Television Books

Linkin Park is my favorite , I just adore them. I ordered there book and I'm waiting for it to arrive , but I have to tell you , if LP rules so much there book MUST be cool , I mean it features my favorite 6 guys. LP fans , based on previous reviews this is the book for you AND me. :)

With more than fifty pages of in-depth text,this book tells you the history of Linki Park.Many pictures I have never seen before are also in this book.Highly recommend this to all LP fans.

if you want to know it, this book has it. This book tells the history of the band, even a little about Chester's old band! It's got awesome information and great pictures. Every LP fan should own this

All in all, this book was 5/5, but the problem was, when I was starting the hang of it, i thought it had more pages to be read, but its only less information, oh well.. this explains the forming of the band, where they met, how they started, the Hybrid Theory days..... Chester's band called _xero_ was also mentioned on the book, i really recommend this!!!

This book is awesome. I was up all night readin this. Linkin park die hards this is the book for u. Keep it, tresure it, do whatever u have to. I know i will.

This is such a treasure! It shows life inside Termite Terrace and preserves the history like a textbook. The author shares stories that aren't covered in other books and talks about the people who weren't in the spotlight of the Golden Era. I was amazed to find someone who had lived through it and been there had written this. Any students of Looney Tunes, animation, or cartoon history should read this book.

If you've read any other animation history books, you've gotten a basic idea of how things were during "Golden Age" of the 30's and 40's. But not only is Living Life Inside The Lines one of the few books written someone who actually worked in animation during that period, it's the only book I've seen written by an ink & paint artist, which gives it a point of view of the animation world that other books never mention.

Sigall also tells stories of people like Irv Spence and Phil Monroe who were a big part of animation history, but have never gotten much mention in books. And having worked at numerous studios and ink & paint houses, she has very broad perspective on how the animation industry has changed from the 30's thorough to the 80's. Plus her pleasant demeanor makes for a nice, easy-going read.

If you're interested in animation, this book is a perfect supplement to your library.

I know the son of the writer and was eager to read her book. I have done computer animation and presently am in involved in video production. I found this personal history of the early days of animation to be fun, informative, and came away feeling I had a better knowledge of the people involved in this wonderful form of visual art!

If you love animation, history of early animation days...this book is a wonderful read!

When Chuck Jones received his special Academy Award in the mid-1990s, he wondered aloud from the stage where all the "laughing faces of Termite Terrace" had gone. They're right here in Martha Goldman Sigall's wonderful book. Martha was a central participant in the Golden Age of the animated short: she inked and painted on timeless, classic films directed by Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, Bob McKimson, Frank Tashlin, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, and others, and almost certainly contributed to more animated films than all of them combined, probably without receiving a single screen credit in that era. But she sketches the men and women who sketched Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry masterfully in this extremely well-written book, which, like Martha herself, is very warm, funny, and people-oriented. Her personal portraits of artists like Treg Brown, Virgil Ross, Ben Washam, and many others are a crucial contribution to animation history as well as a fun and funny reading experience.

This is the best book on the Schlesinger studio (birthplace of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and many others), and provides perhaps a thousand important details about that historic cartoon studio and MGM's that aren't found elsewhere. Martha sketches the 1941 strike, the Red Scare, wartime Hollywood, and other events from the animation community's perspective, and also sheds light on the historic industry locations such as 861 Seward, where six different studios sought shelter through the years; the neat and clean (but long gone) MGM building in Culver City, and the shabby Van Ness home of Leon Schlesinger and his "kids".

In what may be the last major eyewitness account of the classic era of animation, Martha raises the spirit of those long-gone laughing faces, and humanizes the creation of the great cartoons and timeless characters that will last forever. The joy she obviously felt in her career infuses the book and the reader.

Martha and her husband Sol, who, happily, is also heard from here, have always been like beloved grandparents to animators in Southern California (one of which this author was for a few years), but in 1996 they kindly donated themselves to the Warner Brothers Museum and are now officially public treasures. If you're not in the area, you can claim your share of them right here in this wonderful book. They should designate a rating higher than five stars for it.

I love reading stories from animations golden age and this book is especially charming.
Most people don't know it, but the ink and paint departments in all the major and minor studios were the real unsung heroes of the cartoon business-many ladies being accomplished artists in their own right and having the ability to take well drawn line drawings and just adding the right touch to each cel that the scenes would really shine. Water effects being one of the areas of animation that without great inkers and painters could tend to look "hokey".
I give this book 5 stars, but I wish it had more pictures!!

A nice book with the screenplay of the movie, some photos from the backstage and a very small interview to most of the main characters. For all the people (like me) who have loved this movie and its marvellous all-star cast.

WHAT IT IS
This is one of the best presentations of a script I've purchased in recent months. There's loads of extras in this paperback including some queries with the principle actors, bascstories on characters, cut scenes and storylines, great photos (behind the scenes as well as infront of the camera) and of course, the full screenplay.

WHY I PURCHASED IT
In general this is one of my favorite movies, but I am also an aspiring screenwriter and am currently using this screenplay to assist me with formatting my own intersecting lives in my screen play. It's a relief to see a screenplay with such depth be easily read and translated by enve a novie like me. Love Actually is proof positive that the best screenplays are rewritten, not written. Thank you Richard Curtis!

amazing movie, soundtrack AND book. i love love love it. when i got it i basically flipped out and sat down and read the whole thing through. this is a must have for anyone who loved the movie!

This is a film for people, like myself, who like movies that make them think, but occassionly need a feel-good flick with just enough complication to keep it interesting. I laughed, I cried, I got up on my feet and danced, I clapped my hands and I'm telling everyone I know that Love Actually is, actually, a must see movie!!!! And, so the screenplay is, also, a must read!

Richard Curtis is a genius! Although I haven't seen the movie version yet, Love Actually the screenplay heightened my excitement for the movie. The screenplay will leave readers giddy with excitement, eagerly anticipating the turnout of every character's story.

All characters are very human and everyone is looking for love in different forms, which anyone can easily relate to. Readers will find themselves rooting for all characters. The book is also complemented with photos of the movie and budding scriptwriters can pick up points on how to make a screenplay.

The book is masterfully written and it is a great read for those who are looking for love because, as Hugh Grant's character says in the opening scene, "I've got a sneaking suspicion you'll find that love actually is all around."

Back when there was little else written about Star Trek, before David Gerrold's great "World of Star Trek" analysis or Franz Joseph's blueprints, "The Making of Star Trek" was the ultimate. I devoured it as a boy in the early '70s. To this day I don't think anyone can consider themselves a true original series die-hard without having read this book. It really does take you inside the making of the show, but keeps it on a professional level, without salaciousness. That's because the book wasn't written as something for the few Star Trek fans that were known of then, but as a book about how to write for TV, as older printings stated on the cover. That does leave some things out, but those details have been covered since by other books and memoirs.

Since this was written while the series was in production, it's a good view into how people felt then, even refreshing because Trek had yet to become a pop culture colossus, so the book doesn't have any of that built-in reverence. They were making a good TV show that aspired to be something better than most everything else on then, but in the end it was considered just another TV job, certainly not anything that would become legendary.

For instance, "The Defenders," one of the highest praised, most thoughtful and well-written dramas of the '60s, is scarecely remembered by anyone not old enough to have seen it. Part of the issue with that series had to do with rerun-rights issues, but another part had to do with the times then, when TV was still rather young, and shows were thought of as rather disposable, coming and going without much of an afterlife except for "Lucy" and "Honeymooners" reruns. When you think of it in that context, it's easy to see why Gene Roddenberry bailed on Star Trek after it became clear NBC was out to kill it, even though the letter campaign forced them to bring it back for a third year.

The pics and blueprints within the book are cool but may not be as impressive today. At least the blueprints, while not "accurate" by today's standards, were drawn by Matt Jefferies himself. Remember, though, for a long time this was all the reference stuff available. However, if you want what is still a good insider's look into the making of the show, plus Gene Roddenberry's take before even he got sucked into the myth, this is a must-read.

hey Spouk

the capitalization of quotes from Roddenberry (aka the Great Bird of the Galazy) give one "the bizarre impression that he is a god" because for the series, he was :-)

i have a copy of the original publication, read it then and howled, still think it is a great read.

BTW Terry Pratchett uses the same literary device of all caps for Death, in the Discworld series.

Harlan Ellison's memories of the show are fascinating reading as well. As are David Gerrold's.

I read this in the Seventies and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I've bought it again and enjoyed it all over again. Fascinating behind-the-scenes look at TOS. You have to read this book to understand what a groundbreaking series Star Trek was. You also learn how grueling a TV series is to work on. This book is fascinating, and sometimes hilarious!

This is a classic. It is the first book of its kind, and probably the first book about Star Trek at all. But The Making of Star Trek is much more than any of the later books with similar names. This book doesn't idealize or simplify the making of the series. It doesn't enthusiastically praise everything and everyone involved in its production. It is an authentic and meticulous report on how TOS in particular and a TV series in general comes to life. It shows that it is a process of try and error, that aspects have to be taken into account the viewers wouldn't think of, and that the responsible persons don't always know exactly what they want ("I need some device that does something...").

The story how Stephen E. Whitfield (aka Stephen E. Poe) asked Gene Roddenberry if he could write a book about the series sounds like a fairy tale, but is true. The Great Bird was very forthcoming, and Whitfield was granted access to everything behind the scenes of the still running show, seemingly without any restriction. The book shows production schedules, budgets, private notes, script drafts, production sketches, all things that are usually kept secret or simplified for a larger public. I don't think that something like this would be still possible today. Compared to The Making of Star Trek, Whitfield's last book (he passed away in 2000) on Voyager seems rather superficial.

The Making of Star Trek may be over 30 years old, but it is of more than only historical value. It demonstrates that TV is a business that sometimes doesn't allow technical or artistic perfection. It also shows how many things we may take for granted and that are essential parts of the Star Trek Universe today have taken a rather surprising course change. Who would like Vulcans with names like "Spook, Spork, Splak, ..." as frequently suggested in the early days, or who would think that one race was originally described with the words, "Honor is a despicable trait.", namely the Klingons?

There are probably loads of 'Making of Star Trek' books out there, but this is particularly interesting as it was written in 1968, between the second and third series, before the show had become a phenomenon. Which is odd at first - everything is in the present tense, and there's nothing about the cultural impact of the show because that was all in the future. Doubly odd is the fact that all of the many quotes from Gene Roddenberry are reported IN BLOCK CAPITALS, giving the bizarre impression that he is not a television producer, but God Himself.

It's extremely detailed, and is as much about the making of any TV late-60s series as it is 'Star Trek'. There are bits from shooting scripts, set plans, photographs of noted theatre actor William Shatner in old-age makeup (looking nothing like he looks in genuine old age), profiles of production staff, and programme budgets which, translated dollar-for-dollar, would just about cover the catering bill on 'Star Trek : The Next Generation'. It's worth it for the stream of memos about Vulcan names alone.

Mark Kistler's books are wonderful, entertaining books that canteach anyone (of any age) how to draw! I bought his books for my sons,and I quickly became a devoted fan and an avid drawing maniac myself! The book is packed with pages of fun drawings, as well as 'story starters' in which kids are asked to complete the story. Mark's enthusiasm for drawing and story-telling just bubbles up out of the pages of this book. As a mom, I appreciate his encouragement for kids to watch less tv, say NO to violent video games and drugs, and to expand their brain power by getting involved in art. This book is a 'must have' for all teachers and parents who would like to see their kids motivated to express their creativity and feel good about their drawing ability.

While aimed at kids, this is a great place to start at any age. If you have been looking at other drawing books, and the books you have seen before only make it harder, your search is over. Mark makes it easy for anyone at any age to get basic drawing skills, the building blocks you need to get started. He teaches the skills that other books make seem complex, without the stress or making it go over your head. His way of teaching is simply the easiest method a person can have to start drawing. And if the books are good, his old show on PBS and his videos are even better. Mark makes drawing so fun kids beg to use the book again and again. He does not start by intimidating you with the completed project, in fact you don't always know what you are drawing until you are done. He takes you one line, circle, or square at a time and before you know it you have a fun drawing. I also reccommend you try the books from Ed Emberly, or check my lists on Amazon for kids that want to learn to draw, or be a cartoonist or animator.

If you think you stink at drawing, think again! Mark Kistler shows you how, step by step, to draw pictures that really look like something and tell a story besides!

I bought this book to relearn how to draw properly. While the book is directed at a young audience, adults-at-heart like me will benefit from the drawing principles such as foreshortening, placement, size, overlapping, shading and shadowing, contour and horizon (plus 1 and 2 point perspectives). My disappointments were that a few later lessons repeat previous lessons and that it uses blank pages after each lesson for you to practice on. I suggest you use a separate sheet of paper to do this so you can pass this book to your kids and their kids and so on and so forth. Despite these, I still rate it 5 stars.

I can now draw simple everyday objects both as cartoons and as realistically as I can. They're not professional quality yet, the book recommends daily practice until they are and that's exactly what I'm doing.

This isn't the only book you should buy though if you want to draw artistically. In my case, I'd like to draw comics-style characters and objects so I can move on to animating them later. I got Tom Alvarez's "How to Create Action, Fantasy and Adventure Comics" (separately reviewed) which is also an excellent how-to book.

Mark Kistler's books are EXCELLENT for anyone who want to learn to draw. The layout of the book is fun easy to follow. Although it is geared toward children it is appropriate for a beginner adult. It starts with simple concepts and gradually builds on what you've already learned. Anyone at any age will be impressed by what you will be drawing in a short amount of time. I bought this book for my children and was so impressed , I started drawing myself. My children love this book and so do I.

The book is great.It gives really all the information about Michael Jackson for his fans.This book should be in every Michael Jackson fans' home to look back for his story.

i really dug this book on The KIng Of Pop.Adrian Grant has done great stuff on MIchael.this book gives dates of his Writting&Production and ALbums released.also Concerts.very well in depth Profile on THE Man.getting this book helped me get songs that he did for others oe sung on.MICHAEL JACKSON is STILL THE BADDEST ARTIST ALIVE TODAY.nobody can count MJ out.

I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. I have loved Michael Jackson all my life and this book helps people like me know more about what he went through. I thought the book was great and also I think MJ is the greatest.

This is the best book that was ever published about Michael Jackson. It is informative, accurate, well written and gives the world a very wonderful insight into Michael and his achievements. Adrian Grant has done it again!

I have just had the book 2day , Its great , its really worthy , If you like the man , you have hundreads of pictures inside , they are all great , the book tells the story of MJ day by day , from the day he was born till 1997 , everything you wanna know about michael , you will have it here...

I think that this is one of the better Sabrina novels. It is fairly long, which makes for a thrilling page-by-page story. After a short introduction (roughly 20 pages) you get to the different sections. What happens is that The Great Clock of the Other Realm is wearing out and it will stop at midnight! If that happens, then magic will cease to exist. While the Witches Council tries to repair the clock, Sabrina knows that she must build a new one. And so, with the help of Salem, she travels through time to the 12 most important events in history. She meets many people like Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth. The reasons for this rating is because of how Nancy Holder puts a time limit on Sabrina's quest which make the story more exciting and for it's great plot and suspenseful mini-stories through out the book. Overall, this is a great book that should be bought by everyone!

I think that this book was exellent to have 12 short stories about Sabrina and Salem going back in time trying to find the magical moments in them. While all the other witches are fretting and trying to fix it, Sabrina builds a new one! Oh So Tottally Cool!

i loved this book! The excitment about if Sabrina will get to make the new clack was intense! The twlve short stories were different, so they were really fun to read. I think even the beginning is already totally interesting, so you are automatically pulled right into the plot. GREAT BOOK!

This was actually quite good for a Sabrina novel. I enjoy them long, and this one was long enough. It starts out when Sabrina discovers that the Great Clock in the Other Realm is going haywire and that if it breaks down at midnight on New Years Eve, witchs all around could loose their powers for good. Frantically, the witch's council tries to fix it, but Sabrina decides to build a new one instead. To do that, she has to travel to 12 magical times in history. I won't mention them all, but I really liked the part where she went back into colonial times and when she met Queen Elizabeth, even though it only lasted a page. Buy this book. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Millennium Madness was one of the best. The twelve short stories were a really good idea. The things that she collected to build a new clock was cool to. You should definitely read this book!

DJ's and Chowder's life was simple. They woke up, had breakfast, went to school, came home, ate dinner and did homework. But DJ had better things to do than homework. Across the street from him was a shattered, non-painted old house. And in it was an old man know as Mr. Nebbercraker. One day DJ and Chowder where spying on Mr. Nebbercraker when a girl named Jenny came into the scene. She was about their age and was pulling a red wagon full of cookie boxes. She was probably selling them as a fundraiser for her school. She walked up to Mr. Nebbercraker's door and was about to ring the doorbell when DJ and Chowder came running down after her screaming not to. As she rang the doorbell a low echoing sound that seemed to go miles into the center of the earth boomed and the two large parallel windows above her turn bright red and turned into a pair of evil red glowing eyes. The door swung open and razor sharp shards of wood came out of the top and bottom of it, and then the rug leading to the back of the house turned into a tongue and soon it looked much like a face. All of the sudden the walkway to Mr.Nebbercraker's front door turned into an inclined plane and then Jenny started to almost roll down right to the razor sharp teeth. Just as she was about to be devoured by this "monster house" DJ and Chowder caught her and ran back across the street and back to their room. Of course Jenny was stunned and knew they had to stop this evil house. Ever since that day DJ watches Mr. Nebbercraker's house to get some proof that this house is... ALIVE! But Halloween was coming up and all of the people that trick-or-treated Mr.Nebbercraker's house will be eaten. So begins a battle of three kids and a living house nightmare!





Opinion
Monster House was a fun and entertaining book about three kids and a living nightmare. I recommend Monster House for people who like suspenseful, action scenes. It was a very good book, and every night I was tempted to read more and more of it. It was just like I was watching the movie right in my bed!

DJ's and Chowder's life was simple. They woke up, had breakfast, went to school, came home, ate dinner and did homework. But DJ had better things to do than homework. Across the street from him was a shattered, non-painted old house. And in it was an old man know as Mr. Nebbercraker. One day DJ and Chowder where spying on Mr. Nebbercraker when a girl named Jenny came into the scene. She was about their age and was pulling a red wagon full of cookie boxes. She was probably selling them as a fundraiser for her school. She walked up to Mr. Nebbercraker's door and was about to ring the doorbell when DJ and Chowder came running down after her screaming not to. As she rang the doorbell a low echoing sound that seemed to go miles into the center of the earth boomed and the two large parallel windows above her turn bright red and turned into a pair of evil red glowing eyes. The door swung open and razor sharp shards of wood came out of the top and bottom of it, and then the rug leading to the back of the house turned into a tongue and soon it looked much like a face. All of the sudden the walkway to Mr.Nebbercraker's front door turned into an inclined plane and then Jenny started to almost roll down right to the razor sharp teeth. Just as she was about to be devoured by this "monster house" DJ and Chowder caught her and ran back across the street and back to their room. Of course Jenny was stunned and knew they had to stop this evil house. Ever since that day DJ watches Mr. Nebbercraker's house to get some proof that this house is... ALIVE! But Halloween was coming up and all of the people that trick-or-treated Mr.Nebbercraker's house will be eaten. So begins a battle of three kids and a living house nightmare!





Opinion
Monster House was a fun and entertaining book about three kids and a living nightmare. I recommend Monster House for people who like suspenseful, action scenes. It was a very good book, and every night I was tempted to read more and more of it. It was just like I was watching the movie right in my bed!

I read the book "Monster House", adapted by Tom Hughes. This story takes place in a neighborhood in the town of Mayville. A kid named DJ knew something was wrong with the house across the street. The house was alive and would eat anything or anyone that stepped on its lawn. When the house came alive, the front door was its mouth, the porch was its teeth, the foyer rug was its tounge, the upstairs windows were its eyes, and the trees on the side of the house were its arms. The biggest problem was DJ and his friends were the only ones that could see the house alive. DJ and his friends, Chowder and Jenny, were going to spy on the house and find out what was going on with it. They also wanted to find out why the house became alive after its owner, Mr. Nebbercracker disappeared. After spying on the house with their telescope, the 3 friends realized that the house was really alive and the furnace was the heart and soul of the house that kept it alive. The friends made a plan to get inside the house and put out the fire in its furnace.
The three friends went onto the lawn and up to the house. When the house "woke up" it stared to chase them. DJ, Chowder, and Jenny ran down the street and the house chased after them. They led the house to the back of the neighborhood to a construction sight they called "The Danger Zone". While the house chased the kids, Mr. Nebbercracker showed up. He had been sick and was at the hospital. Mr. Nebbercracker was trying to calm the house down. DJ finally climbed to the top of a crane and dropped dynamite into the house's chimney. The house exploded and destroyed the furnace. While the house was burning, the kids and Mr. Nebbercracker saw a spirit floating up from the ashes. It was Mr. Nebbercracker's wife, Constance, who had died years before. Her spirit was trapped in the house and when Mr. Nebbercracker went to the hospital, she thought that he had died and left her alone. She was released when the kids destroyed the house. Mr. and Mrs. Nebbercracker were able to say good-bye and Mrs. Nebbercracker's spirit was finally free.
I loved this book because its details. The description of the house was great. I could actually envision the house in my mind. I also loved the suspense.

I read the book "Monster House", adapted by Tom Hughes. This story takes place in a neighborhood in the town of Mayville. A kid named DJ knew something was wrong with the house across the street. The house was alive and would eat anything or anyone that stepped on its lawn. When the house came alive, the front door was its mouth, the porch was its teeth, the foyer rug was its tounge, the upstairs windows were its eyes, and the trees on the side of the house were its arms. The biggest problem was DJ and his friends were the only ones that could see the house alive. DJ and his friends, Chowder and Jenny, were going to spy on the house and find out what was going on with it. They also wanted to find out why the house became alive after its owner, Mr. Nebbercracker disappeared. After spying on the house with their telescope, the 3 friends realized that the house was really alive and the furnace was the heart and soul of the house that kept it alive. The friends made a plan to get inside the house and put out the fire in its furnace.
The three friends went onto the lawn and up to the house. When the house "woke up" it stared to chase them. DJ, Chowder, and Jenny ran down the street and the house chased after them. They led the house to the back of the neighborhood to a construction sight they called "The Danger Zone". While the house chased the kids, Mr. Nebbercracker showed up. He had been sick and was at the hospital. Mr. Nebbercracker was trying to calm the house down. DJ finally climbed to the top of a crane and dropped dynamite into the house's chimney. The house exploded and destroyed the furnace. While the house was burning, the kids and Mr. Nebbercracker saw a spirit floating up from the ashes. It was Mr. Nebbercracker's wife, Constance, who had died years before. Her spirit was trapped in the house and when Mr. Nebbercracker went to the hospital, she thought that he had died and left her alone. She was released when the kids destroyed the house. Mr. and Mrs. Nebbercracker were able to say good-bye and Mrs. Nebbercracker's spirit was finally free.
I loved this book because its details. The description of the house was great. I could actually envision the house in my mind. I also loved the suspense.

The book Monster House is really cool, it's all about these three children spy on the house next door. The house is alive and lots of things happen to the kids, if you want to know you could read the book. There are three main characters, they are DJ, Chawder, and Jenny. If you like action books you will like this. The book is not really scary. The auther is Simon Spotlight. Good work Simon! I hope you like it.

These letters provide wonderful insight into the life of the man who was Mozart. These are not just letters from the Divine Maestro writing about his music, but mostly from the fun loving master of silly yet clever wordplay and language games; the virtuoso of scatology; the fool who falls in love head over heels but is rejected by the object of his infatuation; the son, all alone with his mother on her deathbed in a dark and depressing Parisian room; the lover who writes randy and passionate words to his wife; the cash-strapped protégé, constantly begging patrons and financiers for more money.
I've always loved the Maestro Mozart, but I confess I like the Maestro/Man Trazom even better.

What a fine accomplishment! According to the introduction, this book contains about 2/3 of Mozart's surviving correspondence. It has letters from and to Mozart and the translations are very lively and bring the personality of the composer to life. In older translations it seems that care was taken to make him sound like the monumental cultural force that he has become. But in this book, Mozart is a boy, a young man, a young husband, a fiery genius, and at times lost, grieving, and even confused.

The book is organized chronologically and provides biographical information that gives each letter some context. There are many useful footnotes as well as a couple of maps and list of Mozart's travels. The author has even included some notes about the various currencies in order to help the reader understand the discussions of money in the letters.

I can't emphasize enough what a lively read this book is. I found that I simply didn't get bogged down and enjoyed reading it. Yes, there are some portions of some letters I skipped, but that is one of the beauties of the book. You don't get lost simply because you skipped some mundane portions of one letter or another.

Mr. Spaethling is to be congratulated on this fine achievement. If you are interested in Mozart in any way, this book will deepen your appreciation of the living breathing person who wrote all that music. It didn't come from some alien dimension. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, this wonderful and complex human being did it all and we are much richer for it.

If you are interested in everyday lives and struggles of geniuses, this is a book for you. Most of us know Mozart as a great composer, but he also wrote passionate letters to his friends and loved ones. His writing style and personality allow us to understand his times more and to have a closer look at the person that he was.

Mozart's full and final dedication to his work was exemplary; no doubt, his music spoke for the conscience of the world and his audience felt an almost religious faith in it. But the young man had frivolous and fun-loving personality, and his closeness to infantile notions was apparent with friends, relatives and pupils.
Mozart was possessor of the least inhibited tongue even in his contacts with serious foundations like Archbishopric or Freemasonry that mismatched the depth of notes he wrote.
This composer genius was filled with spontaneous strong-willed passion for music if weak-witted for romance and throughout the wide spectrum of his works involving every conceivable style of symphonies, operas, and orchestral pieces - some of the finest ever written - Mozart produced something truer than love.

Those of us who know a little about Mozart believe that he was perfection incarnate, part angel, fluttering down to endow the world with heavenly music. (There probably is some truth to that.) This book, however, reveals a whole new side of Mozart, a very human side. As beautiful as Mozart's music is, the more beautiful it becomes after reading this book. Understanding his big heart, hard work and, yes, even imperfections, increases one's appreciation of his music.

To begin with, several adjectives to describe this wonderful book: 1.) candid, 2.) inspiring, 3.) poetic, 4.) instructional, 5.) spiritual, 6.) humanitarian, 7.) humorous, 8.) compassionate, 9.) courageous. From what I gather, it took Capra approximately three years to write this book, and what book it is. To be honest, this book is perhaps one of the best pieces of work we might ever have about the legendary director, the course of the twentieth century, and the people who have helped shape the film industry. This book demystifies the often deified directors, actors, moguls that ruled Hollywood during the golden age, reminding us of the universal bonds of humanity that link us all to each other. In many ways, it reads like a Frank Capra movie -- life-affirming to the end. For the younger generation (X'ers and Y'ers) who might question the values of their fathers' generation, this book is a must read. Underline this fact several times because when Capra takes you into his fold and shares his world, it is an experience you won't likely forget. Most history books seem to be written with a detached sense of objectivity from an supposedly impartial historian. The results of such labor is often an uninspiring book that keeps the reader at arm's length from the fascinating history, often boring the reader to no end. No so with Capra's autobiography. Capra reminds the reader that people are still simply people, no matter what generation, no matter which occupation. There are always going to be saints, martyrs, bullies, intellectuals, clowns, idiots in every walk of life. Such an example can be seen when Capra served in World War II and was privy to a touching moment with the great Admiral Nimitz. The old war hero had just come back from seeing three thousand men he had sent off to war -- some of them now without limbs, others without faces, yet all of them saluting him and thanking him from the bottom of their hearts. Nimitz broke down and wept, his shoulders so burdened by the sadness of his men's suffering. Hitting his desk over and over again the Admiral cursed the war with ever fiber in his being. After a brief moment to recompose himself Nimitz thanked Capra for being in the same room... allowing one tortured soul to connect and draw strength from another. Personally, it is easy to find yourself laughing when he laughs and crying when he cries. Like all classic works of literature, this book is so fresh in content, that it inspires the reader to look into his/her own heart and find the beating pulse of humanity and to take pride in the fact that one such as Capra was able to do so much through his films. I look forward to reading this book again and again. And perhaps, others will agree and do likewise.

Frank Capra's superb autobiography provides loads of fascinating information about the film industry during a thriving period, when he was one of filmdom's most popular and successful figures, as well as about the mindset of this intriguing man of accomplishment. What is refreshing, along with his basic candor, is that despite his enormous success he retains a humble and highly humane touch.

Some of the most humorous anecdotes of "Name Above the Title" involve madcap, always colorful Columbia boss Harry Cohn, who took his Gower Street studio from the ranks of "Poverty Row" to the that of a giant. Capra helped significantly with box office smashes such as "It Happened One Night", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington","Lost Horizon" and "Meet John Doe." It took awhile, but the Capra film which has soared to top spot in the hearts and minds of the public was the 1946 release starring Jimmy Stewart, "It's a Wonderful Life." The star was so enthused about the story that he pitched it personally to Capra after driving over to his house. Capra relates the time that he begged Cohn not to drop a struggling young cartoonist from the Columbia payroll, predicting that he would be sorry. Capra was right as the cartoonist was a young, meek Iowa farm boy named Walt Disney.

One of Capra's great contributions was directing and producing the excellent World War Two documentary series "Why We Fight." He tells about being called into the office of Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, who asked him to undertake the project. "But I've never done a documentary!" a surprised Capra replied. Marshall pointed out that he had never run an army before either, and that the American way during the critical war period was for citizens to learn jobs with which they were previously unfamiliar. Capra saw Marshall's logic and the rest is history.

This autobiography is fascinating enough for the interesting information about Capra's life. What makes it even better is that you are reading the revelations of a good man who did his best to instill positive values into his films, and to help in his distinctive way to make America a better country.

I have read many, many books on Hollywood and auto/biographies in general and this book ranks as one of the best ever. It is a very entertaining book that doubles as a great history of Hollywood through its golden age. Capra interacted with Hollywood's legends and reports in a funny, candid and emotional way his dealings with the likes of Harry Cohn, Sinatra, Disney, Monroe and many more stars of the thirties and forties. Do not think the book is dated: yes, some of the names are meaningless to us today but the perspetive and lessons contained in every single page are timeless. this book tells you better than any others how movies are made or should be made...

From the opening chapter which describes the incredible saga of how this man (as a young child) and his poor Sicilian family managed to come to America, to the end of his inspiring life and his brilliant career when he suffered cluster headaches so severe he could barely function, but kept his head up, this book captivated me. Capra exemplifies the American Dream, where a poor immigrant can become anything he sets his mind to be. Especially significant is his pure and honest soul. This book is SO inspiring.

I cannot figure out which is more amazing and inspiring: the man, his films, his life or his autobiography.
Every autobiography will pale in comparison after you read this one. Frank's book should come with a
warning that he will open your mind, transform your relationship with films, and ultimatley find a place of permanent endearing love in your heart! Friends don't let friends go into the Light, without reading this book,
as I am sure, it is required reading in Heaven!

Frank's biggest fan, Vaishali, author of "You Are What You Love."