Product Description

"He did a helluva good job. Ted only batted .406 for the Red Sox. He batted a thousand for the Marine Corps and the United States." - John Glenn, U.S. Senator and former astronaut

Ted Williams was the only Hall of Fame ballplayer who saw military service in two wars. He was a flight instructor with the United States Marine Corps in World War II and flew 39 combat missions in the Korean War - several of them as wingman for squadron mate John Glenn. Shot down once, on his third mission, Williams was lucky to escape with his life. He was back up and flying less than 24 hours later.

There aren't too many athletes who are truly heroes. Ted Williams was one such athlete. Imagine Alex Rodriguez or Barry Bonds flying dive-bombing missions in close air support of troops on the ground, taking anti-aircraft fire as they pulled out of dives as low as 500 feet. Imagine the records Williams might have set had he not devoted nearly five full seasons to serving his country.

Most biographies of Ted Williams devote a chapter or two to the five years he spent in the Marines. Bill Nowlin has interviewed over 40 pilots who flew with Capt. Williams from K-3 in Korea, and interviewed over 120 people in all who knew or encountered Ted Williams during his years of service. Combined with access to Williams' squadron records, his personal flight logbooks, and his fitness and evaluation reports, Ted Williams At War presents by far the most comprehensive portrait of a man that many termed "the real John Wayne".

Features a wealth of over 100 photographs (most previously unpublished) from Ted's time in the service.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #115531 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Review
Book of the Month, September 2007

"This book is highly recommended for Marines and baseball fans alike ... meticulously researched, wonderfully written and very well organized ... [author Bill Nowlin] gets all the details right." -- Leatherneck Magazine

"...an exceptionally in-depth record of [Ted William's] career featuring many interviews with fellow servicemen from both WWII and the Korean War...an outstanding job...the book works very well on both the baseball and military level." -- Baseball in Wartime Newsletter, October, 2007

"Ted Williams at War...make(s) one feel good about a man who answered his country's call, not once but twice, during the pinnacle of his professional career. I highly recommend this book to all Marines...I have no doubt that many Marines will read and enjoy it." -- Marine Corps Gazette

About the Author
Bill Nowlin is the author or editor of more than fifteen books about Ted Williams and/or the Boston Red Sox, including The Kid: Ted Williams in San Diego, Blood Feud: The Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Struggle of Good versus Evil, Mr. Red Sox: The Johnny Pesky Story and most recently, The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox: Pandemonium on the Field. He has served for the last seven-plus years as the editor of publications for the Ted Williams Museum, and was elected in 2004 as Vice President of the Society for American Baseball Research.Bill is co-founder of Rounder Records of Burlington, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

A Portrait of a Real Hero!
Author Bill Nowlin has put together the ultimate book on Ted Williams and it is not about his Hall of Fame baseball days. Nowlin's wonderfully researched book "Ted Williams At War" presents to us a different image of a sports idol--one that shows us a real honest-to-goodness hero! The book is so well written and fascinating that the reader will find himself totally emerged into the story and unable to put it down. The words and great collection of photos captures the essence of a Ted Williams few Americans knew about. We discover a man who was a really true American War hero!

Nowlin goes into great details like who flew missions with Williams in the Korean War. We learn about a young officer named John Glenn, who later goes on to conquer space and become a US Senator. We also read about his air combat missions and how he risked not only his life but also his baseball career when he crashes. The author digs into old flight log books and interviews dozen of former pilots who flew with Ted. All this detailed research makes for a most insightful look at a complicated man. The reader will not be disappointed in this large volume of work.

This book should appeal to not only baseball fans but also all readers who love inspiring life stories. Ted Williams was the only Hall of Fame player to have served in two wars for his country. He did his service when he was at his peak age for baseball playing and yet, he was still able to come back and continue to achieve greatness.


The book is honestly written and tells it all. It is a book that I highly recommend. It is given "The American Authors Association's" highest book ranking of FIVE STARS! That Association also nominated it for it's annual Gold Medal Award for Non-Fiction.

Impeccably Researched
Normally I would not get too worked up about another biography of a baseball superstar; afterall, how many books do we really need on Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams. Is there ever anything new and exciting in these books? Usually not.

Well, Bill Nowlin has proven my theory wrong. His "Ted Williams at War" is an amazing piece of research. Every detail about Williams' military career - World War II and Korea - is there. The fans either loved or hated Williams - who always spoke his mind - and Nowlin has presented Ted's opinions along with those who served with him.

I didn't count the numerous photos - must be more than 100 - and only a few had I seen before.

This is a treat for any fan of Ted Williams, and a must for anyone who considers themselves a baseball historian.

True American Hero
Ted Williams was a great baseball player. But this book tells another side of Williams, a true American Hero. He served in 2 wars; lost what would have been peak playing years (what would his stats be if he had those years back). Sometimes we admire players for the wrong reasons. Baseball is going through a big scandal right now. How many of our "heros" have feet of clay? This book reminds us of who our true heros are, those who serve and defend us in the military. Thanks to all our veterans both in the past and those defending us today.