Television Books

really good book. no matter who you are, it will keep you turning pages

wonderful. inspiring. positive thinking.
one of my favorites.
a treasure.

I totally enjoyed this book. Kathy is an inspiration and I wish her nothing but continued success in the future. The book is hard to believe in some points - that so many bad things can happen to one person. It is amazing to see the metamorphasis Kathy goes through in her life and how the total of all of her life's experiences both good and bad have shaped who she is today. She's triumphant!

Kathy's severe hearing loss lead to an early diagnosis of mental retardation: she was also molested, run over, and stricken with cancer all before the age of thirty but she never lost her sense of humor. If You Could See What I Hear provides her life story and how she kept this sense of humor through the darkest of days. A powerful memoir and personal account of hope.

This poignant and beautifully written tale is both inspiring and hysterically funny! An easy read, but brilliantly written, it ties the reader to the book. Without pity, Kathy portrays herself and shows her life through wit and humor that can bring a tear to your eye without making you feel sorry for her. Instead it helps you see your life in better perspective and inspires the reader to attain higher goals. Excellent read.

I've read everything that I could on Jackie Wilson.the Man was something else in His Prime but sadly hasn't gotten His Full Due as a Artist to me overall.The Man knew how to Rock a Stage&was in Groove.but there was the Business which was Controled then as it is now by Payola&Scandal&at the End of the Day the Artist that has brought so Much Joy to so many People is the last Person Paid&Respected.this Book Explores many Aspects of His Career&Life.Ups&downs.it's a Great Inside Reflection of the Business.Much Props to Tony Douglas.RIP Jackie Wilson.

Mr. Excitement was really exciting!! Very good book

Singer Jackie Wilson was one of the finest singing talents of the century, but he suffered from chronic addictions and his career was controlled by the Mob. This biography of his life, work and achievements chronicles the accomplishments of a man who was buried in a paupers grave, yet at his peak achieved 24 top 40 hits in the U.S. An involving coverage of a talented yet tormented performer.

This book is unique. I've read books about Jackie LeRoy Wilson but this book by far is the best i've read. It cuts right to the chase and gives you information that's clear and not a run around. Also, gives you some pictures of Jackie that are in color. I recommend this book.

Tony Douglas' book, "Jackie Wilson:The Man, The Music, The Mob," far surpasses Mr. Douglas' talents. Mr. Douglas' book, "Jackie Wilson: Lonely Teardrops," was fantastic and now Mr. Douglas comes back with an even greater book. For the people who never knew Jackie they can now educate themselves on this exceptional man and find out why Jackie was, "Mr. Excitement." Mr. Douglas did years of research and has covered a lot of ground work. He has talked to the people that knew Jackie and loved him. This is an exceptional book taken from the heart of one man.

Mr. Douglas went a step further he spoke with one of the bravest woman of Jackie's life, Freda Wilson, Jackie's wife of 13 years. She sacrificed it all for Jackie to be a star. Jackie was the greatest R & B artist that ever lived and if he had survived he would have blown everyone away with his astonishing talent and charisma. He was the one and only, "Mr. Excitement."

My daughter and I really like this colorful and thorough guide.
It has lots of information and feels like a Field Guide we can take anywhere.

My 4 years old son is a dino lover, and enjoyed the book very much. Especially, he favored the attached mini poster with small images of many dino species.

My 5 & 6 year olds who have been obsessed with dinosaurs for the last 3 years, love this book. They sit and read for HOURS and have learned all the specs on their favorite dinosaurs. As a parent, I think this book has a lot of great information and is simple enough for my 5 year old to read. Hope this helps!

I have a 5 and 7 year old. We all think this book is great! It's colorful and informative and Up-To-Date! One feature I enjoy pointing out to my kids is the little images which compare the dinosaurs size to a human child's size. That way we get an even better idea how big the creatures were.

Promising high interest and educational quality alike is this dinosaur 'field guide' for all ages, which packs in museum-quality dinosaur illustrations, expertise by two paleontologist authors, and details on dinosaur digs and places to see fossils in the field. Web sites, museums, and bibliographies are also included in this highly visual, appealing guide.

What a Great book,Diane did a wonderful job on this & it's very informative .A no punch's pulled book about [ to me ] the greatest country singer there ever was, what a VOICE .But, regardless of your opinion of his singing, you'll love this book,it's very easy to read & very interesting.

JUST FINISHED READING LIVE FAST, LOVE HARD, THE FARON YOUNG STORY, BY DIANE DIEKMAN. WHAT A THRILL FOR ME TO FIND A BOOK ABOUT ONE OF THE GREATEST SINGERS IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY. DIANE REALLY TOOK THIS TASK TO HEART AND FOUND OUT TRULY HOW COUNTRY MUSIC ARTISTS HAD TO STRUGLE BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS OF COUNTRY MUSIC. I MET FARON SEVERAL TIMES DURING HIS LIFETIME AND TRULY ADMIRED HIM. KEEP UP THE GREAT WRITING DIANE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO READING YOUR NEXT BOOK , THE STORY OF MARTY ROBBINS.

I have to be honest...I didn't know much about Faron Young before I started this book. But now that I have finished reading it, I feel like I know him inside and out. Diane's research is incredible. She paints a vivid picture of a man who found tremendous success while battling the demons of alchoholism and depression. This book should be required reading for fans of classic country music.

I really enjoyed this book! Many hilarious stories about life on the road. Faron Young was a giant in the country music business. I hope this gets made into a movie.

I am so glad the author wrote this book about Faron Young. I thought he'd been forgotten. His music meant so much to me, but I thought I was the only one who cared.

This is a very comprehensive story about Faron's life and his ascent and descent in the world of country music.

Weaved throughout this story is Faron's alcohol addiction. It resonated with me, because my dad was an alcoholic, and some of the tales hit too close to home. Yet, it was consoling, in a way. It brought back memories that I'd buried about my own father, and allowed me to relive some painful times that I thought I'd long forgotten.

Regardless, I was so glad that someone thought enough about Faron and his life and career to put this in book form.

He was a major force in country music for many years, and it's time he got his due.

Thanks again to the author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and it will be a valuable addition to my collection of country music biographies.

Schechter has done for Judy and Liza what Koeschel has done for Wolfgang. It's all here: the mood, the method, the magnificence, in two encyclopedic texts that detail the lives and good works of two of the most fascinating and talented women of our time and all the ages--the Fantastic Garland and her equally incredible Daughter Liza Minnelli. Schechter has not only written two great books, he has done the world a terrific service in collecting some of their TV appearances on DVDs that have given a permanent showcase to material that otherwise might have been gone and forgotten forever, to the great loss of all of us. Colorful, informative, and fascinating, these two books on Judy and Liza, as well as the DVDs that constitute exhibits A-Z, should provide fans and would be admirers alike with endless pleasure and information, as they make an incalculably important and significant archival contribution to our heritage. Not to be missed. Martin Kantor, MD. Author of My Guy: A Gay Man's Guide to a Lasting Relationship and Together Forever: The Gay Man's Guide to Lifelong Love

If you are a fan of one of the greatest performers we have had, this book is for you. It includes many rare photos and a chronicle of her professional life over the last 40 (!) years. Schector, a long-time fan, has finally done the professional tribute to this star that needed to be done. You won't find what's in this book anywhere else!

and I would call that thing "a burning, selfless love." No, not the love you'd find between a man and a woman or a confused grad student... but the love and respect you might find between two bitter rivals who look at each other with a knowing nod and hint of a smile.

Liza's never been hotter than she is now and this scrapbook is just the thing you'll want to read to get you caught up on her deepest desires and secrets.

I know Liza is trying to put that awful David G. (I refuse to write the name "Gest") episode behind her and possible find love with someone who's less into getting bad plastic surgery and looking creepy.

I once met David Gest at a Rest Stop on the Jersey Turnpike. He was hitting the vending machine because his Fiery Habanero Doritos corn chips were stuck between the glass and that little spinny thing.

I was nice enough to help him out. I bought another bag of the corn chips and his dropped down. Unfortunately, my bag became lodged the same way his had. He didn't even say thank you. He just grabbed his chips and walked out. And I was the one the security guard yelled at! Can you believe it?

The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook is the most loving and complete biography available today. Mr. Schechter succeeds in revealing the TRUE Liza, an incredibly talented, charismatic legend in her own right.

Thanks to the Liza fans for all the kindness and support of the book.

Here are some of the professional reviews the book has gotten to date :



From Booksoup.com :

Liza Minnelli has mesmerized her audiences with her remarkable talent and pure joy of entertaining for decades. Her appeal is universal and timeless. For those us who have had the pleasure of closely following her career, no other performing artist can compare. "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" is a comprehensive pictorial history. Schechter has done an amazing job of chronicling Liza's career accompanying his research with pictures both familiar and new to the avid Liza fan. For longtime Liza fans like myself, the book is treasure of Liza remembrances and certainly the ultimate Liza "reference" book.

****

From NYTheatre.com

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/bookshop.htm


The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook
by Scott Schechter

Perfect for any fan, The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook is just that - a scrapbook of an almost five-decade career. With a fond foreword by Billy Stricth, this book chronicles Liza's life by decade. There are brief overviews of each ten-year span, and then details and at least a brief synopsis on every movie, television show, Broadway show, and recording Liza has ever done. Furthermore, as if that was not enough, there are billions of pictures - pictures with other celebrity friends, cameos from various television and movie stints, covers of playbills and recordings, etc. The book is so indubitably complete in its coverage of Liza's career that there is even a picture of Liza with Kermit the Frog from her episode on "The Muppet Show!" This is an incredible, cohesive, and all-inclusive record of Ms. Minnelli and is a must have for any fan because of its comprehensive coverage and plethora of pictures.
- Seth Bisen-Hersh

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/bookshop.htm

****
From GENRE magazine, January-February 2005 issue, "The Feed" Column : "audio / film / PAGES," Editor (and reviews by) Michael Liebermann :

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" Scott Schechter, Kensington, Biography, 242 pages, $22

"If you're looking for objective criticism of Liza Minnelli's storied career in music, film and theater, or an expose of her latest missteps in love, then keep on browsing. But if you fancy a stroll down gay memory lane -- from growing up Garland through 'Cabaret'to the oft-forgotten 1980 TV spectacular 'Goldie and Liza : Together' -- you can't do much better than this true fan's scrapbook."

****

From OUT magazine, January 2004 issue; "OutFront" Reviews : "What's New and Hot" : "ETC" (Page 27) :

"A must-have for Liza fans, Scott Schechter brings us 'The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook' (Citadel, $21.95), a vibrant volume about her career, with over 200 rare and never-before-seen photographs."

****


Featured on November CNN "American Morning" Show

****

GREAT write-up on the InSightOUT Book Club's webpage :

CLUB REVIEW

From Cabaret to her recent stint on "Arrested Development," Liza Minnelli has never let the scandal that seems to run in her family's blood taint her dazzling career. And her life in showbiz, which spans five decades, is celebrated with this scrapbook of photos, facts, and diva pride!

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" takes you back to the beginning of the dynamic performer's life as the daughter of Judy Garland-and her first public appearance at age 2 1/2! From there, she launched a career that garnered her Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards, and it's all covered here! Along with page after page of fantastic photos, the scrapbook looks at Liza's illustrious career: New York, New York, Flora the Red Menace, Liza at the Wintergarden, and The Act. There are essays about every major performance she's ever given, including her sold out appearance in Victor/Victoria. Plus, you get all the trivia and facts you could desire-and need! Everything Liza, including discography, videography, lists of awards and much more. Photos throughout. 242 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", softcover.


THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER -- Tuesday, November 16th, 2004

Reuters via Yahoo! News, Mon, 15 Nov 2004 4:13 PM PST

'SCRAPBOOK' DELIVERS THE GOODS (Headline)

By Robert Osborne NEW YORK

Liza Minnelli has certainly had her share of publicized woes of late, but something's on the horizon that should cheer her considerably.

Scott Schechter has compiled a magnificent book on the one aspect of L. M. that always seems to get short shrift or is altogether ignored these days, i. e.,her years of delivering the goods in front of cameras and on stages throughout the world. That work has won her, to date, an Oscar (1972), three Tonys (1965, '74, '78), an Emmy (1973), a Grammy (1989), two Golden Globes (1973, '86) and an ever-loyal fan base, something Schechter covers in monumental detail in "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook," in bookstores this month via Citadel Press, with a foreword by Billy Stritch.

No stone is left unturned in looking at the career of Minnelli and, for a refreshing change, no stone is hurled at her, either; here, it's strictly Liza's professional life and accomplishments that the author is emphasizing. And nothing goes unrecorded, be it a TV "Match Game" appearance on NBC in 1967, a 1987 concert in Stockholm, Sweden, or, this year, singing "Oscar" and "God Bless the Child" at a private party at the Ars Nova Theatre in New York. Besides being a dandy reference guide for anyone hunting for a Minnelli fact,"Scrapbook" also includes plenty of interesting info on
Minnelli projects that came close to happening but didn't. She was announced, for instance, in 1975, and again in '77 and '79, to star in the film version of "Chicago," playing Velma to Goldie Hawn s Roxie Hart (with, at one point, Allan Carr producing, Frank Sinatra playing the lawyer, Nancy
Walker as the prison matron and Carol Channing and Ann Miller as competing newspaper reporters); later, in 1992, it was rescheduled but with a
difference: Lewis Gilbert was to direct, with Liza switched to the role of Roxie and Goldie as Velma.

We all know how that turned out. In 1982, Liza tested for what was to be an "Evita" directed by Ken Russell; she sang "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," causing Russell to publicly comment, "We had found our Evita"; the entire venture, however, was KO'd until it was finally made 14 years later with a different leading lady. Schechter also lists dozens of other projects that
almost happened ("Sunset Boulevard," "The Carmen Miranda Story") and, carrying out the "scrapbook" motif, there are miscellaneous color photographs, candids and reproductions of Playbill and album covers and Liza-related ads. One thing comes through loud and clear: The lady may like
to play, but she has also worked.

****

The NY POST -- "PAGE SIX" -- Sunday, November 14th, 2004 :

HITS THE SPOT :

IT'S not all bad news about Liza Minnelli, who was just hit with a lawsuit by her former chauffeur. At the book party for Scott Schechter's "Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" tribute tome, the author announced Minnelli's first theatrical movie since "Stepping Out" in 1991. Liza will play an offbeat self-help seminar leader who helps Parker Posey on her quest to find her G-spot, in "The Oh in Ohio." It co-stars Danny DeVito and Mischa Barton.

****

The SECOND Review of "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" this one by Phill Hall of Boston's EDGE and also to appear in the NY RESIDENT paper in a few weeks :

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" by Scott Schechter
Grade: A+
by Phil Hall
EDGE Literature Critic
Monday Nov 1, 2004

Just from the title alone, "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" seems predestined to find a place on the coffee table of many gay homes. But forget the stereotypical gay worship of this show biz icon and zoom in on the rich contents. Scott Schechter's extraordinary tribute to Liza with a "Z" is brilliantly researched, lavishly illustrated and endlessly entertaining. It is impossible to come away from this book without possessing a deeper love and respect for Minnelli.

Schechter breaks down Minnelli's career in a neat manner: a decade-by-decade career-based mini-biography (all scandals are removed from print), followed by a chronological appreciation of Minnelli's theater, film, television, recording and concert careers. Schechter uncovers a wealth of long-forgotten facts and photographs which will delight Minnelli's fans: Minnelli dancing on stage with then-unknown Elliott Gould in a touring company of "The Fantasticks," her simultaneous Time and Newsweek covers for "Cabaret" (and you thought Bruce Springsteen was the only entertainer to accomplish that?)

The book is also rich with Minnelli trivia, including unlikely appearances such as a concert for the inmates of a Chicago jail (two months after she won the "Cabaret" Oscar). There is also an unexpectedly large amount of little-known data on projects which Minnelli either turned down (including the role of Daisy in "The Great Gatsby" opposite Robert Redford) or which fell apart before production began (including the film version of "Evita" under Ken Russell's direction).

Schechter is uncommonly generous to Minnelli, to the point of presenting the most glamorous and flattering photographs available; later-life tabloid photographs which show Minnelli's problems with weight control are conspicuously absent. Yes, "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" is a love letter to the great star. And honestly, what's wrong with a love letter to someone who truly earned the love of her fans?

Citadel Press, $21.95, 228 pages

****

The FIRST REVIEW for "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook"

LIZ SMITH : NY Post -- Friday, November 5th, 2004

"DEDICATED TO Liza Minnelli's artistry." That's what it says on page one of Scott Schechter's "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" (Citadel Press). This is a glossy valentine to the great star, concentrating on her long, award-laden stage, screen and recording career. The sensation of her "private" life is not emphasized. Tons of previously unseen photos and plenty of Minnelli minutiae. (Her first reviews, even as an awkward teen, are a thrill to read; she had style from the start!) Flip through this and be reminded that Liza is an artist, one whose commitment to her audience never wavers.

****

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.

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

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!

"Lonely Avenue" is one of the most moving books I've read in a long, long time. It's so good, I read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and parts of it will make you want to jump out of your chair and cheer for its hero (and a new hero of mine), Doc Pomus, a true American orginal if there ever was one. Even if you don't know anything about him or his music, do yourself a favor and buy this book.

This is a fantastic new book. Among its many strengths is the fact that this is a book that can be appreciated and enjoyed by anyone. While it is a biography of a great American song writer, it is also a multi-dimensional work that offers readers glimpses into the history of New York City and its various neighborhoods, the evolution of American culture, the personal struggles of all its characters and the music industry. The book is also very personal and very human and is an inspiring piece about extraordianry and ordinary people. Anyone can read this book; no one needs to have a background in music history or to even love Elvis!

Halberstadt's book is very beautifully written. I was just as caught up with the writing as I was with the subject. I learned a great deal about America's famous musicians, but I also just loved the prose and the intimate details that the author included. Clearly, this book was exhautively researched and the author obviously labored lovingly over each sentence. I hope that Halberstadt will continue to publish books as I am eagerly looking forward to his next one.

I highly recommend this book. It is perfect for summer reading, for serious inquiry into American history, for book clubs, for college classes.... You will not be disappointed, and you will probably go out and buy lots of new music after reading it!

By: Tommy Garrett

What on earth can be written about Marilyn Monroe that has not already been written, rumored or made up? Well, plenty of great new juicy details, researched by a Marilyn Monroe fan, Michelle Morgan. When I first heard of this book, I simply rolled my eyes. I had spent almost a decade representing Monroe's first husband, Jimmie Dougherty, who lived in Maine at the time. Jimmie was a saint, a wonderful old man who really felt like Monroe had been given a bad name by many in Hollywood and the media alike. He wrote his own book, "To Norma Jeane With Love, Jimmie," by Jim Dougherty, as told to L.C. VanSavage, and it was a bestseller and a warm and comforting tome about his short marriage to the underage Norma Jeane. Jimmie always spoke with love and admiration for Monroe and I heard some never before told stories about the screen goddess.




So to my surprise, when I received the latest Monroe book, "Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed" by Michelle Morgan, I had to read it. Firstly, Michelle Morgan is the founder and President of the UK fan club, the Marilyn Lives Society, established in 1991. The book was published by the distinguished publishing house Carroll and Graf. So I was interested in reading this voluminous book, filled with never before seen photographs of Monroe in various stages of her life and career and figured that I'd at least have to give it a read. How happy I am that I did.

Many of the more than 150 photographs in this new illustrated biography of Monroe have never been published before. Some of the little known images show a different side of the icon - Monroe doing everyday things, laughing, in conversation, in her unguarded moments. Being a star, every moment is scripted and planned, but Monroe is captured in some of the moments in which she never expected to be photographed.

Michelle Morgan was able to interview almost everyone who knew Marilyn - in addition to her Hollywood and New York colleagues - many family members and friends. Drawing on over 50 different interviews, many who were never willing to go on record before, and many from Monroe's orphaned childhood and early years, the details paint a whole different portrait of the woman who will forever be called Hollywood's hottest and most well known sex goddess. A name she may have worked to achieve, but one her studio, 20th Century Fox, perpetrated to make her bankable in an era where actresses were no longer as glamorous as the era before.

This meticulously researched biography brings new insight into the life of one of Hollywood's most beloved and unforgettable stars. Michelle Morgan's easy yet enticing writing style brings forth a plethora of new details, broadening my once small interest in the sex icon. The read made my interest in the star unending and gave me a fascination with the star I never believed possible.

I had always thought of Monroe as one of the most uninteresting and untalented stars of her era, but now I have a whole new respect for the star and what she was able to do with her career while saddled with demons that most of us can never imagine being burdened with. But Morgan, being one of Monroe's biggest fans, is not only interested in the star but brings forth such a monumental picture of the star we really never knew and makes the reader want to know more. That goal is met by her never boring details of the star and yes, details never seen or read before.

A must read for any Hollywood historian and also for any Marilyn Monroe fan of any and all ages.

Miss Morgan is now working on a wonderful new biography on one of the forgotten stars of the `30s, Carole Lombard. Asked about this, Morgan says, "I have a few irons in the fire at the moment, as they say. I am currently researching a biography of film star Carole Lombard, who tragically died in a plane crash in 1942. There hasn't been a thorough and full biography written about her in quite some time, so I would very much like to fill that gap. I am currently looking for anyone who may have any memories of Carole, along with photos, articles, letters or even second-hand memories passed down through the years. If anyone can help me in this regard I'd love to hear from them: [...] They can also visit my website at [...] Along with that I am also looking to have my book turned into a film, so if there are any film producers out there, I'd love to hear from them!" And says in regards to why she chose to write about Marilyn Monroe, "I've been a fan since I was 15 years old - way back in 1985. I discovered Marilyn while I was on holiday with my family and picked up a book about her as a holiday read. I was very lucky as the book I read was `Norma Jean' by Fred Laurence Guiles, which is a classic Marilyn biography. During that holiday I bought several postcards and posters, and my fascination really took off. From then on, I spent all my pocket and babysitting money on books, videos and pictures. Learning about Marilyn became a passion that has never ceased for me." Lucky for us she's such a fan of every star she writes about.

Michelle Morgan did an outstanding job writing this book...it is very informative....and true.She did a lot of work on this and needs to be complimented on how she presented it. I recommend this book for all Marilyn Monroe fans...it's one of the best!!

The author seems focused on being fair and as close to the facts as she could possibly get, without applying the generalizations/assumptions common to mainstream gossip. I noticed no negative/disgraceful comments about Marilyn. The lack thereof is what made reading this book a joy. This is a great book! It covers her life from her childhood to her death and has some great photos you don't see printed everywhere.

Lately I have been on a Marilyn Monroe kick. I have been watching her movies and reading about her life. She was an interesting lady, the first of the modern sex symbols, she posed nude in Playboy and was also an accomplished actress (I still think she deserved an Osar for her performance in The misfits!), she also married and had relationships with many famous and powerful men from DiMaggio to President Kennedy. This book is a well written account of her Marilyn"s life I can Highly recommend. And while it s pitched as an unauthorized biography, I think the author does a great job of presenting Marilyn in a fair and sympathetic manner. Marilyn fans also might want to check out Misfits Country for a fictional look behind the scene of her last movie The Misfits

The book easily flies to the top of the list of books about Marilyn Monroe as one of the finest, most thoughtful, comprehensive, well-written and understanding books written. The photos (many never before published) are an outstanding addition to the book, but it is the detailed, sensitive biography which takes the reader steadily through Marilyn's life which is makes it truly priceless.

Obviously this was a labor of love; Michelle Morgan has done a superb job of capturing an enormous amount of detail into one book. Interviews with folks who knew Marilyn (but who are not 'famous' or have an ulterior motive) distinctly add to the in-depth depiction of this extremely talented woman of so many facets.

Ms. Morgan also does a fine job of stating the basic, well-known facts around Marilyn's untimely depth without forcing any theory upon the reader. It's truly wonderful to read a biography which is just that--the story of a person's life--and not a book which relies on sensationalism to 'sell' it. This book gives a sense of Marilyn as woman, actress, wife, friend and sensitive human being. It brings depth into understanding of her relationships with her three husbands, giving the reader a sense of each of Miss Monroe's marriages.

I highly recommend this book to any long-time or brand-new fan of Marilyn's. You won't be disappointed.

By: Tommy Garrett

What on earth can be written about Marilyn Monroe that has not already been written, rumored or made up? Well, plenty of great new juicy details, researched by a Marilyn Monroe fan, Michelle Morgan. When I first heard of this book, I simply rolled my eyes. I had spent almost a decade representing Monroe's first husband, Jimmie Dougherty, who lived in Maine at the time. Jimmie was a saint, a wonderful old man who really felt like Monroe had been given a bad name by many in Hollywood and the media alike. He wrote his own book, "To Norma Jeane With Love, Jimmie," by Jim Dougherty, as told to L.C. VanSavage, and it was a bestseller and a warm and comforting tome about his short marriage to the underage Norma Jeane. Jimmie always spoke with love and admiration for Monroe and I heard some never before told stories about the screen goddess.




So to my surprise, when I received the latest Monroe book, "Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed" by Michelle Morgan, I had to read it. Firstly, Michelle Morgan is the founder and President of the UK fan club, the Marilyn Lives Society, established in 1991. The book was published by the distinguished publishing house Carroll and Graf. So I was interested in reading this voluminous book, filled with never before seen photographs of Monroe in various stages of her life and career and figured that I'd at least have to give it a read. How happy I am that I did.

Many of the more than 150 photographs in this new illustrated biography of Monroe have never been published before. Some of the little known images show a different side of the icon - Monroe doing everyday things, laughing, in conversation, in her unguarded moments. Being a star, every moment is scripted and planned, but Monroe is captured in some of the moments in which she never expected to be photographed.

Michelle Morgan was able to interview almost everyone who knew Marilyn - in addition to her Hollywood and New York colleagues - many family members and friends. Drawing on over 50 different interviews, many who were never willing to go on record before, and many from Monroe's orphaned childhood and early years, the details paint a whole different portrait of the woman who will forever be called Hollywood's hottest and most well known sex goddess. A name she may have worked to achieve, but one her studio, 20th Century Fox, perpetrated to make her bankable in an era where actresses were no longer as glamorous as the era before.

This meticulously researched biography brings new insight into the life of one of Hollywood's most beloved and unforgettable stars. Michelle Morgan's easy yet enticing writing style brings forth a plethora of new details, broadening my once small interest in the sex icon. The read made my interest in the star unending and gave me a fascination with the star I never believed possible.

I had always thought of Monroe as one of the most uninteresting and untalented stars of her era, but now I have a whole new respect for the star and what she was able to do with her career while saddled with demons that most of us can never imagine being burdened with. But Morgan, being one of Monroe's biggest fans, is not only interested in the star but brings forth such a monumental picture of the star we really never knew and makes the reader want to know more. That goal is met by her never boring details of the star and yes, details never seen or read before.

A must read for any Hollywood historian and also for any Marilyn Monroe fan of any and all ages.

Miss Morgan is now working on a wonderful new biography on one of the forgotten stars of the `30s, Carole Lombard. Asked about this, Morgan says, "I have a few irons in the fire at the moment, as they say. I am currently researching a biography of film star Carole Lombard, who tragically died in a plane crash in 1942. There hasn't been a thorough and full biography written about her in quite some time, so I would very much like to fill that gap. I am currently looking for anyone who may have any memories of Carole, along with photos, articles, letters or even second-hand memories passed down through the years. If anyone can help me in this regard I'd love to hear from them: [...] They can also visit my website at [...] Along with that I am also looking to have my book turned into a film, so if there are any film producers out there, I'd love to hear from them!" And says in regards to why she chose to write about Marilyn Monroe, "I've been a fan since I was 15 years old - way back in 1985. I discovered Marilyn while I was on holiday with my family and picked up a book about her as a holiday read. I was very lucky as the book I read was `Norma Jean' by Fred Laurence Guiles, which is a classic Marilyn biography. During that holiday I bought several postcards and posters, and my fascination really took off. From then on, I spent all my pocket and babysitting money on books, videos and pictures. Learning about Marilyn became a passion that has never ceased for me." Lucky for us she's such a fan of every star she writes about.

Michelle Morgan did an outstanding job writing this book...it is very informative....and true.She did a lot of work on this and needs to be complimented on how she presented it. I recommend this book for all Marilyn Monroe fans...it's one of the best!!

The author seems focused on being fair and as close to the facts as she could possibly get, without applying the generalizations/assumptions common to mainstream gossip. I noticed no negative/disgraceful comments about Marilyn. The lack thereof is what made reading this book a joy. This is a great book! It covers her life from her childhood to her death and has some great photos you don't see printed everywhere.

Lately I have been on a Marilyn Monroe kick. I have been watching her movies and reading about her life. She was an interesting lady, the first of the modern sex symbols, she posed nude in Playboy and was also an accomplished actress (I still think she deserved an Osar for her performance in The misfits!), she also married and had relationships with many famous and powerful men from DiMaggio to President Kennedy. This book is a well written account of her Marilyn"s life I can Highly recommend. And while it s pitched as an unauthorized biography, I think the author does a great job of presenting Marilyn in a fair and sympathetic manner. Marilyn fans also might want to check out Misfits Country for a fictional look behind the scene of her last movie The Misfits

The book easily flies to the top of the list of books about Marilyn Monroe as one of the finest, most thoughtful, comprehensive, well-written and understanding books written. The photos (many never before published) are an outstanding addition to the book, but it is the detailed, sensitive biography which takes the reader steadily through Marilyn's life which is makes it truly priceless.

Obviously this was a labor of love; Michelle Morgan has done a superb job of capturing an enormous amount of detail into one book. Interviews with folks who knew Marilyn (but who are not 'famous' or have an ulterior motive) distinctly add to the in-depth depiction of this extremely talented woman of so many facets.

Ms. Morgan also does a fine job of stating the basic, well-known facts around Marilyn's untimely depth without forcing any theory upon the reader. It's truly wonderful to read a biography which is just that--the story of a person's life--and not a book which relies on sensationalism to 'sell' it. This book gives a sense of Marilyn as woman, actress, wife, friend and sensitive human being. It brings depth into understanding of her relationships with her three husbands, giving the reader a sense of each of Miss Monroe's marriages.

I highly recommend this book to any long-time or brand-new fan of Marilyn's. You won't be disappointed.

Lots of good pictures and stories behind the filming of the show. If you are a fan of Andy Griffith, you can't go wrong with this book.

I've never seen such a great Mayberry book before!! It has many wonderful pictures, and tons of great history. I read this straight for around 3-4 hours, and it has great memories or the actors reminiscing... Ah, well, it's worth buying for the price, this book is worth it!! Very high quality.

I recently bought this book for my grandparents. It was such a joy to sit and watch them remember back on all the episodes they had watched. If you were a fan of the Andy Grifith show this is a must buy for you

This a very unique book on a unique show. It is not the usual Ken Beck and Jim Clark quote book with quotes taken directly from the show or text describing the characters or episodes. The text briefly describes each season and the rest of the book is filled with photos and quotes from the actors (many bit players), writers, producers, etc. The quotes range from talking about certain actors or scenes to behind-the-scenes tidbits and general feelings about The Andy Griffith Show. It reads like a scrapbook. Many of the photos I have not seen in any other TAGS book. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes photos. Some of my favorites show the cameramen, lights, and equipment as scenes were being filmed. There is also a cool aerial shot of the set of the Forty Acres lot in Culver City that was used for downtown Mayberry (p. 44). I also like the photos of TAGS memorabilia (TV Guide and comic book covers). The photos start with early publicity and scene shots from the pilot episode on The Danny Thomas Show and go on through all 8 seasons of TAGS, ending with photos and quotes on the spin-offs Gomer Pyle USMC, Mayberry RFD, and the 1986 reunion Return to Mayberry. Many people are quoted, but some of them include producer Sheldon Leonard, assistant producer Ronald Jacobs, music director Earl Hagen, Rance Howard, writer Jack Elinson, producer Aaron Ruben, Elinor Donahue, Margaret Kerry-Wilcox (played Bess Muggins and Helen Scobey), Joy Ellison (played Mary Wiggins, Opie's choice for Miss Mayberry), members of The Country Boys, Kit McNear (Howard McNear's son), James Best, Renee Aubry (choir member), Don Knotts, Julie Adams and Sue Ane Langdon (both nurse Mary Simpson), writer Harvey Bullock, Keith Thibodeaux (Johnny Paul), Jim Nabors, Jack Prince (Rafe Hollister), members of The Dillards (The Darlings) Mitch Jayne, Dean Webb, Rodney Dillard, Doug Dillard, their on-screen sister Maggie Peterson (Charlene), Bernard Fox (Malcolm Merriweather), Howard Morris (director as well as Ernest T Bass), director Earl Bellamy, Ron Howard, Clint Howard (Leon), Mary Grace Canfield (Mary Grace Gossage), George Lindsey, Betty Lynn, Hal Smith (on riding a cow), George Spence who was Frank the boyfriend in "Guest in the House" (there is an entire page on his memories of the show), Dennis Rush (played one of Opies pals, Howie Pruitt/Williams), Ruta Lee, Jack Dodson, Ken Berry, Paul Hartman's grandson Bill (one of my favorite quotes. He talks about how fans sent his grandfather Emmett radios and toasters to fix), Jack Dodson's widow Mary, associate producer Richard O. Linke, Arlene Gonlonka (Millie). Not an exhaustive list, but you get the idea. The quotes are all very positive. No bitterness in Mayberry.

My only qualm about the book is the lack of coverage of one of my favorite, and greatly unappreciated, characters Warren Ferguson. No Jack Burns quotes, I guess that is understandable. But beneath one of only three photos of him is the sarcastic caption: "Andy hires Floyd's nephew Warren Ferguson as Mayberry's new deputy, `know what I mean, huh-huh-huh?' (Please don't get him or us started)." Not keeping with the Mayberry spirit, in my opinion. Oh well, you can't have it all, I guess. The book ends with a very useful episode guide that includes a synopsis of each episode (some even include some extra tidbits or trivia) and guest characters with cast credits. It is an excellent addition to any TAGS fan's collection.

An excellent book and well put together. You will find amazing photographs of all the characters in the cast...and then some. One of the most interesting photos, in this book, is one of an ariel view of the Mayberry Town near Culver City, California. An actual town within a town.

I have read other books and also found them interesting with regard to the Andy Griffith show, but it was great to see all the pictures and read the personal comments of the stars and the people behind the scenes.

I believe that anyone , like myself, who really loved the show will enjoy this a great deal. Well done. This was one of my all time favorites shows and this book shows a lot of the people who made it such a great series.

"Murrow: His Life and Times" is a superb biography about Edward R. Murrow. No one had a greater impact in defining and shaping broadcast journalism than Murrow, and in highlighting the responsibility of journalists, broadcasters, government and citizens in a democracy. Television, he observed in 1954, "can teach, it can illuminate...but it can only do so to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends...otherwise it is merely lights and wires in a box." Whether his brilliant and breathtaking radio coverage from London of World War II, or his confrontation with red-baiting Senator Joe McCarthy, he was always principled, strong and courageous. Speaking of the anti-communist hysteria sweeping this country in the early fifties he would turn to Shakespeare, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves." As mass media races onto the Internet and enters a new digital era, the experiences and issues raised during Murrow's life become even more relevant. In the mid-fifties he warned, "the frontiers of knowledge have been pushed back, and the more that comes to be known, the less is understood...looking ahead to a time when human destinies are to be determined by the uses or abuses of new sources of almost unlimited physical power, one may ask if democracy will be able to develop the competence to deal with these complexities." He concluded, "If so, it must be through a broadening of education and the use of communications not yet realized, or perhaps even conceived." Murrow is a man for all times.

Edward R. Murrow was elusive. He was a pioneer radio and television broadcaster. His career arc did not include print journalism. His success was modern. Murrow, b. 1908, had a golden natured man for a father and a shrewd and enterprising woman for a mother. He ws the youngest of three sons. Black moods dogged his whole life. In the 1930's Murrow worked for a committee placing European scholars in American academic posts. He had contacts at CBS. At college, Washington State, he had been a speech major. At CBS, 1935, he became the Director of Talks. Murrow was also responsible for education and religion.

Radio was changing the world of politics. Overseas radio was primarily a novelty act. NBC had Alistair Cooke and so its coverage of the abdication crisis was better. Murrow was asked to take a job in London as the European director for CBS. William Shirer was offered the job of continental representative of CBS. When Germans invaded Austria, Murrow traveled to Vienna. His immensely successful career as a radio reporter, commentator, had begun. Murrow and Shirer used stamina and imagination to cover the developing crisis in Prague and elsewhere on the continent. Listeners were taken to Nuremburg to hear Hitler. At the end of September NBC and CBS radio braodcasts reported on Munich. Murrow sat with Jan Masaryk.

War finally came over Poland. CBS staff positions in the European capitals were filled. Murrow put in time everywhere. In the spring, blitzkrieg tactics caused the occupation of Belgium, the Netherlands. Norway fell. The Dunkirk evacuation took place. Churchill assumed office as Prime Minister. Commentators crowded into London. As neutrals CBS staff faced endless delays and red tape. A stringer, Vincent Sheean, became Murrow's boon companion. The reader is immersed with Murrow and company in rather delightful fashion in the events leading up to America's entry into World War II. A reader is able to sense in the author's careful descriptions the immediacy of war as brought to the radio listeners. Broadcasting brought facts and analysis to the audience in real time.

London was under air attack. Janet Murrow busied herself with the evacuation of children to America. The BBC moved broadcasting underground. Murrow inhabited freely both the upper class and the London ghetto. Eventually daytime operations ceased. It was not known at the time, but it was an RAF victory. Night bombings continued. With the approval of the censors American audiences were permitted to hear the sounds of a raid. Murrow conveyed the impersonal nature of the new technology of killing. Home news editor at the BBC, R.T. Clark, became a mentor to Murrow. He was versed in the classics and military history. In the fall of 1940 Shirer left for home from Portugal. He and Murrow had built up radio news from nothing. Home leave, 1941, proved to be a case of culture shock for the Murrows. In America there were no shortages. Murrow was effective because he did more than his job. Through happenstance he met with FDR Pearl Harbor night. He sat on the scoop that the President was determined to go to war. In the spring of 1942 the Murrows returned to London.

Murrow, disappointingly, had to coordinate CBS staff reports at headquarters during the operation of Overlord, the Normandy Invasion. In the end he was cut up with rage seeing the camps, Buchenwald and others. The Nazis had done a more thorough job of brutalizing the people than he had deemed possible. After an eighteen months' stint as an executive, Murrow returned to broadcasting. He was bitter over the death of George Polk in Greece in 1948. Polk had modeled himself on Murrow. In 1950 he took an unequivocal stand against Joe McCarthy and lost his sponsor. Regional sponsorship was arranged. Owen Lattimore commended Murrow for keeping the record straight on his case.

Fred Friendly and Murrow were ready, in 1951, to convert I CAN HEAR IT NOW to television. ALCOA sponsored SEE IT NOW. It needed to brighten its image. At the beginning of 1953, after doing an historic piece, 'Christmas in Korea,' he was exhausted. His view of the US was changing. Murrow's attack on McCarthy on SEE IT NOW was considered an act of courage by most people. It resulted in FBI scrutiny, he became a watched man. After McCarthy's demise, employers and news broadcasters were still treading gently. By 1957 Murrow was a celebrity, but SEE IT NOW was cut and he and Friendly were given SMALL WORLD. After speaking in Chicago to an association of journalists about the need for independence in television news, Murrow lost clout at CBS. Informally he was demoted. Fred Friendly became the sole executive producer of CBS Reports. One of the programs in which Murrow participated notably was 'The Harvest of Shame.' Murrow was appointed to head USIA under Kennedy. He resigned in 1964 and died in 1965.

Thank Heaven that this book - long out of print, I had my copy nailed down - has now been re-issued, and thank Heaven for the current renaissance in interest in this magnificent journalist and iconic human being. Murrow's speech to camera at the end of the McCarthy expose ought, if there is any justice, to be committed to memory by every American in the same way that the Gettysburg address is now.

As for the book itself - well, I bought my first copy in the early 1980s, Murrow having been a childhood hero. It's bit, it's beautifully written, and is it enough to say that my original copy is falling apart? And that all my Christmas present problems are now solved?

There are other good biographies (I'm a Murrow fanatic, if this isn't clear already)and I wouldn't fault any of them; and the newly-reissued DVD set of the Murrow Years is also essential and full of the most wonderful surprises. I guess that Sperber wrote the ur-text, and so this is probably the place to start. But thank you to everyone who remembered that he should not be forgotten. Meet a true American hero.

By the time most of us baby boomers were old enough to watch more substantive television fare than Felix the Cat, Edward R. Murrow was an aging icon without portfolio. He did not have the regular exposure of a Douglas Edwards, Chet Huntley, or David Brinkley. He would on occasion do spectacular work-as elementary school students we would discuss his "Harvest of Shame" documentary on the sufferings of migrant farm workers. But it was from our parents and older relatives that we inherited something of a sense of his importance in an earlier time, in the same fashion that they might speak of a Bob Taft or an Adlai Stevenson.

What we could not know in 1959, what biographer A.M. Sperber makes abundantly clear, is that we were watching the shell of a driven man who had exhausted his incredible stores of emotional energy to international cooperation, then to radio coverage of the horrors of World War II, and on to shape the formation of the CBS new department during the explosion of the television era and the age of McCarthy. Sperber traces the rise and decline of this charismatic, almost manic, entrepreneur from the most unlikely of origins, that of a lumberjack named Egbert who quickly realized the liabilities of his given name in the male work camps of Washington State.

Egbert, now Edward, chopped wood only long enough to scratch and claw his way into Washington State College. A student with fingers in many campus pies, he joined an organization called the International Institute of Education in 1931. The IIE in the early 1930's was a form of college student exchange program, one of its sponsors being the not-quite-ready-for-prime-time Columbia Broadcast System. When Murrow spoke at a West Coast gathering of IIE representatives, he earned himself election to the national office of the IIE in New York, a paid position there, and free air time on CBS radio. Murrow produced Sunday afternoon radio lectures and round table discussions, demonstrating a flair for attracting international speakers. As Murrow learned more about the plight of Jews in Germany from reporter [and later close friend] William Shirer, he used the machinery of the IIE in the United States to rescue as many Jewish intellectuals as possible and place them in American colleges. It was a tactic not universally appreciated, nor would his close cooperation with the Russians be forgotten by J. Edgar Hoover.

By the beginning of the Battle of Britain, Murrow was assigned full time by CBS to provide radio coverage of Hitler's assaults and to coordinate the company's European reporting network. It is impossible to capsulize here the horrors of those eighteen months for Murrow and for England generally, when every night brought a terror at least as awful as the World Trade Center bombing. Murrow created a network of European radio correspondents-many of whom would become household names in their own rights. He overcame industry biases against putting reporters on the air and using taped reports from the fields. But most of all, he revolutionized the very style of radio news into "factual storytelling" by his nightly accounts of German bombings that by happenstance occurred during the East Coast's prime time 7 P.M. radio news hour. Later, as the theater of war shifted east, Murrow was among the first western reporters to see first hand an operating extermination camp. He could not bring himself to talk about it over the air for several days.

Murrow returned to CBS in New York a conquering hero of sorts, the network's hottest property. Sperber does a good job in explaining why the postwar Murrow-CBS marriage was a stormy one. For one thing, the war years had reshaped Murrow into a cross between an Old Testament prophet and a posttraumatic stress sufferer. He would never be quite at home in an industry moving toward television, increased advertising dependence, and escapism. Secondly, Murrow was too much the prophet to claim objectivity. He would never be confused with, say, Bob Trout. Long before Woodward and Bernstein, Murrow crafted the art of investigative reporting for a presumably concerned nation, particularly through the medium of his weekly "See It Now" series, a rough and tumble forerunner of "60 Minutes." His most controversial television piece, his hour-long exposure of Joe McCarthy, was out and out editorializing, albeit accurate. In Murrow's mind, he was serving the common good. Others were not so sure. Thirdly, Murrow himself had a past that made him a potential network liability. When he produced his "Harvest of Shame" documentary, for example, hardly a paean for capitalism, those with long memories would recall his enthusiastic embrace of Russian intellectuals in the late 1930's with the IIE.

The great irony in the breakup of Murrow and CBS is that the deciding infidelity may possibly have been unintentional. In 1960, with quiz show scandals threatening the credibility of the television industry, CBS President Frank Stanton announced a policy to eliminate the appearance of deceit in any of his network's programming, not just quiz shows. When pressed as to the extent of this policy, the network cited other programming, including rather surprisingly Murrow's own "Person to Person" prime time home visits to celebrities. In one reading of this event, Stanton may have simply been protesting the pre-scripting of interview questions and the staged walk-through of the homes. Or, there may have been a subtler message. A young Harry Reasoner inquired of Murrow on air, in so many words, "why are you, the Jeremiah of the industry, wasting precious prime time with the innocuous drivel of fighters and starlets?"

Unlike Reasoner and Howard K. Smith, who felt no compunction about switching networks, Murrow lived and died CBS. Illness and ultimately death interrupted his stint as window dressing for the Kennedy administration in 1965. Perhaps his prodigious cigarette smoking had finally claimed him. More likely, it was the pressure of living so many lives in one frail human shell.

Since its publication in 1986, no other biography on Edward R. Murrow has been written that can depose A.M. Sperber's magnificent work. "Murrow: His Life and Times" is, by far, the best biography written to date on America's first, and possibly last, great broadcasting journalist.

Sperber's book captures the essence of Murrow's life from a young intellectual to his rise from college campuses to directorship of the "Institute of International Education" and to Murrow's début at CBS where he broadcasted the bombing of London during World War II. It was during this period that Murrow demonstrated, so clearly, his finesse with the American audience as they listened to his broadcast of the traumatic events as they unfolded in World War II Europe.

Sperber's methodical research, numerous interviews, attention to detail, and her writing give the reader a close and personal look at the extraordinary triumphs and tragedies that made up Murrow's life. Readers are able to follow Murrow's footsteps and virtually see into his world, as he became the voice of World War II and the voice for America. Murrow's denunciation of Senator Joseph McCarthy's treatment of Americans during the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) hearings set into motion the senator's decline and closed a dark chapter in American politics -- all with his rational, yet forceful manner of speaking.

Sperber writes of Murrow's journalistic integrity and his struggles for openness and frankness in the media -- ideals that brought Murrow into constant conflict with CBS. The author also illustrates Murrow's battle with tobacco addiction - an addiction that would have devastating affects on Murrow's health. An entire life flawlessly researched and written in 705 captivating pages that will embrace readers today as it did when the book was first published 1986. After reading Sperber's book the reader will understand why CBS headquarters in New York City still displays a plaque in their lobby which contains the image of Murrow and the inscription: "He set standards of excellence that remain unsurpassed."

"Murrow: His Life and Times" should be required reading for students of communications and those working in media. There is no better chronicle of America's greatest broadcasting journalist. Readers will find this book hard to put down once they begin reading it. It is superb in every respect and the very best biography on Edward R. Murrow.