Back from the Dead

Back from the Dead is Bill Walton's memoir centering on his catastrophic 2008 spinal collapse that left him unable to move for three years, framed within the story of a life defined by both extraordinary physical achievement and extraordinary physical suffering. Walton covers his UCLA triumphs under John Wooden, his NBA career, his broadcasting work, and his deep identification with the Grateful Dead, making the case that joy and pain have lived together in his life from the beginning.

Walton narrates his own memoir, and the authenticity of his famously exuberant personality comes through in every page. His voice carries the disbelief and gratitude of someone who came back from genuine incapacitation, and his affection for Wooden, the music he loves, and the game that defined him gives the audiobook a warmth that survival narratives sometimes sacrifice in favor of adversity alone.