The Big Bam
The Life and Times of Babe Ruth
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The Big Bam
Narrated by:
Scott Brick
Buy Now for £16.99
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Narrated by:
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Scott Brick
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By:
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Leigh Montville
About this listen
“[Montville is] one of America’s best sportswriters.” —Chicago Tribune
Babe Ruth was more than baseball’s original superstar. For eighty-five years, he has remained the sport’s reigning titan. He has been named Athlete of the Century . . . more than once. But who was this large, loud, enigmatic man? Why is so little known about his childhood, his private life, and his inner thoughts? In The Big Bam, Leigh Montville, whose recent New York Times bestselling biography of Ted Williams garnered glowing reviews and offered an exceptionally intimate look at Williams’s life, brings his trademark touch to this groundbreaking, revelatory portrait of the Babe.
Based on newly discovered documents and interviews—including pages from Ruth’s personal scrapbooks —The Big Bam traces Ruth’s life from his bleak childhood in Baltimore to his brash entrance into professional baseball, from Boston to New York and into the record books as the world’s most explosive slugger and cultural luminary. Montville explores every aspect of the man, paying particular attention to the myths that have always surrounded him. Did he really hit the “called shot” homer in the 1932 World Series? Were his home runs really “the farthest balls ever hit” in countless ballparks around the country? Was he really part black—making him the first African American professional baseball superstar? And was Ruth the high-octane, womanizing, heavy-drinking “fatso” of legend . . . or just a boyish, rudderless quasi-orphan who did, in fact, take his training and personal conditioning quite seriously?
At a time when modern baseball is grappling with hyper-inflated salaries, free agency, and assorted controversies, The Big Bam brings back the pure glory days of the game. Leigh Montville operates at the peak of his abilities, exploring Babe Ruth in a way that intimately, and poignantly, illuminates a most remarkable figure.©2006 Leigh Montville; (P)2006 Books on Tape
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Critic reviews
“A comprehensive look at a gargantuan life.” —People
“Montville is refreshingly nonjudgmental about his superstar subject. First-rate biography.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
“Crisp analogies and astute observations, combined with a fluid writing style, are Leigh Montville’s strengths in this definitive biography of the Splendid Splinter. Montville’s writing is rich and full, like a Ted Williams swing. He connects solidly. A raw, no-holds-barred view of [Williams’s] life.” —Tampa Tribune
“An engaging, fascinating read.” —San Diego Tribune
“Ted Williams is not only a first-rate sports biography, but also a first-rate biography, period.” —Baltimore Sun
“Montville is refreshingly nonjudgmental about his superstar subject. First-rate biography.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
“Crisp analogies and astute observations, combined with a fluid writing style, are Leigh Montville’s strengths in this definitive biography of the Splendid Splinter. Montville’s writing is rich and full, like a Ted Williams swing. He connects solidly. A raw, no-holds-barred view of [Williams’s] life.” —Tampa Tribune
“An engaging, fascinating read.” —San Diego Tribune
“Ted Williams is not only a first-rate sports biography, but also a first-rate biography, period.” —Baltimore Sun
Any additional comments?
This book captures Babe's personality and larger than life baseball career. He is personally an idol for me and has been for years, although this book informed me of some facts that I didn't know before.His personality, his humour, his home runs and his baby face are what make Babe Ruth one of the most entertaining sports personalities of the century. Whether you're a fan of baseball or not, buy this book as it will engross you and keep you interested throughout. Enough said - BUY IT!
The Sultan of swat!
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His whole life.
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