The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth

Montville's introduction effectively establishes the reason for and method of this new biography of one of America's most intriguing sports heroes--Babe Ruth, a man who transcended not only his sport but American culture of his era.The author recognizes that other biographers have approached the Ruth story--most notably, Robert Creamer, whose superb biography, BABE: THE LEGEND COMES TO LIFE, sets a high standard for Montville's work. But Montville explains that it's been almost 30 years since a comprehensive biography of Ruth was written--a generation--and there is obviously a large and fresh readership awaiting this book.Ruth's life is detailed from his cloudy beginnings as a boy at the St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys to his days of glory with the Yankees, to his post-baseball career days as an entertainer and icon. To the extent possible, Montville gets inside the skin of the man--and Ruth, for all that has been written about him, is not an easy subject to dissect--and we see him in his fullness as a boy, athlete, husband, father, and (most of all) lover of life. He obeyed few rules, he lived hard, he gave tremendous pleasure to those around him, and he had a generous spirit, even if he sometimes seemed to be immersed in the hedonistic pursuits for which he is well known. He was not a particularly good father, but there is a sense that he loved his children. He was never intentionally cruel. He towered over his sport--he made baseball the American game--and few can argue that he was the premier player of his day. Only Hornsby, Gehrig, and Cobb (whose career was nearly over when Ruth changed the game) were on a par with Ruth in terms of year-to-year productivity. Perhaps what is most amazing about Ruth is that, barring injury, he might have become the greatest left-handed pitcher in history if he hadn't switched from pitching to being an everyday player.Montville's biography captures the drama and curiousities of Ruth's Bunyanesque adventures. And the book is especially good and insightful at giving a portrait of the times--the public and private side of life in the 1920s and 1930s. His section on sports writers (much of Montville's material is culled from Jerome Holtzman's excellent book, NO CHEERING IN THE PRESS BOX) is one of the highlights of the book. Montville also gives a fine description of the "two Colonels," the men who owned and gave direction to the Yankee dynasty.This is a very good book. If you like baseball, or the Yankees, and have an appreciation of a unique era in America's sporting past, you will feast on these pages.

Babe Ruth is probably the most famous American athlete who ever lived, so I have to say I'm amazed at the amount of things we DON'T know about him. Who would ever think that so public a life had so many hidden aspects?That's one of the things I like about Leigh Montville's THE BIG BAM. When there's something he doesn't know, he SAYS he doesn't know. And, in this day and age, if Montville couldn't uncover it, it's unlikely to ever be uncovered.Montville is also in the debunking business, though that's not the point of this bio. He shows that Babe was every bit a five-tool player in his prime, not the legendary fatso who just happened to be able to hit. Ruth here is treated as human; an extradinary human, to be sure, but not the extreme of saint or sinner.Montville has done his homework, building on what Cremer and Smelner and others in the 1970s started. He has also managed to use some sources that were unavailable to Cremer and company. The result is a good read, though not as in-depth as his earlier bio on Ted Williams.All in all, I still prefer Smelner's work (I find Cremer's BABE: THE LEGEND COMES TO LIFE to be too negative and too reliant on anecdotes) because I think Smelner was the first to treat Ruth fairly, but Montville's is a more entertaining read, and, as such, I highly recommend it.

I found the book really fascinating. I never knew much about the Babe, as I grew up in the 60s/70s with Mantle, Mays and Roger Maris, etc. but am glad I read it and really enjoyed. One of the reasons I enjoy nonfiction and especially biographies is that as the old saying goes, real life is much more interesting than fiction, and this book is a real life story that fits the bill. I think this would be a great book for anyone to read to see how one man rose above a lonely and sad childhood without support from his parents to become a superstar. I'm going to keep this book around and will reread it in the future I'm sure.

What an excellent book. I've read several books on the life of this baseball legend. So, why did I not give this a 5-star rating? I understand why Leigh Montville needed to use Ruth's nickname of "N...r Lips" when he was in the Baltimore orphans' home - for accuracy. This is understandable. However, Montville uses it repeatedly, throughout the early parts of the book, and again throughout the rest of the story. I believe that this was just for either shock value, or as a little kid would use it - "because he could".As for the actual book, Montville tells the story in fine fashion. He notes that much of Ruth's early life (and some of his later life) is a mystery. Rather than speculate what happened, as other writers have done), he simply notes that "the fog again covers this part of his life, and we don't know". Good for him! Ruth's life was an amazing story. Yes, he lived and played in an era when sportswriters didn't scrutinize players' lives as they do today. But, Ruth was one of a kind. A great story, if marred with his overuse of the slur.

A sporting icon. I have read better baseball books but if your a fan you must read about the greatest there ever was. This book tells you everything you need to know. Non baseball fan will find it hard going at points but nevertheless is still an interesting readIn the book. ‘ The glory of their times’ ( an absolute must read) jimmy Austin says of Ruth “ he had a heart as big as a watermelon and it was made from pure gold”.That’s just about right.

Almost half way through this, really enjoying the book. Ruth was such an interesting character and the author has captured the times when the Babe played. The babe made such an impact on the sport, he will never be forgotten and this book enhances the magic that is Ruth. I've seen quite a bit of baseball on my American travels, and I must say I really enjoy the game. America loves this sport, what better way to spend an evening or afternoon munching peanuts and red vines, and the odd bag of crackerjacks, washed down with beer almost costing as much as the game ticket itself. Wonderful book, and if you get a chance to visit the new Yankee stadium do, it's awesome and you can sense the Babe is looking down at you.

Bought this book for my husband, he still has not read it but promises to do so on our camper van travels

Anybody who reads this will realize the babe was the greatest home run hitter in history. No one dominated a sport in his time as he did. And he would have dominated today too. What a monster. He was unique, like Secretariat was to horseracing. A great author and a great book. Ordered is other book from amazon about Ted Williams!

Indecisive, rude and uninspiring so far and I enjoy baseball biographies.