provided a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book.

   One note: several of the other reviewers presented the idea that the author thinks cops are somehow better than firefighters. This is erroneous. It's his position, stated and restated through the book, that the crime spree was solved by a firefighter turned arson investigator, and that he was ignored by his cop colleagues until the evidence confirmed his suspicions. He does say, several times, that cops themselves sometimes think themselves firefighters, but he's clear that he thinks this is unfortunate. Strange when people have read the same book as you, and come to a different interpretation of what was written. Altogether a good book, though.




4. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed four of Wambaugh's earlier books, I was sure this one would be a page turner; however, it was strictly the story and not the writing that kept my interest. So my feelings are mixed and my rating is lukewarm. Wambaugh tries too hard to depict John Orr as evil, yet without the hard-sell, the reader would come to that conclusion anyway. I finished the book still feeling that there is more on John Orr that could have been included in the book. An additional thought - one reviewer mentions that Wambaugh copies Truman Capote's style of not including photographs of the characters, yet Wambaugh's own picture is on the back. I'd much rather see who I'm reading about.



5. In Fire Lover, Wambaugh attempts to get into the mind of a convicted serial arsonist, one who nevertheless has never (at least as documented in this book) admitted to his crimes. The story is well-written, intriguing, and at times even a page-turner. The few occasions when the story drags are most often in the telling of Orr's trials, when Wambaugh seeks thoroughness in telling the story of the trial, but occasionally at the expense of the reader's interest. But all told, this is a good, even haunting story of a true case.

No comments about John Barleycorn (Large Print Edition).

5 comments about I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!: And Other Sthings That Strike Me As Funny (Thorndike Nonfiction).

1. I bought this book for my mom and dad because besides Bob Newhart Jack Lemmon is there favorite. My father laughed so hard no sound was coming out of him. We were laughing hysterically just watching him. Get this book! It is a great book even if you're not even sure who Jack Lemmon is. You won't be sorry! The seller is amazing and stands by there product 100%.



2. In years past, I enjoyed a bit of Newhart. He was always a "clean" comic to the best of my knowledge. However, when he spoke of his time as a draftee during the Korean War and how he manipulated the system to avoid overseas duty, I was completely turned off and view the man in an entirely different light. Instead of cheering me up, it left me sad and even a little mad.



3. Fun book, easy to pack. Better for someone old enough to remember Bob Newhart era of 60's, 70's & 80's!



4. While I don't read show biz biographies--heaven knows theres too many of them and those subjects are already over-idolized--I saw this one. Newhart has always been my favorite "clean" comic. That doesn't mean I don't like, say, Lenny Bruce. But, say, Eddie Murphy and George Carlin overdo the "let's be audacious" thing. Newhart doesn't need to do that.
   
   What's more, I've always wanted to learn a little about what makes a comedian's mind tick. (Though Newhart explains in one chapter that if he sees another book on the science of comedy, he's going to "throw up.")
   
   Actually, Newhart is quite eloquent. His vocabulary impressed me. There is, of course, name dropping, but it doesn't come across that way. He has a chapter, for example, on golf, those with whom he'd golf and witty anecdotes about other golfers, like Dean Martin--and an interesting story about Clark Gabel and Robert Wagner.
   
   Interspersed with the biography are many of his bits. But he adds to them. Like I've always liked his "airline and stormdoor company" bit. He adds a little about the real flight, on a C47 with seats bolted down--when the aircraft did cargo flights the seats were taken out.
   
   He does talk about both of his television shows. While I'm not a TV watcher and don't think I ever saw either of them all the way through, he even explains a little about how each show came about--and how his wife offered the plot of the finale of all of them.
   
   Oh, and the one I "read" was an abridged, CD version. I couldn't imagine reading this, but Newhart read it with his usual, stammering version, part of his bit. (Indeed, he distinguishes at the beginning of the book between stammering, which he does, and stuttering.
   
   Overall, it's a lot of fun. And you might even learn a little, about his background, about what makes things funny--and about the political correctness that pervades a bit too much of our society. (Yes, I even admit that!) As Newhart says, we need to laugh at ourselves too!



5. I love Bob Newhart. So, I knew before I bought this book that I would enjoy it. It's not a boring autobiography with every detail of his life and his ancestor's lives. Rather, the book gives some tid-bits of Bob's history along with life observations and scripts to some funny routines. It is well-written and clearly "Bob Newhart Style"--easy to imagine him reading it to you. Job well done!

5 comments about The Fireman's Wife (Thorndike Nonfiction).

1. This book was given to me by my firefighter fiancee soon after he proposed. What a Godsend! I consider this my "bible". Susan summed up the feelings we as wives have about our firemen husbands and does it in a funny, thoughtful and wonderful way. I recommend this be required literature for every fireman to hand out when they decide to propose!! LOL. Thanks Susan for sharing our side of the story!



2. This is one of the best books that I have read! Susan really knows how to express what all fire wives feel. This book made me laugh, cry, and say "yep, I've seen (heard, felt, done) that!" so many times. I think anyone married to a fireman would love this book. I really appreciate the awareness it has given me. I only wish I read it sooner. As a 9-year fireman's wife myself, I highly recommend it!



3. Loved this book. It was past around for the wives of the fire academy to read. With my brother on for a few years, I thought I knew a lot about what this journey would entail. But this book was insight, funny, heart wrenching. It was a easy, quick read. I will know give this to all the new wives entering this department. It really opens you eyes on what to expect, from the shift to your husband's second family. Worth your time.



4. I am the wife of a Fire Captain and I could relate to so much that Susan writes about. Thank you Susan for telling such a wonderful story! I read this book over a 24 hour period, no easy task with a 7 week old baby and a 3 year old, and with my husband at the fire station. I could not put the book down and didn't want it to end, I laughed and cried and totally enjoyed every page. This is a must read for any wife, or family, of a fireman.



5. My uncle was a Fireman in San Francisco for over 30 years and the realization of his job hit home to me as I read this book I have recommended it to everyone its an awesome story of Love Courage and family and Gods promise to see us through any trial even a fiery one .Lynnette Davis

2 comments about The Butchers, the Baker: The World War II Memoir of a United States Army Air Corps Soldier Captured by the Japanese in the Philippines [LARGE PRINT].

1. I have known Victor Mapes all my life. He is my Grandfathers brother. Until reading this book I had no idea of the events he had witnessed. It was very enlightening. Victor expired the evening of Tuesday August 12, 2003 at the Old Soldiers home in Washington, D.C. He was interred at Arlington Cemetery on September 3rd, 2003. We will all miss him very much.



2. This book told an incredible story of the treatment Vic Mapes received while a POW. It made me appreciate even more the people who serve and protect our country. I was fortunate enough to meet Vic while he was living at the Soldiers Home in DC. I also attended his funeral after he passed away. This memoir preserves the memory of a real life action hero. I would recommend it to everyone.

5 comments about Onions in the Stew.

1. Having finished my previous book and waiting for Amazon's free shipping promo to buy more, I picked up this book collecting dust in my book closet. I was pleasantly surprised.

   It is smart and funny and so down-to-earth that you have to instantly like Betty as your best friend. Althouhg I am not a big fan of women titles (those seems to dominate the New York Times bestsellers list these days), I laughed out loud on a plane from Washington DC to Houston on a business trip. Who knew that everyday domestic issues can be so light and funny?

   Anyway, just try it. You will find it more enjoyable than you want to admit.




2. "The Egg and I." As I said in my review of the earlier book, although I found parts of "Egg" charming, the chapter on Indians made my part-Cherokee blood boil, and that other parts seemed rather mean-spirited as well.
   
   There is none of the mean-spiritedness in "Onions", probably because, in spite of the various toils and tribulations of life on the island, Betty was basically happy there, as opposed to "Egg" where she was mostly miserable.
   
   I loved the part about the small woman who loved to curl up on soft, comfy places like sofas, armchairs, and other women's husbands' laps. I wondered, though, why Betty didn't just ask her to step out into the garden and then drop-kick her across the straight to Seattle? I'm sure she could have gotten some of the other women in their circle of friends to help.
   
   Many of the events she tells of show us that teenage girls have always been a handful, whatever they say. However, in spite of all the complaining and whining, the girls were willing to pich in; how many girls their age nowadays would have something like stuffed pork chops waiting when their parents came home from work?
   
   While "Egg" left me wondering why anyone in their right mind would want to run a chicken farm in the middle of a howling wilderness, "Onions" made me wonder if living on an island might not be fun.



3. I've just finished the fourth Betty MacDonald memoir. Thank you Amazon for the access to all these out of print books!
   I now know what's going to be fun in Heaven - chatting with Betty over strong cups of coffee.
   These books were like discovering a new best friend. I've never been so entertained by reading. What a gal!



4. I first read Onions in the Stew almost thirty years ago, in a Reader's Digest Condensed Books version, and I never forgot it. What a JOY to receive the complete version as a gift years later, along with The Plague and I, and Anybody Can Do Anything, when they were reissued by The Common Reader. I absolutely devoured them, passed them around among my friends & loved ones (keeping track of who had them, very uncharacteristic but they're the kind of books you never want to lose!!!!) and agree with every five-star reviewer here, especially "pony-express," that Betty is the best friend you never met. Also enjoyed the comment about how much fun heaven will be, to drink strong coffee & yak with Betty MacDonald. She is still as witty today as when she wrote her books, utterly classic and fresh, laugh-out-loud and tremendously endearing without EVER being cloying. Such a cut above. Her other books are equally wonderful, and I just wish more people were exposed to her; she's a tonic for stress, an antidote to depression. So glad there are others out there who love her as I do!



5. I first met Betty McDonald when I read The Egg and I, back in high school in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1960s, and I was completely enthralled. First of all: she writes extremely well. Her sentences are terse and well-formed, and she has a knack for shaping quips of all kinds: the quick laugh, the sudden surprise laugh line, and the careful set-up gag. Most of all, though, I find myself laughing aloud (she's one of the few authors who makes me laugh aloud while reading) at the perfection of a sentence which is at the same time witty, perfectly balanced, completely appropriate, and completely unexpected.
   
   You will find all this - in spades - in Onions in the Stew. It is a mellower book than the others, for many reasons; she was older when she wrote it - and, I think, happier in her second marriage; also, her already considerable skill at writing had grown. Her descriptions of Vashon Island in the 1940s are utterly perfect: beautiful, clever, and bittersweet all at once. Her descriptions of her husband and daughters - and others in her family - are full of warmth, and are at the same time completely clear-eyed and unsentimental.
   
   Frankly, comparing Betty to Erma Bombeck is like comparing Julia Child to Rachael Ray. They can both cook - but, oh boy, I know whose house I'd like to visit for lunch . . .

No comments about Paul Newman (Large Type Editions).

5 comments about What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character (G K Hall Large Print Book Series).

1. In this sequel to "surely you must be joking Mr. Feynman," Richard Feynman once again uses his cunningness and his scientific genius to entertain. This book starts off with a brief history of him and his scientific career. Then it goes on to his wife's death. This is a very sad excerpt of the story and in this part, he communicates with you the sorrow he goes through, showing he does truly love his wife. During this portion you realize that although he is a brilliant man and is nearly untouchable in the scientific realm, he is still down to earth and goes through every thing that we do. Also in this book is the main feature, the Challenger investigation. The Challenger exploded shortly after leaving the ground and NASA wanted to know why. They pull in a group of the top scientists, mathematicians and some other random people that don't have names. Their job is to see what went wrong with the Challenger in an effort to stop this mistake from being repeated. Feynman and the others work in Washington D.C. over six months. He finally figured out and proved, with simply a glass of ice water and a part off of the Challenger, what the problem was. He used his ingenious brain and his sense of humor to establish his point and to show NASA their miniscule piece that was causing such a major problem. This book is incredibly funny and is not such a book that has large vocabulary and crazy concepts never heard by normal human ears. It is an easy read and a fun read.



2. The book does not give as much pleasure and joy as 'Sure you're joking...", however the section on shuttle crash analysis is of highest interest and justifies alone the reading.



3. I have always liked reading about Dr.Feynman! Infact it all started with Surely..Mr.Feynman. This book goes out to show that any guy, can split his time between love and work(which is most often missing from these high profile Scientists/Physicist).
   His desire to know the root cause of Challenger mishap, and how he goes on to demonstate what transpired the failure of Challenger mishap is very inspiring.
   All in All a good buy if you are an ardent fan of him!



4. "The scientist has a lot of experience with ignorance and doubt and uncertainty, and this experience is of very great importance, I think. When a scientist doesn't know the answer to a problem, he is ignorant. When he has a hunch as to what the result is, he is uncertain. And when he is pretty darn sure of what the result is going to be, he is still in some doubt. We have found it of paramount importance that in order to progress we must recognize our ignorance and leave room for doubt. Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty--some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none absolutely certain.
   Now, we scientists are used to this, and we take it for granted that it is perfectly consistent to be unsure, that it is possible to live and not know. But I don't know whether everyone realizes this is true." Feynman, The Value of Science
   
   The book's title relates to Feynman's telling of his relationship and experiences with his first wife, Arlene, a victim of Hodgkin's disease. But the subtitle of this book would have made a better title than the one used. Feynman was indeed a curious sort, and he begins by telling how his father encouraged his curiosity.
   
   Feynman achieved a measure of celebrity that few scientists do, and as a result, he sometimes found a forum for his thoughts outside of strict science. He was a fun and likeable man, and an innovative thinker as regards certain scientific difficulties; he wasn't much of a philosopher (evidenced by the fact that he thought Voltaire was a good philosopher), and in fact didn't like philosophy. While he was intelligent enough to admit that his views on art, culture, history, religion, and politics should not be taken too seriously, he was generally happy, and perhaps anxious, to offer such of his views anyway, and they are usually entertaining: "I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy--and when he talks about a nonscientific matter, he sounds as naive as anyone untrained in the matter. Since the question of the value of science is not a scientific subject, this talk is dedicated to proving my point-- by example." RF, The Value of Science
   
   It hardly seems correct to call the short articles he wrote `essays', so I'll call them writings. This volume is a collection of Feynman's personal writings, with some contributions from physicist friends Freeman Dyson and Henry Bethe. Most of the book is Feynman's account of his work as a Commissioner investigating the space shuttle Challenger disaster.
   
   This isn't a great science text, it isn't great literature; it's more like listening in on Feynman's thoughts and conversations. Apart from minimal aspects of Appendix F (Feynman's appendix to the Presidential Commission Report) his book isn't particularly technical. It's rather `light' and entertaining, and anyone interested in Feynman, in NASA and the US manned space program, or in bureaucratic `ethics' (or perversion thereof), will almost certainly enjoy it.



5. Not quite as funny as "Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman", but just as touching. A pleasure to read. This books makes us like not only the man, but it also inspires us to join his quest for scientific knowledge and rational thinking.

5 comments about Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero (Random House Large Print (Paper)).

1. From the beginning, Ted Williams was a larger than life personality - a great player on the field, the last baseball player to hit over .400 - and a player off the field as well, married three times, but never to the true love of his life. His antics on and off the field were legendary, as were his breaks from baseball to serve in both World War II and Korea. And, of course, his relationship with his children, especially son John Henry, led to headlines long after his career and life were over.
   
   "Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero" by Leigh Montville is a wonderfully written look at the colorful Williams. Montville covers all aspects of Williams's life, from his childhood and troubled relationship with his parents (especially his mother), his career in Boston, his tumultuous relationship with Boston sports writers, his life after baseball, his troubled relationship with his children, and of course his controversial freezing after his death. Williams was a complex man and Montville does his best to show what made Williams tick. It's not an easy task, Williams was prickly and had two sides to his personality - the public Ted and the private Ted. By the end of the book you will both love and hate Williams - you'll love the public Ted that associated so well with fans (at least off the field and especially the young ones - Williams was instrumental in helping the Jimmy Fund, which supports young cancer patients, get off the ground) and hate the private Ted, who made life difficult for those around him.
   
   For the most part, Montville is objective in his writing, treating both the private Ted and public Ted even-handedly and making no excuses for his behavior. But his objectivity slips near the end of the book when he discusses Williams's son John Henry. It's clear that Montville doesn't like John Henry. As much as your feelings for Ted may waver throughout the book, by the end you can't help but feel sorry for him and the way his family treated him the last few years of his life.
   
   "Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero" is an interesting look at a complex man.



2. Leigh Montville's biography of Ted Williams is exhaustive in its analysis of one of baseball's greatest hitters. At times childish and self-absorbed, but always focused upon his art, Ted Williams emerges as a troubled genius in this wonderful book. Some of the anecdotes about Williams' intensity evoke a character who loves a few things in life to obsessive delight while ignoring almost everyone and everything else. An absolute master in the science of hitting a baseball, Williams loves his talent and nourishes it in a way that illuminates how beautiful, powerful, and fragile is the human desire to achieve greatness. A must for baseball fans.
   
   Donald Gallinger is the author ofThe Master Planets



3. Leigh Montville paints a brilliant portrait in words of the man who wanted to be remembered as the greatest hitter who ever lived. Ted Williams deserves to be on the short list of baseball's greatest hitters, and he easily deserved his hall of fame induction, where he was the first prominent white man to publicly call for recognition for negro leaguers Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.
   
   Ted WAS a great hitter, and he had many other desirable qualities as well, giving generously of his time and money to charity and serving his country TWICE during the peak of his baseball powers, losing five major league seasons to WWII and Korea. We can only speculate how many more hits and homers Ted might have had if not for those lost years.
   
   But Montville shows us the warts as well. We see an arrogant young Ted who cared ONLY about hitting and only took the field because that got him his turn at bat. He considered pitchers contemptuously and Montville gives several examples where the great hitter gave priority to HIS individual achievement over less important matters, such as his team winning.
   
   Gifted with an extraordinary mind, Ted was nonetheless minimally educated and when he had opportunities to "get away with things" because of how well he could hit, Ted took every opportunity.
   
   I agree with another reviewer who wrote that Ted's career is not chronicled as well as his later years. The last hundred pages are about the pathetic final years of the great hitter's life when son John Henry used his father's name and money to finance one failed business venture after another. After Ted's death Montville describes John Henry's nearly desperate efforts to have Ted frozen at a cryonic center in Arizona, for the speculative reason that there might still be another buck in it for John-Henry. In a cruel twist of fate, John-Henry was stricken prematurely with leukemia and joined his father in frozen perpetuity.
   
   To present a biography of such a man is a daunting task, and Montville succeeds admirably. No doubt some of the unwieldy nature of this volume comes as a result of the volumes of research done by the author and an unwillingness to pare the passages that could use a prune.
   
   Universally acknowledged today as one of baseball's greatest - the last man to hit over .400 and one of the small number of players with over 500 home runs - before steroids and with five years lost to the Marines, Ted nonetheless had the personality that made baseball writers, for example, choose Joe Gordon as MVP in 1942, even though Ted won the triple crown, leading the league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. How ticked off would the writers have to be to give such an award to someone else when you've led the league in EVERY major hitting category? Ted Williams did that to some people.
   
   A baseball hero - but a cautionary tale also of a man who was often not a role model.



4. I tip my hat to Leigh Montville in his historical biography of Ted Williams which should remain as a classic in the chronicles of Baseball History.
   From Ted's humble childhood in San Diego to his exploits at Fenway Park to his heroism as a Marine fighter pilot are scenarios of legend.
   In Baseball, he took the art of hitting and made it a science. His exploits of 1941, when he became the last Major Leaguer to bat over 400 was indeed incredible. He really is the only player to do this in the live ball era. Hitters such as Ty Cobb were only Punch and Judy hitters of the Dead ball Era.. The only batsman to hit a ball both for power and average during the Dead Ball Era was Joe Jackson. In summation Ted Williams represents the epiphany of the modern day slugger.
   Second his service to his Country in World War II and the Korean War shows a man of determination and resolve. He never really got into combat in World War II but did serve as a Marine pilot.
   Later when he was called to service in Korea he saw his share of combat. As I see Ted Williams, he was more of a John Wayne than John Wayne. He served and didn't complain. His brother Major Leaguer Bob Feller was of the same ilk!
   Upon his return he continued to do what he did best. He hit the baseball. With all his service to his country he still was able to hit over 500 home runs. His batting average was still remarkable. In fact it remains the 3rd highest in the history of baseball.
   He took on the responsibilities of being a major league manager with the Washington Senators. He found that his prow ness as a batter didn't translate into a manager of great aptitude.
   In life after baseball he became a Hall of Fame fisherman. His exploits in his married life were a failure. His love of Country and the game of baseball stayed with him throughout his life. In the end he was a true American Hero!!



5. Ted was one of my childhood heros. I wanted to know more about him, and this bio served that purpose well. It deals thoroughly with his baseball history, and less thoroughly with other parts of his life. For instance, I would have liked to know a lot more about his fishing trips. Nonetheless, this is a satisfying book, and I enjoyed the read very much.