Television Books

The book is personal, genuine and warm. I got to know the musician through reading the book, and I like who he is and what he is about. Diary of a Young Musician is in fact a diary. Mayerhofer tells his life as a young musician truthfully and intimately. It was hard for me to put the book down after I began to read it.

This book could easily serve as a must-read primer for eager young musicians and young people in general. Mayerhofer shares his wisdom about life and living in an entertaining way.

As reviewed by reporter Masha Rumer in Westmore News, Port Chester, NY, March 24, 2006

Little did a Port Chester-born and reared Felix Mayerhofer know when he picked up his trombone and accepted the full scholarship at Julliard in New York City back in 1948 that his life direction would change forever.
This short journey from his home at 21 Bent Ave. on the New Haven line was to be the end of innocence of an 18-year-old boy as he embarked on the 14-year road of a traveling musician, encountering cruelty, poverty, fame, women, drugs, and the thrill of the Big Band era.
Expect to find a moving personal story, a portrait of America, humor, and unscrupulous honesty in Mayerhofer's memoir Diary of a Young Musician, published by Xlibris in 2005.
The writing is brutally honest--and that's the way it was intended, as a father's revealing portrait to his young son David. Mayerhofer spares no detail when he describes his manifold experiences with the opposite sex, his brief run-ins with marijuana, amphetamines and alcohol, segregation in the South in the 1950s, the challenging life on the road, his mother's nagging to "get a real job" and Port Chester girls' dismissive attitude toward young musicians.
Mayerhofer, whose Uncle Peter helped build Corpus Christi Church and became its first pastor, also tells the sad tales of loss, as many of his band mates get hooked on heroin and die before they reach 25.
The reader even gets a glimpse into the author's occasional bouts of illness; he describes the physiological details in an un-Victorian, honest fashion.
The world of Mayerhofer's youth is different: blue suede shoes are in high fashion--he owns a pair, one can buy a cup of coffee and a hot dog for 20 cents on the streets of New York, and "spiffy" is a cool word.
But throughout the tales of debauchery--a hard thing to avoid in the profession at the time, and pursuit of work all over the world, Mayerhofer emerges as a sensitive, disciplined man who has the strong will and fortitude to conquer his demons and lead an extraordinary life.
He has met Louis Armstrong and played with Nat King Cole, served with the 552 Air Force Band during the Korean War, earned a B.A. from SUNY Potsdam and an M.A. from Asuza State University in California, and directed a junior high school band in Palmdale, Calif. until he retired.
Perhaps one of the most touching aspects of the book is Mayerhofer's meeting of his wife Shirley, nee Wagner (Wagonseller), a beautiful show dancer and ballerina. Before he turned 30, Mayerhofer was a professed bachelor and claims to have not had more than three dates with the same girl. But when he meets Shirley, he is suddenly smitten, falls in love after their first kiss, and the two marry within months.
Mayerhofer played in the Port Chester High School Band, under the tutelage of Paul Weckesser. Nearly 30 years later, he returned there to teach band for six weeks while on vacation from touring with Fred Waring

Deana Plank VanHeusen, a retired music teacher, October 28, 2005,
Diary of a Young Musician
"Diary of a Young Musician" by Felix Mayerhofer is especially appealing to me, since I was also in Felix's Freshman group (one of the Northern New York farmers' daughters mentioned in the book) at the State University of New York at Potsdam (Crane Department of Music) in 1955. When I started reading this book, I was so enthralled I couldn¹t put it down! It took me two days to finish it with my husband doing all the cooking, cleaning, while getting NO attention from me. Now HE is reading it and enjoys the parts about the big band days, when my husband was an awestruck audience member. One of the first memories of Felix was the morning he entered school three weeks late (veterans could do that), and spoofed the class pretending to be a substitute for Professor Frackenpohl. From then on we smiled whenever "Felix" stories were exchanged, since something was always happening that was funny. This book took me back to those wonderful college years. Students sat in awe watching Felix play jazz with college professors, never knowing he had lived a lifetime of worldly experiences, unknown to us at the time.

Diary of a Young Musician is the memoir of an innocent teenage musician who learned the hard way about the dog eat dog world of big bands: drugs, drinking, women, and road life. In his 20's he played with name bands and even served in an air force band during the Korean War., as well as earning a B.S. from the State University NY Potsdam. While working in Reno's showrooms, he married a professional dancer, an event that would change his life forever. His story is a pull-no-punches look at the ups and downs of band life in the mid-twentieth century, a life of excitement, wonder, trepidation, and challenges both internal and external. Highly recommended.

I've just finished reading "Diary of a Young Musician:Final Days of The Big Band Era", by Felix Mayerhofer. And before I go any further, I must admit to being a close friend of Felix's and have played a minor part in the life he writes about here. Which, I believe, gives me a unique perspective on the events and experiences in his story, because I've lived a similar life path.
I've found the book to be an honest,straightforward treatment of what it was like to be a performer in what was for quite a while, the most popular form of musical entertainment in this country, and probably the world, Dance Bands. But Felix also gives us the story of how musicians and singers were forced to adapt to the changing tastes of the public as the big band era was supplanted by Rock and Roll and the growing popularity of TV, and the phenomenon of legal gambling in the Casinos of Las Vegas and Reno. .. and the story doesn't stop there.
He manages to weave into his tale, some of the problems he faced. The moral dilemmas of sex and drugs, for instance, and the ongoing quest for self improvement in his musical abilities as well as how to achieve those things we all want from life, .. security, family and Love.
In successfully writing his story, he's shown us that he's successfully lived his life. .. and for that more than anything, I'm proud of him.

The author has provided the digital image and cinema industry with a serious text on image processing. Although the stated focus is digital cinema, this book can be utilized by anyone interested in the algorithms of digital image processing. The book is aimed primarily at professionals who are already involved in the field, but it could also be easily used as a textbook on the subject. Derivations are kept to a minimum and numerous examples in MATLAB are provided to illustrate the various digital processes as well as their effects. There are two chapters in particular that are often omitted in image processing texts. One is the chapter on human visual perception which emphasizes the importance of often mentioned phenemona such as contrast sensitivity as well as less often mentioned non-linear effects and their perception. The other is the chapter on image compression which is extensive and includes spatial, transform, and wavelet domain algorithms in detail. Most interesting is the section devoted to the use of the human vision model in the compression process. Although computer vision itself is largely omitted from the book, the author did include a discussion of basic edge detection methods.

Chapter 1 introduces the readers to digital processing techniques in a brief fashion. Chapter 2 is a review of two-dimensional discrete signals and systems. If you are rusty on this subject, you will probably need an outside source to help refresh your memory. Chapter 3 describes human visual perception from a system point of view. Human vision plays a key role in the design of image and video compression and display systems, thus the chapter describes vision models in detail, in particular the model that predicts masking effects in digital imaging. Chapters four through six, though interesting, are pretty standard fare for digital image processing texts.

The discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is introduced in chapter 7. Without derivations and mathematical proofs, the computation of the DWT using subband coding is described and illustrated with examples. The chapter also explains the connection between wavelets and quadrature mirror filters and shows how to compute a wavelet function from the analysis and synthesis filters with examples. Chapter 8 is devoted to the discussion of image and video compression techniques. This rather extensive chapter describes the basic ideas used in the JPEG2000 and MPEG-2 standards.

Through chapter eight, the processes and algorithms described could be useful to anyone in the field of image processing. In chapter nine the author turns to concerns specific to digital cinema. He does this by addressing some issues behind the special requirements of digital cinema when he discusses two approaches to image compression that meet its requirements - QUALCOMM's system and a system based on the JPEG2000 compression standard. These two systems are interesting because the QUALCOMM system uses the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) as the compression vehicle while the latter uses the DWT for compression. The chapter is rounded out with a discussion of some of the characteristics of digital projectors.

One particular good characteristic of this book is Appendix D, which contains a variety of suggested MATLAB-based projects on the subject of digital image processing. Even if you already have several good texts on the subject of digital image processing, this one is excellent and has a unique contribution for those interested in applying image processing to the interesting field of digital cinema.

This is truly a great book, the math notations are clear and concise. A lot of good reference pointers in the book make it not only a fundamental textbook but also a good research resource. Many sample codes in Matlab are provided. For anyone working on image signal processing, it is a great resource library. The book is equally valuable to professioinals working on this subject and students (senior undergrad or first year graduate students) becoming familiar with the field.
There is only one minor limitation on what it covers on the digital video compression section. Some of the newest techniques used by the H.264 and VC1 were not mentioned here -- such as intra frame prediction, deblocking filter, as well as mathematic coding used in the entropy coding. There is a discussion on the adaptive block based DCT, which is very interesting. Although a comparison with the current adaptive variable size tracking block and Hadamard transformation would be valuable as well.
This might be a good incentive for Dr. Thyagarajan to write a 2nd edition :). In case he plans to write a new edition, maybe he can elaborate a bit more on the last chapter about what were Qualcomm's practical problems in this project and how they were resolved -- I would imagine he could have enough material to expand the last chapter easily to 40-50 pages from 15 pages.
In summary, I like this book a lot, especially the wavelet section. It is one of the best and clearst treatments of the subject I have ever seen.
I highly recommend owning this book and reading it seriously!

I am involved in embedded applications. I currently work with scientific imaging sensors and real-time processing. This book has been useful and straight forward in my line of work. The chapter on human visual perception helped me to relate with camera issues. The book explains in a systematic manner how to apply discrete wavelet transforms to imaging and how to manipulate them. Overall, the materials in the book are easy to understand and have good examples. I highly recommend this book !!!

This book provides a very practical up-to-date introduction and explanation of the concepts and state of the art behind the fast changing world of digital image processing, specifically for higher-end applications such as television and digital cinema. The author does a good job of providing easy-to-understand explanations and examples of the basics of this complicated science that allow a non-technical professional to understand the basics of how digital processing is used in video and image applications. But, he also goes further to explain the complicated mathematical principles of various image processing technologies for the benefit of the serious student. The MATLAB examples in the appendix and the suggested "for further study" exercises help provide tools and direction for readers who want to experiment with the principles in the book. Overall, this book should be very useful to the professional or student trying to understand the current industry thinking regarding digital processing and compression of images for high-end presentation applications like digital cinema at whatever depth of understanding they are needing.

The book "Digital Image Processing with Application to Digital Cinema" is an excellent treatment on digital image processing techniques. Mathematical derivations are kept to a minimum so as not to lose sight of the main principles of image processing. Yet the book can easily serve the needs of both professionals and students equally well. The chapter on human visual perception is treated very well giving all details of known visual models, which are used later in the chapter on image compression. Image enhancement is an essential ingredient in all aspects of image processing and the book aptly covers enhancement techniques in detail with numerous examples. Transform techniques in general and wavelet transform in particular are given adequate coverage that most can follow. The chapter on image compression takes up these transforms and explains clearly how to apply them in achieving quality image and video compression. The book ends with a chapter on case studies involving two state-of-the art systems for distribution of movies in digital format. I enjoyed this book very much and I highly recommend it to all professionals, both in universities and industries.

Shooting scripts, plus nice pictures plus episode commentary.

Very well put together.

This book is a great resource for the first series of new Doctor Who starring Christopher Ecclestone. It includes the shooting scripts for all 13 episodes so some scenes aired are in a different order or are shorter than in the script book but the scripts are essentially what was aired on screen. Each script is accompanied by a short editorial by the scriptwriter and excellent selection of photos from the aired episode. If you want to explore television script format or follow the script while watching your DVDs, this is the book for you. A must for Doctor Who fans!

Dr. Who is Forty (actually he's 900, but like the Doctor, the show had been around in one form or another since 1964). During March and through June the BBC celebrated by bringing the show back to television for its 27th season (or as it is more consistently called: SEASON ONE)in a glossy, fast-paced enough to satisfy contemporary audiences, while still conscious of its roots. This hardback book contains all 13 season one scripts for the 2005 rebirth of the longest running sci-fi series in TV history. Seven of these scripts are by Russell T. Davies, with the remaining 6 by Steven Moffat, Robert Shearman, Paul Cornell and Mark Gatiss. Each provides an insightful intro for their scripts revealing their inspirations and changes they had to make to bringing the stories to screen. These writers clearly have a respect and understanding of the UK icon, which evident in Davies' final remarks:

"There are some people in the TV industry who have asked archly, why I'm now writing genre, instead of drama. Obviously, they've never watch a single episode of Doctor Who. It's the best drama in the world."

Doctor Who has always has a voice defined by the decade each in tune with its era and this holds true to the new Doctor Who. This Doctor is almost child-like in his enthusiasm and wonder. Featuring the Doctor as played by Christopher Eccleston, infusing the character with great humanity, while remaining mysterious and alien, along with his companion Rose played by Billie Piper, growing from an awed slacker to a seasoned space adventurer. However, the format of the show has changed to 45 min. parts, some ending with cliffhangers, some without. It contains explanatory notes on the scriptwriting process, giving a unique insight into how the writers visualized their stories and OVER a THOUSAND PHOTOS from the 2005 season. This book has an attractive cover and interior graphics are nice. But MORE importantly the collection gives fans an insider's look at how the show works. But. EVEN more importantly, with the absence of the old Target Books episode by episode TV-tie-ins, this is the one of the few ways for AMERICAN fans see the NEW SERIES before the region 1 DVD release (watch AMAZON.CO.CA in February

The First story: "ROSE" introduces Rose Tyler who is attacked by mannequins (or AUTONS) in the department store where she works. She meets the Doctor and the pair end up fighting to save the world.

DOCTOR: Hello Rose Tyler, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

Next in "THE END of the WORLD" The Doctor offers Rose a chance to go anyplace, anytime, they end up in the 5 Billion years in the future above the Earth just before it ends. But someone has sabotaged observation satellite they're on. . . .Rose finds the aliens on board, so alien, she then asks the Doctor who he is...

DOCTOR: This is who I am, right here, RIGHT NOW! All that
counts is here and now and this is me!


In "THE UNQUIET DEAD" The DOCTOR and ROSE Travel back to see Charles Dickens, a ghostly apparition and an investigation leading to a undertaker's office where the dead keep getting out of their coffins. Once Dickens becomes involved and the Doctor gushes...

DOCTOR: Charles Dickens! You're Brilliant, you are!
Completely 100% brilliant! I've read'em all!....I'M YOUR
NUMBER ONE FAN, that's me!


In the "ALIENS of LONDON" The Doctor takes Rose home (mistakenly) 12 months later. We learn what happens back home when a companion up and leaves with the Doctor. The pair deal with Rose's Mum, who thought she was dead, and the ex-boyfriend who has been the main suspect. But when a spaceship crashes in the Thames, the whole world goes on Red Alert.
In "WORLD WAR III" the "Aliens of London" continues...

DOCTOR: This is why I travel, ... to see history happening, right in front of us.

In "DALEK" Beneath the Salt Plains of Utah, the billionaire collector Henry Van Statten holds the last relic of an alien race and the one living exhibit in the museum is a....you know what.

DOCTOR: An, Old enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old.


In "THE LONG GAME" the Doctor takes another new compainon to the far future...

DOCTOR: Thing is...time travel, it's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guidebook, you've got to throw yourself into it, eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers, ... stop asking questions and do it!

In episode 8, FATHER'S DAY, The Doctor takes Rose back in time to meet her long-dead Father, but the Tylers finds themselves battling the Reapers.

DOCTOR: Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for...


In the 9th episode, THE EMPTY CHILD. Its London, 1941, the Blitz. A mysterious child terroises Homeless children in this 2 part storyline.The Empty Child story continues in The DOCTOR DANCES. The Child's plague is spreading throughout wartime London, and so is its zombie army. Spin-off character Capt. Jack Harkness is introduced...

ROSE: You used to be a Time Agent, now you're some kind
of freelancer.

JACK: That's a little harsh- I prefer to think of myself
as a criminal.

In episode 11, BOOM TOWN a plan to build a nuclear power station in Cardiff City disguises an alien plot to rip the world apart and a returning villain...

MARGARET: What did I ever do to you?

DOCTOR: You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet.

MARGARET: Apart from that?


In the 12th episode, BAD WOLF, the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack have to fight for their lives on board the Game Station, in the season finale, THE PARTING of the WAYS, Rose Tyler has seen danger and wonders alongside the Doctor, but now their friendship is put to the test and the Doctor says goodbye...sort of...
DOCTOR: ROSE...you were FANTASTIC. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC...and'd you know what? SO WAS I.

Doctor Who is back! Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the video version to be shown on our American television screens (or even released on Region 1 DVDs). But in the meantime we have this WONDERFUL book to see us through. All thirteen adventures of the Ninth Doctor Who are represented here in script form from "ROSE" to "THE PARTING OF THE WAYS" and each script is peppered with a generous serving of excellent photographs from the show to help the reader visualize what is going on.
The book is easy to read and well worth the price. If you are a Doctor Who fan, you can't afford to pass this little gem up.

A nicely presented book, but at the end of the day it's essentially just what you've already seen on the tv screen. However if you want to dip in and learn how to structure a script i'm sure it gives good information. It's interesting though to see how everything is put together.

This book is so crucial for any one playing Scarlatti sonatas.
There is so much detail, historical context, and yet the writing is such that even an amateur pianist like me can get a grasp on how to interpret the sonatas. There are some nice sections on how to approach them on the piano.

I wish I could find similar books for every other composer!

Ralph Kirkpatrick's 1953 work remains THE book on Domenico Scarlatti and his keyboard sonatas. There have been no substantial revisions in the biography of DS since 1953. Georgio Pestelli and many others have questioned Kirkpatrick on chronology, but when it comes to analysis of individual sonatas, Kirkpatrick is strong. Kirkpatrick was not a musicologist, so his book is actually interesting to read!

An indispensable reference for all those interested in one of the greatest keyboardists of all time. Kirkpatrick's work is one of real scholarship. Written in 1953, no one has since bested it.

This book is an indispensable reference for those studying the great composer Domenico Scarlatti.

The first 7 chapters are historical narratives without unusual merit except as an intoduction to the real book which is about music. There is a chapter on harpsichords. Kirkpatrick was not the first thinker on Scarlatti as evidenced by the extensive bibliography and appendix

He did establish the K identification number system which has stood the test of time at least in this country.

His real contribution is in identifying Scarlatti as a real musician writing music of extraordinary merit. His chapter on Scarlatti's harmony is very difficult reading.

The last chapter on "Performance of the Scarlatti Sonatas" should be read again and again by every musical teacher and student (he talks about tempo, rhythm, phrasing, articulation and attitudes).

Of course, one must have the sheet music on hand to see what it's all about, and a mind-set ready to accept Scarlatti into the company of Chopin and Liszt as well as Granados and Albéniz.

Kirkpatrick talks a little about the influence of Iberian song and dance forms on the sonatas of Scarlatti; a few others have scattered hints on this subject. I think the world would welcome a full-blown research here as a fitting sequel to this book.

A very heartwarming story about a hardworking and talented Irish-Catholic family. The travels and travails of the Burkes as they rehearse and perform across the country during the turbulant decade of the sixties against a background of racism and Vietnam, is a nonstop adventure for the reader also. The book brought back many memories for me personally as my family also traveled in the sixties in a 64 Chevy Belair wagon-but we only needed one! The story just goes to show how much has changed since that era. Or has it? An outstanding story-Highly recommended.

The Burke family brought many childhood memories of my own past. This family represented everything good in America at a time when our country was experiencing issues of racial hatred, turmoil and unrest. I was fortunate to attend the same Catholic school and parish as this wonderful family and remember the Christmas shows on local televison. I recommend this book be read by all families to show the love, devotion and moral values instilled in this family as an inspiration to all!!!

The Burke singers lived my fantasy. I too am from a large Catholic family who grew up in the fifties and sixties and the relationships of the siblings in the book and the antics of the little brothers brought back so many childhood memories for me. My elderly mother has been mute for several years due to a stroke, but she was able to communicate her pleasure in reading the book and seemed to like it better than any others she has read. This book could be read and shared by children, parents and grandparents in a family. The story is told with humor and affection and it was just too bad the trip had to end. Don't think it hasn't been fun... Because it HAS!

This book shows that truth is easily as fascinating as fiction. The Burke family's exploits would be beyond belief if there weren't so much proof they actually happened. This book made us laugh and cry while we returned to a decade when America's innocence was unpeeled in the face of racial oppression, assassinations, and the agony of going to war on foreign soil. Seen through the eyes of a child innocently traveling the country singing with her family, and laced with the family dynamics of ten children on the road, Burke's book left us stunned, warmed, and thinking deeply about our country today. If you're looking for a book that leaves you filled up, read this.

When my grandmother was alive she made fudge. It was so rich, you couldn't eat it. You had to sort of scrape little bits off with your teeth - if you took a full bite you'd probably die, it was so rich and sweet and wonderful.

I've been reading this book rather like eating Nana's fudge. I don't want it to end, so I'm doing little bits at a time. When I first started I read something like the first five chapters without taking a breath. Now I'm rationing.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. I'm 57 years old, so this is my time, the shows they appeared on, I watched. When I get back to NY I am going to go the Museum of Broadcasting and watch tapes.

The only thing that could make reading this book better would be playing the tape of the Burke Family SIngers doing Christmas carols in the background.

Now if I only had some fudge....

Lots of screenwriting books are dry as dust. Not Elephant Bucks. This one is that rare combination of easy to read and informative. It's clear, concise, entertaining, instructive and eminently practical.

Bull offers specific guidance on how to structure a sitcom. He explains what belongs where. As important, he shows the reader logically and engagingly how to go about putting the elements in place. He uses specific (and very entertaining) examples that made me go, "Ohhhhh! That totally makes sense!" Having "Elephant Bucks" is like having a great and experienced teacher right there with you.

Sheldon Bull has credibility: He has done this stuff. Check him out on IMDb and you'll see his slew of credits, from "Newhart" to "M*A*S*H" to "Coach" to "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." So it's pretty clear the guy knows about writing for television. In "Elephant Bucks," he ably transitions from television writer to teacher. We aspiring writers are lucky he did!

I bought half a dozen sitcom writing books in one go and having read them all I can say with certainty that this is the only one you will need. Other than Evan Smith's "Writing Television Sitcoms" I wouldn't bother getting any other book, and even that is superfluous if you buy Sheldon's one, but it is pretty decent if you choose to buy more than one.

Having read some really dodgy television comedy writing books by chancers Sheldon's book was like a breath of fresh air. I'm guessing that if you are reading this then you want to know how to structure and write a spec script, Sheldon does a near perfect and utterly thorough job showing you how.

He starts with a concept for a Frazier script and actually takes you through the whole process - picking the right story, the seven fundamental plot elements, structuring the story in scenes and acts, how to write outlines and more detailed outlines of the story, writing the dialogue of the script first as a drama, then rewriting it as a comedy. You see the script product being produced sequentially before your eyes. This is what you want and this is exactly what you get.

Brilliant.

Very nice, very well written book giving straight forward easy to follow advice on how to write a TV Sitcom and find an agent. Of all the screenwriting books I've read, this one is the most straight-forward and to the point. Would be a great textbook, while still being interesting.

If you buy one book to learn how to write sitcoms, this is the book. Sheldon Bull has been a sitcom writer and producer for 30 years. He has turned that experience into a step-by-step guide on how to write sitcoms. His writing style is funny and easy to understand.
What sets this book apart from the rest is Sheldon's method of structuring a story. Having a great story to write about is key and Sheldon does not fail on this element.
Read this book and start writing.

Obviously, if you want to write for sitcoms (or any other field), you've got to have some talent going into it. If you don't, well ...
But if you do, then this book contains the rest of what you'll need besides raw writing talent.
Sheldon Bull should know. He's been in the sitcom biz for a long time and has had his fingers in some very popular programs. So he's not full of bull, so to speak.
Elephant Bucks walks you through the process of successful sitcom writing. He starts off with actually writing the damn thing (even how to pick which shows to write spec scripts for). From there it's on to getting your script read, pitching your script and what to do once it's sold and you're in the door.
Bull's book is insightful and entertaining and leaves no stone unturned in the exploration of writing sitcoms and getting somewhere by doing it.
His writing is informative and enjoyable, so there's no risk of missing out on needed info because you didn't have the heart to wade through any more. There's nothing to wade through here. It's a fast-paced and quite useful book, comprehensive without being exhaustive or exhausting.
Bull's writing skills obviously extend beyond sitcoms.

This book provides the insight only a woman with Ghitis's experience could write. Great insights on the state of the world and the impact of mass media. A must read for journalists and travelers alike.

What an unbelievable voyage!

Ghitis took me on a guided tour of the world, showing me places I'd never seen. Making me care about what goes on, and showing me why it matters.

The world makes more sense after reading this book. It was an incredible adventure. Read this book.

As a journalist witnessing the historic fall of the Soviet Union and the events shaping the New Era after the Cold War, Ghitis analizes with remarkable clarity the actions of the key players in the political world arena. She lashes out at the U.S. arrogance for proclaiming itself "the indispensable nation", but also recognizes that much in the world depends now on Washington and what it considers its national interests. Ghitis exposes the inhumanity of the movers and shakers for inaction in tragic places like Rwanda, Bosnia and Haiti. "The End of Revolution" covers the world at large having as a common thread the big issues like the global economy in the New Era. But Ghitis also reminds us constantly about the effects of the big events and the global economy on the poor of the world. Like the elderly woman begging Frida for help in the streets of Moscow... the same streets used by the "new Russian capitalists" to show off their shiny new BMWs... A superb book.

Ms Ghitis tied together the seemingly unrelated events of the last twenty years and gave me a much broader perspective of recent history. I'd followed most of the news stories when they were current, but I lacked the ability to really comprehend any meaning behind them. Not only is it relevant and meaningful, but smart and funny.

I must agree with Wolf Blitzer's opinion of this book: What a treat! Reading the End of Revolution is like sitting down to talk with a fascinating journalist who has seen amazing events and can describe them and explain them in such a way that you are mesmerized and fascinated.

The author takes you all over the world, from the Amazon to Tibet, and dozens of places in between. It describes the crises that have made news in the world in ways that at last make real sense.

After years of watching CNN and others, this book gave me the perspective I had always hoped to find. The book explains our world while entertaining and offering insightful commentary and an unusual look behind the scenes at the world of television news. I highly recommend it.

Brian Kohl

This is a great book written by someone who actually new and worked with Errol Flynn.
The author Earl Conrad was the ghost writer for Errol's book "......Wicked Wicked Ways".

Mr. Conrad practically lived with Errol for a time working on Errol's book and remained friends with Errol. Conrad continued a friendship with Errol's parents after his death. The content is great. Conrad writes about when he first met Errol, the time they spent in Jamaica working on the book and even Errol's under aged female companion who was in Jamaica with them.

This book covers what Mr. Flynn could not include in his autobiography for obvious reasons. There's even a medical emergency. Conrad describes in detail a kind of seizure Errol suffered (which seems to have been brought on by drugs). He describes Errol's continued involvement with women even while the under aged female is with him.

There are some rare photos of Errol as a child, Errol in uniform working in New Guinea and a home Errol had built there, etc. Most of the photos were supplied by Errol's parents.

Earl Conrad clearly cared for Errol in the way he writes this book. He never paints any kind of bad picture of our star. Conrad only writes what he sees during work and leisure time personally spent with Mr. Flynn.

This happens to be one of the few books besides Errol's own autobiography and other books written by Errol I've found of value. It gives additional insight into this great man.

I paid $9.95 for a copy (the sticker price) about 3 year ago on Amazon. The current price has ballooned due to the re-sellers greed and rarity. It's a pretty short and small book. I wouldn't even pay $50.00 for it and I'm a stone cold Flynn fan.
A great read but not for $100.00, you may feel cheated........

If your really interested in Mr. Flynn, I'd suggest reading his autobigrapy, "My Wicked Wicked Ways by Errol Flynn". If you've conquered that I can suggest "Errol and Me by Nora Eddington Flynn".
This book is written by one of his ex-wives, his second.
I find a lot of insight into this book as well. The drug use is cooberated by Conrads book.

The only thing that my upset you is Nora claims Flynn beat her on about 2 occasions. On 1 Nora writes Mr. Flynn senior was present(I beleive Flynn's father was a live at the release of this book"). The circimstances are that of taking drugs from a drug addict. Clearly she loved and I think still loved Flynn during the writting of this book. This book is only going for $20.00 bucks too.

Excellent account of Earl Conrad's time spent with Errol Flynn gathering material for Flynn's biography. Gives an epic account of Flynn's latter years in Jamaica.....

If you have any interest at all in the life and times of Errol Flynn then you will enjoy Earl Conrad's book. He depicts Flynn in his near last days living at Flynn's Jamacia hideaway and writing what will become "Wicked, Wicked Ways..". The relationship with Adland, the Flynn sense of humor and the decline of Flynn are all directly portrayed, accurately, yet with kindness. A must read for Flynn fans.

Having read "My Wicked, Wicked Ways" several years ago this book adds another dimension to our understanding of Errol Flynn. It tells the story behind the creation of Flynn's controversial biography which caused quite a stir when it first hit the shelves all those years ago. Earl Conrad was a writer of exceptional ability who was able to create some wonderfully descriptive images of Flynn's crumbling glory as he moved into his final days. This is neither a sensationalist expo-zay nor a flowery tribute. Rather, it is an extremely eloquent, articulate and thought provoking epitaph to the life a Tasmanian schoolboy who went on to become one of the most significant and highly publicized personalities of the 20th century. As a literary work it is a text book perfect example of non fiction writing.

'Errol Flynn: A Memoir' by gifted writer Earl Conrad is the finest book ever written on the life of movie great Errol Flynn. Conrad was originally hired by Flynn in 1958 to ghost-write his autobiography 'My Wicked,Wicked,Ways'. That book was published within weeks of Flynn's death in 1959, and became a runaway national bestseller. This volume is about the year and a half Earl Conrad spent with Flynn at his Jamaican hotel, writing the first book, and is a genuine page-turner with Conrad giving first-hand accounts of his adventures with Errol Flynn. The reader will find himself pulled into the story, and probably wind up finishing the book in a single sitting! Conrad shows us that Errol Flynn was more than a swashbuckling movie star, world famous philanderer, mean practical joker, as well as self-indulgent drunk and sometimes drug addict. Yes, he was all of this, but he was also much more, including a naturally talented writer, self-taught marine biologist, voracious reader, seasoned sailor, and in time a superb dramatic actor.
Readers, climb aboard this ship as it sails into high adventure!

This is not really intended to be a review, but a question about the upcoming book. Is it a reprinting of the 1984 book, or does it contain updates picking up from where the original book left off?

I have been for long an Everly fan.I always wondered what happened to them and why their style had changed so much during the early warner period.I found many answers to my questions inside this very well documented book.I respect the author, I congratulate him and deeply recommend to read his very good book.If you like Everly's music: rush as I am sure you will read twice ! Thierry

Isaac Donald Everly was Born in Feb. 1, 1937 a first son of Ike and Margaret Embry-Everly. A Final Son was Phillip in 1939. They take in the Marines in the 60's. Don who have Drugs and Phil was sick with his Wife, Julia. Don Loves Cynthia in 1975. a Daughter was Dana in 1980. and Shelly is the Only Daughter of Phil and Julia Brett-Everly. So Dana was Going to Nashville when she Turned 9 in June. She Fell in Love With Musician-Songwriter Man, Terry McBride in 1993. a friends will Married in June 23, 1993, and Have a Son, Alan Isacc McBride in June 18, 1994 and Divorce in 1994 When McBride & the Ride broke up. She Married Casey Atwood and Have a kids, Margaret Lynn and Keith Embry.

Roger White's original book was great reading. This will be an even better revized version. Over 10,000 words added, including recent interviews with the brothers. A different size, different back cover (great color picture) and 15 new photos, 3 of which were never published before. The Everly Brothers International WebSite will keep you informed on this and everything Everlyish you might be looking for....read back copies of 'Kentucky', the glossy DeLuxe Everly Brothers magazine.

Roger White's original book was great reading. This is an even better revized version. Over 10,000 words added, including recent interviews with the brothers. A different size, different back cover (great color picture) and 15 new photos, 3 of which were never published before.

This book does a fantastic job of tracing the history of broadcasting of Irish football, both radio and television. The only criticism I have of it is that it sometimes repeats itself from chapter to chapter. It's almost as if the chapters were seperate articles, or part of a serialized presentation which naturally requires repetition to "update" the reader. This is a very minor problem, however, which is vastly overshadowed by the depth of the research. It would have been nice to see an appendix that listed the various broadcasts by medium and by announcer(s) but this may very well be impossible considering the "open" policy that Notre Dame had in the early days, where anyone could broadcast if they had the equipment. A great work that I would not hesitate getting for anyone with an interest in Notre Dame or college football in general. Some who do not like Notre Dame may not feel that the book is objective enough to be a true "history" of college football broadcasting, but if they do not like Notre Dame, they probably can't read anyway (he says with tounge planted firmly in cheek.)

This may be one of the best books on sports broadcasting ever written. Dr. Gulifor covers The Fighting Irish on air like a late afternoon fog covers South Bend in November. Great oral histories with some of the key personnel of Notre Dame broadcasts. The is a well researched book, and one that both scholars of broadcasting and football fans will appreciate.

I picked up this book as another Notre Dame book for a Notre Dame fan, however, I received both a "really enjoyable read" and an education. This book is not my typical read. This book is an excellent reference to the history NCAA Football broadcasting, even if you are not an IRISH fan, and might even adjust your thoughts about Notre Dame with respect to their history and recent actions with NBC.

Dr. Gullifor has written a book that is both scholarly and readable. As an Indiana resident, I have always had an interest in ND, but until I read this book, I had no idea how ND helped secure their national prominance in football through the contracts they were able to negotiate. Dr. Gullifor has clearly researched his subject and has presented a very credible work.

A Must Read for anyone interested in Sports Media
Dr. Gullifor gives the reader an in depth understanding of the evolution of sports broadcasting in American culture, and examines the decision making process of broadast executives in regards to Notre Dame. This should be required reading for anyone interested in sports media.