Book Description

Reviews (20)

Our Culture Isn't
I loved the phrase coined by Orth, " The Celebrity-Industrial Complex. " Note that media news are now 24/7, talking heads proliferate on TV and the quickest way of getting your leg broken is to get between a camera and Gloria Allred.

We do know, don't we, that if every celebrity on the planet were to die tomorrow 'The Complex' would replace them with a new crop by next week? There's no way The Enquirer is going out of business.

For that matter, the author notes that the trend is catching and irreversible: " One need not look further than PAGE ONE of the distinguished New York Times to see how far celebrity coverage has come . . it has featured such previously unthinkable stories about the deaths of singers Aailayah and Celia Cruz, not to mention the mauling of Las Vegas liontamer Roy...and an analysis of the career of Britney Spears. "

I don'tunderstand the negative reviews, unless they were expecting a 'how to ' achieve fame book, or, as implied, they've read all Vanity Fair articles for the last ten years between memorizing The Summa Theologica and The Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Whatever. Now name a better critique on our pop-culture. For my money, " Bobos in Paradise " is excellent but it's not in the same ballpark.

BTW, have you notied that when Columbine, 9/11 or other major public tragedies occur that reporters, when commenting on the bravery of some of the victims or rescuers involved, inevitably mention something to the effect that these were ordinary people who acted with extraordinary valor due to extreme circumstances?

Why doesn't anyone hazard the opinion that these were extraordianry individuals who acted with characteristic valor and decency under extreme circumstances?

Gee, could it be that by "ordinary" we DO NOT mean that they weren't Mozart or Einstein. Could we mean that what we're really saying is that they were firefighters or schoolteachers instead of Pop-Celebs?

Almost non-persons. Oh, yes, I forgot, there's a word for them: Nobodies.

God, or somebody , help us!

Outstanding book. As funny as it is painful.

Don't Be Fooled -- This a Collection of Vanity Fair Articles
She's a great writer, but if you read Vanity Fair, YOU HAVE READ THIS ALL BEFORE! The publisher should be ASHAMED of how they marketed this book, suggesting it is a comprehensive original piece of writing about a very interesting subject -- when in fact, it is a collection of Orth's previously written pieces. What a rip off.

I'm returning my copy because the book is not what it suggests it is. (And some of the articles profile poeple we SERIOUSLY no longer care about, or about whom so much has already been written (Michael Jackson, Laci Peterson) that the articles seem seriously dated.

She's married to Tim Russert whose own book just hit the new york times best seller list, so they will not be hurting for money. Take a pass on this book. Maureen, use your considerable talent and write a book instead of publishing a collection of tired pieces that ran elsewhere. (Does anyone REALLY care about Tina Turner some 10 YEARS after her book and the subsequent movie was released???) Orth is a compelling writer and I love reading her work in Vanity Fair. I expected more.....

Is This A Joke?
I had high hopes for this book, but It is nothing more than a tabloid junkie. It gives false details about Michael Jackson Case, articles taken from tabloids.

I advise you to buy this instead:
" Redemption: The Truth Behind the Michael Jackson Child Molestation Allegations "

Fame Defrocked
A fun read. Maureen Orth opens the door to the surreal world of celebrity and invites us in. The world she describes places most celebrities and others enjoying their "15 minutes" in their own personal Wonderlands, places most often resembling cuckoo's nests. Thanks to Orth, those curious about famous lives can push aside the curtains of wealth and power and then withdraw--thankful that most of those profiled are not part of our lives. Orth's contention that so many of the famous became newsworthy due to the media's insatiable need to provide coverage 24/7 gives us permission to avoid the news occassionally in the interest of tuning down the fame volume.

Disappointing rehash of Vanity Fair articles
I wanted to like this book but was very disappointed that all it included was a mish mash of Vanity Fair articles from 1990-2002 with follow up paragraphs that appear to be right out of People magazine. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not his best work...
Dunne is a fantastic and fun writer. This collection gets bogged down however. Many of the stories are dated and the updates are not recent. Many of the stories are reprinted in the far superior colleciton, Justice. Still, parts of this book, particularly the Gloria Vanderbilt story, stand out. If you like Dunne, I would start with Justice and move backwards. It is fun to read many of his stories do have something of a timeless quality. I was frustrated with parts of book which seemed dated and dull. Ahh..what do I know. Dunne is still great.

An All-Night Page Turner!
It's had been quite some time since I'd picked-up a book I couldn't put down, but this one ended the drought! It made me an instant Dominick Dunne fan and wishing that he'd continue the saga for the Bradley family in future novels. If you have ever been intrigued by the lifestyles of the rich and infamous, or the larger than life experiences of the Kennedy's, then click on the order button and prepare to curl up with this unforgettable story!

Addicted to the Pages
When I picked up Mr. Dunne's novel for my book collection of his amazing works, it was another week of neglecting my duties as a Mother to my starving children. Thank goodness for the microwave! I am a Vanity Fair subscriber and always will be due to Mr. Dunne's genius writing. Mrs. Litras.

Truly engaging read
I have enjoyed Dominick Dunne's novels (novels in disguise!), but this book has left me wishing I had been a Vanity Fair subscriber. I never realized what I had been missing, although I might have not read anything else in that magazine. I almost didn't order it, because I was disappointed with his previous work-The Way We Lived Then-which was exactly what he said it was, the recollections of a well-known name dropper, all names and not much content. However-this book is wonderful-and probably more so the recollections of a name dropper. Incredible true stories of the rich and famous, and maybe some not so famous, all intensely interesting. A number of the essays involve crime-beginning with his description of the trial of the man who killed his daughter, and including pieces on the Mendez brothers, O.J. Simpson, Claus Von Bulow, and more, told as only an "insider" could. Yet not all of the tales are crime related, so if you're looking for tabloid-style, tell all stories, this probably isn't the book for you. He tells the tales of high society with a touch of class, and I can't imagine that he has made many enemies, and probably remains in good favor with most of the people he has included in these pages. I finished the book wanting to go back and re-read several of my favorite stories, and wishing there was a sequel I could now continue with. Enjoy-I read it in 2 days. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"COSMO GIRL" SPRINGS ETERNAL

Helen Gurley Brown is not especially "wild again" as the title of her latest book promises.In fact, considering the recent rash of blush-inducing tell-alls, she comes across as rather tame - opinionated but tame.

However, opinions and advice have been the now 78-year-old Ms. Brown's stock in well paid trade for over three decades.As Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, considered the Holy Grail by millions of women, she brought sex out from under the covers, altered views of the workplace, proffered beauty hints, and dispensed dictums on whatever crossed her mind.

This eternally slender little girl from Little Rock who held 17 secretarial jobs before rising to the top of the publishing heap also penned "Sex and the Single Girl" (1962), which all but defined a decade.

I'm Wild Again defines little and rehashes much, ie "...fashion is to be taken seriously, even if it is ludicrous.Why?Because it's fun!Draping or shoeing yourself in different designs and colors every so often makes you feel frisky and new."

On the cusp of the millennium, one wonders how many women would toss away hard earned cash on something "ludicrous" in order to feel "frisky." (Which by the way appears to be Ms. Brown's most sought after condition).

Frivolity is fine, when it is recognized as such.But one has the uneasy feeling that Ms. Brown wishes to be taken seriously, even when her vocabulary includes "kissypoo" and her description of a beloved is "the man you're all squidgy about."

Never afflicted by timidity, the author offers opinions on subjects with which she has had no experience, such as being a working mother.She writes, "...to do the stuff you have to do to grow them (children) spiffy and happy, you may need to spend more time with them than affordable if you are meeting, conferencing, speaking, strategizing, junketing...those hours tote up while the kids are back-burning...."

Helpful?

Numerous studies show that sexual harassment takes its toll physically, emotionally and psychologically.Nonetheless, Ms. Brown opines, "I think offices are places where there not only is but should be sexual tension.Men and women are there together for hours and hours and knowing he's a man, you're a woman (or vice versa) is part of the fun."

She cites a former boss at Music Corporation of America who asked her to come in on Sundays, then chased her around "his beautiful, quiet office with all those fabulous antiques...."

"Of the millions of naughty suggestions made by millions of male employers to their "defenseless" female employees yearly," she continues, "I'd say half cheered the girls up, half brought the girls down but probably nothing bad has come out of most of them."

Balderdash.

The indomitable Ms. Brown also shows no hesitation in taking on the Lord's Prayer, which she describes as "one of my nightly go-to-sleep mantras" (others being left to the reader's imagination). Her revisions begin with "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," "I have trouble because I don't think I have any debts....I've paid off everything.The Presbyterian Church's version - "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" - is murky to me.....what's a trespass?Whatever trespassing is, I don't think I'm doing it."She suggests "faults" as an appropriate substitute, while her definition of being led into temptation centers on petit fours.

Theologians are best equipped to comment on her rewrites, but perhaps that isn't necessary as she adds, "I'm not really praying to anybody anyway, just using this nice prayer and its soothing, beautiful writing to shut off the day."

While Ms. Brown is to be admired for candor in discussing her bout with breast cancer and her cosmetic surgery, perhaps rather than I'm Wild Again an apt title for this memoir would be "The Way We Were."The author's accomplishments are many, her credentials enviable, yet her memoir comes off as more old hat than new age.

- Gail Cooke

DELIGHTFUL!
I have always admired HGB, so I had to get this book, and I was not disappointed.This book will make you laugh out loud.Not only is the book funny, but its full of wit and wisdom.HGB has truly had an amazing life.I hope that she continues to share her life with us through her books.

Totally "That COSMO Girl"
Helen Gurley Brown tells it like it was, and her life has been more interesting than any fictional character's.She really spills the beans about the way she was; she clearly is a nice woman who had her own code of morality.That niceness keeps shining through the details, regardless of how, yes... wild those details sound.I'M WILD AGAIN is written in the same breezy style she made famous while putting the ailing COSMOPOLITAN magazine back on to the top of the heap, re-defining the magazine publishing industry in the process.She's had a hell of a ride as she moved from struggling secretary, counting every penny, to a living legend--still counting every penny!In WILD AGAIN, HGB lets her fans tag along for part of that ride.

The Longtime Legend Still Hast "It"!
People react in strong ways to Helen Gurley Brown and her "Cosmo Girl" outlook: with rage at her success despite her often politically incorrect views OR with a sigh of relief at her wonderfully whimsical,life's-a-party attitude.Obviously, I find myself in the latter camp.

Inher latest candid memoir, HGB gets perhaps more personal that ever withrevelations about tough times she's gone through (breast cancer, leavingCosmo, assorted indignities of aging) with her usual unsinkable style, butperhaps revealing more depth and vulnerability than in her prior books,which tended to concentrate heavily on "land that job, land thatman."

I think this is Helen at her best- the wisdom that comes fromliving a remarkable life (that should give hope to any late bloomer), theconfidence of a woman who's succeeded too well to worry about appearingflawless, and of course, the ever-present insecurities that made her everyCosmo reader's friend on lonely nights because she'd been there, survivedand eventually thrived.

Helen, you'll always be our Cosmo girl!
Refreshingly candid as always, even regarding her unceremonious ouster as Editor-in-Chief of Cosmo.Read between the lines and who can blame her for laughing up her sleeve at her replacement's(Bonnie Fuller) quick departure?Ms. Brown comes from the old school where loyalty still counts forsomething.She's had a remarkable life and she(and her husband, David)continues to show that life isn't over at 50.Indeed one can thrive to theend.Dear Helen, hope you have a few more books in you. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

GOOD AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Good book out of print Amazon copy received was in near mint condition. 351 pages,30 pages of photographs. Not as mean as he was portrayed yet it is evident the author was a bit vain. he is obviously an interesting read. You learn "what makes him tick". If you are looking for a guide to riches this is not for you but if you are interested in learning about the richest man of his time then read this.

RANKING OVERALL 7/10 BIO INFO 8/10 USEFUL INFO 5/10 ... Read more

Book Description

Gifted artist Gerald Murphy and his elegant wife, Sara, were icons of the most enchanting period of our time; handsome, talented, and wealthy expatriate Americans, they were at the very center of the literary scene in Paris in the 1920s. In Everybody Was So Young--one of the best reviewed books of 1995--Amanda Vaill brilliantly portrays both the times in which the Murphys lived and the fascinating friends who flocked around them. Whether summering with Picasso on the French Riviera or watching bullfights with Hemingway in Pamplona, Gerald and Sara inspired kindred creative spirits like Dorothy Parker, Cole Porter, and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Nicole and Dick Diver in Tender is the Night were modeled after the Murphys). Their story is both glittering and tragic, and in this sweeping and richly anecdotal portrait of a marriage and an era, Amanda Vaill "has brought them to life as never before" (Chicago Tribune). ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Eye- and mind-opening, and very moving
If you thought you knew about the Murphys, thought you knew about American ex pats in the 20s ... think again. The amount of new material here is remarkable, and for the first time one gets the sense that the Murphys' role in cultural history was far more than that of passing hors d'oeuvres and mixing drinks. Gerald and Sara were major figures in the European avant garde--contributors in their own right--before Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc, got there, for example. This is the also first time Gerald's painting has been given its due. Above all, though, this book reveals two people with an astonishing gift for friendship--far from self-absorbed, a term better applied to the American writers who used them, they were instead open, generous--whose lives turned from surface glamor to intense, and deeply moving, private agony, as tragedy befell their children. The glamorous surface we knew about: the far more beautiful full story is here.

Fascinating account of Lost Generation love story
If anyone could be said to have lived a charmed life, it would be Gerald and Sara Murphy. They were wealthy, artistic and talented, with three beautiful, loving children and a circle of friends who became famous and accomplished in their own right. They gave wonderful parties that are still remembered a half-century later, were generous to those in need, and best of all, Gerald and Sara loved each other deeply, with an affection that grew as they lived their lives to the inevitable, bitter end.

Anyone who has read into the lives of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso and the other expatirot residents of Paris in the 1920s will recognize Gerald and Sara, perhaps unfavorably as hanger-ons who supplied the money the others lived on. That unfair assessment is turned on its head in Amanda Vaill's dual biography of the couple.

The Murphys were more than a bank account who gave parties; celebrity bottom feeders more interested in status than in accomplishments. They were something of an oddity. Both were from wealthy families, yet both wanted more than the family life they craved. Gerald had an eye for art, music and decorating; it was amazing to learn he was first to boost many artists who later became famous; "Grandchildren," he said as he showed them a copy of "Meet the Beatles." "Pay attention. These young men are going to be very, very important."

From their village in the Antibes, which was a backwater when they discovered it, they befriended people like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, Archibald Macleish, Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett as well, while Gerald became famous in his own right for his finely detailed studies of mechanical devices: a watch, a machine, of a boat deck and smokestacks.

But if there's anything experience teaches us, it's that no one really leads a charmed life. It's all filled with day-to-day worries, irritations, tragedies and, with luck, some glory. But Gerald and Sara came close -- the 20s were their time -- and it's a fine thing to finish a biography of someone and find that you like them even more than before.

some facts are not correct.
i'll admit i havent even read the book. perhaps i will in the future, but a few incorrect "facts" fly out while just gazing over the material available online. the most glaring is that "Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney's Aunt." get with it she was his mother, obvious she named her son after her father. anyone who has read either's biography would know that. and for other sources John Hay Whitney "JOCK" was his cousin not his brother.

Making social history breathe
Few books deserve to be 'raved' about but mark this one as a definite 5 stars. Brilliantly researched and detailed, the author made these people 'real' to me, I felt I knew them. The Murphys, so very different yet so very much alike were 'The hostesses with the mostest' to all the upcoming glitterati of the 20's furnishing both emotional and monetary support at crucial times to Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Cole Porter (and others) with a grace and charm that is as impressive now as it was then. It would have been so easy for Vaill just to cover that but she gives the lives behind the facade, the odd and distant relationships with both sets of parents and family, the heartbreak and sorrow of loss of their two sons that seemed to end all the lightness in theie lives. They and the world they had created were never the same after, as both they and their friends even at the time recognized. Its sometimes so easy to forget that the 20's were a brief flickering of a frantic time between a war and a depression. The Murphys lived before and after but somehow they both defined and were defined by that period. This book lets you know them for all they were.

Enchantiing
It must have been a glorious time in France with the Murphy's. Entertaining F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and the Hemingway's and Picasso was a very special time for all involved. This book speaks about a generation not so far removed from our own in the sixties. They were brilliant, wity, artistic and seemed to relish each others company. They thought it would lasr forever. How sad that it couldn't.
This was a lovely read. ... Read more

Download Description

The gentlewoman, also slightly blushing, said: You know well that I want you to serve me; and reaching me the lily, told me to take it away; and gave me besides twenty golden crowns which she had in her bag, and added: Set me the jewel after the fashion you have sketched, and keep for me the old gold in which it is now set. On this the Roman lady observed: If I were in that young mans body, I should go off without asking leave. Madonna Porzia replied that virtues rarely are at home with vices, and that if I did such a thing, I should strongly belie my good looks of an honest man. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An entertaining autobiography
Cellini was one of the most famous jewellers in the Rennaisance. He was also a sculptor, connoseur, lover and fighter. Not too blessed with modesty, this book filled with intrigue and mania is fascinating reading. Cellini is hedonistic and yet passionate about his art. We get to see a whole slice of papal, court and artisan society in Italy. Cellini is imprisoned and makes escapes, attempts on his life are regular and yet he continues to make amazing commissioned work.

The reason I didn't give the book more stars is because it is at times difficult to understand and appreciate. Much of the details with respect to the alliances of Cellini's Italy are hard to follow for someone who doesn't know that much about the Renaissance. Also, he does seem to be a little overbearing on occasion. Still, a great read.

My original acquaintance with Cellini was with Alexandre Dumas' "Ascanio" - where he takes the autobiography as a basis to spin his usual tale of high suspence. As a comparison, reading this and then Ascanio is a pleasure.

Shameless, vulgar, and intoxicating
Somewhere in France, Michel Montaigne was working on his immortal "Essays." Gibbon described him as the only man of liberality in the 16th century, aside from Henry IV. His honesty, his good will, and his probing nature have recieved the acclaim of posterity.

Somewhere in Italy, the same time, a more representative portrait was being painted -- the Autobiography of Cellini. While it has the same honesty, it lacks the grace (written in a colloquial style), the liberality, and the meditation of Montaigne. It is probably more represantative of the Renaissance man, and of modern man altogether. Reading Cellini, one comes to understand what Camus meant by the "culture of death" at work in Western history.

Written as a novel (seen, in fact, as a progenitor of the Romantic novel), the Life of Cellini is a remarkable glimpse into the Italy and France in the times of Michelangelo and the Medici. Characters like Francis I of France, Duke Cosimo, Pope Clement VII, and artists like Michelangelo and Titian come to life in brilliant colors. But one shouldn't mistake the intent of Cellini's book as painting a portrait of his times -- no man on earth was ever so in love with himself, and HE is the subject of this book (I had to cringe every time Cellini, about to describe something fantastic, stops and declares "... that is the work of historians. I am only concerned with my affairs..." and leaves off).

I can't say for sure, but the veracity of this book must be almost incontestable, for the most part. Cellini was simply too shameless to be too much of a liar. A few times he tests our credulity: "mistakenly" leaving France with the King's silver, an arbesque "accidentally" firing and killing a man, etc. For the most part, however, we get the whole truth, and in fact more than we wanted to know.

Despite the fame and prestige Cellini comes to, he is little more than a common street rogue and villian. In the course of the book, he murders three people in cold blood, each murder worse than the last (the third time he shoots a man in the throat over a saddle dispute... on Good Friday). He delights in describing his violence ("...I meant to get him the face, but he turned and I stabbed him under the ear."), and he revels in warfare, brawling, and the misfortune of his enemies. Aside from the three murders, there are innumerable foiled and aborted murder attempts. Cellini's sadism reaches new heights when he forces one of his laborers to marry a whore, then pays the woman for sex to humiliate the man. In his descriptions of his crimes, his many run-ins with the law, and his violent disposition, Cellini seems completely unaware of himself and without shame. In fact, the intent of the book is to show him as the virtu -- a hero of divine virtue in a world of lies and deceit.

The portrayal of King Francis alone makes this book worthwhile. He is everything historical events point him out to be. Generous, jovial, and shrewd. The descriptions of the years Cellini spent as Paul III's personal prisoner are another high point, unfortunately capped by the lengthy and horribly tedious poem, "Capitolo," where Cellini clumsily elaborates on his suffering.

As a history and an autobiography, there are few greater works. But aside from its historical and literary value, the Autobiography of Cellini was just fun to read. The audacity and conceit of this horrible man is almost comical, and the loose and efficient prose makes it a smooth read.

Wild times in a wild time
Benvenuto Cellini was a great sculptor of the 16th century. He was not, by trade, a writer, and his rough prose and sprawling narrative testify to that.

But what he lacks in writing skill, he more than makes up for in personality, so much so that his brilliant life and gusto for living bursts through the awkward form.

Cellini, it is clear, loves life -- he leaves nothing out when telling it, and so he represents very well what it must have been like to be one of the great artists of the Italian Renaissance in the patronage of the papacy, the great Medici family, and Francis I (who supported Da Vinci in his last years).

We meet Lorenzo de Medici, Cosimo, Francis I, Cosimo's wife who needs Cellini to help her get a pearl necklace, competitors, thieves, Popes, and beautiful women, whom Cellini kept for modeling and for "company."

And we get to hear Cellini discussing the design and creation of classic works that still exist today, like the salt cellar, the Nymph of Fountainbleau, and his masterpiece, the statue Perseus, which he describes as so astonishing to the people of the day that they composed sonnets about it and posted them up all over Florence.

Cellini recounts his many affairs, duels, scrapes, imprisonments, and commissions, one adventure after another, so that his whole life sweeps by in a grand and vibrant portrait. He always seems to come out on top too, which makes you wonder if he's telling the whole truth, but nonetheless Cellini's autobiography is a thrilling read and filled with life in a time when all the world was stirring with art and passion.

Intimate portrait of the Renaissance
There are few books about the renaissance that are as entertaining and rewarding as this autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini, one of the most celebrated glodsmiths and artists of that time. The book is candid and can also serve as a tour guide of Florence for the more adventurous. Certainly I would recommnend reading it if you're thinking of visiting. Cellini describes other artsist of the time, famous spats between artists and between artists and their masters. despite the genius of the man, Cellini's book is more interetsing as a first hand docuemnt of what it was like to live in that time. One gets the imperssion of the sort of education parents siught for their children. Cellini describes this without holding back contempt, we also learn of his musical talents and his childhood. Cellini vividly describes his father beating him on the ears in order to leave the lasting impression of the wonderous sight of a salamander in the fireplace. the heart of the book is set in Rome, where he meets the Pope and is then imprisoned in the Fortress of castel Sant'Angelo - the very same made famous by Puccini's Tosca. Unlike the Puccinian Cavardossi, cellini is bale to escape thanks to the cliché use of bed linens. But remember this is not fiction. I would also suggest to thos interested in this book looking for Anatnio Vasari's "Lives of the Artists", Giovanni della Casa's "Il Galateo" and of course "The Prince" by Macchiavelli. Other renaissance accounts were written by Gucciardini and the Bolognese Paolo Giovio. As a final note I read the original Italian and parts of the English translation featured here. The Tranbslation was very good.

A fantastic life!
Cellini's story reads better than a novel. He is the quintessential Renaissance man. In his service to popes, kings and a slew of dukes he was a goldsmith, painter, sculptor, soldier and he may have had more near death experiences than any other that I have ever read about. Of course, his tale leaves himself always and forever blameless in each conflict, betrayal or other unfortunate episode that he finds himself in, which is tremendously entertaining. At first, the reader is seduced into believing that this man has been wronged countless times by a world full of the most slippery types of people. By the middle of the book, however, it dawns on the reader that Cellini must have played some part in creating the misfortune and danger that he is constantly in. Cellini's writing evokes vivid images of the places and people that he meets. One of the most engrossing stories in the book is Cellini's imprisonment and later escape from the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, where he was confined by order of the Pope (who, according to Cellini, was bent on having him killed in order to prevent his own embarrasement). His escape from the place is a mix of (apparently) classic methods (he climbs down the side of the building using knotted bed sheets!) and terrible misfortune (he breaks his leg, is nearly killed, and is also attacked by mastiffs while crawling away for his life!). Very soon after having escaped the prison, though, he was again imprisoned by the Pope in a wretched and dank little cave in the Pope's own garden (where Cellini claims to have had mystical visions). Cellini has many other adventures in Italy and France (and on his journeys back and forth). Each tale is centered on how he creates his artworks in the service of some nobleman, how the nobleman is always astonished at the work, how Cellini is then betrayed by someone he was kind to (which, through no fault of his own, often puts him in the bad books of the patron). Cellini frequently ends up in a fight where he either wounds or kills the person, and then goes on his happy way. There is a great deal that one could say about this book and its author. It will suffice to state here that the book is a wonderful read, it offers excellent insights into life in the 16th century, and (as is true on my part) it makes the reader crave just half the adventure that this fellow has had.


... Read more

Book Description

For the first time, a respected biographer focuses on the complex relationships among three famous Kennedy wives in a book that is at once absorbing, controversial, and heartbreaking.

Jacqueline Bouvier. Ethel Skakel. Joan Bennett. Three women who married into America's royal family and lived in the glory and glare of politics' highest echelons. The Camelot years taught marekedly different life lessons to each of them: Jackie's hopes became reality, but at an unfathomable cost; Ethel's dream to be First Lady died along with her brutally assassinated husband; and Joan's years as a Kennedy were the most confusing of her life. But whether dealing with their husbands' blatant infidelities, smiling on the campaign trail, enhancing the family's legacy, or raising their children, the Kennedy wives did it all with unquestioned grace, style, and dignity. ... Read more

Reviews (95)

A Kinder Camelot Than We've Seen Before
This is the first book I have read by J. Randy Taraborrelli, and I was impressed. I am distantly related to the Kennedys -- a distant cousin -- so I like to think I know a little bit (probably not much) more than the "normal" reader. But even I didn't know this material. Taraborrelli approached his women of Camelot with such grace and evenhandedness, he makes other biographers of the women seem like samari warriors. I most enjoyed reading about the differences in the Kennedy women's background prior to their marrying into the powerful family. These are three very different people --- Jackie, Ethel and Joan -- and in reading about them you wonder if they ever would have known each other or spent a second with one another had they not married into the family. (Though I do think, from reading this book, that Jackie and Joan may have been friends, anyway ... though I don't know how they would have met.) Taraborrelli writes about the rumors having to do with Jackie and Bobby (not true, he says) and Marilyn and Bobby (again, not true, he says) and Marilyn and JFK (very true, and much to Jackie's ongoing unhappiness.) Plus there's lots of political suspense in the book, too -- though we all know how it works out in the end. I enjoyed this book tremendously and would recommend it to anyone. You don't even have to like the Kennedys to enjoy this, it's such a good read. A-Plus effort, and thank you Amazon for giving me a chance to voice my opinion.

A Fun Political Wives Insight
This book about the wives of Kennedy rogues Jack, Bobby and Ted reads like Valley of the Dolls goes to Washington. Booze, pills, bitchy rivalries -- it's all here in this bloated but fun read by celebrity biographer Taraborrelli.

Based on interviews (though not with the wives) and previously published material on the Kennedys, the author -- dishy tone aside -- provides surprisingly three-dimensional portraits of queenly Jackie, sharp-tongued Ethel, sensitive alcoholic Joan and their complex relationships with one another. (Ethel's jealous sniping at Jackie is a hoot.)

While the book upholds old rumors, such as Ethel's affair with singer Andy Williams, it leaves a question mark surrounding alleged flings between Jackie and Bobby and Bobby and Marilyn Monroe. (The book was completed, of course, well before a family imbroglio -- the Jan. 19 arrest of Ethel's nephew Michael Skakel, 39, who is charged with the 1975 murder of his 15-year-old Greenwich, Conn., neighbor Martha Moxley.)

Though none of the cheating Kennedy men was any bargain as a husband, it's Joan -- if the long list of Teddy's cruelties here is to be believed -- who got the rawest deal. After she campaigned for his Senate re-election in 1964 as he recuperated from a plane crash, Teddy's way of saying thanks was to head directly from the hospital into the arms of a mistress.

Ah, politicians and their wives, do indeed make for strange bedfellows and fun dishy reading.

DELICIOUS DISH DELICIOUSLY READ
Just when we thought we knew all there was to know about the Kennedy clan Taraborrelli proves we didn't. Of course, much of what we now discover reads like a tabloid tell-all.

These women had nothing in common save for their last name - soignee Jackie wasn't about to get on a touch football field with athletic Ethel. Shy, later alcoholic Joan, was sandwiched between the two of them.

History? No. Tawdry tattled tales? Yes. If gossip is your meat, it doesn't get any juicier than this - deliciously read by Beth Fowler.

Jackie Ethel Joan
This is a great book especialy if you are interested in history or the Kennedys. Even if you aren't it is still a great book. It keeps your intrest and does not bore you with things you don't want to read about. I strongly recommend reading it.

READ THIS BOOK!!!
I just loved this. How could you not? It's warm and lovely and really paints such a memorable picture. I totally got it, in terms of understanding not only the women, but the author. He sincerely cared about these women. I've read all the millions of Jackie books and Kennedy books, and this is the one I will always go back to because it's such a heartwarming work. I also saw the movie, and loved it -- but not as much as the book. Isn't that always the case? I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Jackie, and to anyone who may want to know a lot more about Joan and Ethel. I've also read this author's book about Princess Grace called Once Upon a Time and it, too, really made me think. This author writes the best books, if you ask me. ... Read more

Reviews (82)

The New Frontier Revisited
Several themes permeate this work of investigative journalism. The arrogance of wealth, the conceit of position, and the mendacity of politicians stagger the casual reader. It is complete folly to elevate any president to the mythic realms of "Camelot." Presidents should be viewed as three-dimensional human beings subject to the common limits of that predicament.

John Kennedy's personal life was not circumspect, and his political methods not always clean and honorable. It is astonishing by current standards, but his personal peccadilloes had the tacit approval of the news media and the U.S. government agencies (i.e., the FBI) that enabled him to continue his reckless double life after becoming president. The Kennedy family had the money and influence to achieve power. According to this book, the sons perpetuated the sins of the father. The people described in the book viewed reckless personal behavior an entitlement of their family name. It is a sharp contrast to the familiar public image of grace, refinement, and charm of the Kennedy White House that was typical of the early '60s.

Differentiating between fact and rumor is the challenge of reading investigative journalism, especially a book that tells of the moral turpitude of a major public figure. The author's research is exhaustive and builds a compelling case. The lengthy footnotes and other digressions documenting the authenticity of the sources can annoy the reader by disrupting a smooth narrative. The Freedom of Information Act made vital records available in the '90s that were off limts in the '60s. These sources lend credibility to the book's assertions. The dismayed disillusionment of the Secret Service agents is easy to believe, for example, after they observed the fraternity house behavior of JFK and his cronies that occurred in the White House when the First Lady was out of town. The book's tone is objective in spite of the tabloid level topics.

For comic relief there is the description of the Kennedy brothers' feud with Fidel Castro. JFK and Robert Kennedy viewed the Bay of Pigs fiasco as a personal affront to the Kennedy aura. They cast Castro in the role of the scruffy villain, not an unreasonable image for him. The CIA's fantastic retaliation plots are the stuff of some hack writer's spy thriller. The "Spy vs Spy" antics eventually came to nothing, but the bemused reader can only wonder how the U.S. government could consider such absurdities. Exploding fountain pens! Good grief!

Reading this book is both fascinating and repulsive, a very unsettling experience that destroys the "Camelot" image of the Kennedy era. The central theme of John F. Kennedy's morally ambiguous personal life is riveting. Let the reader beware!

Read this Book
The Dark Side of Camelot rewrites the history of John F. Kennedy and his presidency-at least the public version. Thank you Mr. Hersh, for taking aim at the Kennedy mystique and helping change the popular view of the Kennedy family forever. This is a must read for all. This books exposes what Kennedy should be remembered for: Vietnam (which he viewed as a strategic piece of real estate), stolen elections, adulterous affairs, the invasion of Cuba... The Kennedy's-those paragons of reformism and concern for the people-are shown for what they truly were: communist hunters, union busters, counter-insurgency enthusiasts, torture chamber academy founders... Those under the spell of the mythic "Camelot" will not like this book, but it's a truth from the 60s we should not shy away from. Kennedy should be remembered for unleashing the military might of U.S. imperialism against the Vietnamese, Cubans and more. Those who've been fooled by the likes of Clinton's liberal image would do well to study this book. It unveils the liberal as but a sugarcoated mask, the better to eat you with, in their rule of U.S. imperialism. Thanks Seymour, You've got a winner!

Agenda filled Hatchet Job
I would agree almost exactly wih the gentleman who wrote the close but no cigar review,except I would say maybe 40 to 50 % may be true, but the other 50 percent are the real important things - he is not only dead wrong on the assassination, Hersh has the gall and effrontry to say" he has seen no evidence of conspiracy in JFK's Assassination" Oh really? Hersh allegedly got a ridiculous sum to publish this book & there are many books here on amazon.com wth a ton of solid, corroborated info for a domestic conspiracy, so that is an extremely dishonest allegation. He doesn't give JFK any credit for the Cuban Missile Crisis- would he have prefered Nixon, or Johnson? who would have done exactly what the Joint Chiefs Of Staff wanted-turning Cuba into an ashtray & with the ICBM capabilities that Khruschev & Co. had, conceivably the eastern coastline from Miami up could have been hit in retaliation as they had many more missiles than was known at the time of the crisis. JFK was a great man, look at the people he had to deal with- the afforementioned crooks -LBJ & Nixon, the incredibly corrupt meglomaniac Hoover, Dulles head of the CIA who started the overthrow of foreign Govt's in Iran with Mossadegh in 1953, then Arbenz in Guatemala 54 etc, & along with Ike, left JFK with an incredible mess in Cuba when he took office with no good solution, & other high ranking military men who wanted war, and he had to try everything placating them.There's another side to these stories that Hersh doesn't mention, if JFK was so bad- why has this country been literally a lifetime of lies since 11-22-63? Answer me that Seymour Hersh.

close but no cigar
I used to think Seymour Hersh was a dedicated journalist but this book, although right on many parts about JFK and his father, seems as if it was written by an ex-lover of one of the Kenndey's who got screwed over. Granted Jack did put himself in danger by sleeping with a lot of women (which all of Washington knew) but he misses his character completely which somebody would with there simple-minded christian outlook on life. I would say 3/4ths of this book is right but this rest is fabrications and falsehoods propagated by Kennedy bashers (who exist to this day) but on many points he is dead wrong such as Vietnam, the Bay of Pigs, the mafia-CIA murder plots, and so on. If you want a one-sided book showing the dark side of Camelot than this is for you.

The Under Side of the Sheets
I was born after the Kennedy Administration so I do not have the nostalgic feelings for him that many people do. I picked this book up to get a little less fawning impression of him then some other books tend to portray and for some good old fashion dirt. I have also read some other books by this author so I new him to be a straight shooter. Well, I was not disappointed. This book covered JFK's father, grandfather, campaign and full presidency and my impression is that the author left no rock or bed sheet left unturned. Before I go further I should add that I have read any number of political books that are basically hatchet jobs and I was a little concerned this book would fall into that category. I was pleasantly surprised that the author was able to present all the unflattering bits in a very evenhanded manner. The author could have tossed in little nasty comments here and there, but did not. He stuck to a very "just the facts" type of reporting.

The book covered some very interesting parts about the campaign and the unique financing that took place. The author did not pull punches, he detailed out vote buying to a rather large degree. The one area that was left unsaid was just how prevalent was this behavior. This is not an excuse, but if the Kennedy team was just doing what every politician had and was doing up to that point, the activity is not as exciting and revolting as the author stated. For me the other two most interesting parts were the detail on Cuba and Berlin. I was not upset or surprised at what the administration was doing to try and get rid of Castro. I think we all know about the Bay of Pigs and the attempt to have Castro killed. This book just filled in a lot of nice details. Again the author tried to make these activities far more scandalous then they were given the times that they took place in. Sure, if these activities were taking place today it would be a "blank gate" of some sort, but back then this was just how the game was played.

The most overriding theme of the book was the extramarital affairs JFK was involved in during his term. At first this was rather interesting in a playboy sort of way. How he carried on like this was a bit of every high school boys adolescent dream come true. It was just that it got to be too much of a good thing. In almost every chapter of the book we get details about this woman or that woman. At about the mid point of the book I was thinking, "Ok, I got it - he was a playboy -lets move on". It just got to be a distraction within the book. My only other complaint would be that the author tried to make hay about the political trip to Dallas that resulted in JFK's assassination. He tried to imply that the choices JFK made resulted in his death. I thought this was a bit of a reach. Overall the book was interesting if not a bit over the top on the woman issue. If you are a big fan of JFK you will want to stay away, but if you are looking for more interesting and in depth look at the man then this would be a nice addition to your JFK reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Vin Diesel is everywhere -- the newly crowned king of the box office and the newsstand. But who is he really? The world's hottest star is also its most mysterious. Few fans realize that this so-called overnight success is actually the product of a lifetime of planning and struggle.

This book follows every step of Vin Diesel's rise from his days as a poor but happy mischief-maker in New York's Greenwich Village -- where an act of vandalism led to his stage debut at the age of seven -- through the long years spent toiling as a bouncer in Manhattan's trendiest clubs while trying to break into Hollywood -- to his first "big break" from Steven Spielberg.

Take a look behind the scenes of each of Vin's films -- the roles he fought for, the role he walked away from after filming had begun, and the leading ladies he continued to see off-screen. VIN DIESEL: XXXPOSED takes on the rumors about his background and his ego and reveals how fame has taken its toll on the intensely private star. This is the unlikely and inspiring story of how an outsider who wouldn't give up transformed himself into the action hero of the new millennium. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Loved It!!!
Easy to read. A must have for his fans. Everything you wanted to know and more. Experience the up's, down's, etc. of making it big. Good clear pitures. A quick read which was rather gratifying (like chocolate and vanilla ice cream treat).

Loved It!
Everything you wanted to know and more. A must have for his fans. Good, clear photographs. Experience his up's and down's on the road to making it big. An easy, quick read but, satisfying like good, chocolate flavored, vanilla ice cream.

Everything you wanted to know about Vin, and probably more.
There really isn't much that I cannot say for this book. It was great. Every avid Vin Diesel (Mark Vincent) fan out there has to read this book. It is a must have for all fans and it lends a great deal of personal history to this mysterious actor taking Hollywood by storm. It even gives a little heads up on future films he may be in, and we all wanna know that before hand, right? Anyway, enough said, worth every penny!

BREATH-TAKING
I ordered the book in hopes to find out more information about the breath-takingly BEAUTIFUL man that it was written about...VIN DIESEL....nuff said

Beautiful thoughts for a beautiful man
I loved this book. It was worth every penny I spent on it I would recommend it to all of you Vin Diesel fans. ... Read more

Book Description

Hailed by Architectural Digest as one of the top 100 designers and architects today, Bill Stubbs has designed penthouses, vacation retreats, and country mansions around the globe from Acapulco to Moscow. In this lively, irreverent memoir, Stubbs recounts the extraordinary, exasperating, and often hilarious adventures in his stellar career.

Illustrated with more than 150 color photographs of the spaces Stubbs has transformed, the book details the activities and thought processes that went into some of his most spectacular projects. These include the metamorphosis of an abandoned country dacha into a baronial mansion in the Ukraine, the renovation of a 100-year-old schoolhouse into stylish apartments for senior citizens in Newport, Rhode Island, and the project that inspired the book's title, a Houston penthouse designed around the color red, which caused his impulsive client to fire him over the phone. (Of course, when the client saw the finished apartment, he loved it-to the point that Stubbs had trouble convincing him to abandon the color in subsequent renovations.) This entertaining volume is a rarity, a design book that people will actually read. AUTHOR BIO: William W. Stubbs, founder and head of his own Houston-based firm, designs interior spaces, both commercial and residential, all over the world. He has been named to "The AD 100," Architectural Digest's list of the world's top designers and architects. He lives in Houston, Texas. ... Read more

Book Description

The actor who first epitomised the Action Hero; a complex man, prone to casual affairs and violence, capable of helping those more unfortunate than him. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent biography about the King of Cool
McQueen: The Biography is an excellent read for fans trying to learn more about McQueen's life. One of the biggest movie stars of all time and loved by fans all over the world, this book tells everything you need to know about his life. It covers everything from his movie career, covering all 28 films he starred in, his role on Wanted: Dead or Alive, his troubled childhood, and also his struggle to survive everyday life. As a child, McQueen often had to fend for himself which impacted him greatly for the rest of his life.

I highly recommend this book for someone trying to learn more about Steve McQueen. Not many people know how much money he gave to charities over the course of his career, all of it anonymously too. The book also covers all three of his marriages which tends to show the darker side of his life. As well, fans of McQueen won't be disappointed since there is plenty here about all his movies, including The Great Escape, Bullitt, The Getaway, and Papillon and all his other classics. My only problem with the book, and this is nitpicking, is Sandford's writing style. The man does not know how to use a comma, and I often found myself reading sentences repeatedly to try and figure out what he meant. Either way, this is a great buy. For an excellent biography about Steve McQueen, check out McQueen: The Biography!

an icon captured.
Chris captures the essential myth behind steve mcqueen. He writes in parallel with Jung about 'soul-image', which is one of the archetypal images. For a man this is the 'anima; for a woman, the animus. Chris shows how both sides were present in Steve, thus giving his strength and appeal. The brilliance of the book is in the view of mcqueen from the "archetypes", how he fills many of the the simple american and suave european ideals. Energies both male and female, make mcqueen larger than us. A brilliant view into a great man ... Read more

Book Description

From the renowned biographer and national bestselling author of The Kennedy Women and The Kennedy Men comes the third volume in the epic multigenerational history of America's first family.

Sons of Camelot is the compelling story of the Kennedy sons and grandsons in the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It is the most intimate biography ever written about the Kennedys, with the cooperation of family and friends at a moment when they are ready to talk with insight and depth about their lives. Among the many stunning portraits in the book is the definitive account of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s life, including interviews with his ten closest friends, none of whom has ever talked to an author before.

Based on five years of rigorous research and unprecedented cooperation from the five surviving sons of Robert Kennedy, the four Shriver sons, Maria Shriver, and other Kennedys, Sons of Camelot is not only the most authoritative account, it is by far the most revealing book ever written about these lives. Falling far short of the great ambitions their patriarch, Joseph P. Kennedy, envisioned for his family, the lives of his youthful progeny are instead characterized by overwhelming drama full of exalted aspirations, notable achievements, and the most spectacular mishaps, excesses, and tragedies. Yet among them are those whose remarkable accomplishments have led to better lives for all Americans and for others around the world.

Heartbreaking and inspiring, Sons of Camelot is a spellbinding history of individuals and a family, a journey of character through time told by a brilliant, masterful writer.

Reviews (14)

The best book I have read on this subject
In his third volume of his trilogy on the Kennedys, Leamer trace the journey of the family after the death of President Kennedy. The pages are full of revelations and deep insight. I finished Sons of Camelots thinking I knew personally every member of the family. The author had unprecedented access to the Kennedys and their friends, and it shows. Leamer held nothing back, good and bad.

A tasty appeteaser
Mr. Leamer has done a wonderful job of introducing the new generation of Kennedy sons. I just completed the book; and felt I wanted to learn even more. There are apparently too many Kennedy sons to focus on in one book. I had the feeling they all merited their own individual biographies.

While the author did offer up new information on the family; he sometimes held back in a very agonizing way. For example, he spends most of the book focusing on JFK, Jr. At the end of bk; as he describes John's last days -- he states that John had many complications in his life, espcially marriage, family and business. He briefly noted that John did not get along with Caroline Kennedy's husband, Mr. Schlossberg. He didn't give a hint of what was going on, yet many people are intrigued by Ms. Kennedy's mysterious Jewish husband. It left this reader wondering what was going on. The author knew, and he didn't care to share.

Since he did include Ted Kennedy in this volume; it would have been interesting to hear about how he and his second wife got married -- and how she interacts with the family.

The Lawford branch was given very short shift, and you can't tell me those kids don't have good stories to tell!

This book was long, but it was only an introduction. The Kennedy fans will enjoy it, but they will close the book hungry for more!

Sons of Camelot Even Better than The Kennedy Women
One would think that by getting to this "Sons of Camelot" bunch of Kennedys after what, 10 years of Kennedy writing, that the only thing left for Lawrence Leamer to write about would be the shell-shocked surviving generation. But the read was not like that, although he did not skirt the sad and sometimes ridiculous issues. It was tremendously well balanced and rang of a deep truth; makes you want to know Leamer just so you could learn his take on you.

It was not only up to his usual historian-level standards, but exceeded it in that there was so much more for the reader in this third book in what has become Leamer's cottage industry of Kennedy family writing. So Leamer's third trip to the Kennedy well still yielded a bucket of the finest wine.

His access to Kennedy friends and associates, especially those of John Jr., appear unprecedented. It's as if all these people knew, either intrinsically or from his other two books, that Leamer was the one who would get it all down correctly. I apprecaited the fact that there were only a couple of "anonymous" interviews, that most of the people were known, so that added to the keen veracity of this book.

Leamer has never been afraid to point out the scuffs in the Kennedy facade. In The Kennedy Men, I recall, I had never in my life seen such honesty, even when the Kennedys did not come off well, such as when Rosemary was given the shock treatments and the shame of that procedure, ordered by patriarch Joseph Kennedy, appears to haunt this family to this day and the shame is included in this book, too, through the eyes of this present generation.

In Sons of Camelot, Leamer again comes through with the essentials. But he at the same time, ever so carefully, he also documents their accomplishments -- and who would have thought there were so many?

What I particularly like about Leamer is that he isn't afraid to take on the dark side, which is all that is shown in some of the poseur books of recent genre -- such as the recent book with the fellow who claims to have had the on-going affair with Carolyn Bissette Kennedy.

(Side note: that recent bio on A&E with the underwear model was a horribly mismanaged bait-and switch event and it reached an all-time low in cheesy television viewing, even though I must admit I watched it, but only as one views a car wreck after having sat in a traffic jam for a long time.)

Leamer's enormous access to these Kennedy family sources was a magnificent achievement in itself. And the only way he could have had these multitude of interviews was that he was riding on the same train of truth from his other two books and the subjects knew it.

The anecdotal material, even, on actor Tom Hanks was obviously puerile but Leamer doesn't shy away from his subjects' antics, even if they do not come off well. Leamer isn't afraid of anyone, it seems, but especially, and most importantly, he is not afraid to tell the truth.

And the fact that he ends the book with a personal interview with Ted Kennedy is very telling. When Sen. Kennedy quotes his father, saying he had said, "'Home holds no fear for me,'" it was a heartbreaking moment and I felt I was in that senate office right there with Leamer and Kennedy.

Ted Kennedy reminisced with Leamer over the "extraordinary losses" experienced by his family but he also was quick to point out the blessings, and that could also sum up this fine book: Life is filled with tragedies and blessings for us all.

I did not want this book to end, although I guess all good things must come to an end.

Leamer Is the REAL Kennedy Expert
This book totally suprised me. First of all, Leamer uses real, not anonymous sources, many from within the Kennedy family, to disclose previously unknown facts about all of the Kennedys. Secondly, having read the earlier "Kennedy Men" and "Kennedy Women", I didn't think there was much more to learn. Was I suprised! And this is no "Kennedy Cover-Up", nor is it a hatchet job. For those who crave authentic, objective understanding of this complex and fascinating family, Leamer is the undisputed Kennedy expert. Having worked in Washington, DC for nearly 30 years, I have a passing acquaintance with several of the events and people described in this book...and I doubted it would disclose all of the good and not-so-good facts that many in DC and Massachusetts know about several of the Kennedys. Leamer is critical yet compassionate and clear-eyed in disclosing the Kennedy weaknesses and failings...and he documents superbly their many accomplishments,public and private contributions, and the powerful potential the younger generation brings. This book totally suprised me with its insight, fairness..and bare-knuckle blunt truths. Leamer is fair...and accurate and complete, especially on those things I have some familiarity with. The interview with Ted Kennedy in the last chapter "Ripples on the Pond" is one of the most authentic and moving glimpses into the heart and mind of this last surviving brother. The younger generation of Kennedys share a difficult and rewarding legacy that Leamer brilliantly portrays. This book, "Sons of Camelot", completes the Kennedy triology Leamer has skillfully created, and is essential reading for anyone who appreciates and seeks to understand more fully our contemporary American political life, and the dominating and future influences of the Kennedy family.

Journalist or flack?
Well, I've read the other reviews and I have to come out on the side of the critical ones. There is an awful lot of anonymous sourcing in this book, and it does feel like Leamer trades accuracy for access--he's so anxious to be able to claim that he interviewed Kennedy family "intimates" that he allows them to dictate his story. And even then, you have to wonder: Were these sources really close friends or family members? Since so many of them are anonymous, it's hard to say. And you just know that a lot of people hang out around the Kennedys and pretend that they're closer than they really are. Reading the book, you get the impression that Leamer either doesn't know or doesn't care about the difference.
But the fact is that this generation of Kennedys just isn't that interesting. Probably only John merits a book, and maybe not even. But there have been a bunch of books written about JKF Jr., and if you're interested in the subject, there's nothing in Sons of Camelot that you haven't already read. I understand that Leamer is now writing a biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger. You know that he couldn't have written anything critical of the Kennedys--even if it were true-- and now be doing a biography of Arnold and expect any cooperation. So he's journalistically compromised with this book. I'd stay away. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It is hard to believe that this is the first and only full biography of Fulton J. Sheen, perhaps the most important American priest of the 20th century. Sheen was an enormously popular figure in his day, hosting radio and television programs that introduced and explained his faith to millions of listeners and viewers. (He even won an Emmy Award, and the actor Martin Sheen took his stage name from the man.) Thomas C. Reeves, author of the JFK biography A Question of Character, offers an absorbing account of Sheen's life and times. He uncovers fascinating details, including a phony academic degree and the particulars of a bitter dogfight with Francis Cardinal Spellman. Although this is not a hagiographic account, it is an admiring one: Sheen comes across as an astoundingly smart, charismatic, and generous man. No wonder he was such a successful evangelizer: he converted thousands, including Henry Ford II and Claire Booth Luce. He gained some notoriety for his strong anticommunism; reading America's Bishop, in fact, provides a concise history of Catholic anticommunism in the United States. It is an outstanding book that will appeal to fans of George Weigel's Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II and anybody else attracted to this fascinating figure. --John Miller ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Shine on Sheen
Thomas Reeves deserves kudos and credit for a very fine biography of a man much admired by millions. The high points of this book are as follows: the meticulous gathering of much information simply unknown by his admirers; the careful balancing of sanctity and human frailty of Sheen's character; the fascinating recreation of the Golden Age of Catholicism in America; the personal relationship between Cardinal Spellman and Bishop Sheen; a superb ability to synthesize and bring new insight from the wide variety of materials cited; a great bibliography and excellent notes. The weaknesses are minor: a tendency to repeat some stories, and the maddening tendency of Sheen himself to destroy and misplace correspondence or simply not document his personal life. Despite these minor drawbacks in the book, I was deeply moved by much of this biography and, indeed, brought to tears by the account of the last years of Sheen's life, his meeting with Pope John Paul II, and his funeral. Few will be disappointed in this book; it is a true accomplishment. Many thanks to Professor Reeves for this profound and necessary commentary on the life of a truly great person of the 20th century.

Wonderful book about a very great man.
This is a book that has been ignored by the media which does not want to hear about good Catholic clergy. The media only wants to know about scandal in the church - because the Catholic Church and that which it really stands for(as contrasted with the deeds
of the fallible priests,and lay Catholics that can be found within it) is the mortal enemy to secular humanism, sexual license, abortion and the "if it FEELS right, do it" philosopy that is held so dear by much of the media.
The book is a great inspiration because Bishop Sheen, with all his human failings, is an inspiration to us all.

A great biography of a mixed-up man
Yes, Fulton Sheen had problems. None of them, mercifully, overshadowed his greatness, although they all had the potential to. His fake degree alone could have brought him down, embarrassing a leader of the Church and horrifying his followers. Reeves is very smart in focusing on these problems, and thus, understanding that hey! Sheen was a man too. He wasn't infallible, he was a man like us. But it's hard to avoid writing glowing stories about a man who helped so many people (he wasn't one for possessions-or keeping track of his cash). The story of his death is one that should inspire people looking for a modern role model. Reeves, who is Catholic, manages also to keep the book respectful about his problems, instead of attacking the Church. Why is this good? The actions of one man are not generally representative of an entire institution. It would be a logical fallacy for Reeves to do such a thing. In short, Reeves has written a fine book on an eccentric, loved figure.

A Great Book
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found this book to be not only an excellent read, but I thought that Reeves truly makes a case for the canonization of Fulton Sheen. While not ignoring Sheen's vanity or love of the good life, Reeves points out that Sheen often emptied his pockets to help someone in need and that he worked tirelessly for the conversion of sinners. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and grew to respect Bishop Sheen even more.

Good Bio that could have been a Great Bio
This book is a good complement to Archbishop Sheen's classic autobiography, "Treasure in Clay". I basically liked the book as it gives you insights into the man himself. However, the "gotcha" approach to Thomas Reeves' style of covering a subject sometimes can seem petty. As the book covers the enormous good that Bishop Sheen did, as in giving most of his money away to various charities and needy people, Reeves then points to small failings in Sheen's conduct. Oh boy, he was vain about his appearance, as if his perfectly combed hair pointed to some personality disorder. Come on, cut the man some slack. Other alleged faults were truly minor league. I also found Reeves' style of writing in certain parts cumbersome and circuitous. On the whole this book does a good job of portraying a truly holy man devoted to his God and his Church. Bishop Sheen is long gone but thanks to his books, TV, and radio recordings, he will long be influential to those seeking spiritual guidance. God love him! ... Read more

Book Description

A most rare and unbelievable treasure

After sitting in storage since his death in 1985, André de Dienes's complete Marilyn archives have finally been gathered together for this exclusive publication!

Photographer André de Dienes's life was changed forever one day in 1945 when he met an aspiring young model named Norma Jeane Baker. They immediately took off on the road together so that André could photograph her in natural settings across the West; during their travels, they fell in love and were briefly engaged. After their romance ended, they remained friends and de Dienes continued to photograph her. His unique, loving photographs of Norma Jeane helped to launch her model career and, a few years later, the film career that was to make her a legend. His entire relationship with th