Michael Landon Books

2nd in the series of original historic novels based on America's favorite NBC_TV program...Black Silver ... how lust for the lode blackened men's hearts, setting off an outburst of passion and fury... Based on the TV series starring Michael Landon, Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts and Dan Blocker.

This book is a must read for all Michael Landon fans. It gives in side details of the man that we all loved and miss.
His daughter did an excellent job writing his life story. This book is really touching. I have read it about once a year since the day it was out on the shelf to buy.

I enjoyed this biography alot. I learned so much about this man that we all loved so dearly, written by his eldest daughter who loved him even more. She tells his story with such love that it brought tears to my eyes on many occaisions. Highly recommend it to anyone who has seen Bonanza, Highway to Heaven or Little House On The Prairie.

My daughter loves, loves, loves this movie. Sometimes she watches it three times ina row. It is entertaining to children with all its silliness, but it has a great message and it's higly educational. My daughter now knows the definition of mercy and compassion, and she's seen it practically applied in the example the movie gives. Obviously, it's up to my husband and myself to truly teach her these values, but this movie helps a lot. Plus, she learned a great Bible story in a truly entertaining and funny way.

My daughter and I really enjoyed watching this video. The animation is much richer than in previous Veggie Tales videos we've seen, with a 3-D quality and good sound track that made it especially enjoyable to watch. I also liked the fact that this animated movie follows the actual story of Jonah in the Bible fairly closely, with the exception of the fish slapping, which was bizarre and hilarious if not factual, and the Pirates who don't do anything, who added a lot of color, laughter, and life to the story even if they are two thousand years ahead of their time. This 5 star movie is great for the whole family.

With so many really bad CGI (computer graphics imagery) shows and movies out there, it's refreshing to see a great film made by people who obviously love what they're doing. The story of Jonah and the whale is told, or rather re-enacted by the pirates that don't do anything, who in 2008 came to theaters in a new Veggie movie. This story within a story is funny and fun, light hearted, told and animated with a light, sure touch. Even the opening credits are funny, but stay for the end and the "Song Under the Credits", a zany, light-hearted finale. The songs are as poetic as Godspell, and the film is far above the lesson- laden kids' shows that drag down so much of current kids' fare.

Some will dismiss this movie as religious moralizing, but by being up front about its message, normalizing it, as it were, the result it fresh and effervescent. Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly, mused Chesterton. These veggies are good for you, but they take themselves far more lightly than the bulk of kids shows. If laughter is the best medicine, the prescription is Veggie-Tales.

This was my first Veggiefilm I saw and the reason I'm a fan. You can really tell that it's been more work put into this film than the shorter ones. The characters are believeable, and the graphics is what to be expected. But the absoluitely best part is the songs.

A friend of mine, who's not a christian, heard the soundtrack to this movie and was impressed. The quality is to be compared with the big smashhits from Disney (and with me being a big fan of Disney mainly because of the music, this really says alot!) You can follow the story simply by listen to the music, and they are really catchy.

In this film, the humor that is present in all of the Veggiefilms have been taken up a notch. All of the films are funny, but this one is hillarious.

And the big underlying message (which is not so underlying)? That everybody deserves a secound chance. Before I saw this movie, I haven't thought of this story this way (call me stupid, being 24 and all...). The miovie has something to say to everybody. From the kids who's not willing to forgive their friends for doing something stupid, to the grownups in church who believe they are better that everybody else, not willing to see that neither themselves ever can deserve the grace of God. And finally, to the non-believers it tells the story of a God who gives a secound chance, no matter how "bad" you are, and no-one else believes you should have it.

A bit too grown-up and long for my 2 and a half year old, but it's pretty good. Veggie Tales is a known product, so you know what to expect.

Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (3/08)

Joe Daley is a crop duster. He is also a man allowing his past to destroy his present life as a husband and father. In Kansas in the late 1950s, Joe is still unable to forgive himself for not being able to fight in World War II to revenge his brother's death and make his family proud of him. His self-hatred has resulted in marital problems, heavy drinking, and fear an old friend will take his wife from him.

Then one day Joe has an accident with his airplane. Out of nowhere a giant bird, or what appears to be a bird, hits his plane. As he struggles to regain control of his plane, he begs God to spare his life so he can change and become a better man. His transformation does not happen overnight, but with the advent of a new situation facing his community, and a mysterious stranger who shows up in town, Joe begins his journey to become the man he needs to be for his family. He finds out others in his family have their own secrets and guilt, and he learns that miracles are still possible.

The book's biography of the author, Michael Landon Jr., states that he wishes to bring the same quality family entertainment to his writing as his father did to his television programs. He has succeeded in creating a story closer to the plots of "Highway to Heaven" episodes than "Bonanza" or "Little House on the Prairie." While "One More Sunrise" has room for improvement, Landon has done well with his first novel. (I imagine he was largely assisted by his co-author, Tracie Peterson, who has written or contributed to seventy novels).

I found the first hundred pages of "One More Sunrise" rather slow, but I grew more interested in the story when the mysterious stranger came to town. While the stranger had some important messages to give Joe, the stranger's presence was rather anti-climactic and his role not very large in the book. Joe was largely left to figure out things on his own, but perhaps the book was more realistic for that. I thought the novel's conclusion, where the villain overreacts, was out of touch with the rest of the novel, turning it into almost a suspense thriller. The book also tended to be overly descriptive, probably a quarter longer than it needed to be.

Nevertheless, people who enjoy good family entertainment will enjoy "One More Sunrise." I will anticipate another story from this writing duo.

I was disappointed with the content of the book after being told that the authors were Christian. I had never read their material before and I probably will never read anything more written by them.
I had purchased the book for a teenager believing that it would be a wholesome love story. In the secular world it would probably fly but in true Christian writing it was a sham. I don't mean to imply that it was not a wholesome love story -- it did fill that category. It also had all the right buzz words to probably merit the Christian rating however... I guess I have to explain; It would be hard to say that the old school friend who arrives in town with two children was truly "born again" if she could leave her husband. The use of a St. Christopher's medal is also a little disconcerting. I suspect that was done to please the Catholics but I doubt it would have made any difference to leave it out. It was encouraging to have the comment added that the hero did not have to rely on the medal. Then there is the issue of The Angel--it was so much like the fairy tale delivered in the TV program, Touched By An Angel. There wasn't any reference to how one is born again. I have read more Christian material in secular books than there was in this one; read the Testament by
John Grisham and see what I mean--there the truth is presented -- and it is an excellent read, full of suspense and yes, even a hint of romance.
I will not be giving this book to my teenage friend. In fact, I would like to return the book to the authors, I wouldn't want it said that I gave this book to anyone, especially anyone who might be mislead into believing that Christians divorce and real people walk about and disappear. That's more fiction than I can stand. Real Christians have the Truth and know the Truth when they read it.

This was a great story of enduring love; a love that survives the hardest of times. Through the many twist and turns in the plot, the authors kept me riveted. It was a real page turner as well a refreshing read.

In 1941 Kansas, Joe Daley dreams of becoming an Army Air Force fighter pilot. However he never achieves his aspiration when he fails his physical. He settles for being a dust cropping pilot. However, he never moved past his failure, which has permeated his life and his marriage to Meg.

In 1958, Luke Ramsey, who courted Meg in high school, offers a lot of money to the local farmers as the Vanguard corporation he represents wants to buy up all the land; Joe has doubts that the big farm firm cares about the locals and decides to oppose the venture. Meanwhile his plane hits a large bird and begins to dive towards the earth; Joe thinks of Meg and their two kids as he prays for a chance for ONE MORE SUNRISE with them.

This entertaining inspirational historical fiction enables the reader to fully understand the hero who lost his zest for life when he failed the military physical. Between his passion to prevent the Vanguard takeover and realizing the failure of his life is not that physical but his relationship with Meg and his kids as his plane falls, Joe prays for a second chance with his family. Fans will enjoy this fine redemption tale as Joe finally moves on, but it appears too late for him to tell Meg, Danny, and Christy.

Harriet Klausner

ONE MORE SUNRISE by Michael Landon Jr and Tracie Peterson

April 19, 2008

Rating *** ½ (3.5 Stars)

Michael Landon Jr's debut novel ONE MORE SUNRISE focuses on a man, Joe Daley, whose life did not follow the route that he had mapped out as a young man. The story opens in August of 1941, and young seventeen year-old Joe is intent on sneaking out of the house in order to meet his girlfriend Meg. He is in love and wants to surprise her with a plane ride and a marriage proposal. It is a romantic scene out of the movies, and at this point in his life, Joe feels that he has the world at his feet, a future bride, and a promising future.

Chapter two jumps forward to the summer of 1958, and Meg is reminiscing about high school, remembering the joy she had felt before she and Joe were married. However, the years since then have been difficult. Meg rarely sees Joe, and when she does they argue. Joe spends most of his time either at work (if there is any) or in bars, and all he can think about is how pitiful his life has become. Meg does her best to keep the family together, but the longer things continue the more frustrated and unhappy she becomes.

Luke Ramsey, a former admirer of Meg's, shows up in town after having moved away with his family due to something his father had done. Luke claims he wants to make up for his father's actions years ago. He is offering the farmers in town a better life, and this includes Joe and Meg. However, Joe doesn't want anything to do with Luke, not at first. He isn't sure he can trust a Ramsey.

What really changes Joe's life happens while flying his plane. He nearly loses his life, but when something hits the plane in flight, he promises God that he will change his ways if he lives. Joe does survive the crash, but finds it hard to keep his promise to God, and unfortunately Meg doesn't believe he will keep his promise either.

This reviewer found ONE MORE SUNRISE a good inspirational story aimed at an audience that also enjoys historical fiction. While it's not the best Christian fiction this reviewer has read, Michael Landon Jr. shows promise as a Christian writer and may make his mark in the world of Christian fiction. Choosing a time period from the past probably helped Landon write a better-suited story line for the Christian reader. His style is reminiscent of the type of television programs his father was famous for, family-oriented stories with sometimes a moral at the end.

The overall story was strong enough to keep this reader's interest, with various story lines coming together to make one cohesive tale. The characters, while in some ways clichéd, were developed enough that they felt real, with the dialogue realistic as well. Some readers may find they will have to suspend disbelief at times, but these events in the story line are crucial for the over-all novel to work.

What was probably most important in the book that kept this reader's attention was the main character, Joe. He was a man who had a promising future, but failed miserably to take the path that God gave him, and make it the best he could. Instead, he could only see the bad side of things, and was having a hard time letting go of a past that kept him from succeeding in life. Joe was not a perfect person, and with his failings he helped make this story of redemption work. In real life, however, the outcome of his life may have turned out differently, but this reviewer felt that the story ended properly for the type of book it was.

Minor characters stand out, especially Joe's son Danny and Zach, one of three foster sons that move to town with Meg's high school friend Norma. They make up a subplot that is as important as the one that follows Joe's story.

For readers who enjoy Christian fiction as well as historical fiction, ONE MORE SUNRISE is a good choice. While not the perfectly written book, the story is solid enough to keep the reader's interest. Some may not find that all the characters in the story are perfect Christian role models, but this reviewer feels that these characters were realistic and are the type of people we would encounter on the streets. Portraying less-than-perfect people is what makes this a real story, and not a fairy tale. ONE MORE SUNRISE is recommended. - Courtesy of Love romances and More - M. Lofton

In the early-1800s, the Mormon Church--or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as it's formally called--was founded when a young man named Joseph Smith, not even twenty years old, produced a book he said had been translated with divine help from an ancient record found buried on a hill near his family's New York farm. The book, "The Book of Mormon," told the story of two cultures, the Nephites and the Lamanites, that lived in the Americas during the time of Christ, and claimed that Jesus had appeared to those cultures after his resurrection. (Many Mormons believe today's Native Americans are the descendants of those cultures.)
Joseph Smith said he received the book after he prayed to find out which church to join, and that God and Jesus Christ appeared to him themselves and told him not to join any of them. The Mormon Church grew quickly, with Joseph Smith as its leader, but as it grew, it gained enemies. People resented Joseph Smith's claims, covered him in tar and feathers, and violently tormented his followers. The Mormons moved from place to place: to Ohio, to Missouri, and to Illinois, building settlements and towns, and fleeing when enraged mobs burnt down the Mormons' homes and churches or massacred the Mormon men and boys. The Governor of Missouri went as far as issuing a military order for the complete extermination or deportation of every Mormon within his state. Eventually, Joseph Smith was assassinated by a mob, through the windows of an Illinois prison, where he was being held for ordering the destruction of the printing presses of an anti-Mormon newspaper.
Most people thought Joseph's Smith death would be the end of the Mormons, but it merely made him a martyr for his people. Brigham Young, a tough, fiery-tempered man, became the Mormons' second leader--their second prophet--and in the mid-1800s, led the Mormons westward, toward what was then Mexican territory, and is now the state of Utah. The Mormons traveled in covered wagons, or pulled wooden handcarts, and large numbers of them died from cold, hunger, sickness, and Indian attacks. Along the way they built towns and outposts, and gave English names to the mountains and rivers.
This book is the story of that journey, and it's a well told account of it. The book is full of beautiful and historic photos, as well as copies of letters and journal entries, and a good narrative that ties it all together and injects new and little known facts into a story familiar to many. This is a great book for any interested in the history of the West. It seems objective, though it comes from a Mormon-owned publishing company, and it's never boring. It's one of the best books on the Mormon pioneers I've ever read, and I recommend it highly.

Michael Landon's Great Television Work is just as meaningfull today.
This book recalls memories of co-workers and friends, not the
National Enquirer-Type Trash invented about Loved Celebrities
after they die. Watch an episode of "Highway To Heaven", if it
doesn't move you, stick to those Crap Reality Shows and Contests!

After ordering the entire 2nd season of LHOTP impulsively late one night while watching infomercials and eating onion rings from Fudruckers I absolutely fell in love with Michael Landon. He's everything I wish I could be. I mean, here I am; forty-four years old, unemployed, pretty overweight, recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and not doing a great job controlling it, rarely cleanly shaven, divorced, childless (as far as I know), and without so much as a decent american made car that runs reliably. But Michael, now there's a quality guy, a real role model.

I heard from a friend in my favorite gaming chat room that there was a great book about Michael. I don't really care to read much, aside from an article every once in a while about Dale Earnhardt that my mom will send me. But I picked up this book and read it cover to cover in only a month.

If you have any self respect, you'll probably be disappointed by this book. Hopefully you'll at least be embarrassed to admit that you considered buying it. But, if you're like me, without many other quality sources of entertainment, it might be just the thing.

I picked up this book thinking that it would provide information about Michael Landon from the people who knew him best. And to a certain degree at least, it did. The book contains some great photographs of Landon behind the scenes in his many television projects and with his family and friends. But the book is essentially a disconnected group of stories told to the authors by friends and former coworkers of Landon's, with a very thin thread tying them together. What you walk away from after reading this book is a sense that Landon was a good man, a great father, and a perfectionist in his work -- with wonderful stories to back that up. But what the book is missing is depth. I would have preferred to see lengthy interviews with a fraction of the people this book quotes, because those would have been more illuminating about Landon as a person. Instead, the reader is left to piece together the half-page anecdotes of dozens and dozens of people, some of whom knew Landon for years and others of whom knew him only briefly. Maybe this was the intention of the authors and of Landon's family. Any fan of Landon's work will certainly enjoy what's here. But I think a man like Michael Landon is deserving of a more substantial treatment, and I was left wishing the authors had taken some more time and done a better job (the kind of job Landon himself apparently would have done if the job had been given to him).

Cheryl Landon has endured tremendous amounts of physical and mental pain. She struggled through many of those years of pain with the help of her beloved stepfather, Michael Landon. When he lay dying of cancer, Cheryl promised him and God "to honor and protect his name and to continue his legacy-his work to secure a healthy future generation."

Michael Landon's Legacy is the fulfillment of that promise. But it's more than just a tribute to a man who gave a child unconditional love at a time when she most needed it. As Cheryl grew and learned, she discovered what she calls "7 Keys to Supercharging Your Life," based primarily on her observations of how Michael lived. The keys are simple: "Trust in God; Choose love over fear; Believe that daily miracles do occur; Take action now; Believe in truth between people; Build bridges; and Don't judge each other." She illustrates each key with personal stories from both their lives.

Cheryl Landon is now an internationally known speaker, writer, and teacher. Her message is always "create a healthier and safer world for our children." Like her famous stepfather, she believes in the power of love and that God resides in all humans. She seeks to help people focus on that love rather than on fear. She uses Michael Landon as an example-an abused child, he became a loving adult dedicated to doing good for others.

She has devoted her life's work to handing down "to our future generation a world where dreams to come true; a world filled with hope, unity and love; a world in which we do truly love one another." She uses intensely personal experiences from her life to teach others how to replace hate and anger with love, and to show how love continues even after death. Readers wanting to change their own lives will discover inspirational and powerful guidance in Michael Landon's Legacy.

As a Michael Landon fan, I was totally disappointed in this book. Cheryl is riding on her father's name here. Her philosophy in this book has nothing to do with Michael Landon's legacy. After all the research I've done on him, I think he'd be disappointed with her far-fetched ideas. If this is the way she wants to live and believe, fine: If she wants to write a book about it, fine. But don't attribute it to Michael.

This is a terrific book for any Michael Landon fan who wants to know the more personal side and home life of the man. But if you truly want to know all sides of him, there are other books out there that show a more unbiased look you should read as well. You have to keep in mind that this comes from a grieving daughter who is still bitter over his divorce from her mother. Although there's no doubt that she loved him dearly, being an actual step-daughter, it's obvious that she took her mother's side in the divorce. There are always two sides to any dispute. I'm not saying he did nothing wrong. But she conveniently leaves his side out, not only about the divorce, but about how unfair she makes his will seem. After reading several other books on Michael Landon, the whole picture comes more clearly into view. Over all, I would still strongly recommend this book, but it shouldn't stand alone.

This book was more about Cheryl than it was Michael. that is why I gave it 3 stars. it does have some interesting reading about the Landon family. it was not a bad book but just not what I expected I wanted to read more about Michael and his life. an ok read.

Years before his death, in an interview, Michael Landon stated that, his greatest heartbreak would be that, after his death, one of his kids write one of those "tell all" trashy books.

Cheryl Pontrelli, you have succeeded in doing the one thing your step-father feared. You ruined his reputation and put him among those stars who have had a trash book written about them. I hope you have since squandered the profits from this book and are working at a supermarket reading the tabloids during your lunch break.

I totally agree with Kandice Esposito's excellent, articulate and objective synthesis of this book. Michael Landon deserves an infintely better biography than this.

Michael's journey through life was not an easy one and he had both his good and less good sides as we all do. But I would like to read a book that compassionately reflects his life's journey from being a survivor of child abuse to one of the most beloved and successful individuals in the history of television.

Cheryl Landon's book seems to me to be the autobiography of a needy individual not yet able to fully resolve her relationship with her late stepfather. The book is poorly written in terms of content and structure and is very poorly illustrated. There are so many wonderful and evocative photos of Michael that could have been used to make this book a collector's item for that aspect alone.

I am so glad that I didn't waste my money on this book and, instead, bought the A&E Michael Landon Biography from Amazon. It is a fascinating, compassionate and respectful video that tells the viewer so much about Michael and it also contains many utterly delightful family photos as well as very interesting comments from his family, friends and colleagues. This video is a fine tribute and one that all of us who hold Michael in affection can enjoy

I had mixed emotions after reading this book. I felt it was extremely self-serving and biased, both on the part of the writer. I feel that Michael Landon, had he wanted a book written about himself, should have been respected enough to make that decision for himself. This book wallows way too much in the emotions of the writer, often seeming whiny and desperate. It also seems to be a biography of the writer herself, not only about her stepfather. "I promised my dad" -Promised your dad to write a book about elements that were best left private and sacred, or at the very least, should have had his permission to disclose? Promised him to write a book about yourself and your own misgivings? There were also many subtle negative inferences to Michael Landon's wife Cindy, as well as her relations. This book seems to be a poor attempt to salve regret. Michael Landon deserved much, much better. I think Michael Landon's memory would have been better served through a more professional, gracious and respectful medium than the spirit in which this book was created. This book does not seem a fitting tribute to such a fine individual, actor, director, writer, husband, father, friend and grandfather.

"They [Lonely Planet] don't pay me enough to go to Columbia," said Thomas Kohnstamm. "I wrote the book in San Francisco. I got the information from a chick I was dating."

I'm not joking. The author admitted this book is a fake.

Just as former LP "writer" Joe Cummings plagiarized Bradt's Guide to Burma, so another LP author openly admits to plagiarism. No surprise there, the only surprising thing is how long he took to come out of the closet.

just a guide. and colombia is not an easy country to write about.
its changing and changing fast. so if you are thinking of going . go NOW. before its too late. jetblue and spirit are flying and hard rock just opened, and once starbucks comes its over.
even in tairona, despite its beauty, i could see the laws of capitalism taking root in the 14.000 breakfast. but there are still some great spots. and what i found interesting about the LP book was what they left out. i think it was almost in an attempt to help preserve colombia from the back packers. especially one place they totally left out and never mentioned. it would be a like writing about the US and forgetting the grand canyon. I'll give you a hint. CDLV

If you're wondering why this guidebook gets such low marks from its users, there's a reason. One of its main contributors has confessed that he's never been to Colombia; nevertheless, the Lonely Planet still stands behind the guidebook as being "accurate." Here's a news clipping about it:

Lonely Planet rocked by author fraud

Popular guide book giant Lonely Planet has suffered a severe blow to its credibility, with one of its authors admitting to plagiarising and making up huge slabs of his books.

Thomas Kohnstamm, who worked on more than a dozen guide books for the publisher, has even admitted that he didn't visit one of the countries he wrote about, saying he worked on the book about Columbia from his US home.

"They didn't pay me enough to go (to) Columbia," News Ltd newspapers reported him as saying.

"I wrote the book in San Francisco. I got the information from a chick I was dating - an intern in the Colombian Consulate.

"They don't pay enough for what they expect the authors to do."

He also claimed to have accepted free travel, breaking the publisher's policy aimed at maintaining the independence of its authors.

Mr Kohnstamm's confession is a severe blow to Lonely Planet, considered a bible to travellers all over the world.

More than six million of its country guides are sold each year.

Lonely Planet has conducted a review of all Mr Kohnstamm's guide books, but says it has failed to find any inaccuracies in them.

I earlier wrote a review of Lonely Planet's Guatemala where I reported indications the author had a conflict of interest. LP refused to answer any questions about this. The only thing they did was to prohibit my posting on their web site. Now the Daily Telegraph has published an article exposing further fraud. Kohnstamm, one of the authors of this guide said he never even went to Colombia. He said he wrote it in San Francisco with help from an intern at the Colombian embassy who he was dating. If Amazon wants to show any integrity in all this it should stop selling all known afflicted LP Guides until they can be vetted for accuracy by a reliable source. Obviously not an LP editor.