Dance Books

The end, on post-production, is priceless. Especially the material about adding the score. But I think Louis B. Mayer comes out as the true hero, because of his skill at balancing commercial and artistic considerations.

Lillian Ross's books "Picture" and "Portrait of Hemingway" were listed as two of the top 100 best-of-the-century works of Journalism compiled by 36 judges working under the aegis of New York University.

Lillian Ross made her name with this New Yorker series about a half century ago. It was startling in its cynical and very humerous view of the self important and self delusional power players at MGM. With all that we have learned about this industry during the intervening 50 years the story has lost much of its potency, but is still a classic of the genre.

I read it in its original form all those years ago. It was a wonderful and hilarious read. But the protagonists, of course, were extremely upset and hated it. Happily,Lillian has survived; still writing for New Yorker.

Lillian Ross has given movie fans and those with a serious interest in film an extraordinary book about the final days of the studio system--and shows exactly why it collapsed. A few years later the independent film-maker emerged, and another book details that experience. Interestingly enough, both books deal with Audie Murphy. Like the Ross book, A THINKER'S DAMN by William Russo recounts the foibles of movie-making, this time in Saigon with Joe Mankiewicz in 1957. Each provides a timeless impression of a bygone movie era.

Lillian Ross, a writer for the New Yorker, heads to Hollywood in 1950 to watch John Huston make his next picture, "The Red Badge of Courage" at MGM, and manages to capture a horrifying snapshot of the studio system at its worst during a difficult time of transition for the film industry. She happens to be on hand to see Louis B. Mayer forced out and Dore Schary installed as studio head while the film is in mid-production. There are several scenes of Huston grinning and bearing it as Schary pompously lectures the great director of "The Maltese Falcon," "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and "The African Queen" on how to make a movie. Schary pompously cites how he "solved story problems" in several of his own stodgy, now-forgotten pet projects as producer, like "The Next Voice You Hear." In one hillarious scene we see Arthur Freed, MGM's great producer of musicals, playing yes-man to Schary, and we glean, perhaps, how Freed, by appeasing the new boss, managed to keep some autonomy for his own expensive production unit through much of Schary's cost-cutting reign.

Then come the ill-conceived (or deliberately rigged) sneak previews. This serious war drama is screened at a local theater for an audience that came to see a Ginger Rogers romantic comedy, and the audience response is... (surprise!) vociferously negative. They find the film depressing, and many walk out. The old adage that new executives try to kill the projects put into the works by their predecessors may apply. Schary uses these preview results to justify having the movie re-cut while Huston is out of the country working on another film.

Anyone who suspects that there never was a golden age of Hollywood without inept executives and corporate committees will enjoy this book. You wonder how anything good ever gets made. Cynics will chuckle, film lovers will just shake their heads in sorrow. Of course, there is that other adage about not wanting to see how the sausage gets made...

I found Tom Mangelsen's gallery in Jackson a few months ago, and while I was there, I had a chance to see many of his just downright stunning images.

As an aspiring wildlife photographer, I truly appreciate the superb work of Tom Mangelsen. Also, while in his gallery, I had the chance to talk to as well as meet Mr. Mangelsen himself.

This book is just simply stunning. I cannot think of any other description. The many different images of the polar bear in its natural environment has to be seen to be appreciated.

What I like the most about this book over so many other "nature" books is that we get to see the many facets of the polar bears life, from the tender side with a mother and her babies, to the savage nature of these beautiful animals...not just some glossy expose that says nothing.

I would encourage anyone who loves nature photography, whether you are a "couch" photographer/explorer or are planning on a career in wildlife photography.

Heartily recommended!!!!

Mangelsen has created an outstanding work of art that can be appreciated by polar bear lovers and nature lovers alike. The intentional ommission of captions until the end of the book allows the reader to view each photo as a work of art, absorbing the beauty and magic of each piece. It is an essential coffee table book for those intrigued and mystified by the polar bear, and strongly recommended for anyone who enjoys nature photography. A definite bargin in the world of nature photography books.

This is an essential book for polar bear and nature photography lovers alike. There are over 250 photos of polar bears, and arctic wildlife captured in the beautiful frozen world they live in.

I found the photography truly captivating. The adorable bears are shown splashing in the water, dancing, taking afternoon naps & wandering through the snow. There is even one of the mother making friends with a sled dog.

I was deeply touched by the many images of the cubs snuggling close to their mother. I found the other wildlife photos featuring many foxes and birds equally impressive. The captions for all the images are in the back of the book.

Along with the pictures, there is a wonderful story of a year in the life of a mother polar bear & her 2 cubs. The author switches pleasingly between factual accounts of the arctic world, folklore, & the personal story of the bear family.

I discovered the work of Thomas Mangelson about ten years ago in Jackson, Wyoming, when I stumbled across a gallery devoted to his work. The most famous image there, the one of two grown polar bears "dancing," is on the cover of this book.

The book encapsulates all the artistry of this outstanding photographer. As difficult as it is to capture wildlife images, it's doubly so when you are photographing white animals against snow! Mangelson spends some four months a year in the Arctic, enlarging his huge repertoire of images. I can't begin to imagine the patience and meticulous attention to detail that is required to gather these pictures, but I'm glad Mangelson can!

I love the fact that this book shows the chronological sequence in the life of a bear family, and also that it doesn't have captions on each page. That allows you to follow the sequence of images undisturbed by human intrusion - you become a part of the life cycle, so to speak. Mangelson's work enables the viewer to see the bears as a complex family unit in addition to their usual portrayal as hardy predators. It cannot fail to move the viewer; this is a book to savor again and again.

I'm a huge fan of just about every image this photographer has ever published, and this book is, to me, the culmination of his work. I recommend it to everyone, bear fan or not!

Polar Dance is in my opinion the most mind-blowing book on bears I have ever seen. I am an artist who works with faux fur, specializing in the creation of all species of bears. Polar Dance is the most treasured of all my wildlife books. The photographs of the ice bear taken so sensitively evokes my deepest emotions each time I turn the pages. I can almost feel the cold and snow out there on the Arctic. I reach for this book often for inspiration and even comfort. I never cease to be amazed at how beautifully Thomas Mangelsen has portrayed the "Tiger of the North". Certainly he has done justice to perhaps the most magnificent of God's creatures. Polar Dance is more than a book. It is a work of art.

I just finished reading Corinne Marshall's book "The Q Guide to Will & Grace". I loved it. After finishing it, I realized that it's not an easy book to write. It requires a myriad of fine insights and keen observations, and then the ability to weave these not only with the show and its stories, but also with the broader themes of the show as a whole. She gets into the background of the show, its creation, characters, actors, peppers the book with lots of interesting quotes, and just does a terrific job of writing a thoroughly interesting book that's smart and entertaining and warmly funny. Her understanding of why the show works and her ability to share this with the reader without getting tutorial makes the book wonderful and fun to read. It's amazing what she can do with just 200 pages of large type!

Ms. Marshall's genius is well displayed here.

Sure, the show is great, but what I really wanted to know was how the book was going to measure up... and they NAIL IT here. So many great breakdowns and references, totally comprehensive, it all came back to me. I MISS MY WILL AND GRACE!!!!

It's clear this author loves the show as much as I do - and then some. Insightful and hilarious, it's good for any real fan. And it may create some new fans of the show too.

I was pleasantly surprised at Marshall's behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite shows. Honestly, I had no idea about half the stuff she describes! Very informative, very candid and hilarious (not that that should be a surprise). This is a must-have for fans of "W&G."

I don't know why it's taken so long for something like this to be available. I loved this show so much, and was surprised that there wasn't any sort of gay fan book for it or something. There's actually a lot of info about the show that I didn't even know about. And it has quizzes, which was super fun! I miss this show! Nothing like it is on the air anymore. But at least I can still learn a lot of new stuff about it and get a regular Will, Grace, Karen and Jack fix.

If you are a I Love Lucy fan this is the book for you.
It has some of the neatest quotes, Funniest quotes, and your favorite quotes. It may be short but it is worth long time and effort. So this is the book for you Lucy fans !!!!!!!!

I was out finishing the very LAST of my Christmas shopping when what do my wonderous eyes see? This Quotable "I Love Lucy Book"! What a treasure!!

I leafed through the book and immediately had to get it as a Christmas gift to myself! Any Lucy fan whether it is yourself or a friend or family member will LOVE to get this book!

Although it is by no means a hard read and is full of quotes from Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred with wonderful clear pictures, the Lucy afficenado can tell a lot of time went in picking the quotes out of the many episodes and formatting them into this handy book (129 pages for those who like page counts). I should say a lot of time and a lot of Lucy TLC for the fans of "I Love Lucy" were given from the compiler (Stephanie Chizek)of this work.

As a Lucy fan, I was taken very much by this little golden nugget of Lucy quotes and highly recommend this book for the many Lucy fans and for those with Lucy libraries. This is a MUST and you won't regret one minute for buying this book!

"The Quotable I Love Lucy" is an absolute treasure! With hilarious pictures and quotes, how can one not love Lucy and the gang? The style of the book is great and the introduction is insightful. If you ever wondered what Lucy was saying during "Vitmeatavegamin," wonder no more, as they have that quote in here! I must have for Lucy lovers - I recommend.

With its informative introduction by Tom Watson, The Quotable "I Love Lucy" is a wonderfully presented, memorable volume filled with a superb selection of the best moments and wittiest verbal gags of a truly classic television show that has become an icon of American popular culture from the 1950s down to the present day (thanks to perpetual reruns on Nick At Night). Black-and-white photographs of the unforgettable Lucy and Ricky Ricardo spice up this hilarious selection of classic vignette quotes and mini-scenes. The Quotable "I Love Lucy" is a welcome giftbook for fans of one of the greatest comedy series of all time and a "must" for all Lucy fans everywhere!

I loved this!! i saw it at the store and i was like "o my gosh i gotta have this!!" so i bought it and read thru it. its a bunch of quotes, some of them are really cute, and pictures from episodes. its a nice hard cover and i just loved it! Recently i have seen episodes that i hadn't seen before and just reading that book i knew a dialouge by heart and could recite it along with the person saying it. such as when lucy is asking Ricky to be in the show at the Palladium and she says "...if you dont let me be in that show at the Palladium i'll give you such a punch you'll talk funnier than you do now!" and "Do you know how many times i'll have to sing 'Babalu' to pay for that house?"~Ricky. its really an adorable book that i treasure. they also include the entire Vitameatavegamin speech before and after she is drunk. its definetly for ANY Lucy fan. And i am definetly a Lucy fan!!!
"Its not the gift that counts. Its the lack of thought behind it." ~ Lucy

One of our favorite children's books. Illustrations are outstanding, text is clever. Really a wonderful book. Highly recommended!

This book was one that any age could enjoy. It showed how a child can get his or her dream fulfilled, as Bojangles dream of becoming a tap dancer became reality at a very young age. Also, the illustrations are great, and they add to Bojangles journey. This book also shows the race barrier being broken, as Bojangles who is black, starts working in the white theatres and makes a lot of money doing it. Overall, this book was very well done.

We checked this book out from the library and haven't taken it back now for months. We are going to purchase it today so that someone else can borrow it too. My 2 year old son absolutley loves this book! He is very particular and asks for certain books to be read and this one gets read at least once a day. He remembers the story line & loves to say "Rap A Tap Tap" at the appropriate times. The illustrations are wonderful and I am so glad we found such a beautiful book.

As Leo and Diane Dillon tell the reader in their illuminating Afterword: "Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949) is know as the greatest tap dancer of all time. His fame has reached mythic proportions. He had charm and charisma and, it was said "He talked with his feet." His rhythms were so intricate and fast it was impossible for other dancers to repeat some of them..." The Dillon's introduce a whole new generation to the sheer joy of Mr Bojangles, a dancer who made "art with his feet" in this deceptively simple and creative picture book biographical sketch. Their short rhyming text with its engaging and repetitive "Rap a tap tap-think of that!" is filled with rhythm and motion. But it's their clever, bold, bright, and elegant illustrations that make this book stand out and sparkle, and youngsters will feel the passion and energy with each page turn as they watch Bojangles almost dance off the pages. Perfect for little ones 3-7, Rap A Tap Tap is a playful and captivating, interactive celebration of both Bill Robinson and tap dance...Rap a tap tap-think of that!

Boasting two Caldecott Medals, the Society of Guild Illustrators' Gold Medal, three Coretta Scott King Awards, four "Boston Globe-Horn Book" Awards, three "New York Times" Best Illustrated Book Awards, the NAACP Image Award, and honorary doctorates from Parsons ("make it work!") School of Design, Leo and Diane Dillon have an impressive collective vita, as well as enough honors to re-write "The 12 Days of Christmas" as a list of their multiple wards and honors.

Fine and good, what have they done for us lately?

Well, in 2002, they captured another King Award with the graphic stylings, and rhythmic narration of "Rap A Tap Tap," their kids' story about famed tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson." Leave the bittersweet side of the story to the Sammy Davis, Jr. song; this Bojangles is a jovial dandy--wearing a fancy suit or tuxedo, bow tie, boutonniere, top hat, a cane, and one great big Pied Piper of a smile. The Dillons remove him from movie studios and dance halls, focusing mainly on Bojangles the street dancer, entertaining crowds of ordinary people wherever he found them. Thus, we see Bojangles' moves in a variety of settings: On the street, in a park, a bus stop, a market by an elevated train, in front of a church, inside a movie theater and by a fancy hotel. The Dillons capture the tension and dramatic flair of his entire body, his high stepping moves, and especially his active legwork, the latter through multiple images suggesting movement.

While this is not a biography of Bojangles (the only real reference is an informative, albeit necessarily sanitized four-paragraph afterwards), the Dillons largely chose not to set the book with a particular era. How much more interesting it would have been to see more images of the 20's and 30's, or Bojangles in a theater or on a movie set. The bold graphic arts style sets Bojangles' dancing apart from the colorful poster-like backgrounds, but the illustrations only hint at what made him great. You feel the joyous emotions of Bojangles and his fans much more than see his famous footwork and iconic routines. This isn't a huge problem, but it may limit the RAP A TAP TAP to a somewhat younger audience.

Still, there's an undeniable power to the uncluttered illustrations, they rely heavily on big basic shapes, and the interaction of the joyful crowds and the always-giving Bojangles. Except for one clinking line mentioned by a reviewer above ("He briefly paused to pat an old cat') the words sound wonderful, alternating smooth alliteration with a dance=matched syncopated beat. The oversized pages, quality paper, and excellent color reproduction make this a keeper, befitting the transcendent fame of its subject.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down until I was through. Congratulations on an excellent delivery. Waiting for Kokopelli's Dream.

A friend of mine suggested this book to me, I told me it would be worth the effort taken to find it. I couldn't agree more. The life story of Manny Twofeathers told in his words is a inspiration.

Manny is by no means a polished author, but the plain language and the raw presentation help to make this a much more compelling and effective book.

With some of the graphic descriptions of the sacrifices and ceremony involved in the Sundances,

I would suggest this book to anyone who is looking for some inspiration as they make there way through a long and troubled journey.

I found myself identifying with the authors sense of wandering and how he found his true spirit within the sundance. The path he chose was not easy nor seen as sensable. Yet through his commitment and spiritual awarness, the author was able to achive the greater sense of self we all desire.

Road to Sundance is very well written and enlightening. I thank Manny Twofeathers for telling us of his journey. anyone who has any interest in Indian traditions or is looking for their spiritual path should read this. Ambyr

As one who knows Manny and is a Sundancer I recommend this book to anyone who truely wants some understanding of this most beautiful and powerful prayer. Manny's descriptions of how he got to this road and the road he traveled are straightforward and descriptive without loosing the respect for the ceremony. He describes the heart it takes to follow the Sundance Road.

A unique voice that took her life too soon. These plays are an important testament to the IN Your Face Theater that lashed out in the 90s. Sometimes mistaken for pointless violence, Kane has a brilliant ability to cut to the heart of humanity and explore the darker aspects of our own kind.

Sarah Kane's collected plays represent an underestimated force in theater. Much like the work of Elfriede Jelinek or Ntozake Shange, Kane takes a private pain (losing oneself in another or testing the limits of proclaimed love) and creates a verbal landscape that the audience must inhabit, either by force of shock or noble acceptance of empathy. In either case, her plays must be reckoned with upon finishing. I think perhaps the most intriguing and powerful to me was 4.48 Psychosis, her final and posthumously performed play. There are no defined characters because who cannot claim a piece within the multitude of confessions that the play really unfolds as. Brutally honest and intentionally confrontational, this play, above the others, embodies the last possible moments of hope in anyone's life. Kane's characters rarely make the choice to latch on to these moments, but they are there and cannot be ignored.

One of the strongest women writers that lived, she revolutionized theatre and her death was unfortunate robbed theatre of her potential. A Great collection of her complete work at a great price. Cleansed was my favorite in the collection. Her work is so poetic, stark, honest, painful, and brutal.

These are the most electric scripts to arrive in a long while. Sadly, the source was snuffed in 1999. Kane's writing is at once repellent and seductive. "Blasted" is exceptional, riffing on Beckett blatantly, but still signature of a visionary voice: inyerface, exuberant, filthy, poetic, profound. As a debut, it is truly remarkable. "Phaedra's Love" and "Cleansed" push the envelope past the hyper-real into lightning-bright brilliance, and with thunderous emotional depth. How does one stage this stuff? Kane's challenging work sets the imagination--and ultimately, the soul--on fire.

Sarah Kane is anything but family friendly. Her plays are raw, brutal, and yet beautiful in an ironic way. She takes all of the hate that exists in this world and uses it to show us the beauty that can come from the ruble of a blown up building. There is no way to actually describe Sarah Kane to you to make you want to buy her book. I was forced to buy it because of a class at my college, but I don't think I'll be selling this one back. I never thought I would enjoy a play such as Blasted. If you want to understand what my review actually means, buy the book, read a couple of her pieces and then read this again. I'm sure you will understand then.

I couldn't put this book down. As a tapper, who is into hoofing and rythm tap, this book was amazing. It explains not only Savin's life and his career but how he uses his shoes to do what he does. This book brings an element of percusion into the dance world that needs to be more widely used.

We've been hearing his wonderful rhythms for years, now we finally get to hear his voice. What a true inspiration! This book just makes you want to jump up and start moving your feet. Believe me, this book is not just for children. I used it as required reading for my advanced tap class at the local college.

Great design, photos, behind the scenes of one of the greatesttap dancers, Savion Glover! All the info on Savion in one quick read- great for all ages.

Thank you sir for sharing your wonderful inner world of rhythm with the world! You are an inspiration to all of us who make a living lacing up those tap shoes everyday. Your loving and pricelesss contribution to this wonderful artform are greatly appreciated and honored.

Hello to all those tappers out there - I love all of you - Including you Savion. My name is Vaughan and I am actually Australian. My mother taught me how to tap ever since I could stand on two feet. Now, I'm 19 years old. And I'm a professional tap dancing teacher in Japan. Let me just say that I could relate a lot with what Savion was talking about. His views on tap and the way he wants it to go.

It's a fun book to read - with some great action tap shots of Savion throughout his life. The layout is very original, and very creative - it was nice to take my mind off my uni degree for a couple of hours and learn about this extremely successful tap dancer. Someone who I didn't know too much about, but now somehow believe that I've known him all my life.

It's a great art - Tap Dancing. And I wish there were people who could indulge themselves in a couple of professional / guest classes. I go around all of Japan teaching in my holidays, and I try to get as many people involved. Maybe because not many people do it, thats what makes it so unique. Thanks Savion - for following your dreams and publishing this book. It was a great read.

Your fellow Tap Dancer... Vaughan

There are books written by people that have never made any movies at all and there are books that are written by people that HAVE made movies. This is a book about the second case scenario.

This is essential reading for someone interested about what its like to get your movie script up and running and produced, all the ins and outs of the movie business you need to know about. Its a no nonsense approach to the business end of movie making, nothing more and nothing less. It is brief and easy to read and gives your purely the facts. It is not some etherial, hypothetical and theoretical conceptual model of what someone thinks the movie business might be like, it is cold hard facts by someone that has done the business, writing The Thomas Crown Affair and Bullit as his major calling cards.

Only minor drawback was that some of his writing is a little hard to understand I think because he is using coloquial lingo that Im not familiar with because I dont live in the same street as him, but regardless of that it was a good quick read.

Well recommended, gives some illuminating insights into the movie world everyone wants to get into.

My best friend gave me this book for my birthday. I'm an aspiring screenwriter and needed to get all the insight I could into the business. This book is great. Buy it!

When you think of great screenwriters, Alan Trustman is right up there on the top of the list with the Goldman Brothers and Ron Bass. This is a great book. Trustman doesn't beat around the bush. He tells it the way it is for better or worse. I couldn't recommend this with any more enthusiasm.

Two of my favorite films are "The Thomas Crown Affair" and "Bullitt." Alan Trustman wrote both of them. How lucky we are to have a screenwriter of this ilk share his thoughts on the business with us. It's a great read. I recommend it highly.

This is the only book of which I am aware that describes truthfully the economics of the business and the way it is structured to keep out everyone, and particularly the waves of talented young people who flood to Hollywood every year, hoping to make it in the business.
It is written for the benefit of those kids, so they will understand what is going on and what they can do to crack the magic circle fame and fortune A-list.
Unless you know what you are walking into, you are doomed, no matter how talented you are, unless you are unbelievably lucky, and no one in his right mind should bet his life on odds which are that stacked against you.
Don't let anyone you care about go to Hollywood unless they have read it...

I am so glad this book is still in print (it was first published in 1904, I think). My original copy was second-hand and it would be awful to think I couldn't get another! Bradley is so illuminating on Shakespeare's intentions, and on the characters of his great tragic figures. If nothing else, read his brilliant discussion of Macbeth - it will convince you that, for a perspective on human nature, for conceiving a dramatic character whole, Bradley was as great a critic as Shakespeare was a playwright. Don't miss him!

Bradley offers some of the most eloquent, complete, and balanced criticisms of the tragedies that I have yet read. Unlike so many literary critics of today, Bradley does not disdain to view Shakespeare's characters as actual people, which lends his view of the works a sense of import and meaning which so few critics manage to convey. These lectures are necessary reading for anyone at all who wishes to understand Shakespeare's tragedies better, actors, directors, and academics alike.

A.C. Bradley wrote these lectures in 1904, and the book has gone through at least 26 printings. It is significant that the Folger Shakespeare Library has republished these lectures. They are hugely important and vibrantly written. I am sure my father read these in college, and I know my son did, too. I'm glad I finally got around to them! You will be, also, for all the reasons that other reviewers have noted.

(Amazon should spell Macbeth's name correctly - not as "MacBeth"!) This has for almost a century been, and continues to be today, one of the most important books on Shakespeare's best and most popular tragedies. For much of the time since around 1930, it has been severely criticised: on the grounds, chiefly, that the author is too much inclined to respect or have sympathy for the heroes (which he is), and that he treats them too much like "real" people (which he does, and which they aren't).

Yet, for all that, Bradley's approach to the heroes as though they were characters we all know has revealed a great deal about what Shakespeare has made those characters, and those who see the characters as complex and psychologically worth exploring identify a more significant aspect of Shakespeare's interest in humans and his art than do many of Bradley's opponents. Moreover, the detail of his examinations of the texts makes it possible to probe much with him, even if one continues to question or quarrel with him on the way (and he is not infrequently demonstrably wrong). Thus this remains a work of criticism which is inspirational and searching even if at times quite wrongheaded; and every serious reader of Shakespeare (including actors and directors) should read this book and own it. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University, South Australia

In his opening chapter Bradley defines for us the essence of Shakespearean tragedy. He points out that Tragedy involves the fall of a great hero, but that this fall does not come as random event or as willful act of God , but rather through the results and consequences of the action of the hero himself. He points out too that the effect of this fall is not to leave us in despair or depression, but rather to leave us with a sense of the wonder, mystery and greatness of life i.e. that paradoxically Shakespearean tragedy has an effect on its audience which is uplifting. And this though the hero invariably is killed at the end.
Bradley points out also that the death in tragedy is not the slow crawling death of an illness, but comes out of a sudden violent effect of the action. This too sharpens our sense of wonder and mystery.
The heroes of tragedy and their stories somehow give us a feeling of life and its terrible end which magnifies our feeling of 'greatness' while somehow leaving us more humbled.
I do not know if the paragraphs written above translate Bradley in a completely accurate way.
I do know his writing is inspirational, moving and uplifting. The criticism of the plays makes you want to know and read the plays more.
This is the kind of Literary criticism which is great literature in and by itself.