Celebrities Books

Unbelievable. That is, in a word, perhaps the most appropriate word to best describe life story of professional wrestler Adnan Alkaissy. Alkaissy's incredible journey begins in Iraq, where as a young boy he grew up the son of a prominent religions seik in the 1940s and `50s. A childhood friend of future dictator Saddam Hussein, Alkaissy went on to become a very successful prep wrestler and soccer player in Baghdad.
As a top-flight athlete, Alkaissy was recruited by a secret U.S. agency operating in the Middle East and given a scholarship to play football at the University of Houston. Despite the fact that he had never played American football before, Alkaissy came to America to make the most of his unprecedented opportunity. He eventually transferred to Oklahoma State University, however, where he emerged as an All-American wrestler. From there, Alkaissy got into professional wrestling as an Indian character named "Chief Billy White Wolf."
After traveling the world as a pro grappler for several years, Alkaissy returned home to Iraq as a modern day hero of sorts. Meanwhile, Saddam was rising to power in the ruling Baath Party at the time and had big plans for his old friend. With that, Saddam summoned Adnan to his palace and told him that he wanted him to wrestle for Iraq and make him proud. Adnan, who was only home for a visit to see his family, respectfully declined the generous offer. But when Saddam told him it was not an offer, but an order, he realized that his life would never be the same.
So, under Saddam's watchful eye, Alkaissy began promoting his own wrestling matches in Iraq - importing professional grapplers from around the world to compete against him. Literally hundreds of thousands of crazed fans poured into local soccer stadiums to see Adnan emerge as the Middle East Heavyweight Champion of the World, and before long a superstar was born. Adnan was rewarded with his own palace, a fleet of Mercedes complete with chauffeurs, and money beyond his wildest dreams. He was even named as the Director of Youth at the Ministry of Youth, a very coveted and prominent government position.
Soon, there were thousands of adoring fans sleeping outside his home at night just hoping to catch a glimpse of their new hero. It was utter insanity. What Adnan didn't realize, however, was that Saddam was using his old friend as a clever ruse to entertain and occupy the masses while he began his own murderous regime of torture and terror throughout the Middle East. Eight long years later, Alkaissy was fearful of being killed. So, he left everything behind and escaped in the dark of night, leaving his friends and family behind forever.
With nowhere to turn to, he came back to America, where he would start over as a professional wrestler - only this time, instead of being an adored national hero, he would be transformed into a villainous Arabian madman named "The Sheikh." Alkaissy would spend the next several decades making a new life for himself working in the American Wrestling Association. Then, in 1990, a career ending knee injury forced him to retire and become a ringside "manager" instead of a headlining villain. That same year, when Iraq invaded Kuwait and the Gulf War began, he was lured back into the limelight as a new character called "General Adnan," which was created by the head of the vaunted World Wrestling Federation, Vince McMahon. McMahon saw dollar signs with Adnan, who would now dress up like Saddam and enter sold-out arenas across the country as a real-life enemy of the state. With a wife and kids and a home in Minnesota, Alkaissy was torn between cashing in and doing the right thing amidst the backdrop of his two homelands going to war. The events that ensued were simply incredible.
This is a true story about a man's journey across two continents which has finally come full-circle. In many ways it is an unbelievable rags-to-riches-to-rags story about wrestling as a metaphor for life. It is also a story that can now finally be told only because Saddam Hussein is at long last in U.S. custody awaiting trial, and poses no threat to Alkaissy's family which still resides in Iraq. This is also a story about an Iraqi-American wanting to make a difference in this post 9-11 world and hopefully provide a small ray of hope in the quest for peace in the tumultuous Middle East.
While the book is a very odd juxtaposition of two very different worlds, albeit so is Adnan's life story. On one hand there are hilarious tales of what life was like both in and out of the squared circle of professional wrestling. On the other are stories of heart ache and despair about a man whose country is once again trying to find itself. Mixed in are truly amazing stories which will make you laugh and make you cry. It is also about a man's desire to obtain a sense of closure while telling his personal accounts about a separate life lived many years ago. Finally, it is a story about a man, now in his mid-60s, who wants nothing more than to go home to a free and democratic Iraq, where he can finally introduce his new family to his old one.

Adnan Bin Abdulareem Ahmed Alkaissey El Farthie, who is known in professional wrestling circles as Sheikh Adnan Alkaissy, recalls in his book, The Sheikh of Baghdad, that when he and Saddam Hussein were teenagers hanging out in Baghdad coffee shops, the tall, lanky, well-dressed and polite young man always had a book or newspaper with him, anxious to talk about Middle Eastern politics. Saddam was fascinated by the Baath Party that was gaining influence in Iraq at the time, and young Adnan could see that his friend would, one day, become one of their recruits.
Meanwhile, Adnan Alkaissey, who is allowed to use the title "Sheikh" because his father was the imam, or, spiritual leader of the Almahdia Mosque in Baghdad, was anxious to travel and see the world. Since he excelled in sports, particularly amateur wrestling, he decided to come to the United States via the American Friends of the Middle East on a football scholarship.
Adnan earned a masters degree in education from the University of Portland. Using his immense amateur skills, he financed his education as a professional wrestler. In a showbiz world where Canadians made the best Russian villains (Ivan Koloff); native Nebraskans the most believable Germans (Jim, "Baron"von Raschke), Adnan followed the example of Italian Joe Scarpa (Chief Jay Strongbow), and became Chief Billy White Wolfe. Adnan became a huge wrestling success.
In 1969, on one of several trips back home to Iraq to visit family, Adnan was "asked" by Saddam, now the Chairman of the powerful Revolutionary Command Council, to replicate his work at home. He had made a big name for himself in America, so, Saddam reasoned, Adnan owed it to his countrymen to show them that they, too, could be successful. Saddam wanted an Arab Champion whose struggles could mirror those of the Baathist Party. As you will read, Adnan could not refuse his old friend.
Sans Indian headdress and tomahawk, Adnan, who was appointed Saddam's General Director of Youth at the Youth Ministry, stages wrestling matches throughout Iraq and the Middle East. He becomes rich, a cultural icon as the Arab champion, and performs before hundreds of thousands of cheering fans. All the while, Saddam, who is giving the people bread and circuses and diverting attention away from his own plans, does not realize the matches he watches are performances.
Fame, as you will read, comes with a price.
The Sheikh of Baghdad is not a typical wrestler autobiography because it is a well-written, gossip-, beer binge-, drug- and raucous sexual exploit- free work. You'll laugh at how Saddam, fearful that Andre the Giant might actually defeat his champion, brings a solid gold pistol to the match, forcing Adnan to protect his huge opponent. You'll read sobering tales of Baathist cruelty but also of a man's desire to go back home one day and visit his family. Finally, you'll befriend an Iraqi who becomes an American, who lives the American Dream, and who wants others to have the same chances he did. The Sheikh of Baghdad gives a close look at life in Iraq under Saddam Hussein. It is evidence that Muslims and Americans can be friends rather than enemies, both in the ring and out.

Over Christmas, I was stunned to see a new wrestling autobiography, from wrestling's infamous "General Adnan". I snapped it up and read it, and was pleasantly surprised. This is one of the more interesting wrestling autobiographies to come out recently. (I've also read Ric Flair's and William Regal's.)

Older wrestling fans will remember the WWF's 1990 storyline coinciding with the Gulf War. In the storyline, Sergeant Slaughter teamed up with an Iraqi manager, "General Adnan", to side with Saddam Hussein's Iraq. In epic battles with Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, these evildoers were eventually defeated. Slaughter became a behind-the-scenes employee at the WWE (still on television occasionally to this day), and Adnan disappeared. Who was this guy? I assumed he was just some taxi driver that Vince McMahon picked to play the role. Boy was I wrong.

Adnan Al-Kaissy really was from Iraq, and more than that, he was Saddam Hussein's official World Iraqi Champion for eight years! Adnan has a wealth of stories from his life, both from Iraq and wrestling in America's AWA as "The Sheik".

Older wrestling fans will be surprised that Adnan first wrestled in America as "Chief Billy White Wolf", and was the tag partner of Chief Jay Strongbow during the late 70s. (This shocked me, because I actually saw these two wrestle Mr. Fuji and his partner at the Capital Center in Washinton DC when I was a child.)

Later, Adnan returned to Iraq and introduced Pro Wrestling there. He would fly over friends from Europe and America, including Andre the Giant, to wrestle in the Baghdad arena. His opponents never won a match, however, as the Iraqis believed the wrestling was real, and would have killed the victorious foreigner. At every victory of Adnan, the crowds would fire off their guns in appreciation, terrifying the guest wrestler.

Adnan's stories about Saddam Hussein are the most interesting of all, and the most disturbing. Adnan knew Saddam from the time the dictator was 16 years old. Saddam was very political even then, he murdered a man who was a Communist rival. As Saddam climbed the ranks of the Baathist party, Adnan relates, he became more bloodthirsty and paranoid.

Saddam's paranoia, interestingly, was not unfounded. In 1960, Adnan relates how the entire Iraqi country watched on live television as their president was assassinated. They watched as he was strapped down to a chair, as thousands of machine gun bullets made his body smoke. The killings of Iraq's political leaders continued, president after president was murdered as the decades passed. Very informative, especially considering the political process that Iraq has today.

Adnan's story of how he became an American citizen, and how he yearns for a better future for Iraq, is spellbinding. Whether you're a pro wrestling fan or interested in the people of Iraq, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I haven't quite finished this book yet, but what I've read thus far is maybe 10% fact and 90% fiction. Sure, making up stories about links to famous people makes for more interesting reading, but personally I'd be more interested in hearing the real story. It becomes a lot more readable once he gets to the AWA years. Not the worst book on pro-wrestling by far, but not in the top 50% either. Oh, and I'm not impressed that relatives were able to get signed copies. LOL.

Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy signed my copy to me! Any collector out there must have this! The book is not only about his life on the road as a wrestler but also his life in Iraq growing up as a friend of Saddam Hussein, it is incredible! You will actually learn some remarkable history with this book. Unbelievable what Sheik went through.

Readers will find this a great source of nickle knowledge; celebs from all walks of life responded to the author's request to list some of their favorite things. Many chuckles here, along with some shameless self promotion... and half goes to charity! PS- read the dedication.

I loved the fact that all the celebrity entries were the actual hand written responses. It gave the words more character and personality while reading them.

I bought this book on an impulse, and what a wonderful surprise it turned out to be.

The book's concept--asking well-known figures to share "their favorite things" by jotting them down on their own stationary--reminds us that the things that make our lives special are usually very simple. It's also striking, reading the different lists, to recall how nice a hand-written note can be.

The book works on other levels as well. It's great fun, for example, to try and guess what sorts of things the celebrities will list--and more often than not, you'll find yourself surprised by what they say: from Mark McGuire to Robin Williams, from George W. Bush to Regis and Kathie Lee.

This book makes a terrific gift as well. Rest assured, if you give this book to someone else, it will spur great conversations about your favorite things--and in so doing, allow you to think about, and appreciate, those things yet again.

Kudos as well for supporting the Make-A-Wish foundation.

What a neat collection of celebrities, from so many different walks of life. The stationary of each celeb is really interesting and their desires are often suprising. What's even better is it is for a great cause. It seems like a pefect stocking stuffer/christmas present. Two thumbs up!

This book was a pleasure to read. It is fascinating to read all of the celebrity's "favorite things" from the most simplest to the ones on a grand scale. My favorite was to read about the kids from the Make-A-Wish foundation and what their wishes were. This book is a MUST for everyone!

This is a decent book -- strictly decent -- sheds little in the way of light onto the cult of celebrity that keeps popping up in first fiction. Specifically, a novel a few years ago called Fake Liar Cheat by Tod Goldberg handled the subject of unwitting fame in a funny, dark way that this novel does not yet quite approach. The sense is that the author likes the scene and aches for the acceptance herself. No one wants to read a book that seems counterintuitive to the author's true goals. The book does serve as a decent beach read but fails to strike new ground. If you want the primers, get Fake Liar Cheat, or Day of the Locust or even Why Sammy Ran.

Once I got started, I found I was reading and reading and reading. Something very rare for me!! I haven't gone through a book so quickly since reading James Clavell many years ago with something as funny as Tom Sharpe!!! I wish I could be Tom Webster!

Although written by a woman, it is not apparent in the reading. She seems to get into the male psyche very well. Like any book you enjoy, you just don't want it to end. What happens next???

It's just a lot of fun to read, what more can I say!!

If Bridget Jones could only meet Tom Webster, the main character of WALK OF FAME, she'd be writing Bridget Jones Webster's Diary! Tom Webster is the man Bridget and every other single woman is looking for. And he is looking for you! His search ultimately takes him on the rollercoaster ride of his life to fame and riches. This first novel is a hilarious, delicious, roman a clef that is destined to be the Beach Read of 2001! Some might think I'm a bit biased being Ms. Krum's literary agent but after the book was a bestseller when first published in Australia last year and a critical hit in the UK this year, with foreign editions coming out all over the world and Harold Ramis producing the film version with Tony Goldwyn (A WALK ON THE MOON, SOMEONE LIKE YOU) directing the picture for Twentieth Century Fox, production to start next Fall, I think the verdict is in -- WALK OF FAME is absolutley fabulous! Sharom Krum writes so convincingly in a man's voice that many publishers and filmmakers thought she was a man when I first presented the book. Only after I showed her beautiful photograph did people believe that this young talented woman could capture so authentically the voice of Tom Webster. WALK OF FAME is a witty and wise cautionary tale about what happens to a nobody who becomes a somebody overnight. With a sharp eye and keen sense of our contemporary , zany, preposterous obsession with fame, Krum creates a character who we can root for and adore. Plus it's really fun to read from a true expert (Krum is a celebrity journalist)what goes on behind the scenes. WALK OF FAME is a how-to book about getting famous. If you loved BRIDGET JONES DIARY, HIGH FIDELITY, PRIMARY COLORS -- then you'll love WALK OF FAME.

To buy or not to buy? -- or to borrow from the library? Buy this one. Hilarious and poignant, it's one of the best reads I've ever had. Ever.

Average-guy, history buff, overweight financial writer Tom Webster, who bills himself as Tom The Okay (as compared to his heroes Alexander the Great and William the Conqueror) is about to get a taste of celebrity. "The Vulture," a pop-culture magazine, assigns him to concoct a scheme -- any scheme -- so fabulous that it will gain him instant fame. His mission: keep the scam a secret from everyone and keenly observe the ways his new-found celebrity status changes the way he's treated by everyone from his best friend to his doorman and all the hangers-on in between.

Tom does put together a fantastic scheme. He becomes obscenely famous. The reactions of those around him are positively delicious. Especially satisfying are the stunned responses of his ex-wife and of his best friend (who also happens to be the ex-wife's new squeeze). Krum is a wonderful suck-you-in writer and the reader shares Tom's marvelous adventure in full. Krum also has a magnificent sense of humor and the pages positively rollick. Warning: don't pick it up on a night you hope to get to sleep early.

Tom doesn't escape fame's hell -- the Tabloid ambushes in the men's room, the sordid rumors of wrongdoing, the foisting of designer clothing freebies that make him look like "the love child of Keith Richards and Queen Victoria." Despite the fantastic happenings, the book always rings true. A most satisfying read that leaves you with astute observations of a culture gone celebrity mad. I can't wait for Krum's next book.

Think you can handle the media pressure following your single appearance on "Survivor?" Their names in the gossip columns, reporters digging through their trash, rumors and innuendo flying about. Your personal life will constantly be examined, reexamined, and every facet of your life will be painfully detailed. This is not an easy task as shown by Debb Eaton during the finale. For her, the scrutiny she faced was not worth the three days she spent in the Outback. In her book, "Walk of Fame," Sharon Krum takes a deft jab at the world of manufactured celebrities and the media that feeds into them. It's a handbook for all budding superstars who want reality TV to be their next step to stardom.

Tom Webster is an unassuming writer for a financial magazine whose love of history has left him wondering if he shot a president if anyone would know who he was. His wife left him a year ago for his best friend and his weekly 800-word column hasn't won him fame or fortune but all of that is about to change. For $100,000, Webster must make himself into an overnight celebrity and then write an article detailing his meteoric rise to stardom - exposing himself as a fraud while simultaneously exposing the dark underbelly of the media machine. Aligning himself with Hollywood bombshell Alexandra West (who feels she is in need a makeover in order to be taken seriously by the Hollywood machine), the duo become the topic of conversation in gossip columns all over the country. In turn, his mother worries, his friend (yes, the one who stole his wife) fumes, his wife seethes, and the public hungers. The offers of book and television deals come fast and furious as well as the comely smiles and winks from women that wouldn't have given him a second look prior to Alexandra West.

Sharon Krum deftly writes through the voice of a man. So well, in fact, you forget that it's a woman writing the novel. There are several laugh out loud moments when the utterly unexpected happens and several moments when you actually feel for Tom. Has he gotten himself in over his head? "Walk of Fame" is a wonderful expose on the power of the media to take an ordinary man and make him into a star. Not only does the fame affect the person, but their friends and family as well. The pressure that all quarters feel is overwhelming as the media clamors for more information about the lowly financial columnist who is now the talk of the nation. The cynicism with the search for fame and the problems it brings shows the barebones reality of being a celebrity. This book truly answers the question, "At what cost fame?"

So, before you send in that application to be a contestant on the next reality show, check out "Walk of Fame," currently available in bookstores and on Amazon.com. Know what you are in for before it actually happens.

I brought it to a bachelorette party. It was OK but not a big deal. I'm sure there are more fun books.

Don't pretend you haven't thought of something like this at least once in your life...This is perfect for girl parties, bachelor parties (strippers are SO over), and any event that you want to spice up. It was a hit at my sister's bridal shower. You'll get a lot of laughs for your buck out of this book!

I picked up Who Would You Do after Regis and Kelly talked about it and once I read it (and LOVED it!) I KNEW a Who Would You Do theme party would be THE party of the summer. We had a great time and everyone left with a party favor they all loved--a copy of Who Would You Do!

Nothing can bring friends or lovers together like sex and laughter. Who Would You Do is an awesome combination of the two. I take it with me everywhere I go.

You need this for your next beach trip with the gang. While Judi Dench, Danny Davito and cheese whiz may not normally show up in your fantasies you can really learn alot about your friends as you argue the merits of each.

As a British reader born after the 1960s I did not really know that much about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. A friend gave me this book and I began to read it out of a sense of duty. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked! I thought this was an exceptionally well written and researched biography that gives a very balanced view of a fascinating personality and period. The background to the Onassis wedding and the sections on JFK are especially good. It has left me wanting to read more about America in the 60s.

Through the author's detailed investigations, Jackie's life unfolds with all its complexities as one of the century's most famous lifestory. Here you can catch a glimpse of the "real" Jackie in excerpts of actual conversations and observations that the author was able to obtain from those who knew her on a personal level and those who watched from the sideline. The conspiracies and the tragedy of the Kennedy White House years can shock the reader. The Onassis years and her life of high society can also entertain the reader. At times, Jackie comes through, remaining unscathed and there is a sense of admiration for her. However, intimate details of Jackie's foibles can also generate criticism. This is a true biography of Jackie Kennedy Onassis and makes for entertaining as well as worthwhile reading in that you gain a proper perspective of who she really was. I highly recommend it.

This gives you everything you've ever wanted to know about Jackie Onasis. It also mentions on the first page that Jackie's mother's family were "lace curtain Irish." Many people mistakenly believe that Jackie was all French, but she was actually half French. Her mother's family emigrated from Cork, Ireland, and her grandfather had a rags to riches story. That wealth is the main reason that Jack Bouvier married Jackie's mother, Janet Lee. The whole book is exciting, and I would recommend it to anyone.

I bought this book about five years ago at my local bookstore just out of curiosity. I liked the cover and the price and I've always like biographies. I had seen the mini-series on the book and so I was interested in reading the book. I seriously could not put it down! Like all biographies, the first two or three chapters were sort of boring, but once it started talking about Jackie's childhood and beyond...well, what can I say...ever since, I've been a "Jackie" fan. I really fell in love with her character and her style. She had to put up with so much in life and she endured such loss and heartache in life, yet she remained a rock in crisis until her tragic death. It has been said that she taught the world how to mourn during the death and burial of her first husband, President John F. Kennedy. This saying is so true. She mourned with elegance and grace and yet the world embraced her and still embraces her memory even four years after her own death. ! ! She truly is a legend and one of the most famous women who has ever walked this earth. This book will really open your eyes to a beautiful lady who was extremely intelligent and classy....A Woman Named Jackie.

...that JFK's Presidency and marriage to Jackie were not romantic fairytales. Heymann has done an impressive amount of interviews and research, and while some readers may argue with his interpretation of certain events, there's no doubt that he's done his homework. This book follows Jackie from her surprisingly unhappy childhood, which was marked by an ugly divorce between her dashing yet womanizing and big-spending father and her uptight, social-climbing and rather cold mother. Jackie was a definite daddy's girl - she adored her father and never seemed to care too much for her mother or the second man she married, wealthy stockbroker Hugh Auchincloss. Thereafter comes the familiar story - she grows into a beautiful and sophisticated young woman (who emphasizes her father's French ancestry and ignores her mother's Irish heritage), attends the best women's private schools in the US and France, becomes engaged to a nice yet boring young stockbroker; but then breaks off the engagement when she begins dating a sexy and exciting US Senator who just happens to come from a wealthy family - John F. Kennedy. Then comes the high-society wedding, the rocky marriage (made so by Jack's constant cheating and Jackie's aloofness from her in-laws), her glamorous tour as First Lady, the assassination, and finally her controversial marriage to the crude yet wealthy Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Although Heymann tries to be objective and fair to his subject, the book does seem to emphasize the flaws and dark sides of Jack and Jackie. Some readers who have a romantic view of Jackie may not want to read this book, as it will definitely destroy your romantic view of her. Yet while she had her flaws, there's no denying her now-legendary poise during her husband's funeral or her outstanding role in raising her two children to be good citizens and good people. Overall, this is an engrossing warts-and-all biography of one of the most famous women of the twentieth century.

Kimball is a breath of fresh air in the world of art criticism. Also, the New Criterion, the magazine his writes for, is terrific.

In an artworld where cynicism and duplicity are the norm, Kimball offers an important commentary of the lack of values that inform much of the art and art criticism today. For most critics, art need only be "challenging" to be good. Kimball clearly states the importance of craft, skill and intellectual rigour as disciplines which artists need to cultivate. Kimball's stylish prose and precise vocabulary make this a highly enjoyable read.

There are enough good points about this book to make it a worthy purchase. As a painter struggling to work within a traditional academic style of painting, I welcome most all of the well-deserved bullets fired at the modern "art" establishment, such as the excellent work being done by the Art Renewal Center. That being said, this book indeed has its problematic aspects. From reading the reviews and the blurb for this book one would think that the author would be a latter-day champion of traditional western art and its values - at times he does indeed seem to be so inclined. However, when one reads through the progressive essays and notices that the author takes denigrating shots at the likes of latter-day masters such as Burne-Jones, Moreau, and Leighton, while singing praises for Matisse and the modern art critic Clement Greenberg, one begins to wonder if there is a self-denying modernist masquerading behind a traditionalist veneer. At least he does get the evaluation of Odd Nerdrum correct. Worth a look, but traditional artists and enthusiasts looking for a kindred spirit should be on the lookout for some of the rather odd and contradictory opinions presented here.

Funny and irreverent, Kimball captures prosaically what so many of us artists and art lovers often feel. The nexus between art critics, gallery owners, and celebrity has always been insidious. Kimball shows no mercy when jabbing at politically correct shibboleths in the established art economy.

Contrary to what another reviewer (I must wonder whether he actually read the book) has posted here twice, Kimball does indeed offer us guidance in how to "approach art" with one very important message: The art itself and by itself is always more important than the critic. What he does not do is genuflect before the altar of over-intellectualization and deconstruction that enthralls so many art poseurs.

Highly recommended.

This is a remarkable pictorial and editorial memoir from a remarkable person. Her ability to insinuate herself inside the corridors of power is unsurpassed.

This book was mentioned in people magazine. They said it would be a great coffee book table. Ordered for my husband and was disapointed. Anyone who picks it up looks thru a few pages and then just places back on the table. I should have looked at it at a book store before I purchased it online.

This is SUCH an amazing book. I couldn't tear myself away. The text & stories to go along with the photos makes this a unique experience in a beautiful coffee table photography book, not to mention the fabulous pictures she takes. Anyone interested in public figures, politics, business, or photography would love this book.

Diana Walker has enjoyed extraordinary photographic access to American political, business, and social leaders for decades. Combine this with a highly skilled photographic eye and a sly sense of humor and you get a rich collection of portraits, sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always revealing. A treat.

Lee Marshall's is the most interesting book i read about Dylan in years.
Anyway, regiarding to the comments above, I don't think jg wanted to say that Dylan should be an example as lifestyle... he just said that the christian period is underestimated. I agree with this, in terms of art quality, but even in the book terms of stardom construction/de-construction.
In some way Dylan conversion was partly a research for the immortality of his work and strictly connected with the GOSPEL tradition. TIMHO.
Many others important aspects in this book are absent, but nobody can be omnicomprehensive in such a vast matter. BD is really bigger than life.

Bruno
Rome IT

I've read more than 30 Bob books, and this is among the best.

Intellectual yet accessible, this sociological analysis of what made and continues to make Bob a star is an insightful look into how Dylan's stardom changed over the course of his career and how the social context and his audience facilitated and inhibited his stardom. One thing I truly appreciate about this book is that it does not stop in 1966!

Lee Marshall divides the book into seven major chapters separated by bulleted snapshots of the major events in Dylan's life:

(1) Introduction - Here he looks at stardom as a social system with distinctive functions and characteristics, and identifies those things that make a rock star unique. In other words, he lays out the conceptual framework he will use to analyze Dylan's career.
(2) Stardom, Authorship and the Meaning of Songs - In this chapter he argues that attempts to understand the meaning of Bob's songs through textual analysis or biographical inference are limiting. He argues that how the reader, listener, or audience generates meaning is what really matters. This meaning changes as the social context changes and as the individual's experience with the music deepens. This is especially true for Dylan, whose expression of the music continues to evolve. It's not just the words; it's also the voice, the personality, the music...everything that shapes our feelings and the meanings we construct.
(3) Folk Stardom - Dylan became a star during the second folk revival in this country, at a time when youth were deeply concerned about the possibility of nuclear holocaust, the Vietnam war, and civil rights. Dylan found a way to powerfully express the collective consciousness of the time and developed an image as a political leader (whether he wanted to or not). He broke from the union collectivist notions of the traditional folk movement to "empathetic individualism" - a "belief that only by developing one's individual self-awareness could one change society." He told tales to create an image of an everyman figure, reinforcing the sense that an ordinary person with talent (specialness) can become a star with some luck and hard work. He was ordinary and special.
(4) Rock Stardom - When Dylan went electric, he outraged folk purists who viewed him as "selling out" or going commercial. Marshall asserts that "rock did not exist before Dylan's shift to electric music" - pretty audacious of him! He's referring to the ideology of rock, not the musical structure. He argues that Dylan changed the way songs were written, rock was criticized, and what fans were seeking. He was cool, confident, and authentic. He was "an individual who rejects politics in favour of inner-consciousness yet still manages to be political; an artist who follows his own unique vision regardless of the consequences yet found new audiences and commercial success; a self-conscious artist speaking for no one except his own self yet upheld as the leader of a youth movement." He was a perfect ideological fit for the times.
(5) Beyond Stardom - Dylan's work was canonized after the 1966 World Tour and motorcycle accident in much the same way Marilyn Monroe and James Dean were canonized after their deaths. Fortunately for us, Dylan didn't have to die. As Marshall points out, the idealization of Dylan that occurred in his silence, also contributed to a post-sixties image of a star who never quite lives up to expectations.
(6) Declining Stardom - When Dylan returned to the public in the 1970s, his work was overshadowed by the mythological past and by social changes. His meaning was as a "living legend" and interpreted in nostalgic terms. In the early 1980s, with the release of the gospel albums, his image became increasingly unclear. Meanwhile, the music industry began seeing declining record sales, and looked for major sellers like Michael Jackson's Thriller, which sold 47 million copies worldwide. MTV emerged to help construct star-images. Bob's albums were rarely big sellers, and pop videos never were his medium. Neither of these trends served him well. Dylan seemed out of sync with this new world. As Dylan sang, "But it's like I'm stuck inside a painting / That's hanging in the Louvre. / My throat starts to tickle and my nose itches / But I know that I can't move." Marshall suggests that Dylan developed a deliberate strategy to get out of being a legend - The Never Ending Tour (NET).
(7) Redefining Stardom - The NET (from June 1988 to now) was intended to "transform his relationship with his audience." The audience who came to see the legend wanted to hear familiar songs, and wanted them to sound the way they remembered them. He wanted an audience that was there to engage with the music now. In his first 22 years, Dylan performed 525 concerts, an average of 34.5 per year. In the first 18 years of the NET, he played 1909 shows, averaging 100 per year. While some still show up to see the legend, more keep coming back to engage with the music. His fans are now multi-generational and often attend multiple shows, due to their variety. Less than 50% of the songs are from 1961-66. He finally has the audience he deserves.
(8) Never Ending Stardom - Time Out of Mind and Dylan's hospitalization in 1997 changed things once again. The themes of Time Out of Mind - constant movement, having nothing to say, and aging and mortality - were in sync with his transformed star-image. Many international and national awards followed, including an Oscar for Things Have Changed. His next two albums - Love & Theft and Modern Times - were critically acclaimed and commercially successful. These three albums integrate the rich traditions of American roots music in a way that makes them timeless. Chronicles, No Direction Home, and Theme Time Radio all show a "wise man offering an omiscient view of history." He has managed to find endlessly creative ways of renewing the past.

This is an insightful look at an amazing star. Can't wait for the next concert...
Bob Dylan: No Direction Home - The SoundtrackChronicles: Volume One (Chronicles)Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank SeriesTime Out of Mind"Love and Theft"Modern Times (Special Limited Edition)

My reaction to the "Christian" reviewer is that a few Dylan freaks or phobes or supporters or whatever they decided to be called project their particular feelings onto Dylan. They don't know Dylan, they just want to believe they do and everything they write is colored by these suppositions. If we all agree that Dylan's music and poetry is superb we can then agree to disagree about him as a person. His lifestyle is not something I would point to as an example of a happy, fulfilled life. To me he appears chronically dissatisfied and that may be my projection. However to confuse the Dylan character and personality with his work is to do just that. They are not the same but Dylan has hidden his true self or displayed it in various guises. Do we know him, hardly. Do we want to, that is a different question.

this book is like a punch in the face. you won't forget it for a long time. i read it in just a few days. the book is especially reccomended for anyone who loves bob and his work. i have read many dylan books. this one is absolutely brilliant. Marshall's analysis of dylan and his career is apocalyptic. he puts dylan's career in perspective in so many ways. dylan's importance to the world cannot be overstated. i have no doubt that his prophet status will continue to grow throughout time. the only critique i will make is with Marshall's inability to analyze the importance of dylan's christian music. he never really deals with it. i strongly reccomend that anyone reading this book also reads Stephen Webb's book, From Highway 61 to Saved. i think that people don't understand dylan's christianity. they think that bob abandoned his free-spirited creative artistry for rigid christian dogma. it is not true. when bob embraced god he acknowledged the source of his artistry. in god, bob found universal truth that liberated him completely from the emptiness that haunted him and it gave birth to his truest understanding of life and of himself. god saved bob. bob has always tried to use that power to save us. i think that people can't see this because it can't be understood as an outsider. The power of faith in god and Christ cannot be appreciated as an observer. bob's artistry has always been tied to faith in a higher power and he took it to the next level. one other point i would make concerns bob's "comeback" starting with his pericarditis and the release of Time Out of Mind. When bob got sick people stopped taking him for granted because they were faced with the reality of his mortality. it's like giving awards to artists when they get old to make sure that they understand how much they are appreciated and loved before the opportunity is missed. This type of public appreciation is sincere but it was somewhat contrived and long over-due. Dylan's greatness has always been evident to the true-believer and he would have continued to produce sublime and important work without the recognition that he got. As long as i'm on a soap box about my favorite subject, this scenario reminds me of the standing ovation that bob got when he sang his christian music at the grammy awards many years ago. I think alot of people were clapping for the wrong reasons. I think that they were happy that bob had accepted Christ and in essence their side had won an important endorsement. They were not celebrating bob's joy at finding
the love and truth that he had always been looking for. i was struck by the schism and shallowness of the moment.

This book is awesome! Very fascinating, entertaining, and educational. It's also written and organized in an exciting and easy to read format with some nice illustrations.
About every conspiracy you've ever heard of is in this book. JFK, Elvis, The Holy Grail, Roswell, Waco, The Bermuda Triangle, 9/11...man, it's fun to read and contemplate.
Every topic has a brief explanation, some strange facts, suspects, most convincing evidence, and then ends with a skeptical take on why the particular theory might be nonsense.
The book never tries to take sides, except on the Elvis story it ends saying "The King is dead. Get over it." How funny!
You don't need to be a conspiracy theory nut to enjoy this book, but you might turn into one after reading it.

If you enjoy conspiracy theories, this book is for you. It is one of the most entertaining, razorblade sharp and easy-to-read, general books on the subject that has ever been published. Whilst some of the photographic material is pretty standard, there are some incredible shots in this book that I'd never come across before - even in five years looking into some of my favourite theories on the net.

One of the great things about this is that it covers modern hot topics such as the murder of David Kelly (on that case it includes some amazing new material) and what the second war in Iraq/911 is really about.

Probably the best book to give to someone fairly new to the real stories behind the news, there is something for everyone in this book. If you are a sceptic about conspiracy theories, you will probably enjoy the acid, dark and often sarcastic humour the writers bring to the topics they cover, but if you are a conspiracy nut like me you'll enjoy a lot of the new twists that they have put into print.

One of the author's - David Southwell - is the subject of a lot of gossip in certain conspiracy circles after it emerged in a front-page Sunday Time's story that he worked with MI5 on terrorist issues. Amongst all the crazy stuff on aliens and Elvis, there are traces of a lot of inside knowledge about the world we aren't meant to know about.

My only gripes are that it could have done with some better editing in places and that the authors drop hints o things they were obviously afraid to publish (though they get away with exposing some amazing truths).

All in all, the most fun conspiracy book I've ever read.

Wow. An easy five-star book. This is the conspiracy book that really stands out from all the rest of the bloated tomes clogging up the shelves. A fantastic, fun format is combined with real savvy write ups on not only the usual conspiracies, but some of the more unknown but lot more interesting ones.

Well written, there is lots of insight into the world - how the government really works, how the media really works and how all the secret agenda shape our lives. A lot of books that make you question authority are really po-faced, but there's some great humor in here and it's no surprise that this book is dedicated to Bill Hicks - it is exactly the type of conspiracy book he might have written.

Great looking with some amazing pictures, this is the book. One of the best I've read on this topic and certainly the funniest but genuinely scary book I've ever come across.

This picture book is a nice introduction to conspiracies for anyone who has lived on the moon and never heard any conspiracies before but honestly you'll already know at least most of the ones in here before reading. It is good though how each conspiracy has a paragraph written through the eyes of a sceptic on each conspiracy contained within. Don't get me wrong, you will also learn some interesting facts you may not previously know about some of the conspiracies that may convince you their true. I found that although they have the topics of some major conspiracies they do not have the actual more well known conspiracies about them. For example the 9/11 one in this book does not mention at all the conspiracy that a plane did not actually crash into the Pentagon which is making the rounds on the Internet at the moment. Nor does it mention the Philadelphia plane being shot down by the US air force to prevent it crashing into a Nuclear Powerplant/Capitol Hill which is believed by a substantial number of people.

The other thing I think could have been improved in this book is the font colour and background selection. The Kurt Cobain, Extra-Terrestrials intro pages and others are impossible to read at night or if you are a bit tired with their faint grey text and black backgrounds.

A true piece of entertainment, easy to read, laugh-out-loud witticisms. Great airplane book. This author (Michael Flocker)is a rising star with an honest, sense of humor, reminding us not to take ourselves too seriously. Fun tid-bits and side-notes along with the serious (but not too serious) pointers, guiding us in making the most of what we've got (I felt like he knew me). Looking forward to his next book.

I thought this book was fun and entertaining. I read it in one afternoon, very easy to read and you will laugh out loud. There are some great points in this book, such as information on communicating, networking, public speaking, confidence and more.

I really love this book, you enjoy some brainy advices in a very funny way, he writes very light but be sure he has a lot of good stuff to say. I really enjoy reading it while drinking my hot evening coffee.

The FAme Game is as much hype as Hollywood. Not worth wasting the words on but dont waste your money either. Lots of hype and no substance for sure