Arts and Entertainment Books

J. D. Sumner is beloved among gospel music fans for his bass voice and sense of humour, and Elvis Presley was one of his biggest fans. J. D. and the Stamps Quartet toured and recorded with Elvis from 1972 until the end in 1977. This book is full of fun stories about those years, and the friendship the two singers had. It is not an Elvis biography, many writers have done that elsewhere, just a collection of reminiscenses from one of Elvis' closest friends. It becomes clear early in the book how much Elvis idolized J. D., always referring to him as "Mr. Sumner", even though there was only a few years separating them age-wise. After concerts, Elvis would invite the Stamps up to his suite to sing gospel all night. Gospel was his first love, musically, and he liked to feature the Stamps in his shows regularly (singing "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" or "Why Me Lord"). It might surprise some fans to read that, yes, Elvis was a Christian, especially when we've been inundated with tabloid type tales about Elvis' later years. J. D. was there, he knew what the man was really like, not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, just a believer struggling to live out his life the way he should. Although J. D. has passed on, I'm confident he and his friend Elvis are singing together together again, singing praises to the King.

You've read about Elvis' love of Southern Gospel music. This book tells how The Stamps Quartet and others came to be a part of the excitement we knew as "Elvis". It tells of the ups and downs of travelling. the business end of things, the generosity of Elvis Presley. You'll gain knowledge from this book and you'll be glad you have it. I too am glad, but mine is signed to me by Mr J.D. Sumner. You'll see pictures of the Stamps Qt and Elvis, the Stamps tour bus with TCB on the side. Even a picture of the check Elvis signed, to J.D Sumner, as a down payment on the tour bus. Add this to your collection, you'll be glad you did.

It's easy to forget the importance of alternative media figures like de Antonio, but he was Michael Moore before there was Michael Moore (and he did it with an intellectual seriousness that MM can't touch). I read this book in a college class and was blown away: the author writes beautifully (how many academics do that?), he really brings the 60s and 70s alive as we read about Nixon, Ho, Weatherman, the Berrigans, and he shows the importance of using media creatively/politically for cultural critique. If this isn't relevant in the age of Bush, when every media appearance is stage managed like a puppet show, I don't know what is. A must read for anyone interested in the noisy intersection of media and politics. Well done.

I had never even heard of de Antonio, but Randolph Lewis has now sparked my interest in his films, and in American documentary filmmaking more generally. A truly masterful work!

If you are a lover of movies & cinema,(in general), then this book is a wonderful addition to your library. This book is, as the title says, an encyclopedic book regarding the silent movie actresses from 1895-1930.

I bought this book because I just love the history of cinema. I was looking for a book that would give me a background on the very first actresses (ie:females) that started it all ....(ie: the silent movie actresses). Well, I sure found it in this book!

I only wish the author would write a similar encyclopedia regarding the MALE silent film stars (ie: the actors) , because I'd buy that too!

True-live drama and bibliographic coverage marks an A-Z reference of women in films from 1895-1930: a reference which refutes the notion that men dominated the film industry in those early years. Many women were crucial to the development of cinema, and An Encyclopedic Dictionary Of Women In Early American Films tells their stories, includes well over a hundred black and white photos, and lists film credits alongside biographical sketches.

Joan Rivers book-"Enter talking" was a really good book and introduced em to details about her life as a child and her personally.. It felt like i was sitting there-listening to Joan talk/. I think this is a really good book and i think many people would enjoy it.

Joan Rivers did a fabulous job with this. She was extremely honest in her descriptions with show business and describes the "business" of it so openly. Her vulnerability and strength are intertwined so vividly.She is funny,honest,intelligent,good-hearted and insecure as most, but brave enough to admit it. I would highly recommend the audiotape and book as well. It is a great tool for anyone dealing with the emotional aspects of show business rejections. Joan Rivers proves that not only has she been a survivor thru tremendous hardships,but that she is indeed a fragile,yet strong human being. The audio makes for great listening for days stuck in traffic jams.

As a veteran of over forty years on Broadway as a scenic, lighting and projection designer, I can say without hesitation that there is no other resource more valuable than The Entertainment Sourcebook. This wonderful resource is compiled by the folk who do the hard, often unseen and unmentioned, work that make us with prominent program credits look good on opening night. Not only are the listings accurate, but they are constantly monitored by the members of ATAC, added to, and changed or eliminated when required. So you're always up-to-date. In this age of fast-paced change in "the business", it's extra vital to be well informed. I'd bet my Tony nominations on this book. In fact without it, I'd probably not have them. And a big "hat's off" to the people of ATAC who make this great ever changing resource possible.

The Association of Theatrical Artists and Craftspeople is the professional trade association of artists, designers and craftspeople who work in the industry - some of the most talented available - and their 2005 Entertainment Sourcebook is a 'must' for any serious theater production, outlining sources for jeweler's tools, specialized paints and dyes, theatrical supply houses, and much more. Listings display phone, fax and email contacts, include web sites, phones, hours and addresses, and add a synopsis of both payment methods holdings. Simply invaluable for any industry pro.

Searing and bold begins to describe the second book of John Menesini who wrote The Last Great Meat Million in 03 and was a great success..Epitaph will take your breath away..it is a refreshing change and perfect for its genre....I urge the reading public to purchase a copy..................



dianne yurosky

I enjoyed Epitaph ..it is terse and powerful as John Menesini's first book...I am very proud of his achievements and not biased as I am his mother...

It has always been said around my place that if you can play a full set of layla (including the derek and the dominos segment) straight, you're pretty damn good guitarist. Truth is, though, until I got this book, I couldn't find a true transcription of the original Layla. So here you have it. The beautiful 22 pages of joy. Of course, Layla isn't the only piece of food on the shiny plate. Besides such classics as "Knockin on Heaven's Door", "Cocaine", and "Alberta", LIFE IN THE BLUES offers an extremely professional look at all of Claptons hits. If I have any complaint, it is exactly that. Nearly all of the songs included are hits. But then agian, this is one of the only books that actually has all of these hits in Tablature form, not to mention Tabs for all of the guitars that are playing, in a professional manner. The book also includes a nice little discography, and a 'concise', as they call it, biography. Of course the biography is quick and short, with nothing but facts included. It's about 6 pages long. Overall, if you are serious about playing Clapton, this should deffinetly be a book to get. It's also great for keyboard (and includes lyrics).

All the Clapton Blues classic are included, very well written and easy to understand, but remember, Eric Clapton is not for beginners, for those who know what they are doing - becareful - you won't be able to stop :) at least I can't. Oh, yea, one more thing, for those who just started with the guitar and are dying to play some Eric Clapton, I strongly recommend buying the 'unplugged' book because he plays there with only one guitar, and it is easier to figure out. But for experts who are playing with friends this book is an excellent choice.

This is a great book! It's one of the best that I've ever read about Eric Clapton. If you're interested in the exact way he felt during the different times of his life and career, then this is the book to get.

This a great book. This book lets you inside the mind and world of one of the worlds greatest guitarist/songwriters of all time.
He talks about growing up without his parents, early days of his music career.Eric also talks about his time in bands:Yardbirds, Cream, John Mayall and the Blues Breakers, Blind Faith and his Seventies/Eighties solo work. You also get his opinion on other guitarists playing. This is an absolute must have if you are a guitar player or just a long time fan of Eric Clapton.There are some great black and white pictures of people Eric has worked with.

It's hard to imagine what the American theater community would have been like without the great Eva La Gallienne. Fortunately, I purchased the Shanke's book, "Shattered Lives: The Story of Eva La Gallienne" and received it a few days earlier. What disappointed me about that book was the fact it focused so much on Eva's sexual orientation from a homosexual male perspective. Of course, Eva's sexuality is only part of her. In Sheehy's book, the author spends a lot of time in explaining this wonderful actress' life without doting too much on her sexuality. Who cares if Eva perferred the company of women really. It didn't stop her from being a major figure in establishing theater in the country. She performed everywhere, Seattle, New York, Washington D.C. Chicago, etc. Sadly, she never found the love of her life in other women but her true love was theater. It was on the stage that she became superfigure of a woman who can do so much. She wrote books and translated Ibsen and Chekhov. She should never be forgotten as one of the groundbreakers in American theater. This book does not dwell too much on her sexuality which I recommend for that reason alone. Eva was a remarkable lady and a grand dame of the theater.

Not only do I feel that the author gave a clear and unbiased picture of Eva's life, but in the reading of this book, I was inspired as a theatre artisan myself. Eva is an important yet often overlooked historical figure, and I am recommending this book to all of my theatre friends. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.

This book gives a lot of information about Ewan McGregor. It has detailed info on where he was born, his relatives, and what he felt about every movie or tv show he made. The pictures are also fabulous! If you're an Ewan fan, you should definitely get this book.

I think it is a great book with very hot pictures of Ewan, but it need a little more info on him But it does have a lot of interesting and useful info, with a couple funny stories and some quotes.Lots of good pictures that arent anywhere else. A great book for the Ewan fan.