Television Books

Who better to adapt a stage play for the screen than the playwright? Jonathan Harvey's jewel of a love story glistens in the eyes of Jamie and Ste, two lads from London who discover love in the arms of each other, and glows in the hearts of all who are fortunate enough to read Harvey's words or see the movie that he scripted. BEAUTIFUL THING is just that - a wonderously beautiful thing!

For a change, we have here a most outstanding gay story which doesn't mention AIDS every three paragraphs - in fact, I believe it only comes up once. What a relief! It's the most moving love story, where those who fall in love just happen to be two boys. This really has to be read to be believed - no review could do it justice, so my advice to you is simply to get hold of a copy! You will also fall in love - with Jamie & Ste, Leah, her Mum and Sandra - Jamie's Mum. You will laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. A modern masterpiece. Some further advice to you, when you've finished reading, find a Mama Cass/The Mamas And The Papas CD and lap up the atmosphere. You'll notice how many songs could have been written especially for "Beautiful Thing". By the way, Mama Cass didn't die choking on a sandwich - she had a heart attack.

I BELIEVE, THAT BEAUTIFUL THING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FILM OF GAY GENRE THAT I'D HAS SEE, IS A FRESH FILM, THAT TELL US A STORY VERY COMMON IN OUR SOCIETY. I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE HOMOSEXUALITY WAS SOMETHING BAD, BUT WITH THIS FILM I CHANGED MY POSITION IN FRONT THIS CONCEPT. THE ACTORS SCOTT NEAL AND GLEN BERRY BETWEEN OTHERS MAKED AN ESPECTACULAR ROLL AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SCREENWRITER AND THE DIRECTOR, THE SCREENPLAY IS VERY GRATEFUL.

Beautiful Thing is one of the warmest, most positive stories about gay love I have ever read. More importantly, it is about love in general, and all the fears, hopes, dreams, etc. that go with first love, not just gay love. I can't recommend it more highly for anyone, gay or straight.

It is about two school boys who fall in love.

A long hot summer on a housing estate in South London. James is bunking off school, whilst his Mother Sandra juggles job promotion and her relationship with hippy-dippy boyfriend Tony.

Next door lives Sassy Leah, who spends her day listening to Mama Cass records. In the same block, Jamie's class mate Steve, although sporty and popular at school, Is bullied by his drunken father. One day Steve, seeks refuge in Sandra's flat and ends up sleeping head to toe with Jamie...

Author says "The only images I really had of gay people when I was growing up were those public boys in cricket jumpers taking each other punting on the river, or the working class boys who got kicked out and ended up working as rent boys. This play in which somebody can be working class and still have their sexuality accepted. That was my agenda. It's not about what you get up to after lights out, it's about falling in love."

The feel good book of the summer film 96

We love the book and the film

gayteens.org

Its not only readable but funny at the thought the wrestlers become crime fighting geniuses! Mr McMahons amazing touch is all over this!!! a definite buy for fans and critics alike!

I too was surprised at how good this book is. The story is actually well crafted and it moves along pretty quickly. I look forward to future installments!

In my life as an English Professor, I have had the joy of reading any of a lare selection of classic books, brilliant treatises on the human condition, and some of the most brilliantly revolutionary prose that hallmarked the great movements in human history. I feel, though, that my faith in literature has been increased to a level I truly did not feel possible after reading this book.

It is truly rare when a book changes your life in a fundamental way. For some, the Bible was their path to a new and better life. Others feel that Paine's Common Sense is a truly great piece of political propaganda that tries to raise humanity to a higher level. Others, on the other hand, are partial to Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto.

I say "A pox on ALL of these houses".

Like a very special episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger", WWE's "Big Apple Takedown" manages to simultaneously make one weep at the emotionally taut imagery, laugh at the rapier-sharp wit, and contemplate the deep, inner discussions of the soul that are the hallmark of sweaty guys with questionable drug habits.

And, honestly, the book is a little infuriating. Why IS the government wasting its money paying for a military with many nuclear missiles when ALL that is needed to save the world from evil and chaos are the occasional errant chair shot, a knee to the groinal region, followed by an overly elaborate finishing sequence?

The decision to use WWE superstars --- "wrestlers" does not remotely do legends like HHH justice, let's be frank --- to sniff out a drug cartel is the kind of inspired genius that makes lesser authors like Poe weep in their beer. You didn't see George Orwell use imagery as subtle as a glistening body of pure, pent-up, moderately eroticized squashing drug kingpins in 1984, did you?

I tell you, next to this book, Madame Bovary has as much plot as a 3rd grader's book of Mad Libs.

I, personally, enjoyed the discrete reference to another classic of American literature --- "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", with a plot that, bluntly, ripped off this book's plot in the most diabolical and sinical of manners.

Kudos to you, WWE. You have clearly demonstrated that the dramatic masterpiece that is the average episode of RAW is not an accident. This is the book that makes one appreciate the subtlety of a good fart joke or an unexpected "puppies" reference. I can only hope they keep Mr. Josephs on the payroll to produce storyline that can even approach this level of inspiration.

I bought this book the other day with absolutely no expectations. I actually bought it hoping to find humor in how bad it would be. I wound up reading it cover to cover in 24 hours because that's how hooked I was. The book is absolutely full of suspense and I honestly would love to see a movie. Maybe if WWE had gone this route instead of the ill-fated "See No Evil" movie, they wouldn't be the laughing stock of the film industry. This book was surprisingly very gripping and for the price, I totally have to recommend it. If you are one of the many people who would have to be skeptical of the the WWE's forray into fictional novels, then check this out and be proven wrong. I must admit that I couldn't believe it, but the book is an addictive thrill ride, very well written.

I HAVENT FINISHED READING THIS BOOK YET BUT I AM CLOSE TO FINISHING IT. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT 6 WWE WRESTLERS(BATISTA,CHAVO GURREO,TORRE WILLSON,JOHN CENA,HHH,AND THE OWNER OF THE WWE VINCE MCMHAON) JOIN A SECRET AGENCY CALLED THE NSA. THERE MISSION IS TO TAKE DOWN A BIG DRUG RING AND THEY ALL GO UNDER COVER TO GET ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO ARREST THE PEOPLE IN THE DRUG RING AND THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE DRUG RING. THE BOOK IS GREAT AND IT HAS LOADS OF SUPENSE. AND I HEARD THE ENDING WILL SUPRISE YOU. IF YOUR A WWE FAN(LIKE ME) BUY IT. OR IF YOU ARE NOT A WWE FAN YOU SHOUD STILL BUY BECAUSE YOU WILL LOVE IT.

Any parent can relate on some level to the struggles and insecurities that Currey - Wilson weathers in order to give her son the best life she can. Especially for those of us who choose alternative parenting styles, the self-doubt that the author has as she tries to make her way in the world is easily understood - What if my family doesn't understand or support my decisions? Will my child be an outcast because he has nothing in common with his peers? Where can I find friends who, though they may not necessarily share my views, at least support my choices? How far is too far? Reading Currey - Wilson's brave disclosure of her most intimate thoughts and embarassing confessions will help any parent to be kinder to herself as she works to parent from the heart no matter what everyone thinks.

What a great memoir and social "experiment" she conducted. What makes the book so great is she is a nut-case, but a lovable one. I wish she'd been in MY playgroup, wish she'd shared with me her plan. My son has autism and while I do not believe tv caused his autism, I see how it made it worse. But it's never too late to do the right thing and her book was such a gift to me at this moment. I WAS lamenting that he could not "enjoy" all the disney movies my daughter and I enjoyed together. "Will he never be able to follow the plots?" I worried...well, now I can give them all away, gladly, knowing that I can teach him far better than television can. I had restricted their watching to just PBS and videos, but, just like Ellen points out, PBS is the one that gave us teletubbies baby talk, authur/D.W.'s sibling bickering, buster's excessive tv watching of bionic bunny, etc etc. I just feel she shed so much sunshine on our dirty little secret that we're making tv addicts of our kids just so we can get some respite. I'm even questioning my own tv watching habits, limited as they are to PBS Newshour, frontline, bill moyers...all educational, fantastic shows. But when I'm trying to watch pbs in kitchen as I multitask, i snap at my kids when the interrupt... now that I've seen the light, I know that kitchen tv has got to go... but like the author, I'll do my best, set a goal for myself and work toward a plan to get down to 2 hrs a week. I'm going to do the same for my daughter who learned about the disney channel last spring break on vacation at her cousins and has grown addicted. cold turkey isn't an option as my husband loves his cable tv downstairs. But I'm getting me/ my daughter on a plan today! What an inspiration this book is, without preaching! I love it, highly recommend all parents, pre-parents read it. It will change their lives and that of their kids for the better. I wish my daughter could play chess, yahtzee etc. with her son. Ellen if you're in DC area, you look me up, I'll show you and your kid all the sights (we DO go on lots of field trips and know best places to go) and thank you in person for sharing you "confessions"! You're just the sort of comic relief we all need, yet you point out important truths. Thank you. Thank you.
Sincerely, Susan Goewey Carey

Currey-Wilson writes with humor and the topic is very important. The books is a quick read. The style is easy and the content is interesting and insightful. I am not a parent, but I found this book highly entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone.

I picked up this book expecting it to be a lot like other books I've read about the evils of television---sort of fanatic and with lots of studies about brain waves and comparisons to drugs and so on. I wanted to read it regardless as I am really trying to reduce the screen time in my house (although it's more my husband than my kids who keep turning it on!). I was so thrilled to find this book was a great read as well as an inspiration! The author instantly made me feel at home. She is honest about herself, hilarious to read and really understands how it feels to be a new mother finding your way in the complicated social circles you have never before travelled. She comes from a family that is wacky, not always in a lovable way, but she loves them anyway. She is however determined to raise her son Casey differently, and she succeeds, to some extent even more than she wants to, as she then has the worries about him fitting in, and how she deals with that is great to read, too. In many ways, this is a book about accepting yourself and being honest with yourself and others. I can really relate to her reluctance to tell everyone at first about her TV views, and how she gradually is about to do so in a way that helps others.

I hope Currey-Wilson writes much more. I would love to read a memoir of her childhood, and perhaps a book about her educational journey with her son, and what it's like to raise a gifted child. I hope potential readers of this book will realize it's about more than watching TV or not, it's about parenting and doing so with humor and love.

A clever title for a book generally grabs my attention. As curious as this one made me, I was also nervous to open it. Would it be another one of those preachy books by a zealous mother that seem to be flooding the library shelves these days? Not even close! I highly recommend this entertaining book, which almost resembles a memoir. It's so much more than the story of a mother determined to shield her child (even before he was born!) from the perils of television. Currey-Wilson frequently reflects on her own childhood where television became a surrogate parent. She struggles to forgive the mother who was too busy standing up for women's rights to properly take care of her own children's needs. She desperately tackles her own addiction to television while she worries about the effect it will have on her son. Then the opposite happens when he starts school - at times he's ostracized because he doesn't watch TV. Through all this, however, my sympathy for the author's various dilemmas never lasted long, because she writes about her experiences in such a humorous way. It really was a great, great book. I hope to see more of her writing in the future.

When I was in the 5th grade (way back in 1976-77), our teacher used to read to us after recess each day. He turned us onto several great books with fun and compelling stories. Of these, three books (Freaky Friday, A Billion For Boris and The Phantom Tollbooth)have become some of my all time favorite books. Books that I've read and re-read several times.

A Billion For Boris is by far the best and my personal favorite from the entire 'Andrews Family' series. I loved Freaky Friday and love A Billion For Boris even more. I couldn't get through Summer Switch. It just seemed like a complete retread of Freaky Friday but not nearly as engaging.

Who can forget when Anabell made her catastrophic, cataclismic boo-boo? Great line.

The story is just as described. Ape Face fixes an old TV of Boris's and then suddenly it shows programs from one day in the future. Anabell wants to use it to help mankind. Boris just wants to make money to improve his and his mother's life. So, they compromise. Then things start to get out of hand. The ending is charming, funny and quite sweet.

All in all, a really great book with lots of hilarious moments. I highly recomend it to everyone who loves just a good story.

This is a book that everyone ages 9-99 will enjoy. Its exploration of what happens when a couple of kids get ahold of a TV that plays tommorow's news is hillarious. Its a book that can be read over and over again and not lose its appeal. This is deffinitely a book that will stay on your shelf for the whole family to read. A winner!

A Billion for Boris' attention-span is good. It's a page-turner for ages 8-88. Ape Face tinkers with an old TV set so it shows tomorrow's news. Boris manages to get it back, and he and Ape Face's sister, Annabel, decide to us etheir new knowledge to help Boris' writer-mother get more money and refinish Boris' apartment. How? By betting on horses. A book which kept me reading until the last page. The sequel to Freaky Friday and the book before Summer Switch, it is ultimately one of Mary Rodgers' masterpieces.

I agree w/ the review below--this book is better than Freaky Friday. I've never forgotten how I wanted my own TV set that broadcast tomorrow's news today. This story has such charm, magic, and realism in it. Every child should read this book.

Since that Freaky Friday when Annabel Andrews switched bodies with her Mother, things have gotten much better. At least, in her opinion. I mean, at least she's not a kid in an adult's body anymore. But, now something new is going on. Annabel is still in love with Boris, and her younger brother, Ape Face, is still being a pest, but who planned for this? When Ape Face fixes a broken TV that Boris sells to him, something VERY strange happens. Suddenly, Ape Face is watching tomorrow's TV shows, today. Not only that, he's watching the news a day early. Annabel wants to use the TV for good, to help humanity, and Ape Face just wants to watch tomorrow's movies today, but Boris has some different plans of his own.

This is the sequel to the book FREAKY FRIDAY. In my opinion, I found this book to be even better than the previous. Rodgers has come up with a brilliant and entertaining plot, that all kids will enjoy reading about. Boris is a funny, and mischevious character, as is Ape Face, and Annabel is a fun, and kind character, who has matured greatly since FREAKY FRIDAY. A must-have book for all fans of the weird and unexpected.

Erika Sorocco

Great book! This book, Blues for Bird, is worth all the other biographies of Charlie Parker combined. A concise and direct evocation of the jazzman's life, it tells the tragic story of his rise and fall, and the tragic decline of his later years--it censors nothing, it tells the story better than a more detailed biographical volume, And does it with a poet's ear and eye! Alright! Be-bop!

How can you write an epic today when the world is no longer 'story-shaped'? You can go back and translate 'Beowulf', as Seamus Heaney has done, or you can be like Martin Gray and write an epic life in quantum bursts of three-stress energy.

Somebody ought to make a bunch of CDs, with an actor reading these highly accessible poems against a backdrop of Charlie Parker's music. They'd be a wow!

Great book! This book, Blues for Bird, is worth all the other biographies of Charlie Parker combined. A concise and direct evocation of the jazzman's life, it tells the tragic story of his rise and fall, and the tragic decline of his later years--it censors nothing, it tells the story better than a more detailed biographical volume, And does it with a poet's ear and eye! Alright! Be-bop!

How can you write an epic today when the world is no longer 'story-shaped'? You can go back and translate 'Beowulf', as Seamus Heaney, has done, or you can be like Martin Gray and write an epic life in quantum bursts of three-stress energy.

Like so many other deceased musicians, there are way too many "insider" books about the person. This is the only authorized book by the Bob Marley Foundation and it is a superb picture book. Filled with an abundance of color and black and white photographs this book brings the man to life. The pictures are rare as some are private family photos that are being released for the first time. This is a book that you want nearby so you can look at the photos periodically and remember the man as you listen to his music. The introduction by his wife Rita Marley is heartfelt and lays the foundation for intimate views of Bob Marley. His passions, his friends, his children, and even his music is here for all fans of Bob Marley. One of the cool features of this book is the format and how the narrative is given using some of the titles of his albums as a backdrop. Just a great book about a great man who passed this world much too quickly but left his mark for all to listen to the whisperings of a mystic. "Bob will come again. Like Christ he shall come in a new name"-Rita Marley.

Songs of Freedom truely gave me as a Bob Marley fan a better look at the life of a legend. Next to Bob's biography, Catch a Fire, this is the best acount of Bob Marley I have read. Songs of Freedom is filled with unseen photgraphs and quotes from Bob's loved ones, friends, and colleagues. An excellent story that has touched me deeply. I give this book a strong recomendation to life long Marley fans and those who have yet to discover the mystery, inspiration, and spirituality in this mans life.

A must for any Bob collection. I found a few new facts, but overall much of the same info elewhere. Get "Catch a Fire" for the story and "Songs of Freedom" for the pictures. It's proudly displayed in my office with the rest of my Bob, Reggae, and Jamaican souvenirs.

I loved this book. The pictures were very nice to look at. This book tends to focus more on Bob's music career then his personal life though. But otherwise this is a great book for all you Marley fans.

Being a huge roots & dancehall fan of almost 7 yrs, this book is essential for any reggae collector of Bob Marley. I first enjoyed the intro by Rita Marley and the rest of the book is great. I must say that it is well-worth the money

One love, Jah Schreiber

I want to just add to the 5 star reviews. As a moderate I was pleasantly surprised by how balanced this book was. The author clearly struggled with his feelings and never acted superior. As you get deeper into the book it becomes as riveting as any book I can recall. Very highly recommended.

I couldn't put this book down, and read it in one day. Martin Fletcher takes you where most reporters won't go, or can't go. You'll read of the intense competition between the networks, and what ranks as "go" or "no-go" story; which amounts to the number of people dying or killed as being newsworthy.

Stories of fellow journalists who are killed and wounded (including his own first-person account), in attempts to bring the stories of war and its victims to our television screens. How Fletcher identifies with the suffering of the victims of war in Somalia and the "Ethnic-Cleansing" of the conflicts in Rwanda and Kosovo; with his own family's suffering in The Holocaust.

From the Arab-Israeli Wars to the present Palestinian struggle, to personal interviews with a warlord, suicide bombers and refugees (one very touching story of a young girl). There'll be stories that will make you laugh, cry, and some that will anger you. But they are all presented within a very personal and moving context that almost makes you feel as if you're right there, experiencing Fletcher's witness of history in the making. And that indeed, this is a very dangerous and evil world in which
live.

This is a very different, deeply-impressing account by a very special reporter - and if this book hadn't been thrust under my nose with the recommendation to read it, I would have assumed it was the usual set of star-turn anecdotes from someone who thought they were the star-turn. Not a bit of it. Unlike some, Fletcher is never, ever bigger than the news on which he reports.

If this was only the most brilliant account of exceptional, award-winning TV war-reporting journalism, which, incidentally, it is - then that in itself that would be something. But it's much more than that; it's about the moral and ethical dilemmas that people like Fletcher face daily on our behalf in reporting serious news - and, refreshingly, nothing to do with the soulless ephemerals of providing 'entertaining' so-called, 'news' features between adverts.

Fletcher is one of the last vestiges of conscience and soul in the digital age when it comes to serious news reporting. Breaking News is likely - and rightly - to be considered core-curriculum stuff for anyone considering serious journalism as a career - but it's also likely a must-read for anyone who wants to share Fletcher's personal 'take' - and the chance to share in his very human enlightenment - through his reporting of a truly extraordinary series of world events over 30 years.

An amazing, POWERFUL, insight into the world of Martin Fletcher. I read the book in two sittings, four days ago, and I am still thinking about it. He tells his story in a 'mostly' chronological order, leaving me breathless at the end. It's an incredible journey and I am so thankful he took the time to tell it!

Hanging my boots up last year after my final trip to Afghanistan was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my life. It was done at the insistence of my daughter and my knees. I finally had to realize that I could be a liability to those around me in a war zone. With that in mind, I was quite intrigued when friends contacted me and asked if I would read and review Martin Fletcher's book, "Breaking News". Martin was starting his career with the Yom Kipper (October) War of 1973 just as I was ending my Navy Combat Camera days with the very same war. Martin's account of this war is "spot on"! I wish he had written about this many years ago when I got asked to leave a Political Science class in college for telling the professor he didn't know what he was talking about. When the professor asked me how I knew, I replied with the only answer I could give, "because I was there"! Where were you when I needed you, Martin!

"Breaking News" is a MUST READ for anyone interested in international conflicts and what it is like to cover these conflicts as a cameraman and as a broadcast journalist. In his 35 year career, Martin Fletcher has pretty much seen it all, and this book is his very personal account of what life is like in the day to day world of the Foreign Correspondent. Part of what makes this book great is that it does not focus on world leaders, and "their" stories. It focuses on the day to day struggles of the average person caught in the middle of these conflicts. It gives an excellent account of the journalistic integrity of one man working in the trenches of so many conflicts, Martin Fletcher.

I am always reluctant to give too much detail in a book review because I hate to give out "spoilers". Once again, I will just say, "READ THIS BOOK"! Martin takes us on a journey of adventure and personal growth from the October War of 1973 to the Coup in Cyprus just a year later, to the Rhodesian War that gave us what today is known as Zimbabwe. He gives an excellent account of life in Paris for news reporters and takes us to Algiers and Iran for an insider's look at the Hostage Crisis in Tehran. From there he takes us to Afghanistan and covering the Afghan/Soviet War. He gives us a very telling account of life in Israel during the first Gulf War with SCUD missiles falling in Tel Aviv.

I could go on and on about his coverage of the Middle East, Somalia, Rwanda, Kosovo, Bosnia and numerous other places of conflict and genocide. But, once again I will simply point out that Martin's book is really about his own personal and professional growth. There is some humor here, but there is a huge amount of sorrow and pain. One does not do this kind of work for 35 years without it taking a toll on your soul.

Martin closes his book with the following: And I can only hope that Shakespeare wasn't referring to storytellers like me when he wrote "Life is but a walking shadow...it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"! Rest assured that Martin's book is anything but this! It is a glimpse into one man's continent crossing dedicated life as a Foreign Correspondent, a glimpse into hell, and hopefully an offered understanding of "conflict" on the average person, as well as what covering such conflicts does to those who report them.

Please...READ THIS BOOK "BREAKING NEWS"!

Outstanding book.

The book was far more than expected. Delivery was prompt. Good Service.

Thank you.

I just received this book after ordering it here on Amazon (super fast shipping, by the way) and I was immediately impressed with just how comprehensive the entire manual is, how easy the instructions within are implemented, and the way in which everything is explained so even an idiot such as myself can follow along without stumbling. This is the book which SHOULD HAVE come with the Camtasia Studio v4 software when I purchased it just a few months ago.

Of course, TechSmith has just released v5, but I've not seen enough reason to upgrade this time around (I previously owned v3). I highly recommend that you purchase this book.

I would also recommend purchasing Bill Myers' DVD video training on Camtasia which you can find here on Amazon or at his website www(dot)bmyers(dot)com.

Daryl Wilson
Founder, Aladdin Studios

A valuable book for those interested in getting the most out of Camtasia 4. The author culls from his extensive Camtasia experience as he walks the reader through various exercises, expertly weaving in tips and tricks along the way. While the book could do with a heavy copyedit (experienced writers will cringe at the author's frequent use of unnecessary words), the book's substance is well worth the cover price.

I have literally shelves full of computer books.
This is one of very few I've actually read cover-to-cover.

But the book is structured so that for the most part you can read any one chapter without missing out on information that depends on a previous chapter.

I've even wound up taking some of his hardware advice. Otherwise, I never would have thought to purchase a preamp with as dorky a name as "Audio Buddy"...LOL...

If you're using Camtasia Studio to produce instructional or sales videos - or considering using it - this is the book you need.

I fall into the newbie category and had to come up to speed very quickly, using Camtasia Studio 4 to record and produce several video podcasts of PowerPoint presentations for my company. I bought several books and read "how-to's" on the internet, but this book turned out to be my savior. If you buy only one book, this one should be the one.

Britt Lamond played in the first episodes of Disney's Zorro. He was Capitan Monastario. The book wonderfully chronicles those first 13 episodes. Mr. Lamond makes a fantastic presentation of what went on behind the scenes. I have always thought the sword fights were the best I'd ever seen and after reading the book I realize why. Guy and Britt were well trained in sword fighting before Zorro ever came along. If you love Guy Williams as Zorro you will love this book. Thank you "Capitan Monastario"!

Britt Lomond has treated us to a rare, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most beloved TV series of all time (and still playing throughout the world today). "Chasing After Zorro" is a first-hand account of his experiences on-and-off the set, as well as the circumstances leading up the series' inception. It is written with the kind of insight, humor and love that only one of the actors who helped kick-off the series could offer. It is an endearing glimpse into a different (and long-gone) time in Hollywood and Disney.

With his long career in front and behind the camera - Mr. Lomond worked in production for years after acting - he presents a well-rounded view of the workings and politics that existed during those first 13 epissodes. He also sheds light on the friendships he had with the other people involved in the series, from Guy, Henry and Gene to the writers and directors, and even to Walt Disney himself. From the very first page with his dedication to his family, you know that you are in for a genuine and touching journey into the heart of those first Zorro episodes.

I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind book for any Zorro fans out there.

For those of us who remember the Zorro television series (the Walt Disney one, which is the only one for true Zorro fans), this book is a treasure. Britt Lomond gives us an interesting and informative tour of the first 13 episodes of the Zorro TV show, the ones in which he played the villian, Capitan Monastario. As many others have noted, he set the standard for villians in the series, and even though the succeeding bad guys (and gals) were exceptionally villianous in their own right, Capitan Monastario, as defined and played by Mr. Lomond, was never equaled and certainly never beaten.

The behind-the-scenes stories Mr. Lomond tells are fascinating, and he has uniformly kind words to say of his co-actors and the production personnel who did such a wonderful job of making the show so successful that it is still popular almost 50 years later.

That success was made possible by the contributions of artists like Mr. Lomond. He details each of the 13 episodes in which he appeared in the 13 chapters of his book, a fine way to present his material. In particular, he often notes the changes he himself made in the script. He would memorize the script, but then, where he thought his character would have said something different or would have said the same thing but in a different way, he would make the changes during the filming. Almost always, his changes were approved by the director. What this illustrates more than anything else is Mr. Lomond's professionalism. What he was doing was his very best to present his character as he thought the character actually was, or would have been had he been a real person. He was not satisfied with merely speaking his lines as written in the script; rather, he brought to the role an experience as an actor that was unique. Mr. Lomond even imagined the life of his character prior to the time depicted in the programs, in order to best know how his character would be motivated in various situations, and thus know how his character would act, react, and speak. By doing so, he depicted the personality of his character consistently in the best way.

Thus, he would study the script in the context of his own idea of what kind of man his character was, and he made changes which did not aggrandize his own role, but made the programs better because of his insistence on his character's acting and speaking the way he should. That kind of professionalism is, I think, rare in any line of work, including acting.

Mr. Lomond has nothing but praise for the others who worked so hard on the series, including unstinting praise for Guy Williams, Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon, Than Wyenn, Tony Russo, and the other actors. The humorous stories he tells, such as tricks the actors played on one another, are fabulous, and he tells one story of a trip on the ocean in Guy Williams's sailboat that turned into a disaster and could very nearly have killed all on the boat. He has particular praise for Walt Disney himself as well as the directors, the production designer and art decorator, and others who made the programs look so good.

Mr. Lomond is a multi-talented artist, having acted in many stage, movie, and television roles, and also having worked in many different jobs behind the cameras. Look him up on [...] and you will see just how many different jobs he has done. Thus, he knows the filmaker's craft inside and out, and that makes his comments on the actors and production staff on the Zorro TV series that much more meaningful. He knows whereof he speaks, and he has done many of the jobs of the people about whom he writes in this book.

The substance of Mr. Lomond's writing is entertaining and full of information. The only criticism I have of the book is that he was not well served by the editors and proofreaders of his book; there are a great many typographical and other errors, not the fault of the author. The book is nonetheless deserving of 5 stars because of Mr. Lomond's writing.

If you are a Disney Zorro television series fan, this book is a must for you. If you are not, buy it and read it anyway; it will give you insights into the making of television programs that you would never know otherwise; and it will make you a Zorro fan if you are not one already.

What a pleasure it was to read this book. I enjoyed it immensely. Mr. Lomond had the right touch in writing about his experiences on the Zorro set. I especially enjoyed all the behind the camera material. It is very poignant to have read this book, shortly before Mr. Lomand died.

Britt Lomond gives us a lovely glimpse into the world of the Zorro phenomenon as it played out via Disney's magic in the late 1950's and early 60's. He treats us to a behind the scenes look at how the duels between Monastario and Zorro were choreographed... and how he still bears the Mark of Zorro to this very day from the sword tip of Guy Williams. Also revealed, perhaps inadvertently, is the wonderful nature of this man... who with gentlemanly grace accepted the role of Monastario rather than the coveted role of El Zorro... all for the good of the show and not his own ego. A recommended read...

i love, love, love this book and re-read it often. first of all, i'm a huge "chicago" fan - the movie, not the musical play (perhaps the original musical was awesome, but that was before my time and i've only seen the current day touring version of "chicago" and i was not very impressed). anyway, i am also a huge fan of anything 1920s, so this book was absolutely perfect for me.

it was great to hear about the stories behind the play and how two horrible murders were turned into entertainment and how the murderesses were turned into glamorous stars. it was also fascinating to see the pictures of the murderesses - the one of beulah annan is super creepy!

maurine dallas watkins' articles were incredibly entertaining and it was great to read them and then go onto the play. i love that when rob marshall made the movie "chicago", he used a bit more of the play than the muscial version did.

it's sad that watkins didn't go on to even greater things after these articles (although i do love the movie "libeled lady" - with jean harlow, myrna loy, william powell, and spencer tracy - that she collaborated on the screenplay for). but it's awesome that her legacy turned into such a popular musical and movie!

i would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in "chicago", the 1920s, crime writing, and media sensationalism.

I read this book for my history fair project that I was doing on the true story behind the musical "Chicago." This book was so helpful to me because it gives every bit of information about the crimes and it even has all of Watkins' Tribune articles from the time. The script for the original play is an added bonus, and it is fun for me, as a "Chicago" and Fosse fan, to compare the original play to the musical and movie. This is well worth the price and a must-have for any "Chicago" fan.

This publication of the play that inspired the hit musical is amazing. Not only is it the original script, it gives wonderful newspaper articles of the time period and gives a real sense of time and place. As an artist, it was amazing to perform this piece. While the musical is a hit, it owes everything to this beautiful and strikingly funny but touching play. I highly recommend it and enjoy!

This book is amazing if you are looking to find some history on the play. I have seen the non-musical produced in Ashland and will be directing it myself in the next couple of years. This book includes the full original script, which is amazing in itself, but also includes a fantastic introduction my Thomas H. Pauly. The articles are a joy to read because you really get a sense of Watkins' style of writing.

Watkins' days a court reporter inspired her to write the script for what was to become, itself, the inspiration for one of the best musicals of our time. The daily reports from the court trials of the real life muderessess in Chicago were certainly very telling. The fact that the women who escaped death row or life sentences were white women, society women, beautiful women, and most poignantly, women who killed their lovers - not their husbands.This reminded me of how people get caught up in the soap opera of life and love to glamorise all events. If you are a lover of the musical, this is an interesting book to read.