Television Books

Here is Sinatra stripped of everything who leaves me knowing he has deserved my love and admiration all these years. With Sinatra, he drove himself through life going after whatever he wanted and risking the consequences. We get to look at his ups and downs and his prides and his falls. We see him suffer at love and sing about it. We see him finally, after all the aborted tries, finally sink himself into a relationship with his last wife that kept him happy until he died.

Life for Sinatra was all or nothing at all and he did life his way and fell into lots of tender traps and led some into his own tender traps, like one famous movie star I will let you discover on your own.

What so special about Nancy's book is that she is amazingly organized and objective in her account of her father's life. And the CD, well the CD is everything. You get to hear Sinatra on Sinatra, unabashed.

Everyone on the planet needs to buy and read this book to learn what life can be when you go for it all every day!

Kudos to Nancy for a biography well, well done.

This book has excellent pictures with the most vital information for a biography project. A great buy and great read for interested fans of Ol' Blue Eyes.

No wonder this book is so thick- it's filled with numerous photos of Frank Sinatra, his family, and friends over the years. I love looking at these pics, and so will any other Sinatra fan. There is detailed info throughout the book as well. This is one worth having in your collection.

This scrapbook is a real treat to any true SINATRA fan.It is full of pictures of everybody who was important in his life from his parents to collaborators like arrangers NELSON RIDDLE; all his wifes from NANCY to BARBARA;the legendary LOUIS B. MAYER etc.Better than most biographies because it is based on facts not rumours.The early pictures from his beginnings are alone worth the price.I was fortunate enough to get this book at the third of it's price and i went through it very fast because once you open it, you simply can't take your hands out of it.If FRANK became the singer of the past century, it's not by accident, he worked hard at it.I was particulary touched by his loyalty to his true friends.FRANK SINATRA is a mirror of his country. He was the son of immigrants who lived the AMERICAN dream to the fullest.Where is the AMERICAN dream today now that it's last legend is gone?Let's not complain too much ,because everything that FRANK SINATRA ever recorded is now available on cd.Nostalgia when you think of it is a very good thing.SATURDAY is not the loneliest night of the week anymore thanks to the chairman of the board.If you are not already a fan, this book should do the trick.

I had to get this book after seeing how low the price came down.The original price was 40 dollars. Nancy Sinatra's book on her Father has everything in here.I couldn't believe Frank weighted 13and a half pounds when he was born on December 12,1915.The Doctor ripped and scarred his ear,check,and neck,plus puncturing his eardrum.Frank wasn't breathing,so his grandmother Rose held the baby under cold running water until he gasped his first breath and cried.This book is like a Diary.It goes from year to year,sometimes month to month.All of Franks movies,records,concerts,TV shows,songs,and the name of the songwriters are in here,plus hundreds of pictures,starting with Frank's baby photo, ending with a touching family photo taken in 1996.There's a wonderfull picture of Marilyn Monroe taken with Dean Martin sitting ringside at the Sands..All of the stars are in here,and family pictures we've never seen before.If you are a Frank Sinatra fan,you have to get this Book.Its huge,and the pictures are fantastic.

This is a good FRIENDS book on series 1, although it needs more stuff about the actors of FRIENDS. It would be a lot better if we were given a behind the scenes look at the sets etc. However it's got loads of quotes, and in depth episode guides for series 1.

This book brought all the fun and laughter you remember from the episodes it covers, and more! With absolutely beautiful color pictures of the stars, as well as black and white pictures of some of the scenes from the episodes, and also candids of the stars themselves, a true Friends fan/addict can't go wrong with this one!! Every time I pick it up, it brings a smile to my face and heart! Fantastically written, I enjoy this book from first page to last no matter how many times I have read it. Just like the shows re-runs, I can't seem to get enough!! Thank you David Wild!! and the creator, director, and cast of Friends!

This book could not be more enjoyable, it is the perfect accompaniment to the best TV Show in the World of TV. If you think you know everything about Friends, well you dont know until you've Read this book.

I recently got a chance to read, Friends: The Official Companion and it was great. Everything you wanted to know about the first season of Friends was there. It was packed with all different pictures and side information that normally people wouldn't come across. This book was entertaining and was a lot of fun. I am really looking foward to reading the next one.

All friends fans will LOVE this book, It has a whole chapter "written" by Marcel the monkey, Quotes from season one episodes, a summery of season one episodes and a BIG friends quiz, chock-a-block with brain teasers.Not to mention interviews of all the cast-If you havent read this book you're missing out!

Rather than write another long review which would essentially just agree with all the other positive comments by other reviewers, I will make this brief. I am pleased with this book with one exception. The list of guest stars for the radio programs does not include the part played by the actor/actress. The television programs do. This was one of the principal reasons I bought the book. At least I know in advance the stars who will be in each broadcast. I would have liked to know who played what role. That is the only reason I gave it a rating of 4.

Even if my dog ate the cover off of the book (he only eats books that I love), this is a great reference for the true Gunsmoke fan. Too many folks don't realize that the first 11 years were the best, and they need some reference to those. This is a great history of all of Gunsmoke, not just the TVLAND "scrubbed" version.

This book is AWESOME. It is filled with the history of Gunsmoke from the radio days through the TWENTY YEARS it was on TV. Also a very interesting history of Dodge City, Kansas.

This was a very good, very well written and very informative book to buy and read.
Janet Nazer

I am a huge gunsmoke fan, since it first was shown in 1955. i thought it was interesting on how they auditioned and chose the main charcters, I enjoyed this more than the 50th year, due to the fact that Miss Kitty, was alive and others that were guest star were also. It was not a boring book and the layout was very good. They also had an interview of Roger Ewing (Thad) Which was informative. I highly recommned paying the price for it to all Gunsmoke fans. )

I have never seen such a beautful and colorful calendar. When the day is over you dont want to get rid of it. The nicest day to daya calendar I have ever purchased.

If you love Harry Potter, you will love seeing a new scene every day of 2007.

This calendar is awesome because it has all four years in it, and the pictures are really cool. Sometimes the descriptions are a little off, but that's no big deal. I really like it.

I love the calendar i get excited every day when i go to work to see which picture it will show. I know I might be a dork, but I don't care. Everyone should own a Harry Potter Calendar.

I love this calendar!! With every new day comes a new picture from one of the four movies. Along with the picture is a description and the title of the movie it is from. It is the perfect size for your desk too!

Let me make this brief, in the best style of broadcast journalism: Wayne Freedman is one of the finest storytellers in the field, masterfully weaving video, sound and just the right words to tell stories that no one else seems to find. More importantly, he has found a way to tell OTHERS how to do this. As a professor of broadcast journalism, I can tell you that that is no small accomplishment. If you are a serious student of television journalism (and no, that is NOT an oxymoron), you need to have this book. You also need to read it.

Wayne Freedman is a video storyteller and a television survivor. Those traits alone are worth the price of this book. I looked to his work for inspiration during my years as television reporter and now I use this book as a broadcast news professor to show students the possibilities of video journalism, either online or on TV.

Since he is a great storyteller, Freedman's book doesn't read like a textbook. It reads like a good book. The insights, lessons, and tips are all in there, but they are woven within funny, interesting, and unforgettable stories from the field.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about a career in video journalism, or those who are already working and want to know how to push to the next level.

Landing a TV reporting job is not tough. Make a tape, be persistent and someone somewhere will put you on the air.

Leaning the craft of television news reporting is a different ballgame. In, It Takes More than Good Looks to Succeed at TV News Reporting, Wayne Freedman shows what it takes to become one of the very best.

This book offers practical, easy to use tips to anyone in the business. The challenges and frustrations Wayne describes will happen to you, count on it. Just as important, he explains ways to overcome those obstacles. Regardless of your experience level, this book is crammed full of useful tips that can improve your work.

But this is not only a collection of "how to" tips.

It Takes More than Good Looks to Succeed at TV News Reporting, inspired me. Those of us lucky enough to make a career of TV news have the best, most interesting jobs around. Thanks to Wayne we now have a playbook to make ourselves, and our work, even better!

Don't read this book just once. Read it twice, and then maybe even once more. Make sure the principles and teachings of Mr. Freedman are so ingrained in your mind, you apply them in the field, and during the writing process, with ease, despite any pressures or deadlines. Why? Because it takes more than good looks to succeed at television news reporting.

Wayne Freedman is a rare gift in television news reporting, a polished gem of a reporter with an amazing eye and ear and professional aesthetic. He's a wonderul storyeller with what may be the largest collection of Emmy awards for television reporting on the planet...deservedly so, he's that good at what he does, they should just mail them to him every year.

I'm a former television producer and news director and I've always greatly admired Wayne's work, and his ability to sweep the Emmy awards every time. He's consistently brilliant and can turn the most mundane topic into a memorable visual story. His book is required reading for my television journalism students and should be read and re-read by every aspiring or novice television journalist, along with many veterans. This book makes teaching 'basic training' to up-and-coming video journalists MUCH easier. Not only is this book useful and a peek into a bright creative mind, it's just a good read...entertaining and hard to put down, with lots of great stories and insight! It's a keeper.

Recipes are simple and yet show stopping. Delicious recipes I have made are Flan a'la Vanille,Peking Style Chicken, Warm Chocolate Fondue Souffle, Chocolate Paris-Brest, Chocolate Walnut and Apricot Cookies, and Potato and Watercress Salad to name a few.

(Hardcover edition) A great cooking book, beautifully put together with ample pictures and large enough type to allow ease of use. I was disappointed that it *didn't* have more technique tips and guides on equipment- but I guess this is available in the paperback version. Can't wait to eat!

There are lots of simple, elegant and flavorful recipes in here from master chef Jacques Pepin. Remember, he is cooking with his ditzy daughter, Claudine, so things are never too complicated. This is great for folks who want to start down the gourmet path without too much fuss.

My personal favorite is the butternut squash puree. I make it about once a month.

This is a great addition to any collection. The Mango dish is the best

I was given this book as a gift; never saw the show. The recipes are excellent but don't allow for much improvisation (in my experience!)--the low-fat adjustments he makes really need to be followed to the letter in order for the dishes to come out as well as they should. That said, if you are a recipe-follower, he does amazing things with short ingredient lists, easy cooking techniques, and interesting combinations of ingredients. I especially like the potato-crusted fish recipe and the "spicy ginger chicken" (which is not at all spicy, but very tasty). There's also a great cole slaw recipe that uses curry powder--sounds weird, but it's delicious!

James Brown was a true innovator. Nobody can take his genius away from him. He has passed on to occupy the ancestral realm. Remember the ancestors are always with us, you simply have to invoke their names.

I recommend this book for any James Brown fans or casual reader of history.

RIP to the Godfather of Soul, Soul Brother #1, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. This been a great blow and to all of us James Brown fans here. This book was the one I needed to keep me focused. Just read it all the way through earlier this year. Very strong, uplifting and powerful. James Brown was the Hero, the Legend, the American Pioneer. He wasn't just an entertainer or a hit maker or an artist, he's a man that have overcome alot on what's happening in the world: going thru poverty, business, the Civil Rights Movement, the world, loss of jobs, politics, way of culture, way of living, and a way to express ourselves thru a meaning of religion, life, hunger, soul, pain, and suffering. The Man had it all. Boy I'mma miss him and his talent. His spirit always captures us thru this day. GOOD GOD!!!

Thanks for all the hardship and legacy you put us into, Brother James Brown.

I bought this book a couple of years ago, and once I began reading the first page I couldn't stop until I'd finished the whole book. The things that JB had to go through as a young boy, it's a wonder he didn't wind up on death row, or in an early grave. It's a good thing that he turned his attention to music, and put all he had into it. Even though he was never really raised by anyone, or had a real family life he was able to make his mark in life. I'm glad that he acknowledges the power of God, and he knows what God can do. I enjoyed reading this book. This is a must read for everyone.

I'm 34 I had listened to some James Brown manly the hits. I had the oppertunity to see his show a couple of months ago. It was fantastic. I started getting some of his other albums like the big payback(my favorite) I must tell you I'm hooked I can't get enough of that sound. I finished this book today. It was awsome his takes on things are so down to earth. If you're down with Mr. Brown than you gotta read this.

What a life. What a personality. I have enjoyed this book enormously: You get the feeling that this is James Brown telling you his extraordinary story in a long and fascinating conversation. He talks about his music, his personal life and troubles, his philosophy, and, what I think is most thrilling, show business and stage performance.

My main goal in reading this book was resolving a personal doubt: Was he the genius behind his records, or was it Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley or his producers? After reading the book and listening to his records with lots of new insights, I have little doubt that the main driving force (although not the only one) in his records was himself. What Brown says about his music, where it came from, how it was made, what he intended to say, really made me discover many things in his records! For instance, if you have 'Live At The Apollo (1963)' (one of Brown's best albums) or have listened to it, DON'T MISS what he has to say about it -and play the LP again. I couldn't stop laughing for almost a quarter of an hour.

On another hand, I was also wondering: Is he a ruthless, egotistic and authoritarian character, as he is sometimes portrayed? In the book, JB openly and candidly talks about the discipline in his band, prison, guns, Black Power, and politics; and, paradoxically, in the end I finished with the impression of having received a lesson in confidence in man, tolerance, faith and spirituality. Soulful singers like him or BB King really have something to say about life-not only in their records.

On a last note, I think the (co-)writer Bruce Tucker has structured the book very well, hooking you from the beginning until the last page. As usual, it is better to avoid beginning with the prefaces and forewords, and leave them for the end. Only a little information about musicians in the sessions would have been welcome -although it is true that it's not the scope of the book.

Definitely worth reading it if you are a James Brown fan, and also very commendable if you are interested in music in general.

In a career spanning hundreds of movies from "Tolerable David" in 1930 up until literally his death in 1988, John Carradine blessed this world with his many florid theater, film, and television performances. His greatest role(in his opinion) was split between major parts in the classics "Stagecoach" and "The Grapes of Wrath", both directed by John Ford. He loved to work. He loved Shakespeare. He loved women. The book details his three marriages, his drunken parties with John Barrymore, and his jail time for late alimony payments. And here, for horror fans, is a detailed breakdown of every film, from "House of Dracula" to "Satan's Cheerleaders". The large hardcover tome is complete with a myriad of pictures and posters. John Carradine is truly part of American cinema legacy. He died in Milan, Italy, attending a special screening of "Stagecoach".

All the other big names of horror-movie-actors have been covered: Karloff, Lugosi, Chaney, Lee, Cushing, Price ... Here is finaly the first book about John Carradine and all his films (and not only the B-Movie-Horrorfilms !)It was time !

German: Endlich ein Buch über den grossen John Carradine. All seine Horrorfilm-Schauspielkollegen sind ausreichend gewürdigt worden, von Lugosi, Chaney und Karloff über Price, Lee und Cushing. Nun endlich gibt es ein Werk mit vollständiger Filmograhie (und nicht nur die Horror-B-Filme) über diesen Altmeister. Wie alles aus dem McFarland-Verlag teuer aber in jeder Beziehung in Topqualität !

Everyone recognizes his face, but few can name him. John Carradine was a memorable character actor who gave rich performances in big and small budget pictures. Finally, a book has been written about him that not only explores his life via anecdotes and interviews interspersed throughout, but his vein of work that stretched innumerable decades and genres. Author Tom Weaver has crafted a fun and lively chronological read, putting together little-known information and revealing asides to enhance our knowlegde of the work of an aspiring actor. Perhaps now, more people will seriously reappraise Carradine's work and give him the consideration he's due.

He's the actor everyone knew, but few knew anything about. Here - finally - is the definitive look at the horror icon's hundreds of films, and his surprising life, including the strained relationship with his sons. Best of all, it's by two of the brightest lights in the field.

John Carradine's career spanned six decades and films thatranged from acclaimed classics (The Grapes of Wrath) to undisputedstinkers (can anyone say anything positive about Billy The Kid Vs. Dracula?). In John Carradine: The Films, author Tom Weaver deftly documents each and every film of the multi-talented actor. Complete cast and credits listings, synopsis and author commentarty for each film are included, as are remembrances from various co-stars, directors, Carradine's sons and even Carradine himself.

Weaver's commentaries on the films spices up the usual dryness found in many "Films Of" books, due to their rather strict cast/crew/summary formula. An opinionated reviewer/critic, Weaver doesn't pull his punches in offering up his takes on Carradine's films. Whether or not you agree with his views, it's nice to hear definite opinions for a change in a book like this, instead of the oft-times "take-no-controversial-stand" approach which, while certainly objective, doesn't always make for the most fascinating or interesting reading.

And for regular readers of the author, not to fear...the classic puns are here in good abundance, and will not fail to make one groan and shake one's head on occasion.

Rounding out this tribute to the "thin" Dracula are recollections of Carradine from directors Joe Dante and Fred Olen Ray, and a mini-biography by Gregory Mank. Carradine's flamboyance, lust for life, and love of Shakespeare, as well as his regrets and resignation to the many poor roles he either chose or was forced to accept in order to "feed the family" are just a few of the many sides to the actor that are captured by Mank.

In all, Tom Weaver has assembled an extraordinarily fine and fitting tribute to a too-long overlooked personage of classic horror history. Par for the course for the author, John Carradine: The Films is thoroughly researched, hugely informative, frequently amusing, and most importantly: simply a must-have book.

Want to know what happened to Larry Kane after he got off the Beatles tour? Check out "Larry Kane's Philadelphia". Here's a great yarn by a great newsman, a look at one of America's oldest and most colorful cities as seen by arguably the best local newscaster in America. I'd only visited Philly once before reading this, but learned a lot about everything from its hardball politicos to the tough-but-caring quality of its people.
Larry was there to meet, talk to and report on just about everything and everyone in the area for 35 years- and on three stations. Filled with a bottomless supply of anecdotes both gritty and witty, the book not only takes you to "Rocky"'s turf but far afield- did you know he went all the way to Anchorage, of all places, for a papal audience? (He had one in the Vatican too.) Larry's open-hearted, warm personality worked well for him in front of one of the toughest audiences around- ask anyone who's seen those raucous Philly sports crowds- for many years, and it works here too. In short, Larry Kane's a class act, and Philadelphians are incredibly lucky to have him. I'd have been proud to watch him myself- even if I wasn't raised on "Rocky", cheesesteaks, and "da Iggles"!

Larry Kane retired from KYW 3 in December 2002 after 40 years of broadcasting.

I really enjoyed reading _Larry Kane's Philadelphia_ by Larry Kane. I really liked Larry Kane. When I was in high school, I was up until 11:30 almost every weeknight watching Larry Kane on KYW-TV 3 (also known as CBS 3) at 11.

In April 1994, when Bruce Hamilton and Jennifer Ward were the co-anchors of the station's newscasts weeknights at 6 and 11, things weren't going good for KYW 3. So, they got Larry Kane to replace both of them and be the sole anchor weeknights at 11.

It was really fun seeing Larry being the sole anchor weeknights at 11. I really liked his reporting and how he signed off. I really liked the fact that he WAS the newsman in Philadelphia. He was better than Ken Matz (his successor at WCAU-TV 10 when Kane went to KYW-3, and also his predecessor when dealing with affiliates, because when Kane came to KYW, it was then NBC. Because the station's parent company then, Group W Westinghouse, bought CBS, the station became CBS, WCAU became NBC. Thus, Matz was his successor at NBC's local affiliate in Philadelphia, because he was the lead anchor at WCAU) or even Larry Mendte, his successor at KYW (and even Matz's at WCAU).

I feel that after reading th book, Larry Kane showed excellence in broadcasting in Philadelphia, more than Ken Matz, Larry Mendte (Mendte has lived in the Philadelphia area most of his life), or even Tim Lake, Mendte's successor at WCAU.

Being from the Philadelphia area, I was pretty intrested in what Larry Kane would write about. Larry tells good stories and helped me fill in what little details on stories that were reported when I was a kid.You almost have to cheer on a guy who went back to Phildephia to report news despite it being a "smaller market" than New York.If you don't really know the Philadelphia area you my be lost reading this but if you know Philadelphia , you'll be pleasantly suprised at how detailed this is and even laugh out loud at a good Ed Rendell anticdote

A great book for those interested in recent Philadelphia history and culture, or those just looking for an insight into major market TV news. The book seems to reflect Larry's on screen persona: fast paced, open, sometimes cloying, but never dull. Larry's seen a lot of history in his career, and relates it in a highly entertaining book.

Larry Kane, a Philadelphia fixture for 35 years, has outdone himself with this book. It's really well written, and takes you on an unusual ride through the tv business. So far, I understand in its fifth printing, and no wonder. This book should be read by anyone interested in improving the quality of tv news.

I especially enjoyed Kane's self deprecating sense of humor, and his description of Philadelphia. It makes me want to get to know Philadelphia.

Biographical reviews tend to have a standardized format: several chapters on the linage of the subject, tales of early childhood, struggle and (usually)success.

Haberstadt's biography is much the same, except the author does a nice job of leading the reader thru the parts we have to endure by building a strong sense of the frustration and difficulties Doc Pomus faced throughout his life. The book isn't overbearing, and he paints an interesting enough picture of the determination this polio-stricken hall of famer had.

If there is a weakness, it's that you never get a real strong sense of what exactly it was that Doc did. I mean, I still haven't figured out if his contributions to some of the greatest songs were his lyrics, his sense of rhythm, his music, or a combination of all three. Certainly it is poignant to think that "Save the last dance for me" was written as he watched his new wife dance at her wedding, but there was too little addressing the mechanics of Doc's writing for my taste.

I thought it was a most interesting and useful book to have on one of the great contributors to rock and roll.... and long overdue.

During rock 'n' roll's early years Doc Pomus wrote some of the biggest hits from his Lonely Avenue to Save the Last Dance for Me and Hushabye. His works were picked up by Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Bob Dylan and more - and LONELY AVENUE documents his life, inspiration, achievement, and times in an outstanding blend of quotes from his journals and biographical examination. Music libraries will find it an excellent addition.

Great book. I got choked up reading about Doc writing Save the Last Dance for Me.

What a great book. You never think about songwriters when you listen to a song but after reading this book you will. It's the story about the man behind some of the biggest hits of the 50' and 60's but it's so much more. Doc's story is more then his music, it's the life that he led and the trials he overcame to get there. If you're into music or not this is one book that will make you laugh, cry and just revel in one man's life and times.

The writer did his homework, and I'd recomend this book to anyone, also visit the Brill Building, There's Always Magic In The Air.

Great reading!