Ted Turner (1938–2026)

This is exactly what you want from a good memoir: the book gives you insights into Turner’s life, his perceptions of what happened at various points in his career, and the writing is as unique, direct and as colorful as Turner’s public image. He discusses his own upbringing, such as being sent to a boarding school at age four, with a casual acceptance that says a lot about how he has been able to achieve what he has, as well as the personal costs. It is then no surprise that military show more culture, military schools, and strict discipline from his father jump out as the main influences. The path of Turner’s business success, from billboards to yachting to local television to baseball to cable to CNN and beyond, is an entertaining story of a driven man that is told with Turner acknowledging the balance of hard word, good luck and risk taking that got him there. The book addresses Turner’s slow shift from military strong conservative to liberal environmentalist, and while it would have been nice to have more of the story, it is telling that Ted credits meeting people from around the world as recognizing a shared humanity that spurred the change in him.
These same experiences led to Turner’s work in preserving the environment, reclaiming lands in the American west, and his interest in saving the bison.
The book has personal anecdotes. It discusses Ted’s concern while raising his children that they not become like so many other children of wealthy parents. Ted also discusses his marriages, and takes responsibility, but it is not a confessional or demonstrative tell-all. All in all I have more respect for Ted Turner and his accomplishments than before I read the book; his public persona and current political associations caused me to make judgments that the book put into better perspective. show less

I'm not a big fan of autobiographies, but after seeing an interview with Ted Turner on TV, I was impressed enough to want to get his book. His forte' is business, not writing. It just came of to me like a PR piece. Maybe that's why I don't care for autobiographies, I'm too cynical. Additionally, there are vignettes in the book that are written by other people telling how great a guy he is. I just found that a bit hokie.

From a historic perspective, I did enjoy reading about his success show more especially in cable television. Having lived in Atlanta during the 90's, I got to see some of this growth in cable media, as well as the growth of the Braves.

Not a great book, but an entertaining read. show less

I finished this book feeling very sorry for Ted's various wives and children. He is obviously brilliant in business and magnanimous in his support of charities, but clearly selfish and egotistical. His personal relationships are substantially down the list in his priorities. I had the feeling that some days in the midst of a "deal", he may have had trouble remembering a child's name. Left me a little cold, I'm afraid.

Call Me Ted by Ted Turner and Bill Burke on audio is an adventurous ride through Ted Turner's life from his childhood to his "retirement." This audio, which is 13 disks long, is read by the man himself. His southern accent and his passionate reading of this autobiography will make readers feel at home by his hearth as he recounts the biggest and smallest events in his life.

Not only is the audio read by Ted, but there are a number of side stories told by family members, an ex-wife, business show more colleagues, and others. From an early age Ted was shipped away from the family and his "abusive" father to military boarding schools where he learned self-reliance, discipline, and dedication.

In college, which he did not finish, he was known as two-beer Turner. He spent a great deal of time away from his own family and sailed in a variety of competitions. Turner is an exceptional, passionate, and accomplished man who is far from finished.

Some of the best stories in the book center on his creation of CNN--a 24-hour news channel on cable--which the broadcast stations, like CBS, NBC, and ABC, considered "chicken noodle news." Creating the Turner company, transforming it from a billboard selling firm to a cable giant, he spent more than two decades on the couch in his office.

Some of his proudest moments, however, have been in philanthropy and diplomacy during the Cold War and since. From the Goodwill Games, which never earned much revenue, to his work with the United Nations, Turner continued to inspire others to be better than themselves to make the world a better place. He continues this work today.

The best surprise of this audiobook is the final question-and-answer session with Turner, where he says CNN should remain dedicated to impartial news broadcasting and end its emphasis on opinion--like that of the Lou Dobbs show. Turner also notes that alternative energy is needed today, not tomorrow; population growth must be stabilized; land must be conserved; and nuclear weapons must be eliminated around the globe. Turner says he is eager to write a sequel and have Tom Hanks play him in a movie about his life.

If readers love autobiographies, Call Me Ted is one that will knock their cowboy boots off. Turner is witty, strong-willed, opinionated, and a no-nonsense kind of guy with a lot to offer entrepreneurs and others in the business world, as well as those simply in need of a boost. show less