Reviews (4)

Pah.
Also, the book itself is complete crud, being nothing more tangible than one would expect to find in the National Enquirer.

Question
Why is it "stars" get really irritating after they announce they're lesbians? I mean, I was always brought up by such fine publications as Hustler to believe lesbians were really cool! I mean, thing-wearing housewives and 36 DD latina maids get lonely, right? Sounds perfectly rational to me.

But whenever someone comes out of the closet (looking suspiciously not at all like the skirt-wearing girl inmates starring in that video I have in my closet behind my socks), all they can talk about is how they are a lesbian! Geez! Maybe if you just treated it like it was normal, nobody would bug you about it! Look at Elton John! Nobody knows what he is, and nobody bugs him. Know why? Because NOBODY WANTS TO KNOW. he doesn't talk about it, organize les/bi/gay cruises--he just wears frilly clothes and capitalizes on dead British royalty.

So unless Rosie has a friend named Rosa stowed somewhere who has just finished the laundry and knows Mrs. Nikki is taking her bubble bath all alone, let the matter drop. America doesn't care, and this book is a waste.

Not even worth one star!
Malacious gossip & rumor. Total waste of time. Instaed of donating it to rhe public library like I normally do, I threw it in the trash. Actually the trash deserves to be in better company than this book!

Publishers' Weekly Review
"Her fans will buy and enjoy this book" - Publishers' Weekly In this unauthorized bio, seasoned Hollywood journalist and author James Robert Parish (The Liza Minelli Story etc.) has reserched O'Donnell's climb to fame drawing on print and TV interviews, critical reviews and press releases, as well as interviews with her colleagues. O'Donnell's comic career, feature films and Broadway show are well detailed here and her story is an inspiring one. Until O'Donnell writes her autobiography this bio may be the most thorough we'll get. Publishers' Weekly March 17, 1997 ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Excellent and Inspiring
This account is a humorous, inspiring take on life from one of the most well known and beloved Cuban superstars on the scene today. I am aware not only of Saralegui's humor and love of life, but also her extensive humanitarian work with AIDS, teen pregnancy, and many other causes. Reading this title helped me through a very difficult time in my life...three cheers, and I hope there is a sequel.

Great tale of success from El Exilio
the most successful talk show host on Spanish language television. (...)

I wish I could give it 0 stars....
what a big piece of trash! This Book should be place among the worst Books of all time-it's completely Inane and the Author is egocentrical and arrogant as usual.

HOW MUCH I.HAVE LEARN ON HER SHOW
I,HAVE LEARN SO MUCH FROM THIS SHOW. I,WANT TO THANK CHRISTINA SARALEGUI BECAUSE OF HER I, HAVE A GOOD MARRIAGE AND KNOW HOW TO RAISE MY TWO CHILDRENS, AND SO MANY THINGS THAT I, HAVE LEARN THAT SHE GAVE ME THE TOOLS TO A GOOD FUTURE, I.AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY LIFE ANDMY FAMILY AND MY HOME, THANK YOU CRISTINA YOU ARE A GREAT TEACHER I NEVER STOP WATCHING YOUR SHOW I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND SO DOES MY FAMILY YOU ARE WELCOME TO MY HOME IN MY FAMILY WISHES YOU WELL BYE FROM CARMEN, IN NEW YORK CITY

The worst book ever!
Bad sintaxis, exagerated and self-serving worthless reading for a worthless egomaniac! Sorry! ... Read more

Book Description

Dale Evans Rogers is one of the most beloved Christian women of our century. As the engaging movie star of countless westerns, she stole America's heart, and as the author of Angel Unaware and The Woman at the Well, she enriched millions of readers' lives with her spiritual perceptiveness. Now, in the wake of her recent stroke and her husband;s death, Dale shines once more, showing readers there is hope in the midst of affliction.

Dale recounts how God's grace enabled her to find hope on less than happy trails, such as her rocky rise to stardom, the tragic deaths of three of her children, and recently, her grueling rehabilitation from her stroke. She also pays tribute to Roy Rogers, with whom she shared almost fifty-one years of marriage. The book will be released on the anniversary of his death.

Each page of this heartening book shines with hope, grace, and joy. An eight-page color photo insert enhances its appeal. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

.." Many Happy Trails"...sunset in El Dorado...
A precursor of sound bites, Frances Octavia, (born Oct 31,1912 in TX)changed her name to "Evans" because it sounded more euphonious...easier for announcers use on radio. "Queen of the West" wrote more than dozen books,including "Angel Unaware"..on their daughter,Robin,who died of Down Syndrome, in '52. She joins & now rides, on "Buttermilk", with Roy,& Trigger...over the Rainbow..in the great Western Sky. Let us all recall: "Don't Fence Me In". ... Read more

Book Description

Provocative, smart, outrageous, funny, dead-on--former New York City prosecutor Star Jones has quickly become one of the most often quoted, most respected personalities on television. Now, in her first book, Star writes it like she talks it on her hit ABC-TV show, The View, sharing generous helpings of her strongly held beliefs and take-no-prisoners opinions.

"You have to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything," she writes. "If you don't know what your position is, if you don't know where you draw the line between right and wrong, you'll never see yourself as you truly are. You'll never see the world as it truly is. You'll never have the confidence or the drive to do what you have to do to make a difference. You'll never feel good about yourself and your place in the world. So that's become my credo. Stand for something. And do you know what? I don't fall for much."

No, she doesn't. She doesn't suffer fools or shy from injustice or shrink from her own sense of self and responsibility. No subject is out of bounds for Star Jones, and she touches on a great many of them here: the importance of family and friendship, the law, racism, abortion, her relationship with God, television and politics. On all of these and many other topics, Star has a point of view uniquely and unpredictably her own.

Perhaps the most powerful of all are the intensely personal stories from Star's own upbringing, which she shares in this book for the first time, with warmth, humor, and sometimes painful candor. She writes of the illness that almost took her life, of the complex relationship with her biological father, of the strength and wisdom she draws from her stepfather, the foundation provided by her grandparents, and the extraordinary bond she shares with her mother, who taught her that a star could be born anywhere, even in the small town of Badin, North Carolina.

"Look at it this way," Star suggests. "You've all been invited to a fabulous dinner party. The places are set and the guests have been seated. Now, what have you brought to the table? In many ways, this book is my answer. It's what I bring to the table--life lessons, learned truths, reasoned asides. It's what I stand for. As a young woman I was told (by some man, of course) that I shouldn't 'rock the boat,' that if I waited, good things would come to me. Yeah, right! I chose instead to listen to my mother, who told me that if I wasn't in the boat I should turn it over to make my point. That's the way I considered the law, that's how I now consider the media, and that's how I've approached this book."

As complex, compelling, and often controversial as the woman herself, You Have to Stand for Something, or You'll Fall for Anything is an empowering book by a remarkable woman who walks the walk and talks the talk and challenges you to do the same. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

OK reading for fans of "The View"; inspiring; a bit arrogant
I am not sure what point Miss Jones was trying to get across in this book. I found the brush-with-death and family issues to be somewhat inspiring, but most of the other parts in the book came off as arrogant. She seemed to be using this book to tell the world how great she thinks she is. In the book, Star says that she now knows where the line is drawn between confidence and arrogance. I'm not so sure she does. The book seems to be sloppily put together, in a sort of random-thought fashion. However, if you are a fan of "The View", it can be a somewhat entertaining and fast read.

A Book That Everyone Must Read!
"You Have to Stand for Something or You'll Fall for Anything" By Star Jones is the most inspiring book I have read in a long time. Star speaks as hard and meaningful as she does everyday on the hit show "The View". Every chapter has a message behind it that will make you think about your life in a way you did not before. The book ranges from many different topics that deal with our society on a day to day bases. It is one of those books that you start and you just can not put it down.

Cliche anyone?
Please. If you wasted your time on this book, seek counseling immediately. The title alone tells us all we need to know - the author favors trite cliches over substantive thought and has never had an original idea in her life.

Fat cow- poor model for Us Black females
I feel sorry for us all the Black females out there trying desperately to find some role models for themselves. Star Jones won't do it! She is fat unattractive and arrogant to boot! yet she self proclaimed herself to be a diva. yeah, ok. wake up everybody. an average Black girl cannot identify herself with that. she has a collection of wigs and diamonds, do you? she gets paid 120K to be on that stupid show, do you? no wonder she cannot find a decent brother to marry her.

Confident, optimistic and strong
Star Jones is a confident, optimistic, strong woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. She made a decision to be all she could be. Her strength comes from her mother and the values she learned as a child. I found it sad that her father could not have been more influential in her life. She was fortunate however, to be surrounded by loving family members who stood by her when times got rough.

Her views of men are mixed and come from her own experiences with her father and other men who had disappointed her in the past. Her mother, "Shirley," is definitely her hero. I think her mother explains it beautifully: "You may have been born in the ghetto, but the ghetto's not born in you. " Star definitely has reached for the best in life and will not let anyone tell her she can not get whatever her heart desires.

This book is truly "the dictionary that defines" Star Jones. By the time you have finished this book you will know what she stands for and what she allows to slide. On the other hand, there are some issues where she presents both sides and leaves you to decide.

She has definitely overcome obstacles, for which we must applaud her. As she says: "The key is to learn from your mistakes and work to never repeat them." She has plan A as her ideal, but plan B will have to do if she cannot have the fairy tale version. This seems to be how she balances her intellectual and romantic sides.

There are places where I laughed out loud, especially the part where she described some of the cooks at their church socials. Something I had not thought of was an issue she discussed about television programming and especially an issue on "Friends."

She does not shy away from her religious beliefs and openly states: "I have a relationship with God, but I'm not just a Christian." She doesn't see the single most important aspect of her life as off-limits and knows that we each find God in our own way. She also explains how she knows God exists and gives him thanks for her position in life.

There are statements of truth (which I have taken the liberty of highlighting) within the stories about her life as a lawyer, her medical emergency, her deep friendships and her life on "The View." We soon learn that her family has had a great impact on her life and that friends and family are what her life is about. She is a friend first, a lawyer and a television personality second. She also loves Paris (a trait I admire as I too love Paris and Provence).

It is humorous to see her take the networks and talking heads to task. I think she is voicing what many people are intimidated to say. The people of America are tired of being told what to believe. "Just give me the facts and let me decide."

I don't know if she supports any causes because she doesn't discuss them. I am sure she probably does and doesn't want to use undue influence. She definitely does like to shop, which some of us can appreciate. I think women everywhere will be able to relate to her. She has a cute note to all the little girls in the world at the end of the book. I think that if you ever became her friend in real life, she would be a true one. Just beware: This woman is going to tell it like it is "Girlfriend," so get over it!" :)

I also like friends who are going to tell me the truth. Her frankness about reality is something I love about her and I think you will feel the same. This is a book about where she stands. I wish more people would stand up for what they believe in, and relish the fact, That we don't always agree. I guess the hardest part about being a grownup is figuring out where you stand, and then standing there! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A 'must read' for anyone who has been touched by cancer
Having myself grown up in Dallas, I have watched Chip Moody for many years.There would always be a night when Mr. Moody wasn't in his usual anchor chair behind the news desk ~ he was back in the hospital. My brotherwas just diagnosed with cancer, and it appears to be the kind that theauthor of this book has ~ lymphoma.So I was not at all interested inreading a "sterile' medical thesis or a 'grab your hankie' sad story.Mr. Moody tells of his many adventures throughout life.Some have comefrom being in the profession that he is, and some from having the cancerthat he has found himself facing.But be prepared to laugh, Mr. Moody hasa real knack for telling stories! There are several chapters that deal withthe cancer specifically and what he has gone through from the beginning. This was scary, yet reassuring to read ~ being not from a doctor'sstandpoint, but from a 'real' person's.The last chapter offers true wordsof encouragement, especially to those who are going through, or gettingready to go through this tough battle ~ be it as a patient, family member,or friend. I cannot give this book enough stars.Mr. Moody has made merealize that a person can fight back this debilitating disease.Althoughnot all will be victorious in this battle, their courageous fight willenable future warriors more powerful weapons and skills on how to conquerthis dreaded enemy. Thank you Mr. Moody ~ All my stars to you. ... Read more

Book Description

Many people know Dave Broadfoot (a.k.a. Sergeant Renfrew of the Mounties, a.k.a. the Member for Kicking Horse Pass, a.k.a. Big Bobby Clobber), but not many know much about his life. Arriving in Toronto in 1952, virtually penniless, he set out to find work – any work – just as CBC-TV was going on the air and Canadian show-business was taking off. He was hired to perform in the yearly Spring Thaw revue, a hotbed of youthful talent, and a comedy career was launched.

A life in show-business – especially in Canada – is not easy and it encourages the multi-talented. Dave Broadfoot has always not only written and performed his own material, but, when work did not immediately appear, has produced and staged his own revues – a sometimes frustrating, sometimes hilarious education in logistics and human nature.

Dave Broadfoot’s career has also paralleled much of the growth of Canadian show-business. Among many other shows and revues, he was a cast member on the Wayne and Schuster show (witnessing the complex relationship between the two great comics), he appeared regularly on the children’s TV show that became Razzle Dazzle, and he was in the revue that launched the Charlottetown Festival. In the early 1970s came the show that would influence his next 20 years and create Canadian comedy history. The Royal Canadian Air Farce, a radio show that was taped in front of a live audience, gave its first performance on December 9, 1973. It is still running – but without Dave Broadfoot as a regular. Despite his admiration and affection for the show and its cast, he decided to leave in 1989, and here, for the first time, he explains why. He performs regularly, and throughout 2001–02 he has toured with his latest one-man show, Dave Broadfoot: The First Farewell Tour.

His incredible energy, his good-nature, his quick wit, and above all his comic gift, have made Dave Broadfoot a household name. This book, peppered throughout with photographs and some of his favourite scripts, is a wonderful way to mark the fiftieth anniversary of an extraordinary career.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"As a child of the movies, I was torn between wanting to be Julian Marsh, the Broadway producer in 42nd Street ... and Hildy Johnson, the hellbent-for-leather reporter in The Front Page," writes Don Hewitt in his engaging autobiography. Luckily for him, he found a way to be both at CBS News, most notably as producer of 60 Minutes. Hewitt barely knew what television was when a fellow print journalist told him of an opening at CBS in 1948 ("You mean, where you sit at home and watch little pictures in a box?" he asked), but his decisive personality suited the new medium's spontaneous techniques. Born in 1922 and raised in New Rochelle, New York, he sees himself as an average guy whose middle-of-the-road political and social attitudes are shared by the American television audience. He modeled 60 Minutes on Life magazine: "a family friend in the home of millions of Americans each week, serious and light-hearted in the same issue" with one prime directive--to tell a story.

In chatty, colloquial prose, Hewitt hits the show's high and low points, including a frank discussion of the compromises made to air an interview with Big Tobacco whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand and a blistering critique of the way those compromises were depicted in the movie The Insider. He pays warm tribute to his reporters, particularly Mike Wallace, writes appreciatively of CBS founder William Paley, and candidly discusses his differences with Paley's successor, Laurence Tisch. Hewitt doesn't pretend to be a saint; he accepts the mingled imperatives of journalism and commerce that drive TV news without (usually) sounding too defensive. His memoir pungently chronicles the evolution of broadcast journalism and expresses faith in the idealism that still fires the men and women who practice it. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hewitt's Medium is Not the Printed Word
I expected of Don Hewitt's book something on par, at least professionally, with "60 Minutes"; not so with "Tell Me A Story." This is an okay book-- always straight forward, occasionally telling, a few juicy tidbits-- it's just not a well-crafted, fascinating book. Don Hewitt is a masterful producer with a keen instinct for a good story. The medium of television is his, hands down. Hewitt is not a fine storyteller however. When Hewitt breaks into a sprint of passionate interest, the reader soon begins to realize that the excitement is all about Don, written by Don, and relived through Don's (perhaps) revisionist memory.

In brief, if this were lying about at a church booksale, I'd recommend you snap it up at a tenth the price-- great beach or bath reading.

Tick, tick, tick
In almost a counterproductive exercise, Don Hewitt spends chapters talking up the many "geniuses" in the field of television he worked with during the early years before tearing down the industry's "infotainment" culture of today. It's almost like the old man on the corner telling the kid with an earring how in his day kids were more respectful and dignified. Then when you acutally digest what he has to say, you realize: Hey, the guy's right on target. The business of news has been killing the coverage of news not just on TV but in newspapers for years. The public just has no tolerance for substance, which has direct linkage to the television era. We live in a world of 10-minute segments. If I see another shot of Robert Downey Jr. in a courtroom, I'm throwing the remote through the wall. But aside from the unnessary name-dropping, Hewitt's autobiography succeeds in that it is entertaining and biting at the same time. It's a perfect volume to a career that tried to achieve the same kinds of goals in his news show.

What makes the stopwatch behind 60 Minutes tick
Tell Me A Story: Fifty Years And 60 Minutes In Television is the autobiography of Don Hewitt, the famous producer who worked more than a half century with CBS News. For the past 33 years, he has been perhaps best known for being the creator, executive producer, and driving force behind 60 Minutes, the news program that changed the very nature of television journalism. Tell Me A Story recounts Hewitt's amazing life, from his service as a reporter during WW II to his struggle to success during the early days of television. Hewitt writes candidly, with humor and friendly panache, about the workings and shortcomings of television news. Recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of television journalism, or who wants to know just what makes the stopwatch behind 60 Minutes tick!

The Pleasure of His Company
Hewitt has what Hemingway once described as a "built-in, shock-proof crap detector" and to his credit, he applies it to his own opinions as well as to those of others. The title refers to his assertion that the success of "60 Minutes" is explained by the fact that "the most talented men and women in the broadcast news business" formulate and then execute ideas which tell an interesting story. "It's that easy." It's also that difficult. This is what I call a "tag along book" in that Hewitt allows his readers to accompany him over a period of 50 years during which he has produced news broadcasts, the Nixon-Kennedy debates, national political conventions, and of course "Sixty Minutes." He shares his frank opinions of various associates such as Lowell Bergman, Ed Bradley, Walter Cronkite, Fred Friendly, Edward R. Murrow, William S. Paley, Dan Rather, Harry Reasoner, Andy Rooney, Morley Safer, Diane Sawyer, Laurence Tisch, and Mike Wallace. He also comments on various American Presidents, competitors in the broadcast news industry, professional athletes, and show business celebrities. What I found most entertaining is Hewitt's no-nonsense attitude. He can be irreverent, playful, self-deprecating, egotistical, outraged, embarassed, and amusing...but never dull and always good company. Hewitt provides all many of behind-the-scenes revealtions which are always good fun. He can also be thoughtful, at times prescient when commenting on both the glories and inadequacies of broadcast news. He devotes substantial attention to his own misjudgments over the years. He also offers specific suggestions as to how broadcast news can be improved. For me, the book's conclusion reveals why the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of this 78-year old pioneer/iconoclast are worth sharing. "One morning, Darryl Kemp, who mans the front desk at 60 Minutes, greeted me with 'Mr. Hewitt, when I grow up, I want to be just like you.' And I said, 'That's funny. So do I.'" Let's all hope he never does.

A Decent Story; Not Great
If this book attempts to tell a story, following Don Hewitt's philosophy for successful TV news segments, it's not the most engrossing one.

This book reads like a timeline of Hewitt's life -- and then this happened ... and then this happened -- which doesn't allow for much drama-building. A pioneer of the TV news business certainly has a wealth of content for a book, but as is often the case with autobiographies, the story would have been better told by a veteran book writer.

Some insights are valuable -- behind-the-scenes adcedotes about former President LBJ, his thoughts on the validity of the movie The Insider, his take on the 2000 Presidential election. But I found those nuggets to be too few and far between. The rest reads like a chat transcript.

If you buy this book, I hope you do enjoy it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An absorbing read
A Life Full Of Days is the personal memoir of Emmy award-winning CBS news producer Chalmers (Chum) Dale, and entails the globe-spanning journalism that brought him face-to-face with distinguished citizens ranging from Martin Luther King Jr. to Bob Hope. Recounting his life from a confused childhood to his adult determination to seek out evidence of the human condition for all to see, A Life Full Of Days is an absorbing read and a highly recommended addition to community library American Biography collections.

so simple, so honest, so important
These were the most exciting times in television history. This personal narrative--fascinating, difficult, ironic, and funny--tells of an ordinary life filled with extraordinary moments. Emmy Award-winning CBS News producer Chalmers (Chum) Dale examined and documented the human condition in over 300 shows. His work took him around the world, introducing him to many of the most distinguished citizens and celebrities of our time, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Bob Hope.
This compelling memoir, written in an approachable, conversational style, also tells of Chum's lonely struggle in leading a double life: A search for true sexual identity during adolescence, WW2 military service, a short teaching career, and a ten-year marriage with two children. His existence begins to make sense when he meets his significant other of forty-two years and starts piecing his life together. Through these enduring experiences, Chum's story also explores the compassion and understanding he brought to his assignments at CBS--shows that "made a difference" for millions of viewers.

Deeply moving...
Chalmers Dale reveals all about his interesting life. Dale was truly a pioneer, and his courage, integrity, and creativity are evident on every page.

Good days... bad days
The author tells his story in an honest but tasteful way. Seems like he did some cool things over the years even if it did take him a while to figure out who he was.

There are interesting reflections on music, sports, urban and suburban life in the 20th century and especially TV. The guy was on hand as TV became basically what it is today.

This book'd make great reading for young people in a similar position: figuring out their sexuality and family while trying to make the most of thier time.

His style is unpretentious and relaxed. I felt like I was sitting around one afternoon having a chat. There are photos. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Splendid Chap!
This is the sort of autobiography you would expect from The Brigadier. Solid, dependable, traditional...but Nicholas Courtney isn't the Brigadier, and this also tells the story of his off-screen life, and life before Doctor Who stardom.

The first part of the book tells the story of the actor's early life, his parent's separation. Then follows the customary section on National Service, weekly rep, meeting Donald Wolfit and John Geilgud. It's good to hear Nick tell the familiar "actor's autobiography", because his style is friendly, humorous, and honest. This makes the book so enjoyable that the pages zoom by. We learn about the author's successes with the ladies, and, to his credit, his failures, and the breakdown of his marriage is dealt with in what seems to be a very honest manner.

The section on his Doctor Who work is well-written, and leaves out a lot of familiar material. This could be due to the work of Courtney's editor, John Nathan-Turner. For whatever reason, this remains fresh and exciting even thirty years after the fact.

The last part of the book details the post-Doctor Who work, and it is remarkable to see that since Courtney stopped being a Doctor Who regular in 1974 he has played the Brig no fewer than seven times. His work continues of course on the Doctor Who audio adventures, but this book was written before they had been established.

The large format suits his story well, allowing space for many rare and well-researched photographs. There are a few too many blank spaces for my liking, and some unnecessary tributes from those who have worked with him. He could also have cut down the number of references to Equity, the actors' union. Other than that, this is a first class read, and tells a more interesting story than the well-worn convention anecdotes, or sections in general Doctor Who books.

Five Rounds Rapid
An excellent book by the only man who has really seen the series from the very beginning. He is the only actor to have worked with all the actors to have played the Doctor. Thanks to the Big Finish audios he has appeared with the 6th Doctor and will be appearing with the 8th when Paul McGann returns to the roll next year. He rarely does conventions any more and, when he does, refuses to tell some of the stories he's famous for.

A brief moment of escape
All of my life, I have been a no-nonsense man, who knows nothing but work. In 1986, I began to watch Dr. Who, just as a whim in a miltary barracks, on a TV set in the barrack day room that was chained to the floor so no one would steal it. At first it seemed rather cheesy, but then I found that I could not miss a single episode and if I had to miss it, I would record it. Once, I brought a VHS out to a live fire gunnery tank range, where we were to fire all day and all night for two nights.

In one of the tents where the crews were de-briefed and rested, I set up a small TV and the VHS and powered it up by using a military 15kw gas generator. We and the tank crews of my battalion watched Dr. Who.

My first experience with Dr. Who were the Pertwee years and the Brigadier played a large roll. I enjoyed these immensley and bought each one for my collection...and I am still watching them today..(In fact "Planet of Spiders" parts three and four are on tap this weekend).

In short, buy this book. By any book associated with any character who played in this marvelous series.

Thank you Brigadier for your part in allowing an ordinary man,for a few moments anyway,to escape the inescapable life of medocrity. ... Read more

Book Description

In W&N's large illustrated format, this is a fully illustrated, affectionate celebration of Rowon Atkinson's career. He first came to prominence in the late 1970's in the classic comedy serires Not The Nine O'Clock News. His ability to strange mannerisms with a natural acting abiltiy set him up to achieve great success as the darstadly Blackadder. In the 1980's he created Mr Bean, now an international success; in August 1997, a major movie "Bean" will be released. This book trces his career and celebrates the talents and life of a true comic original. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The face that launched a thousand quips
Bruce Dessau's book begins with his childhood and school life at St. Bees, then into his gradual abandonment of a science degree (he was expected to go into electrical engineering) and onto the theatre, where via connections to the Oxbridge mafia, he got the biggest breaks and the funniest lines.

Influences? Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot character, whose tics and twitches he memorized during his time at St. Bees. The significance of this is that it helped him in his technique of using silent comedy, miming even, to get laughs. Coupled with the faces he pulled in front of a mirror to gain a rubbery-faced elasticity that rivalled Jim Carrey, we can see the beginnings of Mr. Bean. Naturally, Monty Python is an influence, as it aired when he was 15 years old. John Cleese's nasty sarcasm was later felt in each of the Blackadders, as well as his portrayal of hideous comedy star Ron Anderson in his first starring movie, The Tall Guy, opposite Jeff Goldblum.

There are a lot of comparisons between him and Cleese, come to think of it. Each of them had many years behind them, cutting their teeth on TV series, working with other performers, never being in something for too long, before making it big.

In terms of his TV series, there's quite a lot devoted to each of them: Not The Nine O'Clock News, Blackadder, Mr. Bean, and the Thin Blue Line. Brief plots are given of each episode, as well as major performers who appear as guest stars, such as Miranda Richardson, Rik Mayall (The Young Ones), and Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter movies). It is with the third series of Black Adder (my personal favourite) that he won BAFTAs (the British equivalent of the Emmys and Oscars).

Mr. Bean, despite being his breakthrough series, was not only his fulfillment to create a comedy that could be more universal instead of being directed strictly at British tastes, was in a way the culmination of sketches he did on stage in the late 1970's, so it was basically old material (e.g. face shaving routine) refined. The movie was a success here, but because it was so Hollywoodized, was panned quite a bit in Britain.

Atkinson though comes through as a genius who despite striving to be a perfectionist, realizes that perfectionism unhealthily reduces someone to a bundle of ragged nerves. More an introvert, he is two different people, a comic onstage, a very private person offstage.

At this point, the Bean movie seems to be the pinnacle of his American success, but has the backlash happened? Sure, he came out the painfully jejune Rat Race, but Johnny English may be his saving grace, as Hollywood seems at a loss how to use him optimally. Then again, he didn't quite break into movies, as the book points out. Most of his movie roles have been minor (Never Say Never Again, Hot Shots Part Deux, Four Weddings And A Funeral). Yet through this book and from the time I noticed him in Not The Nine O'Clock News, the thing I've learned is never to anticipate what Rowan Atkinson will do next. Overall, a well-done book that casts Atkinson in a positive light and recommended for those who want to find out more on Britain's most talented comic since John Cleese.

Sad Yawnsville
It's a sad sad tale of an ugly duckling. Once upon a time there was this boy whom everyone called alien for his looks were quite odd if not freakish. Even own parents of his shipped him off to a distant boy boarding school as not to see his grotesque visage.

The book merrily skips the boarding school years -- thank god. Imagine the torture and suffering poor Rowan must have endured in a British school.

No wonder, the man is quite quiet and reserved. That was his survival technique. The only way poor Rowan could touch life was through playing out characters on stage. His inclination, like a snubbed wicked cripple who hates the world, was to play the bad guys and sort of get back at the world.

But the story, as you know, has a happyend. Rowan makes it big. Real big. He turns his oddity into a golden mine. Where are those pretty boys that once picked on Rowan now? Getting up at 5 lining up to catch the bus to ferry them to and fro their dead-end jobs as nobodies, carrying a mortgage on a semi-detached dwelling with a hefty dose of stress to boot.

Well done, Rowan. Way to get back at all of them. And in fact, in Blackadder II or III (The one where you play the court guy doing a great deal of hanging around with the giddy queen) you look rather dashing.

Yes, you may interject, but Atkinson is synonymous with fun... he's a hoot... he's great... that all is well but not in this case. Not in the pages of this dull paperback. Not in its confines. The retracing of steps of this comic giant leads into a boring staleness of a rather common and not so happy plight.

I'm giving it 2 stars only because I like Rowan. The book itself deserves none, really.

I'm Rick Friedman. This has been the Awful Truth, bringing you reality like no other. Take care.

Eh
Something of a lesson in not judging a book by its cover (or the blurb on the back). After purchasing this book, I was disappointed to learn in the opening acknowledgements that this was an unauthorized biography and that not even one of Atkinson's friends or close business associates agreed to be interviewed by Bruce Dressau, which in my mind, somewhat discredits the biography. On the other hand, if you're an American who didn't stumble upon Blackadder until it began airing on public television in the 90's (the way I did), this book isn't a bad read. It closely follows his career from his Oxford days up through The Thin Blue Line, which was interesting, especially when you see that seeds of certain characters (particularly Mr. Bean) took root early on in his career. Other than that, though, don't expect to gain any insight as to Rowan Atkinson the man, because there isn't any. The author tries to draw parallels between things like Atkinson's love of cars and his performing (if I had the book by my side now I'd subject you to the metaphor)but they just don't fly. I also realized, after reading the book, that the numerous articles that he quotes from (since no one was willing to talk to him) are mostly available on the internet. So while I'm willing to say that I learned something about British comedy and Rowan Atkinson, in the end I was still disappointed.

Detailed about the work, superficial about the man
This biography is an excellent account of the various television shows, films and stage productions that Rowan Atkinson has performed in during the course of his career. Starting with some plays that he did as a school-boy, it continues right up to the year 2000 with his Comic Relief CURSE OF THE FATAL DEATH sketches and the BLACKADDER BACK AND FORTH one-off special. Unfortunately, while the book is bursting at the seams with information and facts about his professional life, we never really learn much about Mr. Atkinson himself. This is perhaps hardly surprising, after all it's fairly well-known that he hates to give interviews and will often times appear on a chat show in his Mr. Bean character in order to promote the series without having to give anything of himself away. Throughout the book one only catches a glimpse of the man behind that face. We learn rather superficial details, such as his love for automobiles and his shyness in person, but we never really get to see how much of an impact his public and private lives have on each other.

There has obviously been a lot of research that has gone into this book. To compensate for the lack of material from the mouth of Rowan Atkinson himself, the author instead quotes from a variety of his friends, but the bulk of the information comes from his co-workers. It's very interesting to see how Atkinson kept with the same people he had worked with since his graduate school days. The same names keep cropping up over and over and it becomes clear that Atkinson knows to stick with a winning team. One also learns the origin of some of the most famous Mr. Bean sketches, many of which date back to his stage persona from the late 1970s. I was fascinated to see the evolution of the Bean character. While many of his live shows incorporated a silent character, it wasn't until the 90s that he brought most of his most famous material to television.

This book is recommended for fans of Rowan Atkinson's work. Do not expect an in-depth look at his personal life, because until Atkinson starts giving more interviews or writes his autobiography, there simply won't be anything on the market resembling one. However, as far as detailing his many accomplishments in the field of comedy, you won't get any better than this book.

A Great Book!
Rowan Atkinson is a genius actor, writer, and comedian. There is no one funnier, and his characters such as Mr. Bean can be enjoyed by the whole family.

This biography is excellent, and I would reccommend it to anyone! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excelente Libro.
Es fascinante, es tan entretenido el libro que lo lei solo en tres dias y es mas de 300 paginas, la forma de escribir, te mantiene entretenido, que mas se le puede pedir a DON FRANCISCO (REY de las COMUNICACIONES y del MARKETING) .... 100% Interesante. ... Read more

Book Description

Tracks Hill's career through the landmark Independent Television specials, early parody sketches for the BBC, film appearances, radio shows and recordings. The ultimate guide to the most widely recognized funny man since Charlie Chaplan. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Lad himself, Benny Hill!
It is quite obvious after reading this book that Mr. Ross is a genuine fan of "The lad himself" from not only the depth of research but also the personal take that he puts on the book in the last few segments. The ONE thing that kept me from giving this book a 5 star rating is that, although he mentions co-stars such as Jack Wright, Sue Upton, Louise English, and Henry McGee, he neglects to put pictures of them in the book with Benny. For fans of the show they know who these people are but not so the occasional viewer who might buy the book hoping to find out a bit more about Benny and his show. Despite this, it's a great book and well worth the money.

A BIIIIIG disappointment:
I'm really SURPRISED at my reaction to this book. I LOVE Benny Hill (I have some of his videos and watched his syndicated show for years). I am now a fulltime ventriloquist and read and collect books on comedians and comedy. I have re-read many of the comedy/comedian books in my collection. I could not WAIT until I got this book!

But I found this book incredibly tedious.

At first I thought it was due to the fact that I'm American and Americans haven't seen as much of Hill's work as his British audiences. But I've read bios of comedians that detail work they did that I never viewed and I loved those books. This is a book crammed with research, whether it's about his early years -- how his comedy style came together -- or his years as the King of British TV, then American syndicated TV...and his sad fall as a victim of the relentless armies of political correctness.

The book reads like a collection of detailed research notes and staid business articles. There seems to be little passion (and when there seems to be passion it's a weird dispassionate passion!) for the subject, unlike the GREAT books done by authors on Laurel & Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Chaplin, and most certainly, The Three Stooges. Those books make you want to go out and see more of their work, even if you don't like them. This book summarizes and informs -- and can bore a diehard fan.

It's so very sad because Hill was so incredibly funny. As an American I didn't like many of his verbal skits -- and certainly NOT his songs -- but his silent segments bordered on comedic genius a la Ernie Kovaks or (I know some will be furious at this) Chaplin.

This book is so clinical it took me a LONG TIME to finish it. I'm talking about MONTHS where I had to read other books to get back to and through it. Ross, who wrote a critically acclaimed book on Monty Python's Fying Circus, certainly did excellent research. There's a ton of info you can't get anywhere else -- inside information about each step of Hill's career and why he did what he did at pivotal times; who was in his corner, keeping him on t.v., and who didn't like him.

But I can only recommend this to die-hard Hill fans who want every single thing available on him -- NOT to anyone seeking a book that tells about Hill and communicates the joy and (until the end)uncensored craziness of his comedy. Today his comedy lives on in video tape, despite the enemies that ended his career and, some say, finally broke his heart. ... Read more

Book Description

In this brilliant, funny, gossipy, and revealing memoir, full of great stories and even better advice, one of America's most beloved and popular show business and television figures tells the story of his "retirement" years, in which he made billions and became an even bigger celebrity than ever.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous observation that "there are no second acts in American lives" only goes to show that he never met Merv Griffin, whose life is proof positive that not only can you have a smashing second act, but that a brilliant third act is quite possible as well.

Merv: Making the Good Life Last is the quintessential Horatio Alger story of a young man born into modest circumstances who, through hard work, unshakable self-confidence, and an unfailingly positive attitude, dreams his way to the top.

And then he retires and does it again.

Now, at seventy-seven, he is doing it still, reinventing himself and his life in new and extraordinary ways, and enjoying it more than ever.

For millions of Americans, the life of Merv Griffin defines success -- a life lived first on stages all over the world as a band singer and Top-Ten recording artist, then for twenty-three years on television screens as host of the Emmy Award-winning Merv Griffin Show. He created and launched the two most successful syndicated game shows in television history, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, which would become the models for hundreds of syndicated television series in the decades to follow.

Today, he is an entrepreneurial powerhouse who oversees a multibillion-dollar business empire that includes hotels, film and television production companies, and an event-management firm. He is also a supremely happy man who knows how to enjoy his success and his life.

As he himself once described the single most important quality of a successful host, Merv Griffin was "every mother's favorite son-in-law." Indeed, to two generations of Americans who watched and listened to him through their adolescence and well into adulthood, he became the father-brother-uncle we all loved. He made us laugh, he made us think, he made us pay attention to some of the most fascinating people of the last half of the twentieth century. Merv Griffin was the great American listener who asked the questions of celebrities we would all like to have asked, and knew how to make them open up -- and laugh.

Now, in Merv: Making the Good Life Last, Merv tells us at last what he thinks about his life and his success and how he does what most of us only dream about: inventing and reinventing a life of fun, fame, and fortune. In this candid and insightful memoir -- with his trademark wit infusing the narrative -- he shares with the reader the true story of his phenomenal success as a businessman and entrepreneur who has achieved that rare trifecta in American enterprise: to be wealthy, well liked, and well respected, all at the same time.

With the graciousness and charm that have firmly established him as one of the preeminent television hosts of our time, Merv takes the reader behind the scenes and into his fabulous world: cruising the Mediterranean on his 165-foot yacht, the Griff; flying down to Rio on his own Challenger jet; touring his hotel properties across America and around the world, including a twelfth-century manor house in Ireland.

Merv: Making the Good Life Last is a great American success story, and great entertainment for Griffin's many generations of fans. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A DOWN-HOME SCION
I have always enjoyed Merv Griffin and watched many of his TV shows. This autobiography tells about many of his achievements and a few failures. Merv's attitude is always on the bright side and I believe that is why he is so successful. Bravery and risk taking is part of the mix, but relationships are his strong points and he has many interesting stories to tell. A fun read.

GREAT TALES AND CHATTER ... UNTIL THE LAST CHAPTER
Like the man who "wrote" it (he had help from co-author David Bender), Merv Griffin's "Making the Good Life Last" is an entertaining, conversational confection chockfull of stories and anecdotes about his life in show business. This book is, in many ways, a sequel to Merv's best-selling autobioraphy of a couple of decades ago. "Good Life" picks up when that tome left off, with Merv reinventing himself as a businessman and, eventually, as one of the world's richest men. There are great Tallulah tales, and delightful stories about Al Pacino, Vanna White, Orson Welles, Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, Eva Gabor, Nancy and Ron, Donald Trump, Ted Koppel and Errol Flynn ... who Merv met while the actor was nude. "Now how shall I put this?" Merv muses. "I think it's fair to say that Flynn brandished a sword both on and off the screen." It's all warm and witty and cozy chatter from someone who feels like a friend. Until the last chapter. There, Merv starts to spout off about how much money he has ... not in dollar amounts, but in boastful brags. There's too much talk about buying jets, yachts, hotels and casinos, of building this house and that house (with "house" sometimes meaning "ranch" or "compound"), of having marble and tile imported from across the world, of collecting horses and priceless art works by French Impressionists and Colorists, of having an associate deposit a check for $273 million ("the interest alone was $50,000 a day"), when most senior citizens at the same bank that day were depositing their monthly Social Security check for "$400 or $500 at most." This is when Merv needs to be tuned out and turned off. "Making the Good Life Last" is good ... until the last drop. ... Read more

Book Description

I'm Not Done Yet! is a lively primer on remaining relevant into the so-called retirement years. Ed Koch, the colorful three-term mayor of New York City and now a noted television and radio personality, columnist, and commentator, offers anecdotal evidence to suggest that the healthiest outlook on advancing age is to keep active at the work you love.

Koch reflects on life after politics and life after turning seventy. The book takes readers through the author's various career turns since losing the Democratic mayoral primary to David Dinkins in 1989, with occasional looks back at related experiences and childhood memories. Included are discussions of the up and downturns of what Koch refers to as the third act of his varied career, and a frank account of his recent medical history.

Published to coincide with Koch's seventy-fifth birthday, I'm Not Done Yet! ends with the author's vision of his own obituary, reflecting on the life he has lived and the choices he has made. Here, for the first time, he speaks openly about what it has meant to live a life alone-without a partner, without children-and what it might mean in the years ahead.

By turns funny, candid, insightful, and unflinchingly honest, I'm Not Done Yet! is a fearless account of an extraordinary man's understanding of what it means to reach one's autumn years.I'm Not Done Yet! is a lively primer on remaining relevant into the so-called retirement years. Ed Koch, the colorful three-term mayor of New York City and now a noted television and radio personality, columnist, and commentator, offers anecdotal evidence to suggest that the healthiest outlook on advancing age is to keep active at the work you love.

Koch reflects on life after politics and life after turning seventy. The book takes readers through the author's various career turns since losing the Democratic mayoral primary to David Dinkins in 1989, with occasional looks back at related experiences and childhood memories. Included are discussions of the up- and downturns of what Koch refers to as the third act of his varied career, and a frank account of his recent medical history.

Published to coincide with Koch's seventy-fifth birthday, I'm Not Done Yet! ends with the author's vision of his own obituary, reflecting on the life he has lived and the choices he has made. Here, for the first time, he speaks openly about what it has meant to live a life alone-without a partner, without children-and what it might mean in the years ahead.

By turns funny, candid, insightful, and unflinchingly honest, I'm Not Done Yet! is a fearless account of an extraordinary man's understanding of what it means to reach one's autumn years. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Ed Koch, the Communicator Does It Again!
To use the favorite word by which Ed Koch describes his life experiences -- this book is "enjoyable." It is autobiographical/philosophical, revealing, funny; I couldn't put it down. If you like Ed Koch (which I do -- I'm envious of his self-absorption), you can hear him on every page, ultimately as the educator that he is. It is a must-read, particularly for Post-War Baby Boomers, to see a view of age 75 that most of us didn't see/don't see in our parents. The book is truly inspirational in a very realistic way. "Ed Koch, I hope you live forever, and if you can't, I hope God takes you all at once as is your desire and not in pieces like 'salami.'"

insight into america's best known mayor
ed koch, america's best known mayor in modern times, continues his sucess as a fascinating author. this book offers insights into how he moved from mayor of new york city, into jobs keeping him equally motivated and renowned. if character is everything, then ed koch has everything. a page turner of the first order, it pulls you in from the first page. anyone who has dreamed of coming to new york, been to new york, flown over new york, or heard of ed koch will find the book fascinating. we should all be as relevant and involved as ed koch. ... Read more