Television Books

My daughter and I really like this colorful and thorough guide.
It has lots of information and feels like a Field Guide we can take anywhere.

My 4 years old son is a dino lover, and enjoyed the book very much. Especially, he favored the attached mini poster with small images of many dino species.

My 5 & 6 year olds who have been obsessed with dinosaurs for the last 3 years, love this book. They sit and read for HOURS and have learned all the specs on their favorite dinosaurs. As a parent, I think this book has a lot of great information and is simple enough for my 5 year old to read. Hope this helps!

I have a 5 and 7 year old. We all think this book is great! It's colorful and informative and Up-To-Date! One feature I enjoy pointing out to my kids is the little images which compare the dinosaurs size to a human child's size. That way we get an even better idea how big the creatures were.

Promising high interest and educational quality alike is this dinosaur 'field guide' for all ages, which packs in museum-quality dinosaur illustrations, expertise by two paleontologist authors, and details on dinosaur digs and places to see fossils in the field. Web sites, museums, and bibliographies are also included in this highly visual, appealing guide.

Schechter has done for Judy and Liza what Koeschel has done for Wolfgang. It's all here: the mood, the method, the magnificence, in two encyclopedic texts that detail the lives and good works of two of the most fascinating and talented women of our time and all the ages--the Fantastic Garland and her equally incredible Daughter Liza Minnelli. Schechter has not only written two great books, he has done the world a terrific service in collecting some of their TV appearances on DVDs that have given a permanent showcase to material that otherwise might have been gone and forgotten forever, to the great loss of all of us. Colorful, informative, and fascinating, these two books on Judy and Liza, as well as the DVDs that constitute exhibits A-Z, should provide fans and would be admirers alike with endless pleasure and information, as they make an incalculably important and significant archival contribution to our heritage. Not to be missed. Martin Kantor, MD. Author of My Guy: A Gay Man's Guide to a Lasting Relationship and Together Forever: The Gay Man's Guide to Lifelong Love

If you are a fan of one of the greatest performers we have had, this book is for you. It includes many rare photos and a chronicle of her professional life over the last 40 (!) years. Schector, a long-time fan, has finally done the professional tribute to this star that needed to be done. You won't find what's in this book anywhere else!

and I would call that thing "a burning, selfless love." No, not the love you'd find between a man and a woman or a confused grad student... but the love and respect you might find between two bitter rivals who look at each other with a knowing nod and hint of a smile.

Liza's never been hotter than she is now and this scrapbook is just the thing you'll want to read to get you caught up on her deepest desires and secrets.

I know Liza is trying to put that awful David G. (I refuse to write the name "Gest") episode behind her and possible find love with someone who's less into getting bad plastic surgery and looking creepy.

I once met David Gest at a Rest Stop on the Jersey Turnpike. He was hitting the vending machine because his Fiery Habanero Doritos corn chips were stuck between the glass and that little spinny thing.

I was nice enough to help him out. I bought another bag of the corn chips and his dropped down. Unfortunately, my bag became lodged the same way his had. He didn't even say thank you. He just grabbed his chips and walked out. And I was the one the security guard yelled at! Can you believe it?

The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook is the most loving and complete biography available today. Mr. Schechter succeeds in revealing the TRUE Liza, an incredibly talented, charismatic legend in her own right.

Thanks to the Liza fans for all the kindness and support of the book.

Here are some of the professional reviews the book has gotten to date :



From Booksoup.com :

Liza Minnelli has mesmerized her audiences with her remarkable talent and pure joy of entertaining for decades. Her appeal is universal and timeless. For those us who have had the pleasure of closely following her career, no other performing artist can compare. "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" is a comprehensive pictorial history. Schechter has done an amazing job of chronicling Liza's career accompanying his research with pictures both familiar and new to the avid Liza fan. For longtime Liza fans like myself, the book is treasure of Liza remembrances and certainly the ultimate Liza "reference" book.

****

From NYTheatre.com

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/bookshop.htm


The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook
by Scott Schechter

Perfect for any fan, The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook is just that - a scrapbook of an almost five-decade career. With a fond foreword by Billy Stricth, this book chronicles Liza's life by decade. There are brief overviews of each ten-year span, and then details and at least a brief synopsis on every movie, television show, Broadway show, and recording Liza has ever done. Furthermore, as if that was not enough, there are billions of pictures - pictures with other celebrity friends, cameos from various television and movie stints, covers of playbills and recordings, etc. The book is so indubitably complete in its coverage of Liza's career that there is even a picture of Liza with Kermit the Frog from her episode on "The Muppet Show!" This is an incredible, cohesive, and all-inclusive record of Ms. Minnelli and is a must have for any fan because of its comprehensive coverage and plethora of pictures.
- Seth Bisen-Hersh

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/bookshop.htm

****
From GENRE magazine, January-February 2005 issue, "The Feed" Column : "audio / film / PAGES," Editor (and reviews by) Michael Liebermann :

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" Scott Schechter, Kensington, Biography, 242 pages, $22

"If you're looking for objective criticism of Liza Minnelli's storied career in music, film and theater, or an expose of her latest missteps in love, then keep on browsing. But if you fancy a stroll down gay memory lane -- from growing up Garland through 'Cabaret'to the oft-forgotten 1980 TV spectacular 'Goldie and Liza : Together' -- you can't do much better than this true fan's scrapbook."

****

From OUT magazine, January 2004 issue; "OutFront" Reviews : "What's New and Hot" : "ETC" (Page 27) :

"A must-have for Liza fans, Scott Schechter brings us 'The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook' (Citadel, $21.95), a vibrant volume about her career, with over 200 rare and never-before-seen photographs."

****


Featured on November CNN "American Morning" Show

****

GREAT write-up on the InSightOUT Book Club's webpage :

CLUB REVIEW

From Cabaret to her recent stint on "Arrested Development," Liza Minnelli has never let the scandal that seems to run in her family's blood taint her dazzling career. And her life in showbiz, which spans five decades, is celebrated with this scrapbook of photos, facts, and diva pride!

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" takes you back to the beginning of the dynamic performer's life as the daughter of Judy Garland-and her first public appearance at age 2 1/2! From there, she launched a career that garnered her Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards, and it's all covered here! Along with page after page of fantastic photos, the scrapbook looks at Liza's illustrious career: New York, New York, Flora the Red Menace, Liza at the Wintergarden, and The Act. There are essays about every major performance she's ever given, including her sold out appearance in Victor/Victoria. Plus, you get all the trivia and facts you could desire-and need! Everything Liza, including discography, videography, lists of awards and much more. Photos throughout. 242 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", softcover.


THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER -- Tuesday, November 16th, 2004

Reuters via Yahoo! News, Mon, 15 Nov 2004 4:13 PM PST

'SCRAPBOOK' DELIVERS THE GOODS (Headline)

By Robert Osborne NEW YORK

Liza Minnelli has certainly had her share of publicized woes of late, but something's on the horizon that should cheer her considerably.

Scott Schechter has compiled a magnificent book on the one aspect of L. M. that always seems to get short shrift or is altogether ignored these days, i. e.,her years of delivering the goods in front of cameras and on stages throughout the world. That work has won her, to date, an Oscar (1972), three Tonys (1965, '74, '78), an Emmy (1973), a Grammy (1989), two Golden Globes (1973, '86) and an ever-loyal fan base, something Schechter covers in monumental detail in "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook," in bookstores this month via Citadel Press, with a foreword by Billy Stritch.

No stone is left unturned in looking at the career of Minnelli and, for a refreshing change, no stone is hurled at her, either; here, it's strictly Liza's professional life and accomplishments that the author is emphasizing. And nothing goes unrecorded, be it a TV "Match Game" appearance on NBC in 1967, a 1987 concert in Stockholm, Sweden, or, this year, singing "Oscar" and "God Bless the Child" at a private party at the Ars Nova Theatre in New York. Besides being a dandy reference guide for anyone hunting for a Minnelli fact,"Scrapbook" also includes plenty of interesting info on
Minnelli projects that came close to happening but didn't. She was announced, for instance, in 1975, and again in '77 and '79, to star in the film version of "Chicago," playing Velma to Goldie Hawn s Roxie Hart (with, at one point, Allan Carr producing, Frank Sinatra playing the lawyer, Nancy
Walker as the prison matron and Carol Channing and Ann Miller as competing newspaper reporters); later, in 1992, it was rescheduled but with a
difference: Lewis Gilbert was to direct, with Liza switched to the role of Roxie and Goldie as Velma.

We all know how that turned out. In 1982, Liza tested for what was to be an "Evita" directed by Ken Russell; she sang "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," causing Russell to publicly comment, "We had found our Evita"; the entire venture, however, was KO'd until it was finally made 14 years later with a different leading lady. Schechter also lists dozens of other projects that
almost happened ("Sunset Boulevard," "The Carmen Miranda Story") and, carrying out the "scrapbook" motif, there are miscellaneous color photographs, candids and reproductions of Playbill and album covers and Liza-related ads. One thing comes through loud and clear: The lady may like
to play, but she has also worked.

****

The NY POST -- "PAGE SIX" -- Sunday, November 14th, 2004 :

HITS THE SPOT :

IT'S not all bad news about Liza Minnelli, who was just hit with a lawsuit by her former chauffeur. At the book party for Scott Schechter's "Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" tribute tome, the author announced Minnelli's first theatrical movie since "Stepping Out" in 1991. Liza will play an offbeat self-help seminar leader who helps Parker Posey on her quest to find her G-spot, in "The Oh in Ohio." It co-stars Danny DeVito and Mischa Barton.

****

The SECOND Review of "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" this one by Phill Hall of Boston's EDGE and also to appear in the NY RESIDENT paper in a few weeks :

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" by Scott Schechter
Grade: A+
by Phil Hall
EDGE Literature Critic
Monday Nov 1, 2004

Just from the title alone, "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" seems predestined to find a place on the coffee table of many gay homes. But forget the stereotypical gay worship of this show biz icon and zoom in on the rich contents. Scott Schechter's extraordinary tribute to Liza with a "Z" is brilliantly researched, lavishly illustrated and endlessly entertaining. It is impossible to come away from this book without possessing a deeper love and respect for Minnelli.

Schechter breaks down Minnelli's career in a neat manner: a decade-by-decade career-based mini-biography (all scandals are removed from print), followed by a chronological appreciation of Minnelli's theater, film, television, recording and concert careers. Schechter uncovers a wealth of long-forgotten facts and photographs which will delight Minnelli's fans: Minnelli dancing on stage with then-unknown Elliott Gould in a touring company of "The Fantasticks," her simultaneous Time and Newsweek covers for "Cabaret" (and you thought Bruce Springsteen was the only entertainer to accomplish that?)

The book is also rich with Minnelli trivia, including unlikely appearances such as a concert for the inmates of a Chicago jail (two months after she won the "Cabaret" Oscar). There is also an unexpectedly large amount of little-known data on projects which Minnelli either turned down (including the role of Daisy in "The Great Gatsby" opposite Robert Redford) or which fell apart before production began (including the film version of "Evita" under Ken Russell's direction).

Schechter is uncommonly generous to Minnelli, to the point of presenting the most glamorous and flattering photographs available; later-life tabloid photographs which show Minnelli's problems with weight control are conspicuously absent. Yes, "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" is a love letter to the great star. And honestly, what's wrong with a love letter to someone who truly earned the love of her fans?

Citadel Press, $21.95, 228 pages

****

The FIRST REVIEW for "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook"

LIZ SMITH : NY Post -- Friday, November 5th, 2004

"DEDICATED TO Liza Minnelli's artistry." That's what it says on page one of Scott Schechter's "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" (Citadel Press). This is a glossy valentine to the great star, concentrating on her long, award-laden stage, screen and recording career. The sensation of her "private" life is not emphasized. Tons of previously unseen photos and plenty of Minnelli minutiae. (Her first reviews, even as an awkward teen, are a thrill to read; she had style from the start!) Flip through this and be reminded that Liza is an artist, one whose commitment to her audience never wavers.

****

One doesn't normally read an "encyclopedia" from cover to cover like others kinds of books, but you will find it hard to put Lucy A to Z down once you start. The brief but informative discussions of everything from Lucy characters and guest stars to details about her personal life are written in a fun and witty style. It makes you wish there was a book like this about every major television sitcom. Need trivia material? There's no better source of Lucy stumpers than Lucy A to Z.

I enjoyed this book and was very informed by it. I doubt you can find more detailed background data about Lucille Ball's work (from the beginning of her career to the end, from stage to the big and small screens) and her (lesser known) co-stars and co-workers anywhere else. The problem is, I'm a new fan to Lucy and I wanted to read about her life in a more conventional way (where she was born, raised, her influences, her marriage, children, etc). Those types of books got such mixed reviews from fans that I thought I'd start with this one, which had only positive reviews. There is some basic bio in this book, but it assumes you know that type of information about Lucy. So I would just say: make sure you don't start with this book if you're a new fan. It's like getting to know her backwards (everyone around her instead of the star herself). This is definitely a book for seasoned fans who want to know "more."

Great format, easy to read. Every coffee table must have one!!

A thoroughly enjoyable read on Lucy. Learned some things I never knew - and loved that way you could navigate from one section to another.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I couldn't put it down. I loved the format, the authors perspective and views were interesting and unique and you could tell he was a real Lucy fan (who isn't). Add this book to your cart and you won't be disappointed. You can read it again and again because of the unique way it is written. A must for Lucy fans. Enjoy!

Lots of good pictures and stories behind the filming of the show. If you are a fan of Andy Griffith, you can't go wrong with this book.

I've never seen such a great Mayberry book before!! It has many wonderful pictures, and tons of great history. I read this straight for around 3-4 hours, and it has great memories or the actors reminiscing... Ah, well, it's worth buying for the price, this book is worth it!! Very high quality.

I recently bought this book for my grandparents. It was such a joy to sit and watch them remember back on all the episodes they had watched. If you were a fan of the Andy Grifith show this is a must buy for you

This a very unique book on a unique show. It is not the usual Ken Beck and Jim Clark quote book with quotes taken directly from the show or text describing the characters or episodes. The text briefly describes each season and the rest of the book is filled with photos and quotes from the actors (many bit players), writers, producers, etc. The quotes range from talking about certain actors or scenes to behind-the-scenes tidbits and general feelings about The Andy Griffith Show. It reads like a scrapbook. Many of the photos I have not seen in any other TAGS book. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes photos. Some of my favorites show the cameramen, lights, and equipment as scenes were being filmed. There is also a cool aerial shot of the set of the Forty Acres lot in Culver City that was used for downtown Mayberry (p. 44). I also like the photos of TAGS memorabilia (TV Guide and comic book covers). The photos start with early publicity and scene shots from the pilot episode on The Danny Thomas Show and go on through all 8 seasons of TAGS, ending with photos and quotes on the spin-offs Gomer Pyle USMC, Mayberry RFD, and the 1986 reunion Return to Mayberry. Many people are quoted, but some of them include producer Sheldon Leonard, assistant producer Ronald Jacobs, music director Earl Hagen, Rance Howard, writer Jack Elinson, producer Aaron Ruben, Elinor Donahue, Margaret Kerry-Wilcox (played Bess Muggins and Helen Scobey), Joy Ellison (played Mary Wiggins, Opie's choice for Miss Mayberry), members of The Country Boys, Kit McNear (Howard McNear's son), James Best, Renee Aubry (choir member), Don Knotts, Julie Adams and Sue Ane Langdon (both nurse Mary Simpson), writer Harvey Bullock, Keith Thibodeaux (Johnny Paul), Jim Nabors, Jack Prince (Rafe Hollister), members of The Dillards (The Darlings) Mitch Jayne, Dean Webb, Rodney Dillard, Doug Dillard, their on-screen sister Maggie Peterson (Charlene), Bernard Fox (Malcolm Merriweather), Howard Morris (director as well as Ernest T Bass), director Earl Bellamy, Ron Howard, Clint Howard (Leon), Mary Grace Canfield (Mary Grace Gossage), George Lindsey, Betty Lynn, Hal Smith (on riding a cow), George Spence who was Frank the boyfriend in "Guest in the House" (there is an entire page on his memories of the show), Dennis Rush (played one of Opies pals, Howie Pruitt/Williams), Ruta Lee, Jack Dodson, Ken Berry, Paul Hartman's grandson Bill (one of my favorite quotes. He talks about how fans sent his grandfather Emmett radios and toasters to fix), Jack Dodson's widow Mary, associate producer Richard O. Linke, Arlene Gonlonka (Millie). Not an exhaustive list, but you get the idea. The quotes are all very positive. No bitterness in Mayberry.

My only qualm about the book is the lack of coverage of one of my favorite, and greatly unappreciated, characters Warren Ferguson. No Jack Burns quotes, I guess that is understandable. But beneath one of only three photos of him is the sarcastic caption: "Andy hires Floyd's nephew Warren Ferguson as Mayberry's new deputy, `know what I mean, huh-huh-huh?' (Please don't get him or us started)." Not keeping with the Mayberry spirit, in my opinion. Oh well, you can't have it all, I guess. The book ends with a very useful episode guide that includes a synopsis of each episode (some even include some extra tidbits or trivia) and guest characters with cast credits. It is an excellent addition to any TAGS fan's collection.

An excellent book and well put together. You will find amazing photographs of all the characters in the cast...and then some. One of the most interesting photos, in this book, is one of an ariel view of the Mayberry Town near Culver City, California. An actual town within a town.

I have read other books and also found them interesting with regard to the Andy Griffith show, but it was great to see all the pictures and read the personal comments of the stars and the people behind the scenes.

I believe that anyone , like myself, who really loved the show will enjoy this a great deal. Well done. This was one of my all time favorites shows and this book shows a lot of the people who made it such a great series.

"Murrow: His Life and Times" is a superb biography about Edward R. Murrow. No one had a greater impact in defining and shaping broadcast journalism than Murrow, and in highlighting the responsibility of journalists, broadcasters, government and citizens in a democracy. Television, he observed in 1954, "can teach, it can illuminate...but it can only do so to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends...otherwise it is merely lights and wires in a box." Whether his brilliant and breathtaking radio coverage from London of World War II, or his confrontation with red-baiting Senator Joe McCarthy, he was always principled, strong and courageous. Speaking of the anti-communist hysteria sweeping this country in the early fifties he would turn to Shakespeare, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves." As mass media races onto the Internet and enters a new digital era, the experiences and issues raised during Murrow's life become even more relevant. In the mid-fifties he warned, "the frontiers of knowledge have been pushed back, and the more that comes to be known, the less is understood...looking ahead to a time when human destinies are to be determined by the uses or abuses of new sources of almost unlimited physical power, one may ask if democracy will be able to develop the competence to deal with these complexities." He concluded, "If so, it must be through a broadening of education and the use of communications not yet realized, or perhaps even conceived." Murrow is a man for all times.

Edward R. Murrow was elusive. He was a pioneer radio and television broadcaster. His career arc did not include print journalism. His success was modern. Murrow, b. 1908, had a golden natured man for a father and a shrewd and enterprising woman for a mother. He ws the youngest of three sons. Black moods dogged his whole life. In the 1930's Murrow worked for a committee placing European scholars in American academic posts. He had contacts at CBS. At college, Washington State, he had been a speech major. At CBS, 1935, he became the Director of Talks. Murrow was also responsible for education and religion.

Radio was changing the world of politics. Overseas radio was primarily a novelty act. NBC had Alistair Cooke and so its coverage of the abdication crisis was better. Murrow was asked to take a job in London as the European director for CBS. William Shirer was offered the job of continental representative of CBS. When Germans invaded Austria, Murrow traveled to Vienna. His immensely successful career as a radio reporter, commentator, had begun. Murrow and Shirer used stamina and imagination to cover the developing crisis in Prague and elsewhere on the continent. Listeners were taken to Nuremburg to hear Hitler. At the end of September NBC and CBS radio braodcasts reported on Munich. Murrow sat with Jan Masaryk.

War finally came over Poland. CBS staff positions in the European capitals were filled. Murrow put in time everywhere. In the spring, blitzkrieg tactics caused the occupation of Belgium, the Netherlands. Norway fell. The Dunkirk evacuation took place. Churchill assumed office as Prime Minister. Commentators crowded into London. As neutrals CBS staff faced endless delays and red tape. A stringer, Vincent Sheean, became Murrow's boon companion. The reader is immersed with Murrow and company in rather delightful fashion in the events leading up to America's entry into World War II. A reader is able to sense in the author's careful descriptions the immediacy of war as brought to the radio listeners. Broadcasting brought facts and analysis to the audience in real time.

London was under air attack. Janet Murrow busied herself with the evacuation of children to America. The BBC moved broadcasting underground. Murrow inhabited freely both the upper class and the London ghetto. Eventually daytime operations ceased. It was not known at the time, but it was an RAF victory. Night bombings continued. With the approval of the censors American audiences were permitted to hear the sounds of a raid. Murrow conveyed the impersonal nature of the new technology of killing. Home news editor at the BBC, R.T. Clark, became a mentor to Murrow. He was versed in the classics and military history. In the fall of 1940 Shirer left for home from Portugal. He and Murrow had built up radio news from nothing. Home leave, 1941, proved to be a case of culture shock for the Murrows. In America there were no shortages. Murrow was effective because he did more than his job. Through happenstance he met with FDR Pearl Harbor night. He sat on the scoop that the President was determined to go to war. In the spring of 1942 the Murrows returned to London.

Murrow, disappointingly, had to coordinate CBS staff reports at headquarters during the operation of Overlord, the Normandy Invasion. In the end he was cut up with rage seeing the camps, Buchenwald and others. The Nazis had done a more thorough job of brutalizing the people than he had deemed possible. After an eighteen months' stint as an executive, Murrow returned to broadcasting. He was bitter over the death of George Polk in Greece in 1948. Polk had modeled himself on Murrow. In 1950 he took an unequivocal stand against Joe McCarthy and lost his sponsor. Regional sponsorship was arranged. Owen Lattimore commended Murrow for keeping the record straight on his case.

Fred Friendly and Murrow were ready, in 1951, to convert I CAN HEAR IT NOW to television. ALCOA sponsored SEE IT NOW. It needed to brighten its image. At the beginning of 1953, after doing an historic piece, 'Christmas in Korea,' he was exhausted. His view of the US was changing. Murrow's attack on McCarthy on SEE IT NOW was considered an act of courage by most people. It resulted in FBI scrutiny, he became a watched man. After McCarthy's demise, employers and news broadcasters were still treading gently. By 1957 Murrow was a celebrity, but SEE IT NOW was cut and he and Friendly were given SMALL WORLD. After speaking in Chicago to an association of journalists about the need for independence in television news, Murrow lost clout at CBS. Informally he was demoted. Fred Friendly became the sole executive producer of CBS Reports. One of the programs in which Murrow participated notably was 'The Harvest of Shame.' Murrow was appointed to head USIA under Kennedy. He resigned in 1964 and died in 1965.

Thank Heaven that this book - long out of print, I had my copy nailed down - has now been re-issued, and thank Heaven for the current renaissance in interest in this magnificent journalist and iconic human being. Murrow's speech to camera at the end of the McCarthy expose ought, if there is any justice, to be committed to memory by every American in the same way that the Gettysburg address is now.

As for the book itself - well, I bought my first copy in the early 1980s, Murrow having been a childhood hero. It's bit, it's beautifully written, and is it enough to say that my original copy is falling apart? And that all my Christmas present problems are now solved?

There are other good biographies (I'm a Murrow fanatic, if this isn't clear already)and I wouldn't fault any of them; and the newly-reissued DVD set of the Murrow Years is also essential and full of the most wonderful surprises. I guess that Sperber wrote the ur-text, and so this is probably the place to start. But thank you to everyone who remembered that he should not be forgotten. Meet a true American hero.

By the time most of us baby boomers were old enough to watch more substantive television fare than Felix the Cat, Edward R. Murrow was an aging icon without portfolio. He did not have the regular exposure of a Douglas Edwards, Chet Huntley, or David Brinkley. He would on occasion do spectacular work-as elementary school students we would discuss his "Harvest of Shame" documentary on the sufferings of migrant farm workers. But it was from our parents and older relatives that we inherited something of a sense of his importance in an earlier time, in the same fashion that they might speak of a Bob Taft or an Adlai Stevenson.

What we could not know in 1959, what biographer A.M. Sperber makes abundantly clear, is that we were watching the shell of a driven man who had exhausted his incredible stores of emotional energy to international cooperation, then to radio coverage of the horrors of World War II, and on to shape the formation of the CBS new department during the explosion of the television era and the age of McCarthy. Sperber traces the rise and decline of this charismatic, almost manic, entrepreneur from the most unlikely of origins, that of a lumberjack named Egbert who quickly realized the liabilities of his given name in the male work camps of Washington State.

Egbert, now Edward, chopped wood only long enough to scratch and claw his way into Washington State College. A student with fingers in many campus pies, he joined an organization called the International Institute of Education in 1931. The IIE in the early 1930's was a form of college student exchange program, one of its sponsors being the not-quite-ready-for-prime-time Columbia Broadcast System. When Murrow spoke at a West Coast gathering of IIE representatives, he earned himself election to the national office of the IIE in New York, a paid position there, and free air time on CBS radio. Murrow produced Sunday afternoon radio lectures and round table discussions, demonstrating a flair for attracting international speakers. As Murrow learned more about the plight of Jews in Germany from reporter [and later close friend] William Shirer, he used the machinery of the IIE in the United States to rescue as many Jewish intellectuals as possible and place them in American colleges. It was a tactic not universally appreciated, nor would his close cooperation with the Russians be forgotten by J. Edgar Hoover.

By the beginning of the Battle of Britain, Murrow was assigned full time by CBS to provide radio coverage of Hitler's assaults and to coordinate the company's European reporting network. It is impossible to capsulize here the horrors of those eighteen months for Murrow and for England generally, when every night brought a terror at least as awful as the World Trade Center bombing. Murrow created a network of European radio correspondents-many of whom would become household names in their own rights. He overcame industry biases against putting reporters on the air and using taped reports from the fields. But most of all, he revolutionized the very style of radio news into "factual storytelling" by his nightly accounts of German bombings that by happenstance occurred during the East Coast's prime time 7 P.M. radio news hour. Later, as the theater of war shifted east, Murrow was among the first western reporters to see first hand an operating extermination camp. He could not bring himself to talk about it over the air for several days.

Murrow returned to CBS in New York a conquering hero of sorts, the network's hottest property. Sperber does a good job in explaining why the postwar Murrow-CBS marriage was a stormy one. For one thing, the war years had reshaped Murrow into a cross between an Old Testament prophet and a posttraumatic stress sufferer. He would never be quite at home in an industry moving toward television, increased advertising dependence, and escapism. Secondly, Murrow was too much the prophet to claim objectivity. He would never be confused with, say, Bob Trout. Long before Woodward and Bernstein, Murrow crafted the art of investigative reporting for a presumably concerned nation, particularly through the medium of his weekly "See It Now" series, a rough and tumble forerunner of "60 Minutes." His most controversial television piece, his hour-long exposure of Joe McCarthy, was out and out editorializing, albeit accurate. In Murrow's mind, he was serving the common good. Others were not so sure. Thirdly, Murrow himself had a past that made him a potential network liability. When he produced his "Harvest of Shame" documentary, for example, hardly a paean for capitalism, those with long memories would recall his enthusiastic embrace of Russian intellectuals in the late 1930's with the IIE.

The great irony in the breakup of Murrow and CBS is that the deciding infidelity may possibly have been unintentional. In 1960, with quiz show scandals threatening the credibility of the television industry, CBS President Frank Stanton announced a policy to eliminate the appearance of deceit in any of his network's programming, not just quiz shows. When pressed as to the extent of this policy, the network cited other programming, including rather surprisingly Murrow's own "Person to Person" prime time home visits to celebrities. In one reading of this event, Stanton may have simply been protesting the pre-scripting of interview questions and the staged walk-through of the homes. Or, there may have been a subtler message. A young Harry Reasoner inquired of Murrow on air, in so many words, "why are you, the Jeremiah of the industry, wasting precious prime time with the innocuous drivel of fighters and starlets?"

Unlike Reasoner and Howard K. Smith, who felt no compunction about switching networks, Murrow lived and died CBS. Illness and ultimately death interrupted his stint as window dressing for the Kennedy administration in 1965. Perhaps his prodigious cigarette smoking had finally claimed him. More likely, it was the pressure of living so many lives in one frail human shell.

Since its publication in 1986, no other biography on Edward R. Murrow has been written that can depose A.M. Sperber's magnificent work. "Murrow: His Life and Times" is, by far, the best biography written to date on America's first, and possibly last, great broadcasting journalist.

Sperber's book captures the essence of Murrow's life from a young intellectual to his rise from college campuses to directorship of the "Institute of International Education" and to Murrow's début at CBS where he broadcasted the bombing of London during World War II. It was during this period that Murrow demonstrated, so clearly, his finesse with the American audience as they listened to his broadcast of the traumatic events as they unfolded in World War II Europe.

Sperber's methodical research, numerous interviews, attention to detail, and her writing give the reader a close and personal look at the extraordinary triumphs and tragedies that made up Murrow's life. Readers are able to follow Murrow's footsteps and virtually see into his world, as he became the voice of World War II and the voice for America. Murrow's denunciation of Senator Joseph McCarthy's treatment of Americans during the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) hearings set into motion the senator's decline and closed a dark chapter in American politics -- all with his rational, yet forceful manner of speaking.

Sperber writes of Murrow's journalistic integrity and his struggles for openness and frankness in the media -- ideals that brought Murrow into constant conflict with CBS. The author also illustrates Murrow's battle with tobacco addiction - an addiction that would have devastating affects on Murrow's health. An entire life flawlessly researched and written in 705 captivating pages that will embrace readers today as it did when the book was first published 1986. After reading Sperber's book the reader will understand why CBS headquarters in New York City still displays a plaque in their lobby which contains the image of Murrow and the inscription: "He set standards of excellence that remain unsurpassed."

"Murrow: His Life and Times" should be required reading for students of communications and those working in media. There is no better chronicle of America's greatest broadcasting journalist. Readers will find this book hard to put down once they begin reading it. It is superb in every respect and the very best biography on Edward R. Murrow.

Wow! What an amazing book filled with the most beautiful pics ever! Also has a few inspiring quotes. All NKOTB fans should own this one.

This book is filled cover to cover with beautiful photographs of the fabulous five on stage, off stage, awake and asleep. This book is filled with seriousness and silliness. Lynn Goldsmith has managed to capture the very essence of these men. It's more than a documentary. She's managed to illustrate where they come from, where they're going and who they are. Even if you're not a NKOTB fan you can appreicate the beauty of these photographs.

This is one of the most exciting books ever published on the New kids! The pictures really share the most intament experiances the boys went threw! Pictures are the most wonderful part of the book!

A must have book for any New Kids Fan. This book contains some of the most incredible pictures I have ever seen. Lynn Goldsmith captures the guys in there own way. Their Real Selves!

A+

I am an adult and I am still and always will be an NKOTB fan! This book is great! The pictures are the best one's I have seen! This book is a must for any NKOTB fan new or old! Iam very proud to own this book!

I own both made for TV movies and all 20 episodes. Darrin McGavin was perfect for the role of Kolchak. I waited every week for a new episode, and was scared every minute as I watched them. The shows/movies not only keep you in suspense, but make you wonder; did it really happen? (If you do not understand that last statement, you never watched the show/movie.) Mr. Dawidziak did a fantastic job of writing this book. Every angle is covered from the movies and shows. The stories behind the shows are very interesting. I have the 25th Anniversary tribute issue. There are interviews with the surviving cast plus photos, biographies, and an episode guide are only part of this compendium. Carl Kolchak is a character that will live forever, read this book and you will want to watch the series. And for those X-filers out there, you need this book: because it is the inspiration for the X-Files.

It is funny; I have always loved the Night Stalker series and did not know this book existed. I flew to Seattle, Washington to tour the underground city I saw on the 2nd Movie, "The Night Strangler" and at the end of the tour in the gift shop was this book, hidden in the corner. They told me they use to make reference to the show during the tour, but for the last decade or so, no one knew what they were talking about. This came up because when they asked why we were on the tour, my friend told them I made him come on the tour because of the Series. (It is true) :-)

I ran across the night stalker on cable a couple of years ago. Despite it's age I found I really loved the show. It has a great mix of humor along with the 'horror'. (the horror is the most dateable bit).

This book gives you great background to the series (and why there is so little of it) and the actors. It also includes a fully detailed episode guide and a critical evaluation of each episode.

For people who enjoy the night stalker or who want to know more about the show or actors/producers you can't go wrong with this excellent guide.

Mark Dawidziak has put a lot of work into this companion, which documents the development and demise of a television series before it's time. I remember all too well those Friday nights from 1974-1975 watching Kolchak: The Night Stalker in my youth. Dawidziak's book does not disappoint. The book is full of documentation and photos, not to mention it's documented confirmation of Kolchak: The Night Stalker television series' influence on Chris Carter's The X-Files. Personally, I still think The Night Stalker was a better series. It's too bad Dawidziak didn't have more episodes to work with, due of course to the show's premature cancellation.

Mark Dawidziak's first attempt at a history and critique of the Kolchak mythos was Night Stalking: A 20th Anniversary Kolchak Companion (Image Publishing, 1991), sparsely distributed and now a collectible. Aided by Kolchak creator Jeff Rice, he then wrote Grave Secrets (Image, 1994), the first Kolchak novel since Rice's novelization of Matheson's Night Strangler teleplay. Rice was pleased with Grave Secrets, but not with Image's dismal distribution. He withdrew literary rights to the character.

Details are in Dawidziak's Night Stalker Companion, a heavily revised and updated version of Night Stalking, and a well-structured chronicle of the rise and fall and afterlife of Carl Kolchak, a hard-boiled reporter who investigates supernatural and extraterrestrial crimes. Dawidziak interviewed all key players, and while he accentuates the positive, he does not eliminate unpleasantries. Kolchak would expect no less from his biographer.

Kolchak first appeared in The Kolchak Papers, an unpublished 1970 horror novel written by newspaper reporter (and actor) Jeff Rice. Rice submitted it to Richard Matheson's agent, who sold TV movie rights to ABC without first signing Rice. Rice had hoped to adapt it himself, but the agent had already secured the teleplay assignment for Matheson. Dawidziak adds, "It's important to note that Rice does not in any way blame Matheson for what he views as shady Hollywood dealings."

Dawidziak's Dan Curtis comes off as a bit of a bully, or at least possessed with a Hollywood ego. When ABC bought the rights to Rice's book, Curtis was executive producing the last season of that network's Dark Shadows. "'I wanted to say good-bye to it so bad I couldn't see straight,' Curtis reflects. 'We got around to the last year and I was completely tapped out ideawise. And we ended up with some dreadful stories during that last year. It was like being in jail.' " Dark Shadows did afford Curtis the opportunity to direct a feature. Dawidziak cites House of Dark Shadows (1970) as Curtis's directorial debut, followed by Night of Dark Shadows (1971).

When Barry Diller asked Curtis to produce The Kolchak Tapes as the TV movie, The Night Stalker, Curtis requested the director's chair. It had already been given to John Llewellyn Moxey (Horror Hotel 1960, aka The City Of The Dead). Curtis didn't interfere with Moxey's authority on set (and it was a happy set), but he'd grumble to McGavin, "Will you look at the setup Moxey has here. What's he doing?" [Curtis contradicts this version of events in his interview on Night Stalker/Night Strangler DVD, claiming that he was offered the director's chair but turned it down, and that he himself sought out Moxey.]

Despite Moxey's setups, The Night Stalker was a ratings success when it premiered in January 1972. So too The Night Strangler, its 1973 sequel. Curtis got to direct. Rice was less fortunate. ABC press kits and trade ads hadn't credited Rice for the first film. Rice lobbied to script the sequel, but was given the runaround by network and studio execs. Instead, he wrote the novelization for Matheson's teleplay. Dawidziak says of Rice's original deal, "No sequels or series could be made without Rice's permission." Apparently, Rice didn't press his advantage.

The Night Strangler ended with bad blood between Curtis and lead actor Darren McGavin. Near the end of the shoot Curtis "was berating the crew something awful." McGavin defended them, then quit. Curtis insisted he stay for closeups, but McGavin replied, "You've got enough film. Make your movie. Goodbye."

If Curtis comes off a bully, Rice sounds paranoid. Rice tried vainly for years to launch a series of Kolchak novels and comic books. He sees two factors blocking him. Publishers "keep trying to acquire the rights for pennies and balk at paying Rice nearly anything at all, doing their best to keep Rice from doing any writing if possible." And Rice fears "that deals are fashioned with the intention of keeping Kolchak locked up and off the market."

Rice has reason to be paranoid. He first learned of ABC and Universal's plans to produce a Kolchak series from the April 24, 1974 issue of Daily Variety. No one informed Rice about a series in the works, even though his contract forbade a series without his permission. Rice tried to coax Universal into buying the rights it was exercising, while simultaneously working on script ideas for the show and a contract for future novelizations. When in August Rice's attorney requested that Universal "settle the rights question," Rice was barred from the lot. His calls were no longer returned. His novelization deal collapsed. Rice finally filed suit in March 1975, shortly before Kolchak was canceled. The suit was settled nine months later. Rice never "made it" in Hollywood, either as scriptwriter or actor (his promised role in the first film had also fallen through). Perhaps he was branded a troublemaker. Today he's a certified paralegal.

While McGavin loved The Night Stalker film, he had no desire to do a series (he had a thriving career in TV movies). McGavin only relented because Universal agreed to let him produce. Once he was on board, Universal turned producing chores over to Paul Playdon (Dan Curtis was uninterested). Determined to keep Universal to its word, McGavin acted as de facto producer. The tug of war between "producers" created turmoil and tension. Playdon quit after two episodes. Replacement producer Cy Chermak failed to ease tensions. Long hours and all night shoots only increased pressures. By February McGavin was begging network and studio to cancel the show. Dismal ratings granted his wish.

Yet Kolchak survived. An inspiration for Dawidziak while he was still an undergrad journalism major, the author is amazed by the many reporters he's met over the years who've expressed similar sentiments. Kolchak also inspired The X-Files, which McGavin dismisses as a humorless ripoff.

Dawidziak confronts other rumors that have plagued fans for decades (such as Curtis's plans for a feature film), making this a juicy and enlightening book. Yes, there's an episode guide. And some errors. Dawidziak says of The Night Stalker's initial 33.2 household rating: "about one out of every three people in the United States was watching Carl Kolchak track Janos Skorzeny." No, because a household rating does not indicate how many individuals per household are viewing. Nor even "about" how many.

The index is inadequate. While many of the names and titles in the text are only mentioned in passing, often as past credits, I'd want them included. The index even excludes some key textual references to Rice.

Pomegranate Press is a fine publisher for The Night Stalker Companion. Founded in 1986 by Dark Shadows actress Kathryn Leigh Scott to self-publish My Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows, its success induced her to release additional Dark Shadows books (all beautiful, lavishly illustrated, and informative). Pomegranate's Dark Shadows contacts likely aided Dawidziak. Dan Curtis, composer Bob Cobert, and actress Lara Parker all worked on both Dark Shadows and the Kolchak mythos.

Pomegranate has a curious custom of listing deceased actors in its Dark Shadows books, with date of death. The Night Stalker Companion follows tradition with its own R.I.P. page.

The Night Stalker was almost the forerunner of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, both in subject matter and humorous handling. It ran out of steam after a mere twenty episodes (and its forerunner pair of top-rated T.V. movies), and has ever since been nothing more than a cult favorite, unknown to everyone but its small circle of ardent fans.

Mark Dawidziak has done us all an immeasurable favor by keeping the legacy alive, introducing Carl Kolchak to new generations of viewers who might otherwise never hear his name. His wonderful book contains interviews with the principals responsible for bringing Kolchak to T.V., both before and behind the cameras, and the best available pictures from the series.

For those who are already Kolchak fans, an invaluable resource and a welcome walk down memory lane. For those who are not (yet), a proper introduction to the original supernatural super-sleuth.

I had this when I was a child (20 years ago) and I learned how to play almost everything in it, as well as how to improvise according to the song's key and play blinding legato runs. I recently bought it again and am digging into this classic once more because it is so worth it.

I'm 25 and have been playing guitar for about 14yrs. I started out playing electric and was motivated to play like Randy from the start. Before I ever even picked up a guitar I always dreamed and wondered "What if I could sound like that?" refering to Randy on the Tribute album, truley a masterpiece performance/recording. I was young and ambitious and wanted to sound just like him. When I found Wolfe Marshall's transcriptions I fell in love. Marshall was the best for me and my guitar playing developement during those early days because he showed me how to model my playing style after that of Randy's. Through Marshall I learned Randy better than I could ever imagine learning Randy without Marshall. Truley a great book. Now after having impressed many o' college coed and friends with some awsome guitar playing and feel I have Randy & Marshall to thank. Really what come's out in my playing more than even skill (which you will learn) is the feel for the music. There is true feeling in Randy's playing and if you honestly make the effort to learn you can become a really good player because you will feel the music. Sounds wacky but I don't know how else to explain it. You will certainly see smiles on peoples faces when you play not so much because you can play (really good if you study hard) but because people will know you are enjoying yourself pushing yourself emotionally to your limits through your instrument. Randy's inspiration makes that possible ONLY IF YOU PRACTICE AND APPRECIATE HIS STYLE. Good luck to any begginer choosing to take on this book and this masterpiece...take it serious and you'll have something with you for the rest of your life that will make your life that much nicer, guitar skills and guitar heart. Only works if you really feel like you can be a great guitarist...push yourself with this book!

Helpful hint: listen to the album if you get stuck at any point while reading the book and feel like you need clarity at any point during a song. Usually by listening to the record you'll go "Oh that's what marshall meant here". Marshall will tell you and Randy will show you...great way to learn!

His songwriting (yes, Randy's songwriting cause Ozzy hasn't written anything close to what was on 'Blizzard' and 'Diary' since!) was clearly GENIUS!!! Randy's solos challenged your music theory knowlege and technique. Then he would touch your heart too with his SOLO'S. Kind of telling you what kind of person he was!!! A genuine one, a nice one (obviously INTELLIGENT AS WELL). Someone dedicated to music. NO ONE HAS COME CLOSE SINCE. AS A WORKING MUSICIAN IN ANOTHER GENRE I WILL TELL YOU THAT RANDY HAD A FEELING IN HIS PLAYING NO ONE WILL EVER DUPLICATE!!! He took that polka dot flying V and MADE PEOPLE REMEMBER BUDDY GUY!!!! Hell, I bet Chuck Berry is proud of him too!!! DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT GUITAR? DO YOU KNOW THAT CHUCK BERRY IS THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL!!!! DO YOU KNOW THAT "JOHN LENNON" SAID THAT IF ROCK AND ROLL HAD ANOTHER NAME, IT WOULD BE "CHUCK BERRY"? I JUST LOVE MUSIC PERIOD, I GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.....

MR. RANDALL RHOADS THIS WORLD SORELY MISSES YOU AND YOUR TALENT!!!!

I'm 26 and play guitar, and I have to say that Rhoads was the best of the best..the only guy that comes close in my opinion is Zakk Wylde.

Dimebag Darrell, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Stevie Ray Vaugn also come to mind,,,but Rhoads is my favorite..I dont have this book but I have the album..I wish I had the privlidge of seeing him perform live

I was lucky enough to grow up watching Randy play weekends at the Starwood on Santa Monica Blvd with Quiet Riot. The guy is still the best I have ever heard and this "Randy Rhoads Tribute" truly rocks. Sorry everyone, if you never saw the skinny dude with his polka dot bow tie live, this is the best you can do!

The Author of this book should be very proud! I mean I thought I was a fan and then I read this book and I realized so much I didn't know! This book has shown me how I can dedicate and try to make this show more popular by supporting it!! Read it, it's GREAT!

Pro's: It was interesting to read about the actors and their were plenty of interesting photos. I like reading the comments from the actors on certain episodes.

Cons: The episode guide was good, but it was something I could care less about. I wanted to see more behind the scenes facts and this book gave me what I already knew. Also the quiz at the end was impossible. I've been watching the show since it started, and the questions are based on details that are impossible for even me to remember and the only way you'd remember them is if you taped each episode and/or took notes from each episode. I read what the other people said about the book and thought it would be great, instead it was a dissappointment.

Over all: Don't get this book unless you are a NEW fan and don't know anything. Also don't even try the quiz!

I think that this book was really good, probably because I am a po5 fan! It has good information that I didn't ever know about. I recommend it, and any other party of five books!

It has bios of all the stars and guests, recaps of all the episodes of the first three seasons, behind the scenes info./pics, plus tons of other great stuff!

If you love PO5 as much as I do (which beleve me is a alot!) this is the book that you should read. It gives you the inside scoop on the show and the stars and also includes tons of quizzes and an episode guide. So if your smart (which you must be if you decide to watch PO5) read this book now!

Very efficient with delievery and a book in excellent condition. I thank you .Our son reads alot and we were pleasently surprised in ALL areas of this transaction.

I am a new fan of the clash and just fell in love with them one day. Wanting to know more about this band, I bought this book and was blown away!! I honestly couldn't put the thing down. It really gives an insightful history of the band and really made me like them even more. If you love the clash this book is worth every cent. Buy it!!!

I just got it a week ago. I CANNOT put it down. Well written and a lot of great facts that I never knew about. For example: Did you know that Joe Strummer's first guitar was actually originally owned by Pete Townshend?

A great,detailed and thorough history of The greatest Punk band ever. This is a MUST READ for anyone interested in the origin of contemporary rock music. The author delves into the personal history of the band members from childhood on. Pat Gilbert obviously has a passion for The Clash as every band today should and probably does. This book is an amazing overview, easy to read and impossible to put down. I bought this for myself but my 14yr. old son "permanently borrowed" it from me, reading it like crazy(he's not fond of reading) and I couldn't be happier.
Thank you Pat Gilbert for writing this awesome book!!!!!

This review applies to the 2004 hardcover edition. I knew a reasonable amount about The Clash before reading this book but the author here opened my eyes to a number of things and helped to confirm some of my ideas and reject others.

This is an academic book in the sense that any university sociology or history department type would or should respect the high standard of scholarship here - painstaking research involving interviews with a large number of band friends, business associates and childhood and youth buddies - and objective and intelligent analysis throughout. Although the research is detailed and Gilbert takes the subject matter seriously, the writing is still lively and captivating.

The book first traces the childhoods, youth days and former bands of all members individually which is fascinating and well researched. A lot of this information would be new to even the diehard fans. It's fascinating to read about and see a picture of Mick Jones' gran's 18th floor council flat in South London overlooking the Westway - where Mick "practised daily in my room" according to the song Stay Free. We also get to learn about Mick's close friend, also written about in Stay Free, who in real life did serve time for a bank robbery offence.

The art-school beginnings and the "squatting days" in early 1970s London (living in vacated houses under the Westway without paying rent) and the members' pre-Clash bands are well documented. Overall, Gilbert does an excellent job in helping the reader recreate in his/her mind the world of 1970s South London where the Clash story was played out. That is one of the book's great strengths in my opinion.

The book demolishes some punk myths, but keeps others alive. Firstly, the book demolishes the cherished idea that The Pistols and The Clash were working-class lads who met up, decided to form a band, and sing about social and political topics. There is some element of truth in that idealised view. However, the bands' respective managers, Malcolm McLaren of The Pistols and Bernie Rhodes of The Clash, clearly manufactured the bands to a certain extent based on their personal visions of what they wanted to achieve. Joe clearly understood this and was willing to co-operate with Rhodes to achieve common goals - but Mick was less supportive, being more of a traditional old-time rocker.

Gilbert clearly describes the social changes affecting Britain in the late 70s - the rise to power of the Thatcher right-wing government and the first wave of West Indian immigrants into London (and especially Brixton). We see how all band members had a genuine and sincere desire for racial harmony - they were fascinated by Jamaican reggae music and later New York hip hop. The bands' involvement in anti-racism gigs and sharing the stage with acts such as Bo Diddley and Micky Dread were extremely influential in contributing to the unity of the streets.

Another Clash myth that the book does not debunk but strengthens is their closeness to the fans and genuine warmth they felt towards the fans and vice-versa. However, the bitter infighting and bad vibes involving Joe, Mick and Paul often seemed to take the joy out of their lives and the book exposes this fully. It ultimately led to Mick's sacking at the hands of Joe, Paul and Bernie.

Other highlights are detailed descriptions of the recording sessions that led to each album and brief song-by-song descriptions (however, the focus on the actual music is fairly brief - the book is more a study of people and society).

Producer Guy Stevens' drunken chair-smashing antics during the London Calling sessions are hilariously recounted. His crazy energy probably contributed to the eclectic joy that London Calling produced. The details of the football games during the London Calling sessions are also interesting. The orange mohawked Japanese guys they met playing football in the London park - who knew every note of every Clash song (and Joe's cynical reaction to them, in contrast to the other band members) - also is humorous in my opinion.

Lastly, we are also are given a rare insight into The Clash Mark II. The three young band members who replaced Mick and Topper are all interviewed. Naturally they were dissapointed with certain aspects of the Mark II experience - but they don't seem bitter and it doesn't seem that they were treated totally badly (at least not by the band - by Bernie Rhodes maybe). In my opinion "This is England" (from 1985) ranks in The Top 3 Clash songs of all time. Good to get an insight into this less-publicised and once-denied stage of the band's existence. It almost makes me want to go out and buy Cut the [...]!!

I enjoyed my trip to the world of South London that Gilbert offered and South London became a better place I'm sure due to the huge influence of Joe, Mick, Topper and Paul. Stay free...

See also my soon to be published paper:
James, K. (forthcoming). "'This is England': Punk Rock's Realist/ Idealist Dialectic and its Implication for Critical Accounting Education", Accounting Forum, doi:10.1016/j.accfor.2008.01.002 (available at www.sciencedirect.com or by contacting me at kieran_james@yahoo.com (Kieran James)).