Call Me Ted

by Ted Turner, Bill Burke Narrated by Ted Turner

Overview

"Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise!"

These words of fatherly advice helped shape Ted Turner's remarkable life, but they only begin to explain the colorful, energetic, and unique style that has made Ted into one of the most amazing personalities of our time. Along the way - among his numerous accomplishments - Ted became one of the richest men in the world, the largest land owner in the United States, revolutionized the television business with the creation of TBS and CNN, became a champion sailor and winner of the America's Cup, and took home a World Series championship trophy in 1995 as owner of the Atlanta Braves.

An innovative entrepreneur, outspoken nonconformist, and groundbreaking philanthropist, Ted Turner is truly a living legend, and now, for the first time, he reveals his personal story. From his difficult childhood to the successful launch of his media empire to the catastrophic AOL/Time Warner deal, Turner spares no details or feelings and takes the reader along on a wild and sometimes bumpy ride.

You'll also hear Ted's personal take on how we can save the world...share his experiences in the dugout on the day when he appointed himself as manager of the Atlanta Braves....learn how he almost lost his life in the 1979 Fastnet sailing race (but came out the winner)...and discover surprising details about his dealings with Fidel Castro, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter, Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Warren Buffett, and many more of the most influential people of the past half century.

Ted also doesn't shrink from the darker and more intimate details of his life. With his usual frankness, he discusses a childhood of loneliness (he was left at a boarding school by his parents at the tender age of four), and the emotional impact of devastating losses (Ted's beloved sister died at seventeen and his hard-charging father committed suicide when Ted was still in his early twenties). Turner is also forthcoming about his marriages, including the one to Oscar-winning actress, Jane Fonda.

Along the way, Ted's friends, colleagues, and family are equally revealing in their unique "Ted Stories" which are peppered throughout the book. Jane Fonda, especially, provides intriguing insights into Ted's inner drive and character.

In Call Me Ted, you'll hear Ted Turner's distinctive voice on every page. Always forthright, he tells you what makes him tick and what ticks him off, and delivers an honest account of what he's all about. Inspiring and entertaining, Call Me Ted sheds new light on one of the greatest visionaries of our time.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Turner's straightforward yet surprisingly charming delivery makes this a must-hear. Famous for his triumphs (defending the America's Cup; creating CNN; marrying Jane Fonda; buying the Atlanta Braves; starting the Goodwill Games; donating $1 billion to the U.N.), it's the telling in his own voice of his life's tragedies (his father's suicide; the protracted, painful death of his beloved only sibling; the failure of three marriages; his ouster from CNN) that is not only riveting, but proves that it's possible to feel sorry for the country's largest landowner. "Ted Stories"-short entries contributed by friends and foes alike and read ably by Nick Sullivan, Richmond Hoxie, Sherman Howard and Maggie-Meg Reed - vary from the comedic (an up-tempo rendition of a Brown classmate's piece, "We Didn't Know Shit") to being so beautifully written and recited as to bring tears (Fonda's two essays). There's also an audiobook bonus: a conversation between Wolf Blitzer and his former CNN boss. A Grand Central hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 10). (Oct.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Library Journal

The much-written-about media mogul finally tells his own story, including his ability to draw strength from adversity and challenge, his risky decision-making, and his frayed personal life. Listeners will find it difficult to turn away from this force of nature as he barks out his story with a slight Southern twang (other readers include Nick Sullivan, Richmond Hoxie, Sherman Howard, and Maggie-Meg Reed). Highly recommended for public libraries. [Audio clip available through www.hachettebookgroup.com; bonus conversation between Turner and Wolf Blitzer.-Ed.]
—Judith Robinson

From the Publisher

"Turner's straightforward yet surprisingly charming delivery makes this a must hear."—Publishers Weekly

OCTOBER 2008 - AudioFile

It doesn’t matter that Ted Turner is not a professional reader. Yes, he drops the endings on "ing" words and often collapses two-syllable words into one. But he’s a masterful storyteller, and that's what his memoir is—a series of well-told stories that explore his life from his childhood in Cincinnati and Georgia to his education at Brown University and his varied professional careers. Interspersed with his reading are anecdotes from other people who know, or knew, him. Adding depth and illumination, these are read by four other people and offer a nice change of pace. The book is informative, engaging, and easy to listen to. An audio bonus is an interview of Turner by CNN's Wolf Blitzer. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170320813
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	11/10/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged

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