Entertainment Books

This book has stayed with me like few other things, since reading it many years ago. I often find occasion to quote from it; brilliantly witty, charming, scathing and life affirming all at once. Bunuel led an unusual life, but his autobiography is filled with universal truths to which any reader can immediately relate. Buy it at once, and you will find yourself reaching for it often...

An interesting short semi-bio, in whuch Luis speaks about his life and the people he has met.

Bunuel gave some interviews towards the end of his life discussing his long list of movies. That's why I was delighted to find that his autobiography--which is one of the greatest, if not the greatest by a filmmaker--does not dwell on them. Instead Don Luis chronicles his childhood and upbringing, the relationships he cultivated, and meditates on life, love, death, art, alcohol and cigarettes. Many of the stories from his younger days are even more surreal than his movies. He writes in detail about his stormy friendships with Garcia Lorca and Dali, about his half-hearted attempt to try Hollywood on for size, meetings with Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, and others. The book is not somber or sentimental, it's not over-inflated. Bunuel's voice does not intimidate, it soothes. He's a master storyteller, a very gifted and generous writer.

As a young person, don Luis helped me find my way out of the hormone fog, ... authoritarian adults and their institutions, and equally lost peers. Years later upon reading MY LAST SIGH, I was not surprised at all at the depth of don Luis' humanity and intelligence.

Nevermind the moniker "filmmaker" when talking about don Luis; he is an artist's artist. With his autobio, he only confirms what an equally supreme being he was. I miss him. However, encounter this book and become lit by life itself.

Writings by film directors tend to resemble their films, and "My Last Sigh" is no exception. Bunuel's films are anarchic, funny, unpredictable, subversive, and often disturbing in a way that's hard to pin down. So is this, his autobiography!

Though he disclaims literary talent, Bunuel turns out to be a wonderful writer, and the book is stuffed with piquant anecdotes and elegant observations. I'm afraid to quote examples, because this review would go on forever. Suffice to say that, if you could choose to live any person's life, Bunuel's would be a hard choice to beat, just for the adventure and entertainment value. This may be my favorite book written by a filmmaker.

I was never a regular viewer of Peter Jennings' news broadcast or any of his documentaries, but now I wish I was.

This book pointed out all the great time, effort and blood, sweat and tears that Peter Jennings put into all segments of his broadcast and documentaries. He did not take his anchor position lightly and wanted all viewers to share his same passion and understanding of the subjects he was speaking.

It also went into great depth to speak of the man that none of us saw on his nightly newscasts. One who was such a humanitarian and lover off people from all different walks of life.

This book kept my attention and made me feel sad that I did not pay closer attention to his newscast while he was still with us.

If you loved Peter Jennings you will love this book. It was written in an innovative style by way of an amalgam interviews with his colleagues. If you are looking for dirt on Peter skip this book, but if you want to relive the hundreds of wonderful hours you spent with him on your TV, this book does the trick. Your memory might also be jogged when you read the many adjectives describing him in the book: charming, distinctive, exuberant, thoughtful, reflective, gracious, caring, sincere, whimsical, questioning, authentic, direct, gentle of spirit, warm, great sense of humor, intelligent.

I loved the insight many of the contributors gave, as well as the quotes from Peter: "He connected with every person he met. He didn't use them." "He had this life force that seemed to surround him--his enthusiasms, his boundless energy and curiosity. He was one of those people that was just a great sense of nirvana to be around." "And when he was faced with the actual test, he instantly did the right thing." Peter: "Be spare, be precise, take your time, and don't say too much. Let each work carry the weight of the story....communicate in a concise way."

Peter would ask, "What are we going to do today what will distinguish us?" He despised predictability, mediocrity of any kind, laziness." "Listening to Peter was...riveting." Peter WAS riveting, and so is this book!

Bill Kizorek, CEO, Two Parrot Productions

When ABC newsman Peter Jennings died from lung cancer in 2005, he left a void in the industry that has yet to be filled. Along with the likes of Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, Jennings helped revolutionize television news, sitting on both sides of the desk, transforming the genre from a 15-minute afterthought to a major component of network broadcasting.

The editors of PETER JENNINGS: A REPORTER'S LIFE, including his wife, have collected the thoughts and memories of scores of family, friends and colleagues who are universal in their praise and turned these stories into an oral biography. It seems as if Jennings was almost predisposed to the profession. As the son of one of Canada's most respected radio broadcasters, he got an early start, hosting his own children's show as a nine-year-old. Formal education held little interest for Jennings; these days he might have been diagnosed with ADD. His success, despite dropping out of high school, was truly remarkable.

Jennings was just 26 when he was handed the anchor assignment for ABC News in 1965, a job to which he admitted he was not suited at the time. He earned his stripes by going out into the field --- far, far afield to Europe and the Middle East where he thrived on the exotic surroundings and the action.

The entries in A REPORTER'S LIFE reveal a man in a hurry, ever curious and always willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, even when that meant putting himself in harm's way. Jennings was no "Scud-stud," a term used to describe reporters who made a name for themselves during the first war in Iraq; he didn't even like to fly. But he impressed everyone, from his sound men to heads of state, with his ability to soak up information and present it to his audience.

When he stepped down as an active reporter to once again take over the anchor desk for ABC News, he brought that same restlessness with him. He was a demanding boss, always expecting the reporters to do the same thorough job he did. But his humanity was always evident. During the coverage on 9/11, he wanted the audience to see the devastation of the World Trade Center rather than in-studio shots of him. And he was never afraid to defer to experts or admit he did not know every issue involved.

Many of those interviewed said that Jennings never wanted to be the center of attention, which made his on-air revelation of his illness all the more conflicting. For him, it served as an abject lesson, another chance to educate his viewers.

The format of A REPORTER'S LIFE both works and doesn't work. Since it's not a straightforward biography, it appears choppy at times, a series of mini-monologues interspersed with Jennings's own words. It is also understandably biased; you won't find too many speaking ill of him. On the other hand, these are the people who knew Jennings best, and the book serves as their final chance to pay him tribute.

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan

I purchased this book for my son who greatly admired Peter Jennings as I did and before wrapping this birthday gift I had to read several chapters. I loved what I read so far and my son has promised to "lend" the book to me so I can read the entire book.

ps My son truly loved reading about this talented reporter!

There were reasons why, after watching all three major networks, I settled on Peter Jennings to learn about the day's events...he was the best in the business and this new book, "A Reporter's Life", allows those who knew him best to tell us what we didn't know so much about ....the personal and professional side of Peter's life. Many recollections amassed shortly after Peter's death from lung cancer in 2005 and his own thoughts and reflections about world events that he covered are nicely assembled here. He must have been quite a guy.

It was fascinating to know that Peter Jennings had a brief life as an anchor in the 1960s before going off to become a world-travelled correspondent. As Diane Sawyer assesses... [he had] "a Ph.D. in curiosity". What made him unique was his command and his coolness on the air....one felt he knew exactly what was going on and as a viewer, you felt better for it.

There is suprisingly little about the family side of his life, however. Married four times, he was nonetheless very close to his two children and I suspect the thrust of "A Reporter's Life" was to place the emphasis on "reporter". There are a couple of terrific offerings that really caught my attention.....his Millenium Eve special (which was brilliantly conceived and executed) and an intriguing chapter about the differences he felt about being a Canadian working in America. His becoming an American citizen in 2003 must certainly have been one of the highpoints of his life.

I highly recommend "A Reporter's Life" for being a tribute to a great individual and one whom millions came to know over the years. As told by his friends and colleagues (and Peter himself) it's a good way to remember him and the contributions he made to our better understanding of the world.

This may very well be the best spidey story ever told, and that is very strange considering how low on the pole Kraven ranks among Spideys villains. However, Kraven becomes an empathetic character in this story, and watching his dissent into madness from panel to panel is a work of art. The story has a few moments that spidey fans will remember forever, and that's pretty impressive considering the characters history. Every Spiderman fan needs to have this in their collection, Nuff said.

the only thing to dissapoint me about this book was the 'hype'-if i can call it that.nearly all 5 stars (reviews here) means a damn good book,and i felt like maybe it was a bit less than amazing.that said i will read it again and never let it go.awesome cover art but inside it is still a 20 year old story (give or take)

Great read here! If you like Spider-Man, comics, or just a good read, make sure to pick up this story. It's got action, drama, emotion...so many things on so many levels. The dialog flows, the art is beautiful, and the story has real meaning to it. Be cautioned: The story is dark. The web-spinner lacks his usual wit and humor. He doesn't have time for it...he's fighting for his life! Hardboiled, gritty, and just plain good. Highly recommended.

This story is an absolute masterpiece, the art is superb and the story, well its just fantastic. It gives the reader a very interresting villain, whom you might be temped to cheer for. This story is about honour, revenge and having a second chance (spidey after getting out of the grave changes).

Extremely recommended to EVERYONE

This was a very entertaining read. The story was very good and the art was even better. It does a great job of putting you into the mind of Kraven. You really get both sides of the story which really makes you have to pick either Spidey's or Kraven's side. Great read.

I never know what to say, especially when I stand up in front of a large group, all thoughts just fly away. This book is like toast cliffnotes - easy to use (and find one that works for the occasion). Handy to have, just in case.

Although I was, at first, surprised by the small size of the book then I opened the box from Amazon, I soon realized that toasts, like the book, ought small (brief) and concise. It's a great gift idea for a nervous best man or father of the bride.

There once was a book Varma wrote
To help people who can't devote
The patience or time
Creating a rhyme
Concocting a great Tasteful Toast.

I am not very good at making speeches but there are certain times where it is necessary. This has them all! Great book, a must have!

If you need a toast, you've come to the right place! Michael's come up with many - some tasteful, some fun, all good.

I really don't care of teletubbies. But boy did both of my kids. They loved this book because they ask questions like who's hiding behind the tree and the kids would flip it up or down and find who it was. They were anxious. A very enjoyable book to read and fun!

It's a great book for older kids. My daughter tore all the pop up parts out of the book so now we pretend that it's peek-a-boo.

This pop-up book asks you who's hiding behind different things, with the Teletubbies being behind the first four hiding places. Then comes Noo-noo & finally all the Teletubbies are hidden. While 1 or 2 year olds who like the show will probably get some giggles out of it, the book's art work is lacking. It's pretty stale fare, especially the sky. Couldn't they have put at least one bird, or maybe the sun with the baby's face in it up there? This seems to be a rush-job to capitalize on the popularity of the tv show. Looks like it worked - the copy we have is a 5th edition. There's many other pop-up books out there that are done much better, but if your little kiddies love the Tubbies, I'm sure they'll dig this.

I know most parents cringe at the thought of the Teletubbies,me too, but my one year old loves them. In "Teletubbies Play Hide and Seek" little ones are asked to find the Teletubbies under the flaps. After just a couple of readings she understood how to wait until mommy reads the words before she lifts the flap. She also learned the word boo. It's a little word, but it's a start. You might not enjoy the Teletubbies, but it's worth it to watch your child's face light up.

My 8-month old daughter LOVES this book! It makes her laugh out loud and she already has figured out how to lift the flaps on her own when we read it! It's a cute little book for babies and toddlers. I don't mind the Teletubbies so much anymore! :-)

I read Sam Fuller's, A Third Face: My Tale of Writing, Fighting, and Filmmaking, after seeing three of his more mainstream movies on dvd. Told in a tough-guy no-nonsense style (with a bit of mild profanity), the book is a blast.

Parts one and two (the first 229 pages of the paperback's 562 pages of narrative) rank among the best memoirs I have read of the first half of the twentieth century. In the first part he tells of his youth in New York City's vigorous newspaper business in the 1920s--from selling papers to copy boy to crime reporter--followed by his years in the 1930s hoboing around the country doing free lance journalism, ultimately ending up in Hollywood writing for the Hollywood machine. Part two is his account of his years as an enlisted man in the First Infantry Division, the Big Red One. It is interesting to find out how many happenings in his film of that name actually occurred. If you have a friend who only reads about WWII, you can recommend this to him/her just for part two; s/he will thank you.

The remaining parts recount his experiences in Hollywood making movies, then the years when things fall apart, and finally his years as a famous man in France sought after by many young filmmakers. It is amazing to read how the Pentagon once called him to Washington (and he went!) to grill him about one of his movies and how J. Edgar Hoover objected to certain aspects of his films as un-American.

The book's many illustrations are well chosen and fit the text where they appear.

Fuller had an amazing life and an ever active imagination. In his last days he produced a book well worth reading even if you have never seen any of his films. Highly recommended.

Sam Fuller has a strong, cult like following. He made a couple great films, but to be honest, the rest were very choppy, B grade thrillers that get a bit overrated by that cult.

A THIRD FACE is his greatest work.

This is an absolutely wonderful autobiography. Following his early days as a newspaper writer, his time in WWII, and his years as a writer and director. This is honestly more fun to read than any of his films are to watch.

The most amazing thing about the book is that it is written in his voice. If you ever saw him interviewed, or act in a film, he had a very distinctive voice. The book sounds just like he spoke. With short phrases, lots of exclamation points, just like he sounded!! It is the closest you are going to get to him reading it to you.

Even if you aren't familiar with his films, this is a great read.

"A Third Face" is one of the great crusty, caustic autobiographies of recent years. Fuller died a few ago, an old cigar smoker of pithy phrase, maverick tendencies and artistic courage. As a crime reporter in New York in the 20s, as a hobo in the 30s, as a GI in World War II, as a novelist, screenwriter and director of noir and war movies ("Pickup on South Street," "House of Bamboo," "The Big Red One"), Fuller was a force of nature, a no-BS realist who knew how to tell a story. The photo on the back cover speaks volumes: raised pistol in one hand; a camera lens in the other. Yet he was, at core, a powerful pacifist. He was a survivor.

Fuller's style is profane, anecdotal, street wise and hugely engaging. It's no wonder, since he was the young protege and buddy of hard-boiled writers like Gene Fowler and Damon Runyon.

Fuller's account of his "dogface" years as a G.I. in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany is one of the best descriptions of WWII Army life I've read.

Later, Hollywood studios offered him big money to make their blockbusters ("The Longest Day," "Patton"), but he turned them down so he could make little movies his own way. ("I make A movies on B budgets," he liked to say.)

Out of curiosity,I recently rented a couple of his movies. "Pickup on South Street," with Richard Widmark and Jean Peters, just crackled. "Shock Corridor," with Peter Breck, was ambitious but flawed.

Though I can't wait to see some of his other films, my hunch is "A Third Face" will stand as Fuller's single greatest artistic achievement.

In later years, Fuller became mentor to many young directors: Jonathan Demme; Tim Robbins; Jim Jarmusch, Martin Scorsese. It's clear from Scorsese's introduction that they idolized him.

As a writer, Sam Fuller teaches this lesson: Write fast; never give up; to hell with the naysayers. His final two or three paragraphs offers a capstone philosophy that all should embrace.

I loved this book. It saddens me to finish it.

A Third Face: My Tale Of Writing, Fighting, And Filmmaking by Samuel Fuller (with the posthumous and collaborative assistance of his wife Christa Lang Fuller and longtime friend Jerome Henry Rudes) features a Foreword by Martin Scorsese and and presents the reader with an autobiographical account of one of Hollywood's most prolific and independent writer/director/producers. The late Samuel Fuller (1911-1997) made 29 tough, gritty films from 1949 to 1989. His film "Park Row" was inspired by his years in the New York newspaper business. His years of service in the army during World War II provided material for his films "The Big Red One", "The Steel Helmet", and "Merrill's Marauders. From "Pickup on South Street" and "Underworld U.S.A.", to "Shock Corridor" and White Dog", A Third Face provides the story behind the films and the man who created them. A Third Face is highly recommended and inherently fascinating reading for film buffs and students of 20th Century American Cinema.

"Film is like a battleground. Love. Hate. Action. Violence. In one word, emotion." That line of dialogue, ad-libbed by Samuel Fuller in Jean-Luc Godard's `Pierrot le fou,' seems to more or less sum up his philosophy of film making. Those of us who aren't fans of the film director may mourn the absence of words like `coherence' and `plausibility,' but there's no denying that most of Fuller's film literally burst with energy.

As does his autobiography `A Third Face,' written with wife Christa at the end of a long and event filled life, even those who find Fuller's film a little too energetic will find this book interesting. Starting out in New York City, where he found working as a copy boy and reporter on Park Row more interesting than the high school he'd abandon without graduation, to his service in the 1st U.S. Infantry Division (the Big Red One) in World War Two, through to his post-war career as a screen writer and film director, Fuller is never boring.

With the possible exception of `The Big Red One' (1980), a film that he'd nursed for years, Fuller's career peaked in the mid-60s with independent productions like `Shock Corridor' and `The Naked Kiss.' Although Fuller claims he was offered both `The Longest Day' ("My own vision of war and the world made me say no") and `Patton' ("After my war experiences, I didn't have the necessary detachment to do a picture celebrating the man"), it's as intriguing to contemplate how he might have directed these films as it is to wonder how serious were the offers. After all, as he admits, he `was prone to excess' and loved to grab the audience and shake them. Not necessarily what you look for in a big picture director. The third face, to Fuller, is the inner person that nobody else sees. "My third face was my own holy sanctuary... It was a storage room that nobody but me could enter... It wasn't just a concept for me but a very real locale, captivating and whimsical, cozy and seductive, the geisha girl of my brain." A Third Face is captivating and whimsical, cozy and seductive, too. A strong recommendation for this one.

Anybody who's interested in how we write the world over would do well to pick up this book. It's awfully costly, it's true, but if you're patient and you poke around a little, you can find it used for a third or less of what it's listed for.
Serious linguists specializing in writing might read it through, but amateurs--like me--will just pick it up and leaf through it, stopping here and there, reading this chapter or that, or will use it to look up some specific thing they might want to know about, say, Bishop Wulfila's Gothic script's roots in the Greek alphabet or the origins of the Georgian or Armenian alphabets.
It tells about scripts found all over the world, big ones--Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and so on--and far less well known ones, like Berber, Cherokee, Ethiopian, Deseret and some found in Indonesia and islands in the Indian Ocean.
It tells the historic backgrounds and--for lack of a better word--genealogies of the scripts, then shows how they work.
One thing that irks me no end is a shortcoming not with the book itself, but rather with the publishing business as a whole: the font used in the book is inadequate. It is appalling that in a book about writing systems, there are characters that have to be set in other fonts from the main book forn--sometimes even within one word--and characters that show up as composite characters with diacritics off center from the letter they modify. It is a fairly simple thing to edit a font and add characters as needed. It is a shame that major publishing companies seem unwilling to make the small investment in typography that would let them set a book like this in one font, with all the characters needed, so that it reads smoothly, without distracting inconsistencies throughout.
Now, this is indeed a niggling compalint, and it in no way reflects on the beek itself, the writers or the editors. It is the fault of the publisher, and should in no way dissuade anyone interested in this admittedly esoteric subject from getting this book.

It seems that this book is not intended for a general reader, judging both by its price and by multitude of unexplained linguistic terms plentifully sown in the book. I bought this book becuse of many positive reviews and because it was drastically reduced to USD45. The book scans many dozens of wrining systems, as good as it's possible to squeese into ten-some page article, but unfortunately, many of the systems, especialy the ancient and the modern Oriental are too complicated and extended to be fully accounted in a limited space, so you can get acquanited with some 30 Sumer pictograms and never know the other 550, or you can see the 200 Chinese chanacters and just recall there several thousands more or look into Devanagari alphabet but then keep in mind there is a multitude of amalgams that are not easily recognized and so on.
It is also very helpful if one knows like what exactly sounds a linguolabial or a laminal or a voiced epiglottal fricative, otherwise he may be at lost..

The "World's Writing Systems" is a rare event for in one tome it covers all the ways of writing known to us at present. As a professional graphologist this is an absolute boon not only for what it is but because it is also on special offer. While there are other tomes of similar ilk and implication this work has no equal. Until now the study of written language has had no clearly defined reference work.

It has now. Thoroughly recommended.

Peter West

This a detailed survey of the systems that have been used for writing the world's languages, going far beyond the most familiar ones to encompass ones normally known only to specialists, ranging from the ancient Turkish runiform script to the Vai syllabary of Liberia, invented in modern times. Although it was written by experts for experts to read (and priced accordingly, but see the last paragraph below) most of it is well within the understanding of interested non-specialists. The authors assume a knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet, but it would have been almost impossible to avoid that, even if the book had been intended for the general reader. Even there it is perhaps an exaggeration to say that this is assumed, because the IPA is set out (albeit without much explanation) inside the front and back covers.

In a book of this kind the quality of the printing is a major consideration, as the samples of text need to be large enough and black enough for the individual characters to be read, and ideally should harmonize with the surrounding text in English. Before the age of computer-based typesetting it would have been impossible even to approach this ideal except at enormous price, but now it has become realistic. In general this book comes very close to the ideal, with a very high level of typography.

At more than 900 pages the book goes far beyond a mere listing of scripts with samples. It also includes a great deal of historical and cultural information, explaining how the different scripts evolved to their present state. In addition there is information about how the more successful scripts, not just Latin but also Arabic, Russian, Hebrew, Aramaic and so on, were adapted to languages different from those where they began.

At its published price the book is probably beyond the pockets of most general readers. It is worth mentioning, therefore, that on at least two occasions in recent years it has been available through Amazon with a very large discount, and one can probably expect this to happen again. I bought my copy at 40% of the published price, for example, and with that sort of discount it need not be restricted to libraries and specialists.

...it's missing many language script tables that I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, this book is amazing and filled useful information and language tables - just not all of them. I was hoping for some representation (optimally in an alphabet table format) of the usage of the Arabic-based script for Hausa, Swahili, the Central Asian languages, and some complete detail of which languages have (ever) incorporated an Arabic-based script, when they did, when it was withdrawn or changed (if applicable), comparative texts with the modern scripts, etc. In conclusion, a treasury of information (a lot of which might be quite difficult to track down on your own and would be very time-consuming), marred only by my high expectations. I definitely recommend this book to language lovers and for those who can appreciate the diversity of human expression.

Excellent addition to Harryhausen's "An Animated Life".
Drawings,sketches,pictures...Recommended!!

If you're a fan of Ray and his films, or even just a fan of great movies in general, this is a must-have book. There are plenty of other reviewers here who give details about the book, so I'll skip that and just say that it really does live up to the hype you're seeing here. Ray is a master (and a really nice guy too), and he speaks candidly and in detail about his life and films so it's an enjoyable and informative read. Plus the pictures are phenomenal. I don't know that I'd say this is better than the first book, because they're really both great.

I grew up with Harryhausen movies. This book captures my imagination like his animation did when I was a kid. I love it. It is almost as much fun to read as it is to look at the awesome pictures of Harryhausen's drawings and sculptures! If I had to reduce my animation library down to 5 books, this would be one of them.

I don't feel qualified reviewing my purchase as it was a gift for a dear friend who has been a Harryhausen fan since he was twelve. By his reaction upon receiving the book I felt I must have given him the greatist gift in the world. It was before I wrapped the book that I had a chance to skim through it and I found it to be very impressive in its wealth of photos, illustrations and information. I was very glad to see it was printed on quality paper and the illustrations were large and clear. I have seen other books of this type and get very annoyed when they print a picture of a film no larger then 2"x 2 1/2". I would say this book is a great tribute to Mr. Harryhausen's career.

Much better than the first book. The first while good was to technical. We all love Ray Harryhausen for his visual work and this book shows it off beautifully. I highly reccommend it.
Phil

I never really had a Grandfather. One died the day I was born, and the other one died when I was about 7. I don't remember them, and I don't remember talking to my one Grandfather.

Listening to Barry Switzer has always felt like listening to what I imagine listening to a Grandfather is like. Does that make sense?

He has a very calm, matter of fact way of telling a story. Seeing him talk on TV or live in person is a delight. He seems to have such control of himself, and he has always appeared composed and respectful. One thing I have always liked about the King is his way of telling it like it is, he won't pull punches if there is something controversial to talk about. He attacks conspiracy and controversy with a straight face, and a cool head.

Bootlegger's Boy is a great autobiography in that it tells a very complete story. Barry does a good job of describing the important events in his life that shaped the man he became, and the man he continues to be. He knows that he is no saint, and I appreciate how he is a man about things. Barry's philosophy is one of taking responsibility for your words and actions, and also holding others to that standard as well.

Sooners will never get tired of the King, for he was a great coach, and he continues to be a great man. A very inspiring book in my opinion. If you want a book that will get the hairs all over your body to stand on end and light a fire under your tail, look no further.

As a rabid Oklahoma fan, I had this book for some time before I actually read it. Whether the reader loves Barry or hates him, after reading this book, admiration and respect will develop for this popular coach.

I chuckled as I read some of the stories, and cried when I read others. Barry holds nothing back and his personality comes through. This man is Hall of Fame anyday, in my book.

As a rabid Nebraska football fan, I was given this book as a gag gift. It sat, unread, for months until I opened it up this Summer. In the course of reading the book, I have gone from loathing Barry Switzer, to respecting and even liking him. Most important was the way he described the crazy recruiting regulations of the NCAA. There were some real eyebrow-raisers in his accounts.

This book is something to be revered by Sooner fans. Barry's recounts of the great games and great people around OU's glorious runs in the 70s and 80s bears reading. I just re-read the book after keeping it down for a few years, and it just gets better with time. If any of you out there need ammo for those Barry bashers, you need this book. Barry Switzer is a great man, and every Sooner fan should remember that.

Barry covers his childhood, personal struggles, and his years at Arkansas. He then talks about those great 70s teams that we know get to see on ESPN Classic.

Probably the most interesting part is his line item by line item response to every NCAA violation that OU was found guilty of. Barry pulls no punches and is not afraid to admit guilt where he saw it. His candidness is something special.

You might find this book hard to find, but try your hardest and hit the auction sites, etc, you should be able to turn it up, and you won't be sorry.

Love him or hate him, Barry Switzer is a college football icon. Published a year after his banishment from the University of Oklahoma (following a series of turbulent off-the-field incidents), Switzer tells all in his rousing autobigraphy, BOOTLEGGER'S BOY.

The title is not an exaggeration; Switzer's father was a womanizing, hard-drinking Arkansas bootlegger, while his quiet mother battled mental problems and an addiction of her own. Able to overcome such dysfunction (and some of his family tales are fascinating), Switzer was able to utilize his athletic ability to play football at the University of Arkansas under legendary coach Frank Broyles. When his college career was over, Switzer realized his calling was coaching; Broyles gave him the opportunity by letting the young lineman join his coaching staff. In the mid-60s firebrand coach Jim MacKenzie was hired to restore the football "monster" at OU, a monster that the great Wilkinson had created. MacKenzie offered Switzer a position on his coaching staff; Switzer became a Sooner, and the seeds of destiny were sewn.

Chuck Fairbanks, succeeding MacKenzie (who died tragically after just a year on the job), promoted Switzer to offensive coordinator. Switzer writes he was looking for an offense to revolutionize college football; an unorthodox, high-risk option offense, known as the "wishbone," captured his attention. Switzer installed the offense and the Sooners took off, figuratively and literally, as NCAA rushing records were shattered. When Fairbanks bolted in 1973 to go to the NFL, Switzer was handed the keys to the OU program, and the rest, as they say in the Sooner Nation, is history.

For sixteen seasons, Switzer commanded a college football powerhouse; during his tenure the Sooners captured twelve Big Eight championships and three national championships. Switzer attributes his success to his Arkansas upbringing; growing up, most of his friends and neighbors were African-Americans. As a result, Switzer was more than comfortable approaching black athletes--at a time when other major programs were tentatively recruiting minorities--while reassuring parents that he would take good care of their sons. His recruiting redefined collegiate athletics, opening the doors for black athletes nationwide to participate in Division One football.

Switzer's affection for his players is genuine. Page after page, account after account, the King (as he's known by Sooner diehards) fondly recalls his relationships with a plethora of All-Americans: the Selmon brothers; Joe Washington; Billy Sims; Tony Casillas; J.C. Watts; Keith Jackson; Brian Bosworth. Switzer was no stern disciplinarian, he readily admits it, and this "lack" of discipline created a perception of an outlaw program--a perception that came home to roost in 1989, when he was forced to resign by the OU administration during a series of troubling incidents that ultimately put the Sooners under NCAA probation.

Switzer defiantly addresses the NCAA allegations, refuting some and pleading "guilty" to others. To enhance his arguments, he points to antiquated NCAA regulations (and keep in mind, this book was written years ago), regulations that, Switzer maintains, permeate a double standard. As an example, Switzer argues, why is it permissible for a chemistry professor to dig into his pocket and buy an airplane ticket for a homesick student during Christmas break, but not an athletic coach? Switzer's defense, along with his account of the events leading up to his ouster, make for fascinating page turning.

Praise him or revile him, Barry Switzer's mark on college football is eternal, and BOOTLEGGER'S BOY is the King at his good ol' boy best. I only wish he would come back with a second edition describing his four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Three national championship rings and a Super Bowl ring. Not bad for a bootlegger's boy.
--D. Mikels

tremendous text for classic bugs bunny enthusiasts. brings a new found appreciation for the masterminds behind the character development and the environment they "grew up" in.

Simply put, this is the best book ever written about Looney Tunes, and what it took to make them. Chuck shares entertaining behind the scenes info about the Termite Terrace and the people who worked there. Chuck say's that it was quite normal to see the animators look like they were going to wack each other with a mallet. Chuck also tells stories about those notorious poducers, Leon Schlesinger (whos lisp was used in Daffy voice) and Eddie Selzer. When Eddie said "I don't want any gags about bullfights, bullfights aren't funny!", Jones and Mike Maltise had something. Result: Bully For Bugs. When he said the same thing about camels to director Fritz Freleng, the result: Sahara Hare. Though Eddie is quoted as saying about Pepe Le Pew, "Nobody'd laugh at that s**t!", he happily accepted the Oscar for "For Scent-imental Reasons", a Pepe Le Pew cartoon. That (and many more) hilarous titbits are spread throughout this superb book, including high-quality backgrounds and scenes for "Duck Dodgers in the 24th and 1/2 Century" and many others. Also included are many drawings and many photos of the directors, animators and producers. The most illistruated and well thought out book about cartoons ever made.

The world lost an animation genius recently with the death of Chuck Jones. Luckily, there is a book like this that celebrates the animation genius he was. Arguably, Jones was the father of some of the best Warner Brothers cartoons ever made, including "Duck Amuck," "Duck Dogers in the 24th and 1/2 Century," and my personal favorite "What's Opera Doc?" He also is responsible for giving us such great pieces of pop culture as the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Part autobiography, part instruction, part tribute, this book shows us the man behind the screen, or should I say behind the pencil? We often wonder where a genius comes from - Chuck seems to say from anywhere. His mark on the development of the cartoon is undeniable, and monumental. But just as you cannot appreciate art fully until you know about the painter, so it is with Chuck's cartoons. I have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into developing these 8 minute masterpieces. Yes, it's true that Jones gave us some of the clunkers in the 60's as the Warner Brothers studio (and the MGM studio) animation division gasped what seemed to be its last breath. But it's all the more amazing that Chuck could produce such works given what little he had to work with. The world would be poorer were it not for the gives Chuck has given us, including Wile E. Coyote (super genius!),and the Road Runner, Pepe Le Pew, Marvin the Martian and many others. His style was distinctive, his contributions monumental and behind it all, he was a fascinating and talented man. This book stands as a tribute to this genius now that he's no longer with us.

Rather than an autobiography, this book is more a collection of musing from one of America's greatest storytellers (he just happened to tell his stories with pictures shown in rapid succession!) From his love of Mark Twain to his contempt at studio management, we see not how his life unfolded, but rather how Mr. Jones created his vision. Though there is no drawing instruction, I have to agree with the plethora of lists that this should be on the shelves of every animator, professional or aspiring, as it illuminates what goes into a great cartoon before penicl ever touches paper.

Chuck Jones is one of the best known people in the animation business. He's been in the animation business for over 65 of his 88 years(as I write this review, he'll be 88 on the 12th of this month!).

This book lists all of the cartoons he's been involved with (Warner Bros, MGM, Dr. Suess specials, and many others). Also, he talks about growing up, how real life inspired his cartoons, what it was like working in Warner Bros studio, pays tribute to partners Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, Mike Malthese, and Abe Levitow, and talks about other projects he's done (like his How to Draw From the Fun Side of Your Brain). And as the other reviewers have pointed out, there's an animated cartoon of the Roadrunner and the Coyote on the pages of this book.

Since this book was originally published, he's produced one video in the 1990's (Chariots of Fur) and the historical and whimsical book Daffy for President (available through the US Postal Service).