Entertainment Books

If you like giant monster movies, and want to know more about how they were made, this book is for you. Not many photos of the monsters (there are other books out there for that) but there are behind the scenes photos. Learn the biographies of the men who made films you still love after all these years. Not much has been published in the West about them, but here it is! Well written and laid out. 2 page essays about certain film makers by noted Western Kaiju lovers. Worth the price, and thankful that it was printed.

This is a wonderful coffee-table size book that contains beautiful photos and interesting commentary. If you are a fan of Godzilla and/or Eiji Tsuburaya this is the book to get!

This book is a meticulous, thoughtful, well-written, and beautifully laid-out tribute to a true master of special effects. It is a fascinating look, not only into Tsuburaya's life and career, but also the way the film industry works in Japan. An interesting read for non-fans; a must-have for fans of the genre.

Tsuburaya Eiji was the Japanese special effects director who was behind so many monster movies that came out from Japan during the 1950s and 1960s. This is a pictorial biography of Tsuburaya Eiji that proves to be very well written and informative. I found the book to be rather insightful as the author included inserts written by men who worked with or worked under Tsuburaya Eiji during his career. The book also comes well illustrated with photographs and movie posters on almost every page as it traces the life and time of Tsuburaya Eiji's career. It was interesting to note that during World War II, he made a movie made from miniatures that showed the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was so realistic that during the initial post war period, Americans thought it was the real thing. Tsuburaya Eiji was also the man who made Godzilla what he was and creator of the Ultraman series that is still going on to this day.

Overall, this book is definitely worth your time and money to read over and treasure. Tsuburaya Eiji is one of the great pioneers of motion picture industry regarding special effects and his influence help shape this industry to this day. His influence in the science fiction genre will remains pretty strong as monster movies like Cloverfield still hit our theaters and on DVD to this day. The book strongly reflects the heydays of Japanese monster movie era history and it will remind many of us, the fun and wonder these movies brought us during our younger days. And it will inform otherwise misinformed that there is more to these movies then just a "guy in the monster suit" concept.

(And yes, I am writing the subject's name in Japanese style...sur name first always...Tsuburaya Eiji is the way you would address him if he was still alive today...as you would with any Japanese national.)

Phenomenal book. Great quality, design, and content. If you have any remote appreciation for this kind of film making and monster design, this book is an absolute love letter... A must have!

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF MISS MONROE AT HER VERY EARLY CAREER. A TIME WHERE IT WAS PRIOR TO HER "HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE" AND "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES" SUCCESS, WHICH LAUNCHED HER TO ETERNAL STARDOM. THIS IS A "MUST" FOR ALL MARILYN MONROE AFFICIONADOS. IT IS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT I ENJOY READING AND REVIEWING MANY TIMES OVER.

'Niagra' is known for the movie that made Marilyn Monroe a star, and this book shows every moment of her life during the filming. As a true Monroe fan, I'm more interested in the casual candid photos of her more so than the made-up studio photography. My favorite photos of her in the book are the pictures taken of her while she was learning how to smoke a cigarette for the film. She had never smoked before and had to look like a natural within a few hours. These are photos you wouldn't see on a billboard or in a magazine. They show her true nature. They show her being a real person, vulnerable and timid.

Wonderful, oversized hardcover book with lots of black and white images of Marilyn while at Niagara Falls, shooting her first mayor movie "Niagara" in '52. I enjoy all the photographs, my favorites are where Marilyn practices smoking. There are also pictures of her with Joe Dimaggio before they were married, pictures of Marilyn without her make-up on and her face covered with vaseline as she liked to do. Reading her script while relaxing in bed. These are priceless photographs, showing Marilyn at the very brink of superstardom.

At 26, Marilyn Monroe was on the brink of stardom as she filmed her first leading role in Niagara. Canadian photojournalist Jock Carroll spent weeks with her at Niagara Falls during the on location shooting, and took almost 400 photographs. He also interviewed her throughout these weeks, and captured a lot of her activities on and off the set. He was preparing for an article called "Marilyn's Not So Menacing" that appeared in an August 1952 issue of Weekend Magazine, Canada's largest periodical at the time. You will see more candid photographs in this book than in any other source. Mr. Carroll died in 1995, and these photographs were located then. The photographs are well reproduced in this book, and bring her to life in both her glamorous and nonglamorous roles.

I was attracted to this book when I realized that it contained extensive interviews of Marilyn Monroe when she was 26, just before she reportedly drafted My Story. That autobiographical book has come in for many challenges concerning its authenticity and the strong stories contained in it. Reading the interviews in Falling for Marilyn provides a useful contrast in terms of what she says about herself and how she says it.

I was surprised to see that the stories she tells are almost identical in both books. That similarity argues for either for her being the author of My Story, or Mr. Carroll being the author. Interestingly, she tells a story here of having been recognized in school for her fiction as a child, and wanting to become an author. The most significant difference between the books was that here she claims to have needed the $50 she got for shooting the famous nude photographs to pay rent while in My Story, the money is used to retrieve her repossessed car. A minor discrepency comes in her asking Mr. Carroll a lot about Korea because she was thinking about doing a USO tour there. In My Story, she claims that this came up for the first time after she and Joe DiMaggio were in Japan on their honeymoon. There could be truth in both versions of these two stories.

There is a Zsa Zsa Gabor story here that is almost word-for-word the same as in My Story. This is true, as well, for one about being molested as a little girl by a boarder who paid her a nickel to keep quiet.

To me, the most telling comparison was in what Mr. Carroll observed about her. Even though she was making a fine salary at this point, she was always short of clothes while he was with her. This is something that she talks about a lot as being a function of her poverty in My Story. She also was always studying scripts or reading intellectual books, which is consistent with My Story also. She also made self-destructive comments about sleeping pills to Mr. Carroll as she does in My Story.

What was a pleasant surprise for me was Mr. Carroll's descriptions of his reactions to her. Those are missing from most books about Ms. Monroe. He had just come back from his own honeymoon a month before. He found himself strongly attracted to her, despite this. "The effect on me was cataclysmic." " . . . [W]hen she looked directly at you, it made you feel as though . . . you were sharing some naughty secret."

The photographs themselves are certainly sexy, but not revealing in the sense that we think of revealing today. They were daring, however, for 1952 in showing a little cleavage, a loose blouse, and sometimes erect nipples through her clothes.

She consciously worked on achieving this effect for these photographs. During a tour of a silverware factory, "Marilyn brightened [these] . . . photos by loosening the straps of her blouse, leaning over . . . to give . . . a good view of her breasts . . . ."

On the other hand, she was very protective of her relationship with Joe DiMaggio who did not want any publicity. She refused an interview where the interviewer was trying to worm in questions about the Yankee slugger.

My favorite photographs in the book include:

Reading script in bed (two page spread), located in the book's very beginning

Posing in front of the falls, p. 19

Visiting the silverware factory, p. 33

Combing her hair, p. 48

Arranging her hair, pp. 52-53

Laughing, pp. 84-85

Looking at Jean Peters' suit, p. 87

Smiling, p. 102

Seeing the vibrancy of this woman makes the sadness of her life all the more poignant. Be sure to read My Story to pick up on that contrast. Regardless of who wrote it, that is how Ms. Monroe saw herself and her life.

Consider how you can lift someone's spirits every day. Look for the hurting heart behind the naughty or haughty eyes . . . or any other strongly affecting mannerisms you notice. They are just part of the cover up.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF MISS MONROE AT HER VERY EARLY CAREER. A TIME WHERE IT WAS PRIOR TO HER "HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE" AND "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES" SUCCESS, WHICH LAUNCHED HER TO ETERNAL STARDOM. THIS IS A "MUST" FOR ALL MARILYN MONROE AFFICIONADOS. IT IS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT I ENJOY READING AND REVIEWING MANY TIMES OVER.

A very intimate portrait of Francis Albert, giving us a different perspective of his begginings through photos as provided by his family, creates a more human appreciation of the greatest pop singer of our generation. A must for Sinatra fans and collectors.

Being an avid Frank Sinatra fan, this book had some great pictures I have never seen. I recommend to any Sinatra fan.

My dad is a big fan and already has lots of books so I was afraid this might not appreciated. But he loved it. He thought that it was a copy of photos in a real family album.

Excellent book by Charles Pignone, noted Sinatraphile. Charles does a fabulous job in putting together this great family albulm of great photos and remarks, this is a must have book for all Sinatra fans and collectors.
Frank Sinatra is and will always be the greatest singer in the world and this book shows you a little bit of how he got there over the years in pictures. Awesome.

He's one of the true icons of the entertainment industry as well as one of the most renowned stars ever. Ol' Blue Eyes...Frank Sinatra. His name is still synonymous with stardom. Sinatra is one of those stars who will never fade away. It's not just that he left an enormous body of work in music, film, and television when he passed away, lots of stars did that. But Sinatra has something only a handful of celebrities had, true charisma and a certain aura to him. It's what separates Sinatra and others like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis, from the pack.

With Christmas fast approaching, Little Brown & Co., has released a book that is sure to be a hit this holiday season. Frank Sinatra: The Family Album is a glimpse into the personal life of this legendary performer. As the title implies, this book is photo album of Sinatra's life. His family has graciously supplied most of the photos in the book, a gift to his legions of fans. The book contains over 100 color and black & white photos, tracing his life and career every step of the way. Writer Charles Pignone provides the informative captions as well lively anecdotes that include comments from Sinatra himself as well as various friends and family members, all sharing their memories of Frank.

What must assuredly be the most rare Sinatra picture shows as an infant, lying naked on a blanket, and even at that age, the eyes were already striking. We see Frank as a kid on the streets of Hoboken, New Jersey, riding his bike and also visiting the beach with friends along the Jersey shore. My only regret is that we didn't get to see Frank more as a child and the album quickly moves into young adulthood with his marriage to Nancy in 1939. The happy couple are shown walking down the steps of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City. It's evident that Frank and Nancy were deeply in love as evidenced by the joyful photos. Nancy notes that in those early days they were together 24 hours a day as Frank traveled from show to show for his blossoming career. There's also lots of pictures of Frank and his children having many fun times together.

Much of the book is focused on Frank's careers from his days as a big band crooner and later with his film and television career. Frank is shown at lavish parties with a who's who of Hollywood including Jackie Gleason, Milton Berle, Jack Benny, Tony Curtis, Dean Martin, and many more. Frank's life truly lived up to the type of a legendary star! Oddly though, there were no pictures of the Rat Pack together as one might have thought.

The book comes full circle as an older Sinatra becomes a Grandpa. Frank's status as a true family man is cemented as he plays with his granddaughters Angela and Amanda, building snowmen, sledding, and hanging out in the swimming pool. Amanda reveals that Frank was a big fan of the "Jeopardy" TV show. A star to the very end, this book presents a unique and personal look into the life of one of the 20th century's greatest stars. A fantastic tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes!

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

the guide helped me alot with the game and also has greatly detailed maps

the guide helped me alot with the game and also has greatly detailed maps

the guide helped me alot with the game and also has greatly detailed maps

the guide helped me alot with the game and also has greatly detailed maps

the guide helped me alot with the game and also has greatly detailed maps

A very important book about one of the founding fathers. That may be a cliched phrase for a man who was repelled by the stale cliches abounding in pop music at the time of his career kick-off in 1954.
But once again we have a biography written by two people - why would a poet like Carl need anybody more than an "editor"? Same goeswith Sun label buddy Scotty Moore - his book too had that unecessary naarrator - an excellent piece of prose, like with Carl, but the thought of it gets me depressed. Do you think Dylan or Costello would need a helper?
'50s friend Chuck Berry did his all by himself. The defiant Rocker wrought the defiant Writer. (And baby, that is Rock and Roll....).
Love reading about that Sun to Columbia to British career "rescue" period.
As a CP fan/collector I was natuarlly disappointed in the lack of deatils as to the lesser-known should-been-million-sellers and the conspicuous absence of a much-needed sessionography. A Perkins *Discography* is always helpful. But when in the world am I gonna learn when and where he
cut "We Did In '54?"

I really enjoyed this book. Unlike others that I have read (Little Richard, Chuck Berry, etc), this book is not an attempt to stake a claim to the title of "King of Rock and Roll". This book offers what appears to be an honest and humble look into the life of the King of Rockabilly. Perkins gives due credit to his influences and songwriting assistants, and honestly discusses his alcoholism.

I personally believe that Carl was one of the truest talents in early rock and roll, and his importance as an innovator/songwriter/performer is vastly undervalued. Get this book, and the "Complete Sun Recordings", and you can't go wrong.

An excellent and, what I feel honest (by both the narrator and writer) review and impression of one man's journey through life. Though Carl Perkins story is almost parallel to that of Johnny Cash's (if not "harder") this book goes beyond telling stories and conveys the emotions and impact of Mr. Perkins decisions and experiences.
"They" really should make this life story a movie!

I'll admit it -- I'm biased toward Carl Perkins. I lived several years in his hometown of Jackson, TN and met him many times. Having those experiences, I was curious how this book would portray Mr. Perkins. After reading this book, I have more respect for Mr. Perkins. True, he wasn't perfect (who is?), but he had reason to be bitter about his career and his life, instead he never gave up. He pulled himself up after each setback and kept on striving. When you think about it, what would be the alternative? He was not only a great musician, but an active humanitarian. His work with children and their causes is nearly as impressive as his musical career, yet most people don't know of this. I went to Carl Perkins' funeral, and in the little city of Jackson, TN you would have thought time stood still. This book will give you the feeling of getting to know a true American success story . . .

What a story!! This should be a must read for all of us who get to feeling sorry for ourslves. Carl Perkins came from abject poverty,a racially discriminating South,was known as "white trash",wrote one of rock n rolls seminal tunes,was on the brink of superstardom,lost it all,became a sideman to another Sun records stablemate,delved into the pit of addiction,rose again,had alot of his early work recorded by a group known as the Beatles,played with the likes of Eric Clapton,loved performing with his own family,lived his life humbly,nursed somewhat of a grudge against Sam Phillips,Jerry Lee Lewis,and Elvis,made peace with himself,and left behind the legacy of a man who had seen the beast within and had conquered it.
This is a must read for anyone who has any interest in music,or for that matter,the sociology of the South during the late 1940's and 1950's. It is also ,quite simply,one of the most inspiring books that I've ever read,Thank You, Carl Perkins!

Thank you Jack Eadon for letting me share in your very personal journey of the sixties. Your honesty is captivating. You gave back to me memories of that era, the old neighborhood and people, which had long been forgotten. You made me smile. It took me days before I could pick up another book as I wanted more of "Got to Make It". Jack Eadon, you have truly made it.

Damn you Jack Eadon!! 'Got To Make It' kept me up until 2am for days until I finished it. I kept reading it in bed while trying not to wake up my wife with my booklight glowing through the darkness. Being in my early 30's I've only experienced the 60's as it probably wasn't: the TV-friendly Time-Life "Summer Of Love" packaged CD version, full of cliche'd images, shallow descriptions and dismissive attitudes towards the struggles of the era which are now illustrated through the words of someone who lived the political, social and music scene of the "60's" in 'Got To Make It'. This is a book that lays it all out there. The whole John Lennon sequence was literally a headtrip and a thrilling learning experience for me. You can just picture the scene all in white, just like in Lennon's music video for 'Imagine'! Now I always hear the "Hi" when I pop in "Sgt. Pepper's Reprise" in my CD player. I never did before. Wow, maybe he's saying Hi to all of us. This is a great story, full of tragedy, obstacles, small victories, innocent coming-of-age experiences that many of us never talk about, large defeats in life and love...and finally a huge victory that spans the globe and just makes you feel good. Sometimes with a little help from your friends....and sometimes not...you've got to make it.

I'll never forget Stanleys' mantra "It's all in the trying". There couldn't be an idea more important for every aspect of your life. And I'll never forget the philosophy that you and John Lennon shared: "to get 'it' out there...live your dream by doing it, getting thru the small failures, live thru the pain of being a true artist and don't be a fake...."

With 'Got To Make It' Jack Eadon reaches a new level as a writer. You've got to read it. Thanks, Jack!

Reading Jack's evocative book about striving to achieve his dream of making it as rock performer triggered a flood of memories for me about similar dreams, some pursued, some not. Jack's story is a must-read for anyone who shared his dream or had their own at that youthful stage when anything was possible. It's a wonderful narrative that brings back so many elements of growing up in the late 60s when everything seemed possible.

Emotional, entertaining and exceptionally evocative. Enjoy!

It still bugs me that I missed Woodstock.

I was only nine years old that summer, so I didn't fully realize what it was all about. Not until years later, after growing up with the music that had been introduced to me by my older brother, did I realize what an influential (and mind-bending)event that must have been. Looking back, I have always felt that I missed out on one of the defining moments of the '60s.

Fortunately, this book was written. After reading Got To Make It, there are now many more things I can understand, relate to, and appreciate more fully. With its personal, insightful perspective, the book speaks on behalf of those who lived through the turmoil of that decade -- and how it changed them and shaped them. The personal impact of events like the draft, the anti-war protests, and the hunger marches, and pivotal crises like the Kennedy and King assassinations and Kent State, are all brought home with a clear voice that sparks a direct connection, at a heart-to-heart level, between all those old rockers and their wide-eyed younger brothers (like me).

I now feel that I can better understand what my brother went through as we were growing up together in that tree-shaded, middle-class Vanilla World known as suburban Chicago. And why he always seemed a little bit smarter than me.

Jack Eadon pours out his heart and soul making himself vulnerable to the world and himself. He shows great insight on a universal level. True artists get lost in their medium; Jack's being the poetry. I see "Got to Make It!" as timeless. I was able to relate to the feeling of the 60's, paralleling the emotional environment today in our world. I found this book very thought provoking. I can't wait to hear the music!

I picked up "Grace" about a year ago when I found it in my mom's old book closet. Although I am relatively young, something about the stars of yesteryear attracts me more than the glitz surrounding contemporary celebrities. Grace Kelly is no exception. I knew nothing about this icon, except that she was an American princess and a Hitchcockian heroine. Mr. Lacey certainly did his share in informing me about this classic movie star. I enjoyed how he provides us with immense background on the Kelly's, a prominent family in their own right. Mr. Lacey also does a fine job in giving us the "low-down" on Monaco and its interesting history.
Also of note would be the fact that Lacey attempts (and succeeds) at presenting the seemingly ethereal Grace as a person, not the sex symbol or ice queen she is usually remembered as. He does give a lot of insight into her love life and various affairs, but you never lose sight that Grace had this innocence about her. It seemed as if she could do no wrong.
Aside from being a talented actress, Grace was a true beauty and a dedicated mother and wife. She will always be remembered as our very own princess.

Everyone remembers his first screen love.

Grace Kelly was mine, and I can still remember her clear Teutonic skin, lugubrious soft hair, her casual sophistication, all completely new fascinations to my mundane childhood. Years later, the only thing that's changed is I've grown older and she's still impossibly perfect.

What Robert Lacey has done in Grace is bring us all a little bit closer to that Snow Princess whom we all would have made our Princess were we a Prince. Behind the camera, behind bedroom doors, behind the veneer of an idyllic fairy tale that proves that fairy tales are exactly that, each anecdote is like a stitch in a grand painting that is sometimes bleak (Grace ages and somewhat pathetically begins to fool around with younger men), sometimes inspiring (her persistence at overcoming her natural dramatic flaws), and always sensual (her intimate fashion shows for her boyfriend Don Richardson).

Unlike many biographies of screen legends, Lacey largely eschews extended back lot stories that might involve but not support the basic image of Grace that he believes must be told. So while we learn High Noon's screenwriter Carl Foreman meant his film as an allegory about Communist witch hunts, we are spared a complete A-Z on the Hollywood Blacklist and its artistic implications. A great biography of a great person must not necessarily take on the great issues of his day. Of which Lacey understands.

Grace is a woman of terrific sexual energies and ambitions but just as importantly, sports a marvelous capacity to mask those penchants. So instead of becoming Jenna Jameson, she turns into Princess Grace, a woman who sleeps her way to the top but seems so inevitably suited for the position that no one can possibly begrudge her it.

As Lacey says "She managed to be naughty while appearing very nice."

It's become axiomatic that the greatest personalities are deeply contradictory. Nearly every biographer, when faced with the compelling weight of his research, is forced to concede that mankind is a very complex being (thank you, Mr. Stevenson). And Grace was no different. Lacey talks of Grace's growing conservatism, her disputes with her daughters over their flagrant ways, all while engaging in her own illicit love affairs as Princess Grace. And what of her devoted Catholicism? How to resolve her piety with her philandering?

Questions which can only be answered by Hitchcock's own. This is a snow covered volcano we're dealing with here.

And sometimes, you can't guess; you can only watch.

The media reviewers quoted here harp on Grace Kelly's supposed "promiscous" behavior, the main point of the book, as far as they are concerned. Anyone who actually reads the book will find someone who had a few discreet affairs before she was married, who took her marriage vows and commitment to her family and role as princess seriously, who worked very hard throughout her life to meet her commitments, and who had a comforting relationship with a kind younger man when her marriage turned lonely as she got older. If she wasn't quite the cold, virginal image presented by Hollywood, good for her.

It's a very good book about a real woman of extraordinary beauty who could have settled for a society matron's life in Philadelphia but who made an extraordinary life for herself through her own efforts. Read it for that and not the sensationalism.

This book has a great deal of detail. I feel as if there was too much emphasis on her sex life versus her screen image, and frankly that was her business, not important in the book. Otherwise a good book.

I wanted to know all about the men in Grace Kelley's life, both before and after her marriage. This book told me everything, but in a classy, well-researched way. I learned a lot about Monaco, and just the things I would have wanted to know about her family members, too. After reading this excellent book, I plan to read more of Robert Lacey's works.

excelent transcriptions, and wait for purchase first part

Guns N' Roses Complete, Vol. 2 is a must buy for GNR fans and guitarists. This book contains 28 songs from M(Mama Kin)-Y(Your Crazy) including: "Mr. Brownstone" "My Michelle", "Night Train", "November Rain", "Paradise City" , "Patience", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and of course "Welcome to the Jungle".

As the title suggests, every guitar riff, arrangement, rhythm, lick, solo, and fill is fully transcribed, note-for-note, in music and TAB! From the timeless intro and solos of "Sweet Child O' Mine" to the wooing acoustics of "Patience", it's all here, fully transcribed to learn. The transcriptions themselves are of the best quality money can buy and include all of the guitars in each song, not just rhythm or lead. As a bonus, the lead vocals are also included and make following the music much easier. Basically, all your GNR needs are found here and in Volume 1. (By the way ,if you are debating, buy Volume 2 first because, by chance, most of GNR's hit-songs begin with M-Z--as listed above)

It is worthwhile to note that when I say 'perfect', I mean it subjectively. There are people out there you critique the book's accuracy. However, all of these arguments are inconsequential. For instance, I heard someone say that on the final two notes of "Mr. Brownstone's" signature riff, Slash uses a 1/2 bend instead of a hammer-on as the book denotes. To this and similar claims I respond with: Who Cares! They both sound the same, both give you the same pitch and sound, and you play it so quickly it really makes absolutely no difference. Most of the "Inaccuracies" claimed of this book are equally trivial, and depend on what each person perceives. To be fair to critics and any claims I have not refuted or heard I will compromise that % 99.99 of the book is accurate.

Now, while the transcriptions themselves are out of this world and need no further discussion, I have a word of caution. Be prepared to work hard for them! Despite the inclusion of the lyrics, it is very hard to follow the music at times (I can read music and still go through hell at times). And this is only made worse by the fact the pages are as crowded and hectic as the beaches of Normandy; any notation denoting a coda or repeat is easily lost in the jumble of rhythm slashes, fill and riff signalers, chords and other special notations. You will find that making sense of it all is a task in and of its self, and thus learning a new song can be annoying as you try to follow it all. I would be willing to pay more money for a thicker book if the authors would write out all the parts on the same staff all the time, instead of resorting to the short cuts they take.
For example: the book will often say "Play Riff A" over the staff, referring you to an obscure rhythm piece written out two pages back, which you now have to hunt down, recall, then flip back to the original page, figure out how it fits and play...etc. This and other similar little short-cuts are ANNOYING! Would it kill them to simply write-out bloody "Riff A" again where it is supposed to be played?

That said, if you can't read music (or read at all), this book will be very hard to follow. Yes, it includes TAB, but without the musical knowledge it will be hard to know what is going on. Also, for any would-be-Slashes-and-Izzys out there (including myself), none of these songs are quick and simple to learn, so if you are only a casual guitarist or fan, don't waste your time and money. You will need patience and skill to play what's in this book because, after all, this is a note-for-note transcription of Slash and Izzy's playing. If you are easily frustrated or bored, this book isn't for you, and you would be better off buying one of the more simply arranged books available on Amazon. But if you really want to rock-out just as GNR did for whatever reason, by all means BUY THIS BOOK! You will find yourself learning not only the songs, but tons of musical techniques and skills.

Guns N' Roses Complete, Vol. 2 is a fantastic buy if you are looking for the perfect guitar transcriptions of many GNRS songs. As long as you are willing to go through the long hours of practice and some frustrating layout issues, this book will rock you world with its priceless contents! (Conveniently priced under $20)

Well there are only a couple of things I have to say. Those things are:

1. Guns n roses what else do I have to say?

2. If you are a big fan and what to play their songs, buy this along with volume 1.

3. Guns n roses rule.

4. buy it

5. this is an ordinary tab book and it's of one of the many classic bands.

6. the notes are PERFECT so you do not have to go searching for them on the internet for hours to end up with the wrong notes.

7. has lyrics to help you find your way

8: Hoped it helped and pushed you over the edge to buy it.

Finally I can learn the songs how they're supposed to be played. I've downloaded and printed so many different versions of tabs of some of the songs in this book and most of them just never sounded right. This is a great collection of songs, I have the tab book for use your illusions II and I really didn't want to go out and buy all of their other album tabs seperately. This was the perfect solution. Excellent collection.
Just don't expect to be playing these songs the day you get this book - Slash isn't human, some of this stuff is impossible.

From the humble beginings of Reckless Life and It's So Easy through to their transition into the best rock band on the planet this book covers every song from the Gunners first 4 albums, unlike "GNR For Easy Guitar" everything from fills and intros to solos and riffs is covered.

Full of detail and top notch tabbing, the two volumes of Guns N' Roses Complete are the definitive guide to Izzy and Slash's guitar playing. I searched for these titles for many weeks and could not have been happier when they were delivered. Make sure you grab your copy of these hard to find titles before its too late. Over 45 songs in total are covered (22 on the first and 28 on the second)

To conclude if you buy any GNR tab books, make sure you get these two, plenty of songs and a good price

When I read this book sometime back, I was reading it just to read.As I got into the book I found it hard to put down. I cried, I got angry,I hated HATE. I lost two brothers in this mess! Whose loss is greater. Are we not all equal? What these people went through just to survive was dispicable. We take advantage of life! I fell in love with Haing Ngor, I wish I could have met him and hugged his neck. Not in a sexual way, but as a loving sister. This was the most precious kind of man. He gave of himself in a way we should all be doing.What he went through we could only imagine. To watch babies be ripped out of the wombs of women and to go from rich to poor, to watch your world crumble before your eyes and still have love for your fellow man. I have a respect for all life, we all need to open our eyes and look around. Life is a blessing and we should count ours. I love my country,and our people, but that doesn't mean I can't love others to. Haing S. Ngor was a great man who gave for all countries, and all men. He had a heart of gold. May God forgive us all for the Hate we hold.

Enter into the compelling story of a truly remarkable man, Haing Ngor, living through the Cambodian holocost of the late 1970's under the Khmer Rouge. Be prepared, however, for some of the most gruesome torture that a man could suffer - both physically and mentally. If you have any heart at all, you will be changed by this book.

The story begins with a history of Haing's early life in a peaceful Cambodian existence that would be no more. You see a life that is transformed into that of a frial, hungry, tortured and battered peasant. He has everything physically and materially stripped away from him and only his wife to live for. And the story gets even worse. But, through it all, this man clings to hope and a faith in his God that defies all sense reason.

The story does not end painfully. You will see how this one man's deep scars and loss literally transform him into something greater than what he began as. It is not an easy read, but a very compelling one.

I'm sorry that it took me so long to find this book, partially because the book is actually entitled "SURVIVING the Killing Fields: The Cambodian Odyssey of Haing S. Ngor" (and after all this time it took only a few days to read it). Aside from that, it's probably the most intense memoir about life under the Khmer Rouge. Also gives thorough insight into the social and political maze that led led to Pol Pot's reign of terror, and what happened to Cambodia afterwards. Ngor also told not only the *deeply* disturbing details of his life as a war slave, but also the difficulties of starting a new life in America. In addition, he clearly portrayed the bizarro-ness of life as a celebrity, as opposed to the life he lived in his homeland. The reader gets a real sense of the isolation he must have felt, even after his successes in America. All this, along with his spiritual beliefs in karma, which helped him explain some of the madness, make this a beautiful and haunting story. By the way, reading this will make you want to see 'The Killing Fields' again, just to see his performance one more time. It's clear that this memoir served in part as a therapeutic device for him personally, but it's also a truly inspiring book for anyone to read. Reading about his journey was weirdly prophetic, bittersweet and sad because ten years after this book was published, Ngor was killed in a senseless act of violence in L.A.

This book was my first exposure to what had happened in Cambodia. I saw a man go through a typical childhood for his class abnd become a doctor and meet the woman of his dreams. His life was perfect. Then on April 17,1975 it all came crashing down. He and the rest of his family were plunged into some of the worst conditions to ever exist in history. He survived almost his whole family. Then, he had the courage to show the whole world what had happened to his people. Sadly, this man was killed in a "random" murder in his home in LA. We promised the survivors of the Holocaust that we'd never let it happen again, but we did in Cambodia. Read this book and see why again we must try and keep it from happening ever again.

This is an outstanding portrait of a man who survived the barbaric reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Anyone who has seen the movie "The Killing Fields" has a cursory understanding of the Khmer Rouge and their attempt to transform Cambodian society during their control of the country from 1975 to 1979. However, this film omitted most of the astounding atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge as anyone who has visited Tuol Sleng S-21 in Phnom Penh (as I have) can tell you. In this book Dr. Ngor relates his horrifying experiences of life under the Khmer Rouge in detail and in the process educates the reader as to just how horrible an existence it really was.

This book is remarkable because of the detail related by Dr. Ngor and the personal nature of its content. Many Cambodians to this day will not talk about his period in their lives. For many, the mental and physical abuse they suffered during this period was too painful to re-live ever again. As I read this book, I could not help but wonder how Dr. Ngor was able to keep himself together.

Dr. Ngor effectively puts the period of Khmer Rouge rule in historical context by explaining the historical events and forces which led to their capture of the country. These events and forces included the People's Republic of China, North Vietnam, the Vietnam War, the United States, and of course, the C.I.A.

I admire Dr. Ngor for his extraordinary courage, and I regret that I did not have the opportunity to meet him during his lifetime. May he rest in peace.

A pleasurably crude collection of rants and wisdom, sure to prompt guffaws, smiles, and nods of sympathy. Hate Mail is interactive on so many levels, inviting the reader not only to relate to the terribly amusing situations, but to also become physically connected to the book. The fonts have personality, red raw cursive scrawled atop blocky weathered caps, while the page layout is like a perverted version of those corny notecard collections you see for sale in Hallmark stores. Best of all, the end of each story literally unfolds as each Hate Mail card delivers the perfect quip to sum up the protagonist's frustration, shock, and amusement. Punchy and tantalizing right from the first line, Hate Mail is above all empowering for anyone who has ever been pressured into holding her tongue.

Hate Mail is a clever, laugh out loud, biting book. Perfect for brooding on your coffee table, as a gift, or to lighten up the mood when something just rubbed you the wrong way. Each tale is full of quick wit and situational humor that I found to be pretty relatable. I would definitely gift this book to a friend.

I have purchased 5 copies as gifts for friends and family. Unique book un-greeting card idea. Candid and well written. Give us more MM Garcia.

I respect this author for her candid view on situations that happened in her life. It's a fresh perspective of uncensored feeling. Not to mention it made me laugh from the depth of my being. It makes a great gift for that friend in your life that is hard to buy for.

Hate Mail is a collection of eight short stories which show honest to goodness real life, including your boyfriend's old relative who really, really is into you. I liked this collection of stories because it was not about the deeper meaning in life but instead just showed life without the gloss and facade and had fun doing it. This is for when you are fed up with pretending to be nice in stupid situations and want to say what you really feel. Hate Mail has a card for that.