Book Description

Written by a top investigative reporter who coverd Luciano's trail from begining to end. This book is a detailed account of Luciano's intriguing life. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Noted Secondary Source
Powell's documentation is basically correct based on the bare facts of the story found in New York City tabloid newspapers and in archived files. As such, it is a rare secondary source into the lives and legends of the prostitutes, bookers and madams who formed the web of prostitution used at Prosecutor Thomas Dewey's behest to convict the elusive Charlie Lucky. Originally written in the 1930s, Powell's prose reveals the language of old-style morality which was required in the days of censorship. As such, it is a time-capsule of the social mores governing prostitution. While crime historians focus on Lucky's later years, this jewel preserves the trial data that forced Luciano from the shadows.

Bad book by a biased sycophant of the author
This has to be the worst 'Biog' ever.I defy anyone to find enough mentions of Luciano's name to warrant the Title of this book.The main charactor is DEWEY who was so ambitious to become Govenor that he used any means to nail Luciano ,later he tried and failed for President.Even at the time ,the trial was regarded as a farce.being trial by association.Luciano was a bad man who deserved putting away -this was a shabby way to do it.
As a book There are no details of his early life ,his bonding with the none Sicilian gangsters which at the time was considered to be a very daring thing to do.especialy Lansky and Seigal for which he was much critised by the other mobsters I agree with your previous critic there is nothing to learn from this nook ,which frankly I expected was would be a recent study.itis just a publicity spin for Dewey with whole chapters appearing to say nothing about the Title name
A complete waste of money and the time of anybody reading it
PRINCE RAFAEL
(London )

Caution! Public Domain Reprint!
I had hoped to find new, up to date information of Salvadore Lucania (a.k.a. "Lucky Charle", Lucky Luciano, etc.). Sadly, what I got was a reprint of a somewhat lurid "crime reporter's" account of Lucania's trial for prostitution in the 1930s. If that is what you are looking for, this is a good read. However, the only new information herein is a brief introduction and a more brief afterword. The more interesting stories of his role in the WWII invasion of Sicily and his return to Cuba in the 1950s are sadly not given the coverage they deserve. AUTHORS TIP: here is a story worthy of coverage: what happened after he was deported and perhaps what happened to his children. ... Read more

Book Description

The extraordinary rise and fall of Vivendi Universal's flamboyant CEO, Jean-Marie Messier.

Jean-Marie Messier has been called the most ambitious French empire builder since Napoleon. He started as a bureaucrat at a sleepy French water utility, but he dreamed of being a global media mogul like Rupert Murdoch. And like Napoleon, he shocked the world with his accomplishments-until his inevitable downfall.

In just six years, through guile, luck, and clever accounting, Messier managed to gobble up media assets as diverse as MCA Records, Universal Studios, USA Networks, and various publishers, theme parks, videogame producers, and Internet companies on both sides of the Atlantic. He turned Vivendi Universal into a serious challenger to AOL Time Warner, News Corp., Viacom, and Disney. And in the process, he became a poster boy for the new economy, and one of the few European CEOs to act like a swaggering American.

But in 2002, everything fell apart. In The Man Who Tried to Buy the World, Jo Johnson and Martine Orange-the reporters who blew the lid off the story and often clashed with Messier-offer a page-turning narrative of the arrogant CEO's demise. The book details Messier's incredible hubris, which led him to buy more assets than he could possibly manage, while drowning his company in debt. It describes the dramatic boardroom coup that forced Messier out and explores Messier's fascinating relationships with two prominent Americans who became his partners-Edgar Bronfman, Jr., andBarry Diller. ... Read more

Book Description

The renowned Irish medium, author and entrepreneur recounts how her powerful psychic gifts steered the course of her amazing life and touched the lives of so many others--both known and unknown. First published in 1949, these memoirs are now reprinted with photos and personal "remembrances" from friends and associates in parapsychology, in science, in business and in the arts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Must Read for Anyone Who's Interested in the Paranormal
For anyone interested in paranormal phenomena, this is a great book for you. Eileen J. Garrett founded the Parapsychology Foundation (based in New York City) in 1951. The Parapsychology Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the scientific exploration of psychic phenomena and still exists today. This book is her autobiography. There is so much mystery surrounding psychics, and Adventures in the Supernormal is a very insightful look into the life of someone with psychic powers.

Garrett knew at a young age that she was different. In her preface she writes, "I have a gift, a capacity--a delusion, if you will--which is called 'psychic.'...living with and utilizing this psychic capacity long ago inured me to a variety of epithets...In short, I have been called many things: from a charlatan to a miracle woman. I am, at least, neither of these. In this book I hope to tell the reader what I am. It is an answer to literally hundreds of requests for information concerning supernormal perception and how it functions."

She begins with her Irish childhood, where she was "exhausted in a world that did not understand or believe" her and continues on through her life to tell of her marriage, her businesses (she was a smart, entrepreneurial woman in a time when that wasn't very common), her divorce, and her move to New York. Garrett was one of the first people to objectively study parapsychology and in her lifetime she made huge contributions to psychic research. She clears up "psychic research" by saying that it's not "spiritualism" or "religion," but rather, it's the "scientific study of the human personality beyond the threshold of what man calls his conscious mind." Her book covers her experience with and knowledge of ESP, clairvoyance, psychometry, telepathy and precognition, and she emphasizes the need for more objective study and research, with an eventual unification of science and religion - a necessary development if we want to truly understand and express psychic powers.

Adventures in the Supernormal is an intriguing look into one of America's primary and highly regarded psychics, and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in paranormal phenomena. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A MUST BUY
This is the best jerry springer book I have ever read. It is a must buy for a Jerry fans!

Very good, Jerry kicks a--!
Nothing really totally new, but new parts of already known stories. Only 4 stars since it was written by someone else. ... Read more

Book Description

"In this fascinating biography, Alan L. Gansberg reveals the man behind the public face, his many memorable roles among more than 100 films, and his struggle to find steady work in Hollywood again." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Putting it all together!
Faith Cook has done an incredible job on Selina, the Countess of Huntingdon, and weaving the characters of the 18th C revival into an understandable history. In doing so, she has not only allowed the realism of each character to be displayed (graces & faults!) but has provided the reader with a real exciting read! In presenting the life of the Countess she has provided a tremendous story of inspiration as we see that even one who experienced deep hardships, was on fire for the gospel, and undivided in her zeal to see men and women come to know Christ through the preaching of his Word. I recommend it highly!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The history of the Whitney Museum is a riveting drama that begins with Gertrude, the oldest daughter of the heir to the biggest American family fortune of the day--the Vanderbilts. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a sculptor and art lover, opened the Whitney Studio in 1914 on Eighth Street in lower New York City. She then funded and ran the institution that evolved into the Whitney Museum of American Art until her death in 1942. When she died, she passed the reins on to her daughter Flora Whitney Miller, who bequeathed it to Flora Miller Biddle, the author of this book. Biddle's own daughter Fiona, currently a museum trustee, represents the fourth generation of Whitney women to influence the direction of what has become one of the world's most prominent art institutions. The Whitney women, through their roles variously as administrators, trustees, collectors, and artists, have shaped the structure and focus of the museum, a function played primarily by men at other museums. This mixture of memoir and history takes readers through the whirlwind of changes that the museum has undergone throughout its history, offering glimpses into a tumultuous arena in which the changing values of the art world and academia are constantly at play. Biddle writes that the Whitney has been, "in turn, mother, sister, child, and lover. It's given me a richer life than I could possibly have imagined for myself, and it's given me more pain, too--plus a true education." And she imparts some of that knowledge to readers here. --A.C. Smith ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good for gossip, but not for substance
Although I like this book for what it is, it isn't exactly what I expected it to be when I bought it.I expected the book to give much more insight into the actual creation of the Museum by Gertrude, but for the most part that aspect is just gleemed over.Also, as another reviewer has pointed out, the contributions of Julianna Force are barely even mentioned in the book.If you didn't know better, you'd think Julianna did next to nothing the whole time she worked there, which is more than a little untrue.

However, it must be noted that Ms. Biddle says first and foremost that her book is a "memoir," and as such certain factual omissions might be expected.Consequently, the book is filled from nearly beginning to end with quite a bit of gossip that those interested in the Vanderbilt or Whitney families or in museum politics will find terribly interesting.

What I got most from the book though is the wonderful sense of supreme devotion that Flora Whitney Miller must have had to the Museum and to her mother Gertrude's memory.This was illustrated time and time again when Flora donated more of her money and capital to keep the Museum functioning in a way that befitted her mother's name.As other members of the Whitney family have shown in recent times, a single painting of the calibur that Flora Miller sold for the Museum's sake could have set her heirs up for life, had she chosen not to sell it and had passed it on.

The book also seems to give insight into the recent controversies at the Whitney involving the display of Hans Haacke's controversial art display, with different members of the Whitney family taking different sides.After reading this book, it's obvious that certain ill feelings by some members of the family for others go back many, many years.

In summary, if you like gossip, then this book is for you.If not, there are other books about the Whitneys that might be of more interest to you.

Not for the American art historian/student
While I certainly enjoyed the Vanderbilt and Whitney family backgrounds, I found nothing worth noting in this book regarding the early days of the Whitney Museum.I purchased the book because I am writing a research paper on the founding of the Whitney Museum.Alas, the book focuses much on thefate of the Museum after Gertrude Whitney's death.There is very littledetail or specifics concerning her role in the Museum, nor that of the maincatalyst, Julianna Force.

I will say that the book is a good, juicylook into the aristocratic Vanderbilt family, but that's about it.

There is focus on later years, but very few details concerning the earlydays of the Museum.

I'll shelve it for now and save it for a rainy day!

I tried very hard to like this book...
"The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made" pays tribute to Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the museum through sheer force of will and social power, and Flora Whitney Miller, her daughter, who gave us theenduring legacy through charm and persuasion.It is mostly, however, amemoir about the author, Flora Miller Biddle who is Flora Miller's daughterand Gertrude's granddaughter.This is disappointing because Gertrude andFlora (mère) are fascinating people.Flora (fille) is decidedly bourgeoisby comparison.

In the preface, Mrs. Biddle reminds us "...this memoir doeswhat all memoirs do; it tells only part of the story.Don't memoirs allowwriters to keep from revealing all they know?"The sad truth is a readercan learn much more about Gertrude by reading "Little Gloria, Happy atLast".Mrs. Biddle admits she barely knew her grandmother, but surely thisdoesn't mean there is little to know or tell about her.

The Whitney was afamily institution.Gertrude built it and dared New York to defy her tastein art.Flora (mère) had the grace, the connections, and the remnants ofthe inheritance to ensure its place in history.They may have been richand from one of the most socially important families in New York, but thisis an astonishing accomplishment for that time.Women simply didn't dothese things.Oddly enough, the book takes this achievement forgranted.

Mrs. Biddle has seen - not steered - the museum through its mostdifficult times, albeit in a role less grand than her mother's andgrandmother's.At the same time, Flora, like Flora (mere), has not lostfocus of Gertrude's mission to serve the living American artist; not simplybe a repository for early to mid twentieth century American art.We areall richer for this achievement.

It is quite an insight into a museum Ihave visited since I was a child.Who would have though how disorganizedit was?How desperate at times!It is a tribute to the author and herfamily that they had the vision to recognize the Whitney could not surviveas a family institution.

The relationship the author has had with so manyof the artists is awe-inspiring.It is a gift so great she doesn't seem torealize it and these characters, which should fascinate, seem cardboard. The book is a strange combination of chronography and reminiscence; itsstructure is hard to follow.The author is constantly lamenting that herfamily is no longer fabulously wealthy (for the museum's sake, of course)which is tiresome.Mrs. Biddle makes quite a show of her rebellion againsther parents' society lives and her strive towards `normalcy'.Sadly, thisdoes not seem to have made her happy.

I love the museum and learned muchof the concealed history of an old friend.This got me through the book. If you're genuinely interested in the Whitney Museum of American Art youshould read it.If you're looking for the story of four generations ofwomen, for the drive and energy it took them to build and maintain thisremarkable institution you may be disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description

ONE FINE STOOGE: A FRIZZY LIFE IN PICTURES

As told to Stephen Cox and Jim Terry

Discover those high priests of low comedy, the Three Stooges, like never before. One Fine Stooge, the life story of Larry Fine—the original frizzy-haired member of the classic comedy team—reveals the charming and poignant life of the famed comedian who took a beating for more than four decades.

Behind the comic mask that he wore most of his adult years as a Stooge—on stage, in films, television, cartoons, and in every facet of entertainment—was a life filled with fame and fortune, bad luck and tragedy. This tumultuous trip through decades in show business is based on Larry Fine’s own memoirs, featuring the late comedian’s private memorabilia collection—now published for the first time. Discovered and dusted off nearly thirty years after his passing, Larry Fine’s personal notes, clippings, interviews, correspondence, and unique cache of memorabilia create an unparalleled visual history of the most prolific comedy team in entertainment annals.

One Fine Stooge offers a unique, loving pictorial tribute to the Stooge in the middle and to one of the most successful comedy acts ever to take pies in the face. From the late 1920s on, the Three Stooges pried and twisted their way into the fabric of American life. Like them or not, the Three Stooges came out on top, an institution of American comedy, popular icons of the greatest renown. This is their story as revealed by Larry Fine in his own words, augmented by fascinating anecdotes from family members and coworkers. It is a Stooge fan’s treasury. ... Read more

Book Description

Among his devoted fans, his pieces were known simply as McGs. With a "genius for illuminating that sometimes ephemeral apogee in people's lives when they prove capable of generating a brightly burning spark" (Columbia Journalism Review), Robert McG. Thomas Jr. commemorated fascinating, unconventional lives with signature style and wit.

The New York Times received countless letters over the years from readers moved to tears or laughter by a McG. Eschewing traditionally famous subjects, Thomas favored unsung heroes, eccentrics, and underachievers, including: Edward Lowe, the inventor of Kitty Litter ("Cat Owner's Best Friend"); Angelo Zuccotti, the bouncer at El Morocco ("Artist of the Velvet Rope"); and Kay Halle, a glamorous Cleveland department store heiress who received sixty-four marriage proposals ("An Intimate of Century's Giants"). In one of his classic obituaries, Thomas described Anton Rosenberg as a "storied sometime artist and occasional musician who embodied the Greenwich Village hipster ideal of 1950's cool to such a laid-back degree and with such determined detachment that he never amounted to much of anything." Thomas captured life's ironies and defining moments with elegance and a gift for making a sentence sing. He had an uncanny sense of the passion and personality that make each life unique, and the ability, as Joseph Epstein wrote, to "look beyond the facts and the rigid formula of the obit to touch on a deeper truth."

Compiled by Chris Calhoun, one of Thomas's most dedicated readers, and with a fittingly sharp introduction from acclaimed novelist and critic Thomas Mallon, 52 McGs. will win legions of new fans to the masterful writer who transformed the obituary into an art form. ... Read more

Book Description

Anglos have been coming to Santa Fe for centuries, and early in the last century the city’s beauty and exotic cultural mix became particularly attractive to artistic immigrants looking for freedom from the greed and competitiveness of mainstream American culture. By the late twentieth century, many New Mexicans felt, Santa Fe’s unique charm was nearly overwhelmed by the evils that people had moved there to escape. The interviews collected in this book preserve the old Santa Fe, the one people are still looking for. The interviewees represent a cross-section of Santa Fe during the best of times: native Santa Feans, both Spanish American and Anglo, artists, immigrants, those who came by accident, those who came intending to stay, those who fought to preserve the older cultures’ traditions and values. The author, unlike most journalists, has known the people he interviewed his entire life. Most of these men and women were old timers when the interviews took place, and many have since died. Most readers of this book will not remember the good times it evokes. But the lively stories told here will enthrall all Santa Feans and would-be Santa Feans, as well as visitors who can only dream of living in the City Different.

Interviewed in Turn Left at the Sleeping Dog are Amalia Sena Sánchez, Consuelo Bergere Mendenhall, Fray Angélico Chávez, Katherine “Peach” Mayer, Anita González Thomas, Josephine E. Baca, Chuck Barrows, Hazel Frederickson, Alice Henderson Rossin, Calla Hay, Letitia Evans Frank, Paul Frank, Tom and Doris Dozier, Samuel Adelo, Richard Bradford, J. I. Staley, Miranda Levy, Jerry West, Margaret Larsson, and Carol Smith. Interlaced with the interviews are comments from other Santa Feans: historian Myra Ellen Jenkins, cultural geographer J. B. Jackson, and anthropologist Oliver La Farge, the author’s father. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Delightful book by the great German mezzo!
Christa Ludwig was, in my opinion, the greatest German mezzo of her time, in both opera and lieder, and, as someone else says in an opera review on Amazon, the greatest Elektra that never was and the greatest Brunnhilde that never was. And she is also, as you can see from her engaging book "In My Own Voice," a person of wit, honesty, an exuberance for life, and and with an ability to talk about her gifts and her life that both recognizes what she has and puts it in perspective. As she quotes from the Schubert lied "Geheimnis," in the close of her book:

So geht es auch dem Sanger,
Er singt, erstaunt in sich;
Was still ein Gott bereitet,
Befremdet ihn wie dich.

So it is also with the singer,
He sings, amazed at himself;
What in silence a god made,
Amazes as well as you.

Ludwig talks about her early life, born into a singing family, in Nazi Germany. She takes us through her career, but she tells us much more than a recital of what she sang, when and where. The most fascinating part of this book for me was the description of each of her major operatic roles - which ones she especially enjoyed, the joys and the challenges (and the roles she would like to have sung). She doesn't indulge in gossip, and is generous about her colleagues. She talks about conductors, houses, preparation, and the often lonely and difficult life of a singer.

And she shares with us her introspection about herself and her art. "Was it worth it? What was the meaning?" I am so greatful to be able to read about Christa Ludwig "in her own words."

truly down-to-earth, but also aristocratic
Christa Ludwig is inarguably one of the greatest singers and musicians of this or any time. A mezzo-soprano who also made at least one classic recording of a great soprano role (Beethoven's Leonora in FIDELIO), Mme. Ludwig was, in addition, a probing and insightful recital and concert artist. Mme. Ludwig's memoir, expertly translated by Regina Domeraski, reveals a deeply committed artist who is also a human being who has lived a full life, and has no reservations when it comes to talking about either. If you have read any of Mme. Ludwigs's numerous interviews, you will know that she is a frank, uninhibited, witty and no-nonsense person. She is as comfortable talking about Harry Belafonte in Carmen Jones as she is talking about Schubert and Brahms lieder. Very few autobiographies by celebrated opera singers tell you as much about their subject as this one does. If you've read this far, you'll want to have it. Trust me....

Excellent memoir of a great mezzo
Christa Ludwig's powerful performances of Carmen, Ortrud, the Dyer's Wife, and others are treasured memories of many opera lovers and record collectors (including me!). And so it's most welcome to have her memoirs and even more so because of her refreshing directness and candor. She tells about her career with honesty, humor, pride, and humility. A very nice selection of photos are especially welcome to those of us who enjoyed her onstage.

Regina Domeraski's translation is an admirably smooth-flowing narrative that lets Miss Ludwig's personality come through clearly.

Most highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Anne Robinson learned early on that success in the male-dominated journalism industry came at a price -- and her daring, single-minded foray into that world wreaked havoc in her troubled marriage, a desperate struggle with alcohol abuse, and a sensational, highly publicized custody battle. Now, Britain's highest-paid female broadcaster, an outspoken, celebrated, and often controversial survivor -- best known to Americans as the notorious host of the television quiz show The Weakest Link -- opens up about her past, motherhood, feminist ideals, real life, and her miraculous, always-surprising relationship with her filmmaker daughter, Emma Wilson.

"If I had been Bridget Jones's mother I would have put her on a diet and told her to get a decent haircut and a facial once a month."

Theirs is a mother-daughter bond that has held them together through hardship and hilarity and phenomenal good fortune -- and was captured in Travels with My Unfit Mother, Emma's documentary of their drive across America. What is it like to grow up in the shadow of a celebrity mother? What is it like to see your gifted, independent daughter blossom in ways that remind you of yourself -- and ways in which you could not be more different? Anne Robinson considers these questions but asks many more -- in a sharp-eyed and moving account that speaks to all women. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Un-put-downable!
Like me, I think that many mothers have a nagging doubt that they're in some way falling short.In some way - 'unfit'.Ann Robinson's memoirs is an honest description of her own roller-coaster experience of motherhood.It leaves you feeling that if she could go through all that and still create a balanced and happy daughter there is hope for the rest of us!

Delightful!
I always watch "The Weakest Link" here in Europe with sort of a fist in my mouth - how can that woman be so horrible to people, and what an utter delight it is when someone gets one up on her.This biography talks not only about the way in which a truly dedicated woman got to the top of her field, but also about the way in which this "unfit mother" really did turn out to be a wonderful mother, with a wonderful daughter and with a wonderful relationship with said daughter.I suppose that Anne Robinson must be feeling sort of like Boris Karloff these days - he wasn't really Frankenstein's monster, and she isn't really the iron-fisted dominatrix of the television show. I read every word with great pleasure, and I recommend the book to everyone.The reason for four instead of five stars is that there are about three paragraphs in the whole book about "The Weakest Link". I really would have wanted to hear a lot more about the author's thoughts about what is a phenomenal show.Other than that, though, it was a great, great read.

Weakest Link, She Is Not
In this brisk, mostly no-nonsense book, Ms. Robinson lays out her life like a feature story in the Sunday Times.She paints a witty portrait of her mother (who deserves her own book), a domineering, beautifully dressed, luxury-loving, hard driving businesswoman and a protective overbearing mother.Interestingly, this description fits author Anne like a glove.

In affairs of the heart, Anne calls herself a "belligerent doormat."I loved this phrase!I doubt that many of her long-term love interests would have agreed with the "doormat" part, but she felt/feels she takes to heart every criticism made of her and goes into a passive/aggressive mode.Though she seems very bare bones honest in reporting her emotional entanglements, there are strange gaps.For instance, how in the world did she make her second husband-to-be so angry with her that he testified against her in the custody trial for her daughter?

"Memoirs--" is worth the price if for no other reason than Ms. Robinson's honest and bleak reporting of her crippling alcoholism and how she gradually climbed out of this life-threatening spiral of devastation.And it did ruin her career and almost kill her.Interestingly, Ms. Robinson, though she spares herself very little, is a champion grudge holder.She clearly has never forgiven the court for the judgment that caused her to lose custody of her daughter.Yet at the time, she was a non-functional alcoholic who was totally undependable.

She turned her life around big time, and went on to become a highly successful reporter, radio and TV personality, which I found quite inspiring.I admit I have not yet seen "The Weakest Link," but now cannot wait to see her. I am sure Ms. Robinson can triumph in any and all situations.The book is well written, just what you would expect of a top-flight reporter.She has an excellent, if acerbic, sense of humor that makes her story even more enjoyable.

Refreshing!
I disagree with the Library Review's comment: "Only die-hard fans of Robinson will find this even mildly interesting."I am not a die-hard fan, but I could not put this book down.It is refreshing and even exhilarating to hear someone being honest about their own faults, especially when everyone nowadays wants to be the victim.Robinson does just that, pointing out that obviously her mother contributed to her life in negative ways as in positive ways, but her mother did not make her a drunk and her mother did not get her dry.Anne got to both of those locations herself, and candidly describes each journey.After reading this book, I HAVE found myself to admire this lady and even want to emulate her in many respects.I believe anyone with an open attitude towards her would have to say the same.Evidently the Library Reviewer was already predisposed to disliking Anne Robinson--a bad predisposition for journalists, in my opinion!

The best biography you'll read for a long time
This woman is human! You can relate to her in so many ways. Bravo to Annie for turning her life around and regaining the daughter she lost! The reader can feel the pain she experienced when she lost her daughter and when she lost her mother to Alzheimer's. Liverpool is vividly depicted and you will journey with Anne on her bumpy road to success. This book is about pursuing dreams and overcoming the obstacles to make it happen. You only wish you had someone like Anne to advise you on life. She tells it like it is without any whitewash on herself. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A true look at Walt
To sum up...WOW! Instead of relying on probably non-existant sources, this book takes a simply approach- Print exactly what others said about Walt, with their name attached to the quote. What a refreshing idea! The book of course has sections written by the author, but the true "guts" of the book are many, many quotes about Walt, expertly grouped by the authors. The book does not shy away from talking about Walt's temper or tendency to micro-manage, that is in there. But neither does it embelish the negatives in an effort to tear the man down. This is a truthful look, and it will make you feel even better every time you view a Disney picture or walk through the gates of Disneyland.

Long Overdue and Just In Time!
After having read exerpts of this book in the June edition of Disney Magazine, I'm looking forward to reading the complete text. It is essential that the remembrances of those who knew and worked with Walt Disney be recorded for future generations. Like Abraham Lincoln before him, Walt Disney's life has taken on legendary proportions even long after his untimely passing. It's important to remember that he was first & foremost, a son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather... and not to forget... the creative genius of the 20th Century. And just in time for the 100th Anniversary of Walt Disney's birth in 2001!

The finest tribute to a great man
I was very happy while reading this book. I found all the things Walt's aquaintances had to say about him very interesting and credible. Very little seemed sugar coated (as Disney personel seem to be sometimes). I would make the assumption that Walt's personality was portrayed correctly by the many people that knew him. Throughout the course of reading this book I kept thinking about the quote that one amazon reviewer said that made me buy this book in the first place, "makes me wish I knew that man."

A wonderful insight into the philosophy of Walt Disney
This book is exactly as one would expect by reading the title. It's just quote after quote from people who knew Walt Disney best. I liked that many of his former employees were interviewed. Since I was familiar with some of the animators, imagineers, and actors it made it a more personal thing for me when reading this book. There are also many pictures that show Walt during all the different periods of his life, though the majority of them are during his successful years heading the Disney corporation. I share the sympathy of another reviewer who said that after reading this book they wished they had known Walt Disney. I think a person who really admires the Disney empire will share the same sentiments about the man who dared to dream.

The "real" Walt Disney
The heart of Walt Disney is perfectly captured in this landmark remembrance. Represented through vintage studio and family photographs, combined with personal, first-hand memories from those who knew and worked with Walt, this book is the perfect cornerstone to any Walt Disney library.

Take your time. You'll want to enjoy this book forever. ... Read more

Book Description

The renowned biographer and New York Times bestselling author of The Kennedy Women returns with this first volume in a multigenerational history that will forever change the way America views its most famous family ...

Reviews (16)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- in Context
The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963 By Laurence Leamer has been an appendage of mine since its release in mid-October. I literally could not put it down and when I finished, I lamented its ending. It was personal, like a friend, a wonderful place to go when I read it. I wanted more -- yes, even after reading 700-something pages.

Leamer put this family into context with grit and courage. The book does not mince words. He did not just give us the bad and the ugly; he also gave us the good. And even the bad and the ugly are in a context where the actions are understandable, unlike the Seymour Hirsch book, "The Dark Side of Camelot," where it was all seamy and skewed.

When Joe Kennedy had the lobotomy done on his daughter, Rosemary, one could understand his motives, even the hubris that made him do it. In his own way, he was being protective of her, but his suffering after the disastrous results that left her a mere shadow of her former self -- was some of Leamer's finest writing.

It was as if the author were inside Joe Kennedy's head and had become omnipotent. That is the part of the book that was the most tragic and deeply sorrowful. The fact that he never spoke of her again, and the rest of the family followed suit -- all parched by their unspeakable grief at her loss -- gave more insight into the human condition than I have ever seen in a book, bar none. I believe the lamentation today is still borne by the Kennedy family and that is the demon that drove Eunice to work so hard for the handicapped; she was doing penance for the entire family. This one section could be pulled out alone and made into a morality play; Albert Camus and the existentialists have nothing on Leamer here.

The dossier of facts in this book will stay with the reader, who will not be the same after reading the book. Your heart breaks for this family, what they suffered through -- even if much of the catastrophic consequences they endured were their fault. One can clearly see the motives.

Leamer is sans judgmental hostility. He doesn't lean on the Kennedys for their faults -- rather he puts them into this a historical frame of reference without blue-sky illusions.

Who knew how much John F. Kennedy suffered his entire life? His transition to adulthood was inevitably painful emotionally but also physically. He bore upon his frail shoulders the burden of his older brother's death. His drug habit, scary as it appeared, could also be understood in this book's context. Leamer neither softens nor sentimentalizes it. Kennedy's lifetime of pain makes the reader wince with a lump in their throat. One leaves the book admiring what he accomplished rather than judging him harshly. He was trying to find an even keel for himself. He was looking for an even playing field. One must remember, he was taking the injections wearing 1960s glasses. No one knew the dangers of amphetamines back then. They were the "smart" drug of the day.

I was rather surprised that Rose was as cavalier as she was toward the end, after Joe's stroke -- with cruel indulgence, showing him gowns she would wear to parties she attended without him. She appeared to enjoy her "last-laugh" status her continued health gave her.

Even more surprisingly, Rose was rather cruel to the children as they grew. She wrote letters to their schools but she never visited. She expected the children to be "little men" and "little women" from the time they were babies, another fragment in the mosaic of their shattered lives. To justify this shoddy behavior, she opined that she thought it was best if the children were not dependent on her.

This was one of the big surprises for me of the book: Rose's distance from the children. You were either with her or you were gone. Witness what happened to eldest daughter Kathleen, who died in a plane crash in Europe. She wasn't even brought back for burial, rather, she was buried in England. That fact will stick in one's craw. "Kick," as she was called, was divorced and having an affair, so she was banished, even in death.

Of course, affairs were de rigueur for the Kennedy men. I'm looking forward to Leamer's next volume and hope he explores the relationship of Bobby Kennedy with Jackie after Jack's death when both were .

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It's one of the truly great books I have ever read. Henry Kissinger once said of an argument, "It had the added advantage of being true." That is The Kennedy Men.

The Kennedy Men...Both of them.
If you want to read about Jack Kennedy and his dad, with a little more information about Joe Jr., then this is a book for you. Mr. Leamer never delivers the promise his title suggests. This is not to say the book fails to be interesting, but it paints a rather incomplete picture of the Kennedy history. He spends a great deal of time on Joe Sr, and goes through a fairly deep analysis of the relationship between Joe Jr. and John, but we se only fleeting glimpses of Ted as he runs for senate. We only see detail on Bobby when he becomes his brothers AG. We never see the depth of information on Bobby, who played such a significant part in JFK's life.

The book also fails to give a complete picture of any of the men by failing to explaing the relationship that occurred with Rose. We are shown that she tolerated her husband's indiscretions, but we see hardly any interplay with her sons at all. Any decent psychologist will tell you that you can't understand a man without understanding his relationship with his mother. We never see it at all.

Although I found the information delivered to be interesting, I also found it to be quite one-sided, as though it had been written by a strong fan. It gave a good amount of information into the events the Kennedy men lived (and died) through, yet left out much of the day to day information that would have filled out the image. Bottom line; interesting read, but not a detailed analysis...not by a long shot.

Not bad
I give this book a borderline 3 - 4 stars. It isn't bad - it explored all of the Kennedy men adequately but none very extensively. Leamer does do a great job of explaining the relationships among the Kennedy men, especially the complicated relationship that Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. had with all of his children.

The author offers up stunning and excruciating details about Joe Kennedy Jr's. death, as well as Kathleen's death. These instances were painful to read, but very insightful about the patriarch's emotions.

I feel Leamer did concentrate a bit too much on JFK's sexual trysts, but that is a topic that no book on the Kennedys will neglect, so it's not really a complaint.

It would have been nice had the book ended in 1968 and not 1963. Another 100 pages would have given the reader much more great reading on RFK following the president's death and also his run for the presidency in 1968.

All in all, this is a good book for diehard Kennedy aficionados.

A Refreshing Change From the "Kennedy Myths"
In the years since John F Kennedy was elected President two kinds of "Kennedy Myths" have developed. The positive one portrays John, Robert and Ted Kennedy as liberal "saints" committed to a progressive revolution in America. The negative one shows the Kennedys to be rapacious libertines who throw off all social conventions in their personal and political lives. Leamer's book transcends these over-simplistic views and covers the lives of patriarch Joseph P Kennedy and his four sons, bringing out the complexity of this unique group of people.

Those who hold a negative view of the Kennedys will find much material to confirm their beliefs. In truth, Joe Kennedy seems to be a man with almost no redeeming virtues, a virulent anti-Semite and pro-Nazi, greedy and miserly, manipulative man. The second generation of Kennedys learned not to ask where the family's money came from. Yet Joe Kennedy went on to implement needed reforms in the Security and Exchange commission to which he was appointed, supported the progressive FDR and became the most powerful Catholic in the US.

Similarly, JFK went on to be an incredibly reckless philanderer who possibly compromised the very security of the US with liasons with women involved with organized crime and possibly even East German intelligence, but at the same time, he inspired young people to volunteer for the Peace Corps and set American on course to landing on the Moon. RFK goes to work for family friend Senator Joe McCarthy and works with the Mafia in order to destablize Castro's regime in Cuba, but then also works vigorously against the same Mafia and institutionalized racial discrimination (and somehow escapes the taint of his association with McCarthy).

Leamer show that JFK and RFK were definitely not "soft liberals". JFK was the best friend the "military-industrial complex" ever had, pouring unprecedented amounts of money into defense and space projects. They supported a very tough anti-Communist policy in Cuba and Vietnam which almost led to nuclear war and did lead to the quagmire in Southeast Asia. One important point about the book is that Leamer does not demonize various "bad guys" from the positive Kennedy Myth, such as General Curtis Lemay and other military men from the Cuban Missile Crisis, FBI Director J Edgar Hoover who was friendly for many years with Joe Kennedy and showed great forebearance with the many indiscretions of his sons and had good reason to be concerned with JFK's behavior and finally Lyndon Johnson who loyally served the Kennedy Administration and yet was treated with contempt by RFK and many of JFK's advisors (although not by JFK himself).

Finally, the author has come to the same conclusion that other investigators have arrived at regarding JFK's assassination, namely, that it is very likely that the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald was motivated, either with or without the knowledge of agents of Fidel Castro, to kill Kennedy in revenge for the Kennedys' attempt to kill him.

It is not easy to cover the lives of five different men in a singel book, and much had to be left out, but as an introduction to this remarkable tribe of American aristocracy, this book is indispensable.

not very good
I've read 64 biographys and it's one of the worse.
There are a few photos.
some informations are odd, because the author invents them.
buy not this book, but buy better book like a common good, the thirteen days, the kennedys and the fitzgerald, robert kennedy and his time... ... Read more

Book Description

American Empress is a sweeping history of the dramatic life of heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, daughter of breakfast-cereal magnate C. W. Post. As a young girl growing up in the Midwest, Marjorie Post helped glue cereal boxes in her father's barn, later became a board member of his company, wed a diplomat and by late middle age was widely acknowledged as the unofficial "Queen of Washington, D.C."The glamorous and warm-hearted Mrs. Post was also mother to actress Dina Merrill. Throughout her life, she gave generously to hundreds of civic, artistic and philanthropic causes, among which were the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Ballet and the Kennedy Center. By virtue of her brains, beauty and great wealth, Mrs. Post was a woman well ahead of her era, whose natural business acumen created the frozen foods industry and transformed the Postum Cereal Company into the General Foods Corporation. ... Read more

Book Description

Charlotte was young and beautiful. Lionel, almost ten years older, was rich and her cousin. Theirs was an arranged betrothal joining two branches of Europe's most powerful banking firm. It seemed an unlikely love match, and even their wedding had to survive catastrophe. Yet their marriage lasted through tragedies and triumphs. Charlotte became one of the grand chatelaines of the Victorian era; Lionel, England's leading financier, persevered through years of bigotry to become the first of his faith to be seated in Parliament. In Charlotte and Lionel, acclaimed biographer Stanley Weintraub, using full access to the Rothschild family archives, tells the story of their stunning and surprising love for each other, opening a fascinating window into a memorable age.

Together, Charlotte and Lionel de Rothschild challenged and redefined their place in Victorian society. At her celebrated salons, England's leading politicians and policy makers met and shared opinions. Disraeli regularly argued politics with adversaries; Gladstone discussed religion with Charlotte; "Tom Thumb" (with P. T. Barnum) entertained; artists and writers and aristocrats mingled. Refusing to swear a Christian oath, Lionel was elected to Parliament half a dozen times before he could take his seat. After a decade-long battle, the House of Commons changed its rules, enabling Lionel and future Jewish or non-Christian members to serve.

Lionel (and, behind the scenes, Charlotte) influenced events worldwide, helping to fund relief to a starving Ireland, aiding persecuted Jews in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, brokering the purchase of the Suez Canal, and arranging for France's postwar reparations to Germany. Yet despite the distractions of their power, glamour, and wealth, and problems of health for which money could buy no solutions, they remained intensely devoted to each other and their family. Although Charlotte lost a daughter, then her beloved husband, and had to come back herself from severe illness, she remained unbroken.

Charlotte and Lionel presents the evocative tale of one of the least known yet most touching love stories from the glamorous decades of Victorian England. ... Read more

Book Description

He Only Takes The Best – Death And the Reason For Leaving Someone You Love.

When someone you love dies, life is not the same… Life will never be the same. Have you lost a parent, spouse, partner, relative or friend? Do you know someone who suffered and died from a terminal illness? Many persons ask to understand this part of life. Here is the author’s cogent and comprehensive explanation, learned from life. ... Read more

Book Description

A companion volume to the popular Stars in Blue: Movie Actors in America's Sea Services by the same authors, this book is filled with more than thirty celebrity profiles of motion picture stars who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from World War I through Vietnam. Many readers will discover for the first time the contributions to the Corps of such actors as Steve McQueen, Gene Hackman, Harvey Keitel, Brian Dennehy, Hugh O'Brian, and Ed McMahon, and the heroic actions of Marines like Sterling Hayden, Brian Keith, Dale Dye, and Lee Marvin.

Best remembered for his Academy Award-winning portrayals of iconoclastic film characters, Marvin played the most important role of his life in World War II. One of many surprises in this book is a description of his heroism as a member of the 4th Marine Division during the invasion of Saipan. Another is the fact that Marvin chose to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with a simple marker identifying him only as a Marine, not a movie star. Sterling Hayden, a well-known movie star before World War II, changed his name upon commissioning to conceal his movie identity. An experienced seaman and parachutist and a graduate of a British commando training school, he joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and aided Marshal Tito's partisans in their guerrilla warfare against the Germans, winning a Silver Star for rescuing pilots behind enemy lines. Dale Dye, a twice-wounded Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient, has appeared in numerous war movies and become a respected technical adviser to Steven Spielberg, whose blockbuster Saving Private Ryan showcased Dye's acting and advising abilities.

Dashing leading man Tyrone Power joined the enlisted ranks of the Corps and went on to receive his commission and aviator wings, logging hundreds of hours as a command transport pilot in Pacific combat zones. Harvey Keitel, whose long list of movie credits includes Taxi Driver and Pulp Fiction, joined the Marines at seventeen and served in Beirut, earning his high school equivalency diploma and developing a love of books in the Corps. Hugh O'Brian, known worldwide for his TV portrayal of Wyatt Earp and to movie buffs as John Wayne's close friend and last costar, became one of the Corps's youngest drill instructors. Rebel Steve McQueen learned to love the disciplined life of a Marine and developed skills that served him well in his civilian racing career.

Accompanied by some never-before-published photographs, many of these revealing profiles are based on recent interviews with the stars or their families and friends. Battle reports, unit diaries, and personnel records were consulted to authenticate the details of their military careers. Filled with little-known facts and fascinating tidbits of information, this book will delight and inform the staunchest Marine supporter and most avid movie fan. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great book
STARS IN THE CORPS. is a most entertaining and informative book. Well written and researched, it deals with the military service of a number of movie stars that served in the Corps through America's wars. Among the stars profiled, readers will find the opening chapter particularly interesting, since it relates the life and service of a much-decorated Vietnam Marine, Dale Dye. In case the name is not familiar, he was the military advisor for the movies, PLATOON, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, AND THE THIN RED LINE. He has also acted in a number of movies and television specials. The chapter about Lee Marvin is riveting. In every sense of the word he was a Marine throughout his life. His burial marker at Arlington reads, LEE MARVIN, PFC, U. S. MARINE CORPS. Many of the subjects and stories will surprise readers. What I liked about the entire read was the avoidance of tabloid innuendo. True to the theme set by authors Wise and Rehill in STARS IN BLUE, they focus on the service contributions of these men, which are often unknown to the American public.

Poorly written book about fighting men who deserve better.
This badly written book about men who served their country well will disappoint those who care about the language as well as those looking for depth in the reporting of what 28 Americans who happened to be associated with the entertainment industry did when they were in the U.S. Marine Corps.

That is not to say that it is not worth reading, however. It's a quick read, and the reader will recognize the cotton candy style of the motion picture press release. But the surprises will keep you going, as you discover that Ed McMahon was such a good pilot of the Vought Corsair (the airplane that Pappy Boyington flew) that he became an instructor in World War II. When he finally flew in combat, it was in unarmed Cessna 180s flying observation over Korea -- extremely hazardous duty. You will also find out how Lee Marvin "got his ass shot off" in the World War II invasion of Saipan -- literally.

One thing any reader will recognize is the almost universal feeling on the part of the subjects that the "Corps made a man out of me" and the emptiness most of them felt when no longer a part of Corps.

In short, it's worth the money just for fun, but history it ain't. It's a nice little book about a few good men.

Wonderful
Thank you for making my father John R. Post so happy to have someone care about something that consumed a great deal of his young life. He was so thrilled to receive your book and share it with me and all his military friends. It was a time to be remembered - for the friendship - not the death. And he may be different but he remembers every name of every person he spent time with during WWII and the Korean Conflict. Thank you for acknowledging his memory and caring about his fellow man. Thank you. ... Read more