Movies Books

Anyone born between 1955 and 1970 HAS GOT TO SEE Dazed and Confused.

And this book adds to the fun. Plenty of real live Mad Magazine stuff, real live ads from the time period, with a bunch of side splittingly funny made up stuff based on the characters from DAC. Enjoyed the heck out of this book. Just wish it was longer so my trip through memory lane could go on another hour or so.

Great stuff! Where's Wooderson today, by the way?

It was in a fit of Dazed And Confused mania that I purchased Richard Linklater's tie-in book to his cult classic 70s adolescence movie several years ago. At the time I basically flipped through the book and then put it aside. Until earlier today when I was going through a stack of old college texts I was planning on getting rid of and wonder of wonders came across this one mixed in among them for some reason. So I decided to take a refresher course in 70s stoner adolescence and then offer up my take on it.

What I especially liked about Dazed And Confused the movie was the way Linklater managed to sneak in some profound truths about life amidst the nostalgia. In the book, the most profound and honest part is Linklater's introduction where he writes: "Let's face it, no matter where you live no matter at what time high school is a light prison sentence to be served. Once paroled, you don't look back".

From that point on, any social observation basically goes out the window as we are treated to a crash course in all things 70s as well as stuff related to the movie itself. All of the major characters are profiled and there are excerpts of a yearbook page from the high school they attend. Although it might seem redundant to most people, die hard fans of the film should enjoy it. Pick up a copy! Also recommended -------> The Losers Club by Richard Perez, an offbeat small press novel that you will truly dig. Like far out!

Let me just start by saying that I just bought this book no more than an hour ago. As soon as I got home I picked it up and didn't put it down forr the next hour. As a huge "Dazed and Confused" fan, I was extremely happy when I saw that there was a book to go along with the movie. But the book is not just about the movie. It starts out with a great introduction by the director and writer Richard Linklater. In this intro he explains the time period, the pros and cons of the 70's, and where the idea for the movie came from. Also in the book are synopsis's of all the basic charactar (the best is Clints, the guy who beats up the nerd). This book doesn't just follow along with the movie, it is an explanation of the 1970's, I enjoyed it considering I wasn't alive yet. So if you are a hardcore fan of "Dazed and Confused" or a collector of 70's memorobilia, than you need this book.

ATENTION ALL D&C FANS: IF YOU DO NOT GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THE WHOLE STORY! This book has everything, from Clint's favorite colored muscle T-shirt to Benny's beer limit. It is definantly a must for not only Dazed fans, but to any fans of the seventies!

Dazed & Confused is a classic movie about the day in the life of high schoolers in a small Texas town on last day of school in 1976. This book that is a companion to the movie is just like the movie itself: funny. Designed as part high school yearbook, part 70's era teen magazine, it is a nostalgia filled, quick and enjoyable read. There are tons of pictures (the yearbook pictures of the cast are great) and everyone of the major cast member contributes an "article" to the book. If you are a fan of the movie, then this book is a must for your collection.

If you like giant monster movies, and want to know more about how they were made, this book is for you. Not many photos of the monsters (there are other books out there for that) but there are behind the scenes photos. Learn the biographies of the men who made films you still love after all these years. Not much has been published in the West about them, but here it is! Well written and laid out. 2 page essays about certain film makers by noted Western Kaiju lovers. Worth the price, and thankful that it was printed.

This is a wonderful coffee-table size book that contains beautiful photos and interesting commentary. If you are a fan of Godzilla and/or Eiji Tsuburaya this is the book to get!

This book is a meticulous, thoughtful, well-written, and beautifully laid-out tribute to a true master of special effects. It is a fascinating look, not only into Tsuburaya's life and career, but also the way the film industry works in Japan. An interesting read for non-fans; a must-have for fans of the genre.

Tsuburaya Eiji was the Japanese special effects director who was behind so many monster movies that came out from Japan during the 1950s and 1960s. This is a pictorial biography of Tsuburaya Eiji that proves to be very well written and informative. I found the book to be rather insightful as the author included inserts written by men who worked with or worked under Tsuburaya Eiji during his career. The book also comes well illustrated with photographs and movie posters on almost every page as it traces the life and time of Tsuburaya Eiji's career. It was interesting to note that during World War II, he made a movie made from miniatures that showed the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was so realistic that during the initial post war period, Americans thought it was the real thing. Tsuburaya Eiji was also the man who made Godzilla what he was and creator of the Ultraman series that is still going on to this day.

Overall, this book is definitely worth your time and money to read over and treasure. Tsuburaya Eiji is one of the great pioneers of motion picture industry regarding special effects and his influence help shape this industry to this day. His influence in the science fiction genre will remains pretty strong as monster movies like Cloverfield still hit our theaters and on DVD to this day. The book strongly reflects the heydays of Japanese monster movie era history and it will remind many of us, the fun and wonder these movies brought us during our younger days. And it will inform otherwise misinformed that there is more to these movies then just a "guy in the monster suit" concept.

(And yes, I am writing the subject's name in Japanese style...sur name first always...Tsuburaya Eiji is the way you would address him if he was still alive today...as you would with any Japanese national.)

Phenomenal book. Great quality, design, and content. If you have any remote appreciation for this kind of film making and monster design, this book is an absolute love letter... A must have!

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF MISS MONROE AT HER VERY EARLY CAREER. A TIME WHERE IT WAS PRIOR TO HER "HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE" AND "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES" SUCCESS, WHICH LAUNCHED HER TO ETERNAL STARDOM. THIS IS A "MUST" FOR ALL MARILYN MONROE AFFICIONADOS. IT IS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT I ENJOY READING AND REVIEWING MANY TIMES OVER.

'Niagra' is known for the movie that made Marilyn Monroe a star, and this book shows every moment of her life during the filming. As a true Monroe fan, I'm more interested in the casual candid photos of her more so than the made-up studio photography. My favorite photos of her in the book are the pictures taken of her while she was learning how to smoke a cigarette for the film. She had never smoked before and had to look like a natural within a few hours. These are photos you wouldn't see on a billboard or in a magazine. They show her true nature. They show her being a real person, vulnerable and timid.

Wonderful, oversized hardcover book with lots of black and white images of Marilyn while at Niagara Falls, shooting her first mayor movie "Niagara" in '52. I enjoy all the photographs, my favorites are where Marilyn practices smoking. There are also pictures of her with Joe Dimaggio before they were married, pictures of Marilyn without her make-up on and her face covered with vaseline as she liked to do. Reading her script while relaxing in bed. These are priceless photographs, showing Marilyn at the very brink of superstardom.

At 26, Marilyn Monroe was on the brink of stardom as she filmed her first leading role in Niagara. Canadian photojournalist Jock Carroll spent weeks with her at Niagara Falls during the on location shooting, and took almost 400 photographs. He also interviewed her throughout these weeks, and captured a lot of her activities on and off the set. He was preparing for an article called "Marilyn's Not So Menacing" that appeared in an August 1952 issue of Weekend Magazine, Canada's largest periodical at the time. You will see more candid photographs in this book than in any other source. Mr. Carroll died in 1995, and these photographs were located then. The photographs are well reproduced in this book, and bring her to life in both her glamorous and nonglamorous roles.

I was attracted to this book when I realized that it contained extensive interviews of Marilyn Monroe when she was 26, just before she reportedly drafted My Story. That autobiographical book has come in for many challenges concerning its authenticity and the strong stories contained in it. Reading the interviews in Falling for Marilyn provides a useful contrast in terms of what she says about herself and how she says it.

I was surprised to see that the stories she tells are almost identical in both books. That similarity argues for either for her being the author of My Story, or Mr. Carroll being the author. Interestingly, she tells a story here of having been recognized in school for her fiction as a child, and wanting to become an author. The most significant difference between the books was that here she claims to have needed the $50 she got for shooting the famous nude photographs to pay rent while in My Story, the money is used to retrieve her repossessed car. A minor discrepency comes in her asking Mr. Carroll a lot about Korea because she was thinking about doing a USO tour there. In My Story, she claims that this came up for the first time after she and Joe DiMaggio were in Japan on their honeymoon. There could be truth in both versions of these two stories.

There is a Zsa Zsa Gabor story here that is almost word-for-word the same as in My Story. This is true, as well, for one about being molested as a little girl by a boarder who paid her a nickel to keep quiet.

To me, the most telling comparison was in what Mr. Carroll observed about her. Even though she was making a fine salary at this point, she was always short of clothes while he was with her. This is something that she talks about a lot as being a function of her poverty in My Story. She also was always studying scripts or reading intellectual books, which is consistent with My Story also. She also made self-destructive comments about sleeping pills to Mr. Carroll as she does in My Story.

What was a pleasant surprise for me was Mr. Carroll's descriptions of his reactions to her. Those are missing from most books about Ms. Monroe. He had just come back from his own honeymoon a month before. He found himself strongly attracted to her, despite this. "The effect on me was cataclysmic." " . . . [W]hen she looked directly at you, it made you feel as though . . . you were sharing some naughty secret."

The photographs themselves are certainly sexy, but not revealing in the sense that we think of revealing today. They were daring, however, for 1952 in showing a little cleavage, a loose blouse, and sometimes erect nipples through her clothes.

She consciously worked on achieving this effect for these photographs. During a tour of a silverware factory, "Marilyn brightened [these] . . . photos by loosening the straps of her blouse, leaning over . . . to give . . . a good view of her breasts . . . ."

On the other hand, she was very protective of her relationship with Joe DiMaggio who did not want any publicity. She refused an interview where the interviewer was trying to worm in questions about the Yankee slugger.

My favorite photographs in the book include:

Reading script in bed (two page spread), located in the book's very beginning

Posing in front of the falls, p. 19

Visiting the silverware factory, p. 33

Combing her hair, p. 48

Arranging her hair, pp. 52-53

Laughing, pp. 84-85

Looking at Jean Peters' suit, p. 87

Smiling, p. 102

Seeing the vibrancy of this woman makes the sadness of her life all the more poignant. Be sure to read My Story to pick up on that contrast. Regardless of who wrote it, that is how Ms. Monroe saw herself and her life.

Consider how you can lift someone's spirits every day. Look for the hurting heart behind the naughty or haughty eyes . . . or any other strongly affecting mannerisms you notice. They are just part of the cover up.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF MISS MONROE AT HER VERY EARLY CAREER. A TIME WHERE IT WAS PRIOR TO HER "HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE" AND "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES" SUCCESS, WHICH LAUNCHED HER TO ETERNAL STARDOM. THIS IS A "MUST" FOR ALL MARILYN MONROE AFFICIONADOS. IT IS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT I ENJOY READING AND REVIEWING MANY TIMES OVER.

An outstanding companion piece to the great(if not THE greatest) dramatic series ever made. Ed Robertson really did his homework in researching for this book. Jam packed with info and anecdotes from the crew and many fine stars who guested on the show. Dozens of photos both stills from the episodes and candid shots taken on the set. Detailed synopsises of each episode(without spoilers) Even a special list of every name used by Richard Kimble, jobs he held, and places where each story took place. Highly recommended.

Ed Robertson's book is definitely the best. I also own "The Fugitive - A complete Episode Guide" by John Cooper and "My Fugitive" by David Janssen's former wife Ellie Janssen which is worth a read!
Another amazon.com reader mentioned the Twilight Zone Companion. But where is the Peyton Place Companion? I'm missing a book on the TV series "Peyton Place" for several decades and wonder why there is still no book out there.

"The Fugitive Recaptured" was published in 1993, thirty years after the TV series, "The Fugitive", premiered on network television in 1963.

This volume, by Ed Robertson, is just about all a "Fuge" fan could want in order to find out everything you'd need (or want) to know about this excellent TV drama, which was on the air for 4 complete seasons (120 episodes from 1963 to 1967).

The book features an "Introduction" by horror author Stephen King, plus a "Foreword" by Fugitive co-star Barry Morse, who portrayed police Lieutenant "Philip Gerard", star David Janssen's chief rival and nemesis during the course of the series. A chapter detailing the origins and conception of the series is also, of course, included here. Interesting stuff too.

Within these 208 pages, each and every episode of "The Fugitive" is dissected and examined in detail -- including cast lists, writing and directing credits, episode numbers, original air dates, episode descriptions, and verbatim "Prologue" and "Epilogue" text (the exact words spoken by series' narrator William Conrad at the beginning and end of each episode).

Many fun "Fuge Facts" are also revealed for many of the 120 episodes. These "Facts" are bits of little-known trivia that make this volume an even more enjoyable read.

In addition -- This book includes extended chapters on the series' Pilot episode ("Fear In A Desert City") and the two-part final episode ("The Judgment"), which remains to this day one of the highest-rated TV programs in the history of the medium.

There is also an "Appendix" area of the publication, with "Appendix 2" consisting of some very interesting trivial facts and data concerning every Fugitive episode -- including every single "alias" that was used by "Dr. Richard Kimble" during the whole run of the series. This appendix is useful to mega-fans of the series, as it also contains information about the "Location" (City/State) of each episode, as well as Kimble's "Occupation" on each show. Example --- Episode 31 had Kimble pretending to be "Frank Borden"; Occupation: "Dishwasher"; Location: "Harrisburg, Pennsylvania".

Many top-notch black-and-white photos are also scattered throughout this paperback publication, mainly publicity stills.

"The Fugitive" (1963-1967) is one of the best TV dramas ever put on the boob-tube. The long-running cat-and-mouse game between Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) and the police officer who let him get away, Philip Gerard (Barry Morse), provided some of the finest tension-filled moments ever aired on television.

"The Fugitive Recaptured" does, indeed, "recapture" the magic that surrounded this first-class piece of television entertainment.

Very Highly Recommended.

Certain television shows were so enormously popular during their original runs that they have been reincarnated more than once. THE FUGITIVE is one such drama. When Dr. Kimble began to run in 1963 in a three partnered minuet with Lt. Gerard and Fred Johnson, the American viewing public was so enamored of the chase that they refused to accept the judgment of THE JUDGMENT (the series finale) that the running had indeed stopped. Ed Robertson in his THE FUGITIVE RECAPTURED analyzes just what it was that made millions of Americans tune in every Tuesday night to watch Kimble run from one man only to pursue another. Robertson captures the essense of the spirit not just of the show but also of the social subtext of the show. In his Fuge Facts and plot synopses, Robertson well delineates the motivation of a doctor who, in his forced travels, became a collective Keroukian ON THE ROAD, with every watching viewer able to tap into the flip side of the American Dream, that out there in every dusty small town and bustling big city lay adventures that we could not aspire to but Kimble could. Roberston reviews every episode, judges its intrinsic worth, provides the needed Kimble trivia of both character and actor, and adds a handy list of names that Kimble used over a four year run. This list resembles a phone directory of a small town that Kimble must have passed through more than once. Reading THE FUGITIVE RECAPTURED made me think of the follow up success of the filmed version with Harrison Ford and the less succeessful small screen run of Tim Daly. It is not likely that the latter two will ever be considered worthy contenders for a pantheon of running heroes, but Robertson's literary paean to David Janssen serves as a perpetual reminder that for a spirit of a character or of an age to be recaptured, then that spirit must have been worthwhile in the first place. Robertson's book will not let Kimble ever run far enough or fast enough to escape our notice.

I can certainly add my kudos to Ed Robertson for his labor of love in this book commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the famous television program. This work brings to life the entire four years that the series ran on network television, and gives the reader the feeling that he was actually "on location" with the cast and crew as they produced this first-rate series. Each episode is fully documented with full credits for the director and all principal actors in the series. The episode synopsis give the reader a feeling of being on the run with the Fugitive. The opening and closing narration for each episode certainly sets the tone for each nights program.

If you are a fan of this great television series, then this book is certainly for you. I highly recommend it.

Great as usual, If you've bought the previous ones, there's no reason not to have this one. I you haven't, what are you waiting for?!

Excellent production. Seeing old movie clips is fun but I really hoped that WB would release twelve "Order of the Phoenix" photos instead.

The calendar was ordered by mistake. I actually wanted the day-by-day calendar. I didn't realize the error until it arrived in the mail. The customer service guy was very courteous and helpful. He showed me how to return that calendar so I could order a new one. Thank you...

I think this desk calendar is one of the best I have seen. There are so many pictures( one for each week). I love Harry Potter and been a fan since day one, so this calendar took my dedication to Harry Potter to the next level. I use this calendar for work to write down my times I am working. It has pretty big spaces to write stuff down. Maybe around 1-2 inches tall and maybe 6 inches across. I think this is a most have for those Harry Potter fans, like me, who need to keep organized.

This is the second calendar (I also bought the 2006) and I love it. My parents were even impressed with the quality of paper, that is used in the making of the calendar. Just wish they had included more pictures of Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore.

"How to Write a Screenplay" is a superb guide to the craft of cinematic storytelling and the process of rendering that story into the standard screenplay format. The book also includes detailed guidance on the pitch and development stages of the screenwriting process. Schwartz effectively delivers his lessons because "How to Write a Screenplay" seamlessly marries form and function. The book itself is in the form of a screenplay, and therefore serves as an ongoing example of the points it presents. This is an extremely effective pedagogical approach because the reader's attention is not divided between separate narrative text and examples, but fully engaged at any moment in an interesting story that illustrates its points in concrete terms.

In the introduction to his book, Schwartz states he has seen the quality of his screenwriting students' work dramatically improve after utilizing this approach; I have no doubt that this has been true for him, and will also apply to those who read his excellent book.

This is by far and away the best book I've read on screenwriting. It's really insightful, informative, and entertaining. I found myself laughing while learning! As others have noted, this clever little gem is a fast and fun read, a how-to book that is actually written in the form of a character and story-driven screenplay. Like a good movie, I kept turning the pages, wanting to "see" what would happen next. Before you get to the feature length screenplay (titled Screenwriting for the Hell of It!),it has a funny short script about pitching, and takes you by example through the steps of development. I can see why a great director like Wes Craven recommends it. Very cool!

The latest edition of HOW TO WRITE: A SCREENPLAY appears in its revised, expanded edition to add a chapter on 'The Pitch' and features a screenplay-like format which sets it apart from others on the market. Danny, the hero in this story, is hopelessly in love with a star who won't date him until he proves he can write an outstanding screenplay for her. Learn the basics of writing and marketing a screenplay through a format that lends to lively insights: perfect for any public library or school collection catering to aspiring screenwriters.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

In summary, like a good movie, this is highly entertaining and educational!
There, now that that is out of the way, let me say I was initially skeptical about this book and its overwhelmingly good reviews. The reason is a character flaw (I think): I don't trust positivity.

However, it wasn't too expensive and Amazon would ship it to me in record time so I thought, what the heck and ordered it. It's a small book, and I was expecting it to be. After all, it's in the format of a screenplay and those shouldn't be more than 120 pages or so, right?

On starting to read, straightaway, I was hooked. The story used is a bit corny, but--I couldn't believe it!--I wanted to know more: what did Virgil want? Who was the stranger in Bebe's apartment? Does Danny finish the screenplay? And right along with all that, I was actually learning about structure, character, theme, dialog and exposition; all in a way I never would have thought possible.

And at a speed I never thought possible either! I was learning how to write a screenplay and how to make it interesting and watchable, without the impediment of translating jargon and quasi-indecipherable jibber jabber. I blew through it in less than two hours and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. One of my highest recommendations and kudos to the author for finding a pleasant, funny, and incredibly insightful way of transferring knowledge.

The addition of a section on "pitching" in Mr. Schwartz' Second Edition is the icing on the cake of his excellent guide to screenwriting. Having worked inside the studio system for several decades as a story analyst, development executive, and producer, I've seen many cases where a screenwriter had a good story and/or script but failed to sell it because he/she blew the "pitch." As he did with screenwriting in the First Edition, Mr. Schwartz provides the keys to successful "pitching" in his user-friendly format: keep it simple, clear and entertaining. I will continue to recommend Mr. Schwartz' book to writers, producers and development execs as a very useful tool in developing, and NOW in selling screenplays.

Since this is written much as a diary of a young WW2 fighter pilot there are some sections that, like life, are a little tedious. That fact aside I found Mr. Lopez's work an interesting and inciteful view of the famous Flying Tiger unit after it was absorbed into the Army Air Force after the US officially entered the war. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the China theater of the war and how it was used to get the Japanese to attack us and get us involved in WW2. The vivid air combat descriptions are great insights into what pilots of that era were up against as opposed to the "video game-like" air battles of today.

I've read a lot of World War II flying book and this is the best! Mr. Lopez writes well and tells the unvarnished truth of what it was like to fly a P-40 against an agile and determined foe.

Haven't read a pilot's memoirs for quite a while, although doing much more of it now. Into the Teeth of the Tiger was the first of a long line of new purchases that I need to read and it was well worth the purchase. Mr Lopez, while an excellent flier and leader, is also a wonderful writer. He writes with modesty and is not afraid to describe his errors in addition to his successes. The action sequences are superb and the humour used by the pilots and crews to lighten things up a bit is guaranteed to generate a smile and even a chuckle. Of course, this is war and the deaths of friends and the treatment of the civilian population was no doubt shattering for all involved. I get the impression that this book has become somewhat of a classic and justly so. It is a well-written account of a less publicised theatre of the war by a (then) very young pilot. What these guys did at 20-25 really puts things into perspective. A bloody good read!

Don Lopez was a 23-year-old fighter pilot in the 14th Air Force Flying Tigers, flying a war-weary P-40 against the Japanese army air force in such close combat that he once took a wing off a Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Oscar"). Good pilots are easy to find, and so are good writers, but Don is that exceptional individual: a pilot who can write well and to the heart. This book is a keeper.

This is an engrossing story of a young fighter pilot's experiences flying P-40s and P-51s in mid to late World War Two with the 75th Fighter Squadron in China. Donald Lopez writes excellent flying sequences and conveys the essence of the people he flew and fought with. A good read if you have any interest in military history or aviation.

The Bond Lover's Bible is how I would describe this book. It is highly detailed (with references to Bond books and films)and exceedingly well-structured, whilst looking up references around the capital is simplicity itself. The book should be far more widely known than it is - not only because it is so very good, but because its companion volume, the almost completed "James Bond's Britain", is apparently unlikely to make it into print on the strength of sales so far for "James Bond's London". Highly recommended!

As a James Bond fan, having just gotten home from a trip to London, I have to say, having this book with me was truly indispensable. I found myself looking up the places where the Bond films were shot, and the book give you the details on how to get there, including subway stops. As one person said, a map would have been real helpful, but the information is pretty extensive without it. I highly recommend it.

An excellent compendium of places and locations that have played a part in both Bond Books and Bond Films. The detail and descriptions are impecable and Gary's research has definately paid-off.

Particular note goes out to the two introductory writers, Peter Hunt and Christopher Lee, who both offer excellent background and depth.

One downside is that a map would have been quite effective to achieve the sense of geography and distance to these locations. As only a one-time visitor (so far!) to London, I don't quite know the relationships to the districts and locales, etc. In this case a map would have been quite helpful.

James Bond and London, the capital of Britain, go hand in hand. A James Bond adventure, whether it is cinematic or literary, would hardly be complete without some form of patriotism towards Mother England and off hand I can only think of a few adventures (mainly short stories) where no scenes talk place in Britain. This simple fact, coupled with the fact that every man wishes to be like James Bond, gives good reason for a book such as James Bond's London to be written.
Gary Giblin took up the challenge of writing such a book in January 1998. I shall not go into full details here as they're covered in Jordan Charter's interview located here. However, what started as a book entitled James Bond's Britain eventually had to be subdivided into two books. As a result of a lot or hard work James Bond's London was published in December 2001.

To begin with, James Bond's London isn't your average book, nor is it what I originally envisaged it would be; but that's not a bad thing, quite the opposite actually. What Giblin has presented is a travel guide to the world of James Bond in London. Quite simply, the book is the most useful source for anyone who wants to travel in the footsteps of James Bond, something, which could easily seem a mammoth undertaking.

Giblin has been very particular in the material that he has covered. By his own admission in an interview with CommanderBond.Net he has omitted literary material not written by Ian Fleming; of course indicating he is a purist to the work. Giblin has also omitted non-EON Productions cinematic material; again a sign of purity as there is only one true James Bond film series.

That said, the amount of material Giblin has included is still amazing. There a literally hundreds of locations that can be found in the novels and in the films. What is most amazing about the film locations is how many of them were used for non-British locations in the films. For instance the car park from Tomorrow Never Dies is actually in London and not Hamburg. Also, aside from locations that we read of and watch are locations where significant events of the Bond world took place. For instance, the birthplace of Ian Fleming or the former offices of EON Productions. If it's Bond related and it's in London you'll find it in "James Bond's London".

Thankfully, for those of us not well versed in travelling around London Giblin has an explanation of how to get to each location. Not only does he include the standard address, suburb and postcode but also details for getting there via the London Underground. As a part of this he's mentioned the platforms and the stations one should use and once leaving the station which streets one should follow.

The locations in the book are also well categorised. Rather than organising the locations by film, novel or perhaps relation Giblin has taken the initiative of organising them by location. So one could simply spend a day in a certain part of London and visit several Bond related locations. The guide makes it that simple.

As for the detail on each location Giblin has included quite a lot. To describe each location Giblin has used icons to begin with; for instance a clapperboard icon represents a film related location. As a part of the textual description for each location Giblin has not only included Bond related information but information on the locations non-Bond history. Readers will not only learn a great deal about Bond but a great deal about London too.

In passing good comments about the work that Giblin has done one must also highlight downfalls to "James Bond's London" - something that is not an easy task let me assure you. While I can find no fault in the material that Giblin has presented I must say that I was disappointed to find that the book was not offered in a hardback edition. However, in saying that one can definitely appreciate the fact that Giblin and the Daleon, whom published the book, made all attempts to keep the prices low. My only other complain is about one of the icons in the book; the skull and cross bone. The icon is disproportionate and according to Giblin this is a problem that occurred at the printers.

All in all James Bond's London is a must have for any Bond fan of any calibre. Gary Giblin has researched extensively into all aspects of the locations and the films and help from Bond legends such as Peter Lamont have made this a completely unique and factual reference guide.

This book gets high marks as it is invaluable for discovering exact London references to buildings (hotels, restaurants, etc) associated with James Bond (the films and Ian Fleming). The reviews that others have written about this book are right on the mark. Congratulations Gary.

Also of interest is Gary's Alfred Hitchcock's London. Check it out.

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.

This is Cindy de la Hoz's first book, and judging from this and her next two books (_Platinum Fox_ on Marilyn Monroe and _Lana_ on Lana Turner, written with Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane), de la Hoz is going to be a major writer on classic films in the years to come. I've got all three of her books and expect to keep buying them as long as she keeps on putting out work as good as this.

As with her next two books, _Lucy at the Movies_ is a substantial, high-quality hardback, with the accent on outstanding pictures in both color and B&W, many of them not previously published. De la Hoz begins with a good, concise biographical section and then goes on to the meat of the book, a film-by-film discussion of Lucy's movie career (again, accompanied by numerous first-rate photographs). De la Hoz carefully researched this book, with extensive endnotes and a long bibiliography.

I only own one book on Lucille Ball so far, but I'm glad it's this one!

This book is truly amazing. I am 47 and have been a huge fan of Lucille Ball since I was young. HERE'S LUCY was on prime time then, both other shows were in constant reruns and MAME was released - a huge treat. I have always loved the whole package that is Lucille Ball - not just Lucy - and this book glorifies exactly that.

Lucille Ball became a legend and a never equalled comedienne when she became Lucy on the infamous I LOVE LUCY. Of course this is her tour de force from herr entire career but many don't know that Lucy was around for decades before I LOVE LUCY with an expansive film career. She was considered the QUEEN OF THE B MOVIES. There was some true quality work here like LURED and the truly exceptional THE BIG STREET. She also made many films after becoming Lucy.

This book is not only a beautiful coffee table book which it indeed is. There are hundreds of amazing pictures both in black and white and color - candids plus pictures from the films. But this book is also a true encyclopedia of the film history of Lucille Ball. Every film she made from the beginning to MAME and even her final television movie STONE PILLOW are thoroughly researched. There is an in depth synopsis of each film, wonderful pictures and multiple critics reviews of each piece. It is priceless.

There is also a full biography and a detail of all the film shorts she did before she was in her first film ROMAN SCANDALS. So to sum it up - this book is the rare exception. It is a true beautiful coffee table book filled with beautiful pictures but it also provides the fully researched in depth film history of Lucille Ball which has never been tackled like this before.

For all you Lucy fans this book is a must and you will learn how much more there was to this multi-faceted artist. You will run out to get and watch all these films to discover the true Lucille Ball. But this book is not only for Lucy fans for Lucille Ball is one of the greatest artists ever and this book is her true film history. It is a must for any entertainment library as well.

But for all you true Lucy fans - rejoice!! You will devour the beautiful pictures and all the info on the film career of the glorious Lucille ball. Enjoy!

I gave my granddaughter who is an avid "Lucy fan" this book for Christmas and she loved it because it focused on Lucy's movie career.

This book is very well written and has wonderful pictures. The write up about Lucy gives even the biggest fans new insight into her life. It is a great way to find all the movies she was in.

To start off this is a great book and not being much of a reader myself I really love this one. It has great large pictures, hard to find pictures and the words are fairly large in this one also. Not being overly large like a kids reader but being the perfect size! But not only this, it has a lot of informative info aobut all of Lucy's movies that she has appeared in and also a despription of each movie. This is great because if you have never seen any of Lucille Ball's films you will get a thrill out of reading about all of the movies as well as jotting them down and looking online to buy them on DVD. This book has so much more also as well as the biography of Lucille Ball and a whole lot more! This is not a boring book but a nice fun book to read and to also make you want to read as well as some great info about the bright and talented star. The book itself is very large and very well made, as well as being thick. It looks like it costs about $50 it is so big and thick but I bought this through a book store in my local town for $29.99 which on the back of the book is the retail value so Amazon has a GREAT price!