John Wayne Books

and not in a bad way! I love true crime and while some might say that they all read the same, which to some extent they do, I can't seem to get enough of them! This was especially good because *SPOILER* it was a puzzle - they find the body, then the crime! I saw this on Forensic Files but for some reason, this story haunts me - I just love getting goosebumps in the middle of the night!!!

Because this book has been out of print people have resold it for $25 - $60 dollars. First it is very short and other than no plot the romance and sex is bad. Go buy a $5.00 Harliquin book instead. I spent $30 for my copy and would gladly give it away...could not have been more unhappy with a book.

Michael Fleeman is a well-known true crime writer. This case involves two wives who go missing and both women were married to John David Smith. The first wife was Janice Hartman who went missing after they divorced. His secon wife was a twice divorced older woman, Betty Fran Gladden-Smith whose remains have never been recovered. She was living in West Windsor (near Princeton, New Jersey). The truth about John David Smith was that he was a brutal murderer who could not let the women or his wives leave him despite the constant lies, manipulation, and pathological nature of his crimes. His brother, Michael Smith, would unearth the discovery of Janice Hartman's legs below the knees that were cut off by her beloved husband. She was buried in a box and left aside the road in Indiana. It would be years before she was identified and was named Jane Doe at the Oakwood Cemetery in Morocco, Indiana until then. Her family knew that her beloved Janice was probably murdered by John David Smith. THe story is typical of most murders written about today. The spouse kills the other.

I read this book after seeing a crime show about it on TV. I didn't realize I knew Janice Hartman's mother until the very end. It is heartbreaking to know this lovely, spiritual woman as the mother of this murdered girl. This woman has been to hell and back throughout her lifetime, yet she remains a wonderful person. My heart breaks for the trouble she's seen!

It bothers me that the author took 276 pages to tell the same story over and over again. A man is accused of killing two wives. The bodies haven't been found. Still, a trial is held and the defendant is found guilty.
This could have been written in 50-75 pages, instead of rehashing the same events to the point of boredom.
The book does have one redeeming line on page 270, "There really are monsters out there." Monsters is the key word. They can be any sex, any race, any age, any occupation, any religion. This is the author's greatest message to the readers of this book.

Nice biostat book that works as a good reference for people with biostatistical interests. I bought it because I had a biostat course this semester. It's nice, I recommened it.

I appreciate the quick and honest service I received. It was a very easy transaction.

This book is extreamly helpful for academic research. It can be somewhat more technical than most people would need.

Daniel obviously knows his statistics; but, I wouldnt think that is too helpful for individuals reading or studying from his textbook.
The reasons are numerous, and all these reasons would reduce anyone's chances of solely using this book, or even using it at all.
The textbook is well organized, however Daniel's writing often is pedantic, repetitive (not in the helpful way) and ambiguous at best.
The examples and solutions occassionaly have serious errors in them which affect the overall outcome of the test (A second consideration is that the book is in it's 8th edition!!! therefore such errors are unacceptable for a person such as myself).
An example can be found on page 239 (example 7.3.2). The pooled variance, as calculated by Daniel is approximately off by 100 simply because he didnt give attention to dividing the numerator with the proper pooled D.F of the samples. The chapter ironically was on hypothesis tests, something extremely important to any line of empirically oriented statistics.

In Chapter 8; which is probably the most important chapter in Bistatistics (ANOVAs) he does not mention the relationship between MSW and sample SD. Also, his usage of Summation in formulas often are unnecessarily overcomplicated. Such is not even seen in professional journals.

I did like this textbook regardless of its many shortcomings, its not because I liked the author's style of writing. Its more or less the fact that my lecturer (I assume) used this book heavily in his lectures and so I used it as a supplementary text.

I would suggest, Chap T. Le's Introductory Biostatistics. However he goes too much into nonparametric methods and proportions and doesnt cocentration (to the degree I wanted) on continous data.

More robust and probably cost effect books are :Introductory Statistics for the Life Sciences by Samuels. But the Best book I have ever seen on the subject is "Introductory Biostatistics for the health sciences" By Chernick and Friis. The book is well priced and no portion of this book, I have seen as being useless.

I'm taking my first biostatistics class in medical school, but the text I am using in class (Rosner) has lost me. I subsequently borrowed Daniel's book from the library (only because it has 7th editions), and I am glad that I picked it! Daniel is a good writer. The book is well organized and laid out. Important concepts are emphased and explained with minimum mathematics involved. The well thought out examples are worth working through as well for clarification of the applications of important concepts. However, as a beginner in statistics, I was lost in the midst of mathematics on certain concepts (given that I have a relatively strong mathematics background) without really understanding the meaning of some very basic terms, like percentile, confidence intervals.

What I do is to read another reference book that explains the very basic concepts in plain English first before reading this text. I am currently using Munro's Statistical Methods for Health Care Research. While both of them cover the same set of concepts, Daniel gives me the mathematical and more advanced explainations compare to Munro.

It is a great book and is really easy to follow. Just an FYI if you are buying it used though, the test sheet to be certified in ServSafe will most likely not be in it if someone has already used the book and that paper to take the test on (their special bubble sheet form)has to be purchased separetely and may cost around $35.00 so I would buy it NEW if I were you. Love the book though : )

The book is thorough and provides many self quizzes to test your knowledge along the way.

I am really pleased with the book i purchased. I needed to find the book fast for my class because it was the middle of week one and i had no book because the college bookstore was sold out. So, i tried online to find the best rates with fast delievery and found it here at Amazon.com. Wooo! I was so happy to have found the book i needed onine with the Scantron Certificatiion Exam form included. I was in the need for next day delievery and they had that option available. My total came out to $93.83 with next day shipping fee included. That was a pretty reasonable price for me compared to other prices i've seen which would have been way over $100 dollars. I am very happy with the book and with the speedy next day delivery and also with how Amazon.com kept sending me confirmation emails and how i could tract my shipment order. I was very much pleased, which moves me to trust them and to purchase from them again in the future! Thanks Thanks Thanks Amazon.com!

This book was a required book for a sanitation class at my community college. Although some of the chapters are kind of silly ("The Safe Food Handler" - don't pee in the food, wash hands at work, don't get hair in product), the book does go over all of the basics very clearly and informitavley. The text comes with a scantron sheet that can allow you to take a certification test graded by the National Restaurant Association. The certificate is a MUST when applying to kitchens and hotels. The book is a bit pricey for the information it carries, and if you do not need the certification for your job or education, consider buying the book in either an older edition, or used.

I am very disappointed in this purchase. The only reason that I bought this book was to receive the NEW Scantron test! The Scantron test that arrived with the book was the OLD test. All information at the Amazon site said that the new test was included. That information was in error.

It might interest the reader of this review (since your looking at the book) to know that while fresh water only represents about 1% of the available aquatic habitat on earth over half of the known species of fish live in it. I'll leave it up to you to find out why. Peterson Field Guides have a winning formula, find an expert, set them up with a good illustrator and see what comes out. This book finishes the trio that covers all of the fishes likely to be encountered by a North American fisherman, diver or naturalist. Like the Fishes of the Atlantic Coast and the Fishes of the Pacific Coast it is well organized, well written, all inclusive (of species) and as informative as space will allow. If you are curious about fishes in general or encounter fresh water fish with any kind of regularity you owe it to yourself to find out what they are. And, if you live in North America you should have this book.

Great book with lots of pictures of species. I hoped that there would be photos for EACH species of fish but there was not. Each fish is documented though even if there is no picture for each. Many species are shown. I still have to give it 5 stars. This book is a great size too. It is not oversized. Perfect for travel.

I perform wildlife surveys for corporations all over the east coast. Half the weight of my equipment is Peterson Field Guides, which give me quick and easy identification of flora and fauna found and often eliminates the need for dicotomous keys and microscope work. This particular guide has helped me puzzle out a lot of small fish I come across. Well written, excellant illustrations, an important part of my library.

This book may be of interest to an icthyolgist, but it's not much use to a fisherman. The color illustrations are very poor. They all have a washed out yellowish tint, and thus the illustrated fish tend to look all alike. The non color illustrations are better, but the book relies mostly on descriptions.

This book has some of the worst fish illustrations i have ever seen. Text is far too brief. This volume tries to cover too much and does not cover anything well....

~When the Darkness Will Not Lift: Doing What We Can While We Wait for God--and Joy~ is insightful work by Baptist pastor John Piper. Piper examines the phenomenon of depression or melancholy from a Biblical perspective. This succinct book began as an epilogue to an earlier book When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight For Joy. Herein, Piper seeks to offer guidance and encouragement for those for whom joy seems to stay out of reach. As the book capsule summary notes, "Even the most faithful, focused Christian can encounter periods of depression and spiritual darkness when joy seems to stay just out of reach. It can happen because of sin, satanic assault, distressing circumstances, or hereditary and other physical causes." And despite its brevity, this potent little book brings consolation for the downhearted believers in Christ.

One of the best known hymns is William Cowper's "God Moves In A Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform." Cowper was subject to melancholy and knew more about the dark side of Christian walk than its joy. It was out of experience that Cowper conjured these words: "Behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face."

Packed with practical advice for overcoming melancholy, Piper rises up to the challenge of helping readers face depression. He does so, by perceptively affirming the truth of Scripture. Piper offers a broadside against the bad theology of prosperity theologians that misrepresents the Christian walk as one of happiness or an experience of ecstatic joy. Genuine believers in Christ gripped by despair find little consolation in shallow pseudo-Christian well-wishing clothed in spiritual garb that is aloof from their bleak reality. In truth, the Scriptures make it resoundingly clear that life in this fallen world is very much subject to pitfalls--including a life of adversity, hardship and toil. It's not surprising that the Apostle Paul admonished young Timothy, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:3). The challenge for the Christian--whether in the grip of a dark depression or simply faced with adverse challenges--is to fight for joy and savor the consolation of the Gospel promises. John Piper notes in his introduction:

"Richard Baxter... wrote with astonishing relevance about the complexities of dealing with Christians who seem unable to enjoy God. "Delighting in God, and in his word and ways," he said, "is the flower and life of true religion. But these that I speak of can delight in nothing--neither God, nor in his word, nor any duty." (pp. 12-13) As Puritan Richard Baxter would write in The Cure of Melancholy, "I have known grievous, despairing melancholy cured and turned into a life of godly cheerfulness, principally by setting upon constancy and diligence in the business of families and callings." Rising up to the challenges of adversity in the face of melancholy is the task of every Christian in their fight for joy. George McDonald, whom C.S. Lewis called "his master," would exhort the discouraged, proclaiming, "Heed not thy feelings: Do thy work." In other words, we should not let our feelings govern us, but our sense of duty and obligation as a Christian--which obviously includes the responsibilities of life.

Piper's sound advice admonishes against lingering in a state of depression rooted in self-absorption and self-pity. As Piper writes, "Sometimes the darkness of our souls is owing in part to the fact that we have drifted into patterns of life that are not blatantly sinful but are constricted and uncaring" (p. 61). Moreover, Piper consoles those struggling in a season of despondency to find solace in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and being a faithful witness of Him. Partaking in the Gospel proclamation can be a profound source of hope for one in despair. As Isaiah 58:11-12 declares,
The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

In practically one sitting, I read this short, 79 page work by John Piper. This book is essentially an extension of the last chapter of his book When I Don't Desire God. In it, he seeks to answer the tough questions (viz. What do Christians do when they fall into a state of darkness or depression due to trials or even to sin?). John Owen, the Puritan of Puritans, was his inspiration--it would seem--for this small work. He roots his answer in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He instructs the reader not to lose sight of the difference between justification and sanctification, making his battle over darkness some sort salvation performance done by him. He reminds the Christian of security in salvation, even when faith is waning. To the one who doubts whether or not he is even a Christian, Piper states the following: "Faith is sustained by looking at Christ, crucified and risen, not by turning from Christ to analyze your faith" (WDWNL, 41). Moreover, he reminds the believer not to submit to his doubt and become lazy. Rather, if you have lost joy in the Christian life, continue performing your Christian duties, asking God to give you back the joy that should accompany them. Piper ends this small little treatise on spiritual darkness by recounting the story of John Newton and William Cowper. Cowper, an 18th Century English poet, was a spiritual mess of a man, having attempted suicide numerous times before he even met Pastor John Newton (Newton himself has an amazing testimony, from beginning to end). Even after Newton befriended and aided Cowper in his spiritual struggles, Cowper's world remained dark and uncertain... he would die in that very condition. But, Newton stayed by his side the whole time, and Cowper never once doubted his care. Moreover, from these dark struggles of the mighty poet came hymns such as "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood" (Cowper). There is no reason to doubt, Piper thinks, that a sincere Christian can die during such a state of spiritual lowness. The point, however, remains: We must never give up! To lose sight of Christ and the cross will certainly damn any person. The truth of Christ was the one thing that Cowper, "though vile as [the dying thief on the cross]" according to his own hymn words, held onto. Newton was able to be there with him all the way, and never forsook him as a friend (even when Newton moved away, he continued communicating with Cowper through letters). In spiritual darkness, the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ are the Christian's ultimate hope. I believe Piper does a fine job of bringing that point home in this small, impactful little work.

This is a great book both for those who are going through a dark period in their life, and those who care about them. The only confusing part I found about the book is that it switches back and forth between addressing the depressed person and then the person who might want to counsel them. This is especially true towards the end of the book. Also, the author quotes some writings from several hundred years ago and uses the original Old World phrasings and spellings -- making some of the passages hard to read and understand.

However, I really like how short the book is. When someone is depressed, the last thing they want to do is read a long book. This is short, sweet, and to the point. It's up-lifting without being "syrupy". It's never condescending to the reader, and brought up some biblical passages that I had not thought about previously. Overall, I recommend this book.

When the Darkness Will Not Lift: Doing What We Can While We Wait for God--and Joy

John Piper does not waste words nor space in filling this book with things other than scripture explaining the root of depression and Christian ways in assisting those afflicted with hopelessness, bitterness, and sadness. Darkness is the main impetus that keeps a depressed soul down, riddled with the falsehoods, accusations, unconfessed sin, tormenting harassment, and undeserving condemnation from the evil one himself. Secular "pep talks" with your counselor or therapist and antidepressent medications will only put bandaids on wounds that are really spiritual, not physiological, in nature. Hence, the prescription lies in the pages of the Holy Bible, where the true spiritual weapons are provided by God to combat the enemy's tactics to keep bound a wounded soul. And Piper just says which scripture can best be read to an afflicted individual, releasing him from the bondage of the enemy's lies (ie. Confessing Sin to One Another - 2 Corinthians 5:21, Jesus Does Not Condemn, Satan Does - Romans 8:33-34). Once those chains are broken, one can experience true joy, a fruit of the spirit that springs forth "like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." (Isaiah 58:11 KJV). In fact, this is what God created us for, to overflow with joy so that we may spread His word! Hallelujah! "Joy in Christ thrives on being shared. That is the essence of Christian joy; It overflows or dies." (Piper, page 65). We, as apostles to Christ, must "fight for joy in this fallen world of pain and suffering", while ministering to those who have no hope (Piper, page 79, in quoting 2 Corinthians 6:10). To read this book, draws me nearer to Piper's other writings, realizing that this book was originally a chapter in a much more expansive work. However, this book alone will be the better investment, over even one session with a secular counselor. Five Stars!

When the Darkness Will Not Lift is a short (79 pp.) book written to encourage those Christians who are dealing with spiritual melancholy (depression). John Piper writes, "My aim is to give some guidance and hope to those for whom joy seems to stay out of reach." (p.12) Piper also writes to instruct believers as to how to help those who are encountering times of spiritual darkness.

By Piper's own admission this book is not intended to fully treat such a subject. I think this quote should be considered before anyone jumps all over Piper for not `dotting all his I's"

This book began as the final chapter of a larger book titled When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy. I hope that if this small book proves helpful, readers will consider what is in the larger one. There are crucial foundations in that larger book which are not included here." (p. 13)

In "treating" despair Piper advises that we "start with despair. Despair of finding any answer in yourself. I pray that you will cease from all efforts to look inside yourself for the rescue you need. I pray that you will do what only desperate people can do, namely, cast yourself on Christ." (p.21)

There are great practical exhortations throughout the book for those in despair or not, but particularly for those who are afflicted. In the following chapters Piper reminds us that We are not alone, a reminder of the prevailing faithfulness and power of God; Fold not the Arms of Action, a call to constantly be thankful and offering praise so as to produce joy; Does Unconfessed Sin Clog Our Joy?, an exhortation to confess our sin to God and others that we may `unclog' our joy; The Darkness that Feeds on Self-Absorption, a call to evaluate patterns in our lives, inspecting for self worshipping tendencies that produce despair.

The one issue that I had was the treatment of the `darkness' in general. What is it for? I sometimes got the impression in reading the book that the goal was to have the trial removed. It is not the removal of the trial that brings the joy but the presence of Christ in the trial that is my joy. This is why in James 1 believers are commanded to "count it all joy when you encounter various trials" this of course is because of the presence and power of Christ in conforming believers into his blessed image. This is akin to what Paul dealt with in 2 Corinthians 12.9-10. I have joy when I realize that even within a trial I am in fellowship with the Sovereign, Good and Glorious King of the universe. I know John Piper believes this, as I have heard him say it elsewhere. However, it just didn't seem to come out as clear in this book for me.

Overall I like the book, as I do with most of what John Piper writes. I love the emphasis upon the supremacy, sufficiency and beauty of Christ. I also was thankful that Piper acknowledges that issues of emotional pain are not only valid but also kind of messy. I am often discouraged when I hear folks dismiss emotional pain as either invalid or sinful. Piper acknowledges it and tries to help.

This book will no doubt prove valuable for those who are afflicted and to help other believers to be more helpful. I would also recommend Piper's larger work, How to Fight for Joy.

This book is exactly what I was looking for. I set out to find a book that would give me an understanding of the science involved in baking, and this book did just that. I devoured the book (which is now riddled with highlighted sentences, underlined concepts and handwritten margin notes)and am now able to modify and manipulate existing recipes to achieve my desired results, as well as write my own recipes! An indispensable addition to the library of any serious baker. If you've ever found yourself wondering why egg whites whip better in a copper bowl, or why the meringue on your lemon pie gets runny (and other such questions), this book has the answers for you.

The older editions were geared towards professional bakers
or those that wanted to be. Joseph Amendola's work is
hard to see in this latest edition. They have dumbed this one down. To quote "Chemists in large industrial-sized bakeries have actually conducted studies that determined the optimum specific gravity and pH levels for each type of cake. Knowing this, of course, makes it all the more worrisome to be at the mercy of a plain old recipe book, with no such equipment on hand to provide guidance or reassurance. Fortunately, some room for variation exists in cake baking." I just don't see someone of Amendola's background and reputation writing this...Understanding the science of baking is crucial for baking success. Most retail bakers understand and utilize specific gravity when baking cakes...this insures accuracy in baking-and this translates to dollars and wasted product saved. A nice book for the home baker perhaps, but as a text book, it is a regression. Too bad.

I am a cake designer by trade and I'm getting ready to teach my first college level course and this is the book that I will be using for my students.

The reason for this is simple: value for money with a clear understanding of baking principles.

Most professional tomes like the Gisslen or Friberg book will set you back 50-75 dollars a book. You can have both of Amendola's books for the cost of just one. Sure, they might not have all the pretty pictures, but why go out and spend hundreds of dollars that you don't need to.

And to set the record straight, I completely disagree with the person who complained that the books were boring and too scientific. The act of baking is not an art - it's all about science and if you think that's boring then you shouldn't be baking.

A good baker and cake designer will know and understand why cakes are made the way they are, otherwise, he or she will not have the knowledge needed to overcome the problems and issues that every baker will face at some point in his or her career, whether professional or home baker.

If you're a home baker and you want a less "science-driven" book then I'd suggest The Baker's Dozen. If you love cake and really want to understand what it's all about then you can't beat Joseph Amendola - he is a master.

Understanding Baking gives the student baker all the baking science he or she will actually ever need in day to day operations. This new edition has a much friendlier tone and eliminates a great of the repetition and overly arcane or dated material that existed in the previous editions. Theory and concepts are related to actual products much more clearly. Rees/Amendola lucidly and concisely explain the chemistry of ingredient interaction, baking physics and supply useful ingredient definitions. The reference tables and troubleshooting guides are helpful and clear. The new information on wild yeast starter/artisan bread is timely and interesting as is the discussion of trans and cis fats. Any pastry chef can tell you that the most complicated presentations begin with a good grounding in the basics. From there, it's up to you. Industrial baking, which this edition, for the most part, sidesteps, is now so specialized, automated and artificially preserved you need an whole set of encyclopedias to understand the processes that are usually performed by a machine. On the other hand, with this book and it's companion volume, The Baker's Manual (also recently revised with many, many appealing new formulas), you could start a fine little pastry shop. It impowers you to be the best baker you can be.

This book is great because it covers the fundamentals of baking. I believe that fundamentals are important as they serve as a starting point for pastry chefs. I appreciate the fact that they've included all aspects of baking - from the simplest of information for the beginners to the complex stuff for the professionals.

What a wonderful and insightful book this is. My husband and I truly enjoyed all the details and great photos. I highly recommend this book to all John Wayne fans, even if you don't know you are one!

I ordered this book for my husband who has always liked John Wayne and is particularly interested with the history of such favorites. I was very happy with this purchase and delighted to get it for him for Christmas.

The IMDB has it's own inaccuracies. I found the information in this book to be quit accurate and interesting. Because of in depth research that was obviously done, this attention grabbing book gives you details about John Wayne's life that you might not read anywhere else. I suggest that if you are a John Wayne fan, you read the book for yourself.

This book was a big, big, and I do mean big disappointment, the inaccuracies are numerous. And what's more is that most of them could have been caught and corrected had they indeed done some research just on IMDB alone. So pass this one by and don't look back.

I personally knew Chuck Roberson, John Wayne's stunt double known as the Fall Guy. This became highly informative to me after knowing the background of Chuck, his falling horses and his making of western and other movies with John Wayne.

I ordered this book afteer seeing it in Williams, Arizona. My husband is a great fan of John Wayne and the story and pictures were so enjoyable. I find him looking at it all the time.

If you are looking for John Wayne films this is the book to have. It tells what the film is about, who also starred in and what year it was made. It also has plenty of photos to help you recognize what movie it is and if it is the one you are looking for. The book has some interesting facts about some of the movies.

The real testimony to the value of a resource is whether it occupies eternal space on your shelf, gathering dust, or if it becomes so worn out that it bears replacement. I have dogearred, destroyed, or otherwise "used up" two complete paperback copies of TCFOJW over the past twelve years since it first appeared. It was not until the last replacement that I finally relinquished and went to a hardback copy. This book is an indespensable (if not exhaustive) resource for any serious John Wayne film buff. My only complaints (and, subsequently, suggestions for future revisions) are that the cast and tech lists are not complete; and that Wayne's appearences on radio and television are not documented. Another helpful feature would be to show which films are available in video and letterbox formats. You need this book

Aside from the illustrations, I don't find much to recommend this book. There are no commentaries about the making of Wayne's films, no discussion of Wayne's working methods, no critical analysis, and nothing about the films' financial impact in the theaters. No character names are included in the cast lists, so they are basically useless in finding out who played who. Much of the information is inacturate. In the introduction the authors state that in his early days Wayne appeared in several Ham Hamilton comedies, but no such films appear in the main body of the book (in fact, I've never heard of a screen comedian named Ham Hamilton, although there was an animator by that name working for Walt Disney at the time). The plot synopis to many of the films are incorrect, listing wrong character names and describing incidents that don't happen in the film. And I'm still trying to figure out why Ward Bond is listed twice in the cast list of DAKOTA. There's a really great blooper in the write-up to CHISUM: The authors state that the true-life characters of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid are included in the story and that Garrett is gunned down by Billy! Say what? (No, this doesn't actually occur in the film.) Oh, yes, if this book is the "complete" films of John Wayne, then why isn't COLLEGE COACH (1933) included?

My final verdict: Skip this book and seek out a copy of Allen Eyles' far superior (and, unfortunately, now out-of-print) book JOHN WAYNE AND THE MOVIES (re-issued as simply JOHN WAYNE).

One of the best books on John Wayne films that I have ever
seen. I already own a softback copy and intend on purchasing
a hardback copy. I would recommend this to any serious John
Wayne Collector. It gives you a complete history of all the
films with a list of actors and a short bio of the film with
some pictures.

A quick read....not one of his best, but I enjoyed it...

More than once I've heard folks talk about God Bless John Wayne as one of the better Kinky entries, but I'm just not convinced. Everything from the premise to the by-the-books sleuthing seems both contrived and hurried.

For those not in the know, Kinky Friedman's fictional self is a wonderfully Texan detective living in NYC with his cat and a Sherlock Holmes head where he keeps his cigars. His dysfunctional drinking pals often need his advice/help...and here, Ratso needs Kinky to find his mother for him. After a little help and a few dead ends (the Kinkster in Florida?) we're off and running.

As usual the high points here are Kinky's many asides about music, drugs, women, coffee, Jesus, etc., and while he has never been better in the wit department I'm afraid that we've lost much of the charm of the storylines from earlier volumes. It's not so bad as to make me quit reading, but I just don't see this one as a stand-out.

Kinky, has some of the most heinous humor with a direct in your face harmony woven into his own lifesytle observations. He can pack more wisdom in a sentence or paragraph than the average WASP can deal with but it is fun trying. The characters drum into your memory like the best of seifield without the dull commericals and TV editors watering down the context or meaning. So take yourself to the wild side of NYC , Texas, and homcide

So it has an element or two of foreshadowing that you can see a mile away. And he ain't Shakespeare. Still Kinky has irreverant fun all the way through an attempt on his life, a few bottles of Jameson, a case of Cuban cigars, two Zippos and a tap dance rendition of Swan Lake by the lesbian dance class overhead. It's fun. Fans will not be disappointed

I usually read one Kinky Friedman book per summer. I find them the perfect getaway from the politically correct, inhibited times in which we sometimes attempt to live. Friendman's lair (Vandam St.) is only a few blocks from our own perch in Greenwich Village NY. Like him, I care deeply for espresso (French Italian blend from Porto Rico Importing Co.) and cigars. Our taste in animals differs. I prefer dogs and he is a cat man. We both share a dislike of lesbian dance classes being conducted above our digs. All in all, I dig the cat's lifestyle in a very big way man. His books don't take long to read. Buy one at JFK and chances are good you'll be done with it by the time you arrive somewhere....well alright....ANYWHERE! In his latest, he and his good buddy Ratso go hunting Ratso's birth parent, as if someone would ever take credit for giving birth to Ratso. For me the funniest parts take place with the Kinkster in Florida. I don't know why. Somehow the idea of a Jewish guy in Florida just seems so out of place. Anyway, settle down with a pot of espresso, a nice cigar, a bottle of Jamesons, and have a few laughs.

British journalist Michael Munn does a good job at delving into the core of a remarkable man, the motion picture legend we call "the Duke." Some people have criticized John Wayne over the years for not acting, but Wayne carefully crafted and honed his Duke persona to give his audiences something they could take with them, especially during the grim days of World War II. Wayne wanted to enlist, but he was a man of his word and under contract. Instead, he boosted morale through his films.

John Wayne embodied the spirit of the rugged American. He was a man's man who never backed down from a fight, on or off screen. And yet, he showed a flexibility and tolerance with actors who marched to a different drum. Kirk Douglas and Rock Hudson are examples of men whose politics and lifestyle, respectively, John Wayne disagreed with very strongly. But Wayne respected their acting credentials and for him that was the decisive factor. Wayne was a true acting professional and a man of passion who could project himself as larger than life.

Munn captures all of this and more. Where he goes astray, perhaps, is with his curious anecdote about Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin wanting to kill the Duke. Surely as cunning a player on the world stage as Stalin would never have risked an international incident, or even war, by having John Wayne assassinated. I'm not sure of the source Munn used, but it could be of the "red herring" variety. This jazz about the Duke getting the scoop from Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin's wily successor who admittedly did his share of de-Stalinizing, is far-fetched. Yet, it all adds to the mystique.

This book was an easy read and I liked pouring through it. One has to be aware, however, that John Wayne was no saint. He caroused with women while letting his marriages fall apart, he drank hard, and he used salty language. Munn quotes Wayne and his circle of friends verbatim, especially when director John Ford was among them, so be forewarned that there is profanity in this book. In the end, Munn's take on the Duke leaves you feeling like you almost knew him, and that is good. Rev. Dennis J. Mercieri, alumnus of Holy Apostles Seminary

Book started out a little slow but as it went along it became a more interesting read. I do recommend it for any John Wayne fans.

When is someone going to come out with a satisfactory biography of America's greatest star? It used to be that people scoffed at John Wayne's acting, but in recent years the circle has come around and i think we all know he wasn't a bad actor but an incandescent performer with infinite gobs of star quality radiating all around him like shooting stars. And yet the biographies of him lack his moral depth and complexity. Invariably they are written by people like Michael Munn, an okay journalist but a man with too many irons in the fire (18 previous books, including lives of Gene Hackman and Sharon Stone) to afford himself the luxury of time--the precious time it would take to write a first-class biography of this great, iconic presence. Munn has interviewed a lot of people, all of whom sound pretty much the same in his chatty transcriptions, and he has gotten close to many who were close to the Duke, and the book is readable enough, but it doesn't come close to conveying what happens to an audience when they sit through a John Wayne picture, the intense identification and mythologizing of his screen character as it moves from frame to frame, decade to decade. Munn also in British and gives Wayne through the British tabloid lens, when as we know Wayne was American as apple pie.

And he brings a lot of rumors to the book, particularly those which emphasize Wayne's right-wing political views and his proud conservatism. All very well and good but to make Wayne a hero on the basis that Joseph Stalin put out a fatwa on him is just ridiculous. If Stalin had wanted Wayne assassinated (for what reason?) wouldn't it have been taken care of during Stalin's lifetime?

Munn also fails to gloss over Wayne's miserable personal life. In fact the way he lingers on it makes you think he enjoys seeing the Duke brought to his knees by the women around him and by his troubled, semi-nutty mentor John "Pappy" Ford.

This is a "must read" for any John Wayne fan. The book is written with a deftness and style similar to the character of the man of whom it portrays. Munn is a self-described fan, yet is able to depict Wayne in a realistic light while using great sensitivity and care. The book is based largely on Munn's personal interviews (spanning several years) with John Wayne's colleagues and more importantly, the Duke himself, which lends credibility to his words. I have come away from this book not only with an historical view into John Wayne's career, but also with a great sense of respect for Waynes's honesty and "no-nonsense" approach to life. His love for his country is more than admirable, especially now in such times of partisanship and complacency. Sadly, John Wayne's era has gone by the wayside so kudos to Michael Munn for keeping his spirit alive.

Michael Munn's "John Wayne: The Man Behind the Myth" (2003) presents the life of one of America's greatest 20th century icons. This 386-page hardback is comfortably researched with 17 pages of filmography (describing, briefly, each John Wayne film), 5 pages of sources, and a two page annotated bibliography.

Munn brings motion picture super star John Wayne to life with a comprehensive chronological narrative of his life and career. Using Wayne era media documentation, personal interviews with friends, family, and co-stars, and reviewing books about the Duke the author reintroduces readers to John Wayne's greatness. Memorable stories are told from the Duke's personal, family, and performance lives.

We hear from John Agar, Lee Van Cleef, Rock Hudson, Charlton Heston, Jennifer O'Neill, Sammy Davis, Jr., Maureen O'Hara, and many more about Wayne. Readers learn about his opinions on Richard Widmark's acting, John Huston's directing, and daughter Aissa's script reading. One discovers which one of Wayne's films was his own favorite ("The Alamo") and which was the simplest for him to make ("True Grit"). (John Wayne turned down the "Dirty Harry" part after Frank Sinatra's refusal because he didn't want a Sinatra's rejection and the Duke also didn't like the image of a rogue cop.) Wayne's families, religion (as a back-sliding Presbyterian), politics (as an Orange County Reagan Republican), love for alcohol, and lung cancer (which ultimately killed him in 1979) are reviewed.

Munn's story of John Wayne's rise from a movie back lot janitor (as an injured USC football player) to mega star adored by millions is interesting and at times riveting. Much of the Duke's life was like a John Wayne movie. The Duke was involved in hunting accidents, stage and scene mishaps, and was once targeted by the Brezhnev government for his anti Soviet views. The Duke liked fist fighting, rifle shooting, and loving Latinas. (Munn is comprehensive, reflective, and convincing.)

Michael Munn's "John Wayne: The Man Behind the Myth" is written in a non-technical novelistic style. For me, it was a quick read. All John Wayne aficionados should own a copy. It is recommended to everyone.