Arts and Entertainment Books

This book just takes me back to the Woodstock Days....I was 19 and never went as I had a 3 month old baby at the time..lived in Brooklyn..reading Elliot Tibbers book about the White Lake area brings back such funny memories as my parents used to take my brother and I to the bungalow colonies in Monicello NY and Woodridge area each summer.
I was just cracking up at his accurate discriptions of the area and reading this book reminded me so much of my own Jewish parents and paternal grandmother from Minsk, Russia.
Wonderful book!

wow. a great book to collectors of woodstock trivia and the awful
stuff during that time of vietnam to one of peace and music! the
author shows a great ability to tell a story that kept me glued to the
pages. read it overnight!!! someone ought to make a movie of this
unusual tale.

The above would be an appropriate subtitle for this heartfelt but energetic and witty coming-of-age autobiography/memoir by Elliot Tiber, whose main claim to fame is that he fought the petty politics and narrow-mindedness of his small town of Bethel, NY, in order to make possible the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

The author (born Eliyahu Teichberg) grew up in the richly ethnic neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in an emotionally-starved but hardworking family with his Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. His father worked as a roofer, while his mother ran a housewares store in which they all helped out. Elliot finished college and began a moderately successful career in art design, primarily starting out dressing store windows and painting murals for rich Manhattanites. A trip to the Catskills resulted in the family buying a run-down motel right off Highway 17B at White Lake, in the town of Bethel NY, and Elliot found himself splitting his time, working weekdays in NYC and spending weekends doing whatever had to be done to keep the motel operational and barely financially afloat.

At the same time, Elliot came to the realization that he was gay, and - for whatever reason - favored the underground S&M flavored scene that existed in NYC in the mid 1960's. He met and partied with Robert Mapplethorpe, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and even encountered Rock Hudson at one point. Of course, coming out to his conservative parents wasn't an option for him at the time, but his "secret life" during the week somewhat served to make bearable the weekends at the motel, scrubbing toilets and dealing with customer complaints (The Teichbergs cut a few corners in customer service. For example, they had phones in each room, but they weren't connected to anything. The TV was an empty box, as was the air conditioner sleeve below the window. Need soap and a towel? It'll cost ya extra, but you're lucky you made it in today, since Dad has hosed off your sheets - the only cleaning they ever got - just yesterday.)

In early 1969, Elliot read with interest the news accounts that the promoters of the planned Woodstock Music and Art Festival had been denied a permit by the town of Walkill, their planned location. As president (nobody else wanted the job) of Bethel's Chamber of Commerce, he had the authority to issue festival permits, and contacted the promoters about the possibility of moving the festival to Bethel, and offered the meadow of a friend, dairy farmer Max Yasgur, as the perfect venue. Much of the book details the whirlwind events that followed, as the festival took on a life of its own, eventually attracting around 500,000 people to the small town, resulting in threats by locals, payoffs to those who opposed it, nudity, drugs, gangsters, people bathing in the lake, shortages of food and water, but - despite it all - the most historic event in music and counterculture history, after which nothing would ever be the same again for Elliot and his family.

The author has a gift in telling a story, even one as obviously self-centered as this one is, for the most part. Witty and engaging, sure to bring back memories of that era. Loved the reversible (regular/psychodelic) dust jacket! 5 stars out of 5.

Born Eliyahu Teichberg, poor Elli struggles to break what he calls the "Teichberg Curse" and changes his name to Elliot Tiber--hoping that would break the curse. Always on the brink of financial ruin and trying to hide his deepest secret, he dreams of the miracle that would change his life.

In 1969, he got that miracle. Manager of his Jewish parents' failing resort hotel El Monaco in White Lake, New York on the weekends, Elliot runs during the week to Greenwich Village where he can live the life he chooses as an interior designer and meeting the likes of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and Robert Mapplethorpe--all the while keeping his gay life a secret from his family. That is, until June 28, 1969, when he finds himself at the Stonewall Inn and the famous "Stonewall Riot" that would revolutionize the gay culture breaks out. With a newfound boldness, he finds out in July that the town of Wallkill has revoked the permit for the Woodstock festival. So he contacts Mike Lang, the concert's promoter, to offer his 15 acres for the concert. While Elliot hopes this is the miracle he has been waiting for, Mike Lang and his entourage arrive by helicopter but they end up feeling that the swampland of his resort hotel won't work for the concert. Tiber assures Lang and company that, since he has been the president of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce and has held a concert and art show for the past few years, he can get the necessary concert permit. Quickly, he calls his good friend Max Yasgur--who supports everything Elli does and only lives four miles up the road--and asks him to hold the concert. Elli explains to Mike that Max has a dairy farm on a hundred acres--more than enough to hold a concert. Arrangements are made and, before he knows it, Elli is caught up in the magic that will change his life forever. He is introduced to the hippie scene where everyone is accepted no matter who or what you are and learns he can love himself.

Whoa! Totally awesome and even far out and groovy! This book is absolutely amazing! This reviewer couldn't put it down--in fact, read it twice before writing this review. If you've ever dreamed of being at Woodstock or even if you were there, the author Elliot Tiber will take you back. The Sixties will come alive and you won't want the trip to end! But that is only part of the story, as Elliot takes you through the time of his troubled past and describes in perfect word pictures the struggles of his secret life, his childhood, the insanity of running the hotel resort, and dealing with bigoted locals who persecute him because of his Jewish heritage. In the end, you'll feel you know everyone and that you were there, too.

See Woodstock through the eyes of someone who lived it, who helped bring it to life - you'll never look at this period of history the same again. Don't pass this one by, as this autobiography guarantees to be one of the best reads of 2007 and is to be released just in time for the media's annual August remembrance of that great music festival. Also an awesome unique feature that this reviewer really likes is the reversible dust jacket--one side conservative, the other psychedelic. This feature, according to Square One's publisher Rudy Shur in Publishers Weekly, represents "The notion of duality [that] has been a central theme throughout Elliot's life, and we wanted the book to represent that notion of difference in a very direct and colorful way." So whichever trip you decide to take, this is one you'll never forget.

Cheri Clay
Reviewer's Bookwatch

Being just a bit too young to have lived the Woodstock experience, I have been left to rely on the tales of others, mainly from an audience point of view. Having read Tiber's accounts of the experience from conception to fruition, brings a new appreciation for the era, the event and the effect on those who were a part of it.

Everything you wanted to know and more. A must have for his fans. Good, clear photographs. Experience his up's and down's on the road to making it big. An easy, quick read but, satisfying like good, chocolate flavored, vanilla ice cream.

THIS IS A VERY CASUAL AND PICTORAL LOOK AT THE VERY POPULAR ACTOR. IT IS NOT IN GREAT DETAIL BECAUSE VIN WANTS HIS PRIVATE LIFE TO REMAIN PRIVATE. I FOUND THE BOOK TO BE VERY INTERESTING AND ENTERTAINING. VIN IS A VERY LIKABLE GUY WHO IS VERY UNDERRATED AS AN ACTOR. THIS IS A MUST FOR FANS OF VIN. VERY RECOMMENDED.

This book gives a better look at the man behind the best movies. It tells you what he did when he was young and what he wanted to do as a career. It also tells you about his family and hrad work that they endured all togetherto help make dreams come true. This book is great!

Easy to read. A must have for his fans. Everything you wanted to know and more. Experience the up's, down's, etc. of making it big. Good clear pitures. A quick read which was rather gratifying (like chocolate and vanilla ice cream treat).

There really isn't much that I cannot say for this book. It was great. Every avid Vin Diesel (Mark Vincent) fan out there has to read this book. It is a must have for all fans and it lends a great deal of personal history to this mysterious actor taking Hollywood by storm. It even gives a little heads up on future films he may be in, and we all wanna know that before hand, right? Anyway, enough said, worth every penny!

Garry Marshall is a true gem in Hollywood. He is a beloved and respected producer/director/writer/actor who never takes himself too seriously to appreciate life and his family and friends. In his own humorous way, Garry tells his story from his humble beginnings to his incredible career in TV and film. He has worked with some of the top actors in Hollywood and it is a total delight to read about the behind the scenes making of HAPPY DAYS, MORK AND MINDY and LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY along with his films BEACHES, FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, NOTHING IN COMMON and PRETTY WOMAN. Garry tells it like it is and doesn't hold back when talking about actors and studio executives. He also admits to his fondness for nepotism. Good timing and luck put Garry in the right place at the right time and he shared his good fortune with his sister Penny Marshall by helping launch her career. The book is filled with insight and revelations. Garry's anecdotes are too humorous to miss. How did they come up with the famous opening for LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY? How did he come to cast Robin Williams and Pam Dawber in MORK & MINDY? Despite budget restraints, Garry was able to create a very memorable opening for Bette Midler in the film BEACHES. It's fascinating to read how Garry created some of our most beloved TV shows and films. When a problem arose with a production, Garry found a solution. He never hestitates to admit to his failures and mistakes and never fails to give credit to others who have supported him. WAKE ME WHEN IT'S FUNNY is inspiring and a great motivator for anyone trying to aspire in any field...not just TV or film. Garry's honest and down to earth insight will leave the reader wanting more.

This book is a joy! Garry Marshall is a fine writer of jokes for stand-up comedians of yore, sitcoms &, apparently, of full-length show biz autobiographies. He discusses his life in an extremely entertaining way. His asides - about moviemaking, camerawork & tips on the directing/producing process - are enjoyable for everyone, not just aspiring filmmakers. There are (truly) laugh out loud sections as well (Two Words: Kathi Wathi)...this is a man who seems to live his life with passion & decency & drive, ALWAYS with the added bonus of humor. Yes, he dishes the "dirt" about his celeb peers, but in a completely non-malicious way. Best of all, here's a man who accomplishes much but doesn't take himself too seriously. Good-humored, good-hearted, crisply written & hilarious. Can't recommend this book highly enough!

Pretty Woman has been my favorite movie since I saw in in the theater at the age of fifteen and since then Garry Marshall has been my favorite director. But Garry proved what a great person he is when I attended a book signing for this book back in 1995. I was only twenty, and pretty much the only young woman in line. Most of the people in line were young men giving him treatments, which really disgusted me. But when I finally got up there I just stared at him, the first thing he said to me was that I was very pretty, so I started crying like the girl that I am. He held my hands and just smiled at me, and I told him that Pretty Woman was my favorite movie and thanked him for making it and told him that I wanted to be an actress, so he signed my book "Andrea a very Pretty Woman here's hoping you Happy Days as an actress." that made me cry as well:) His daughter Lori was also very sweet which just proves what a great dad he is as well.

As for the book, of course it's fabulous! You get to learn behind the scenes info on, of course Pretty Woman, but all his other shows and movies as well. His sense of humor cracks me up, especially when he overheard someone talking about Exit To Eden saying "That movie was so bad he doesn't deserve to be Penny Marshalls father!" I laughed SOO hard at that. Not to mention that you can't help but love a director who thanks his wife at the end of every one of his films.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the ends and outs of the entertainment industry from a vetern who knows what he's talking about!:)

A most amazing book about a most amazing man. Follow Mr. Marshall's assertive and generally hilarious approach to breaking into the world of comedy writing - and beyond. The book is a bit of a family affair (forward by sister Penny Marshall, and co-authored by daughter, Lori) chronicling his often hysterical trek from an allergy-laden childhood to the life of a very successful actor, writer, producer, and director. I've had the unique pleasure of meeting this man in person, and he truly is as determined, grounded and compassionate a man as this book reflects...all with that sparkling sense of humor!

I used to think I was in love with Garry Marshall because of his films and sitcoms, but now it's because he's truly a fine person. Read the book and I think you'll agree. If you're a screenwriter thinking about writing for sitcoms, this should be required reading. I'm more of a spec writer, so I just enjoyed the stories and laughs. This is a story of one of the most successful people in Hollywood and more importantly, a good father, brother, son, and grandfather.

Funny and fascinating. What an incredbile life!

I have not read the book as yet but I would like the opportunity to relate how Mr. England's reputation is in Oklahoma. I worked in the railroad industry for 15 years in Oklahoma which is greatly affected by weather extremes. Our supervisors used to tell us to watch Gary England for weather updates as his was the best in the state. Mr. England never failed us.

As a youngster growing up in Seiling, Oklahoma, Gary England had an idol in television meteorologist Harry Volkman. Flash forward 40 years. As a youngster growing up in Oklahoma City, I had an idol in Gary England. This is the first time I have known the entire story of what England has gone through in his 20+ years at KWTV. I have met with and talked to England on several occasions, and I will never know how he keeps his sanity while weathering 2 storms...the weather itself, and the world of television news.

It's obvious this guy is a weatherman, not a professional writer being paid to turn an ordinary life into something that sells books. The book isn't weighed down with lots of pretty words or meteorology lessons. It's simply written as a story of Gary England's life, and what a life that has been! As a young girl I was always fascinated by tornadoes, and at one point seriously considered being a meteorologist. After reading England's book I'm convinced I couldn't have handled the politics and pressure. I hated turning each page because it only brought me closer to the end of the book. I'm sure Gary has lots more stories to tell, and I hope he writes many more books to tell them! I'll gobble them all up.

One of the neatest things about reading this book is that now when I see Gary England on TV clips saying those now-famous words during the May 3, 1999 Oklahoma City Tornado, "You NEED to be underground to survive this one!" I look at him with a knowledge of his life story and how he got to be where he is, and I'm filled with such respect. Thank you, Gary, for suffering through petty politics to be able to save so many lives.

After reading this book, I felt that I was no longer alone in dealings with news directors. I have only been in television weather for 6 years and have had my fill of television business. My hats off to Gary for being able to stave off over a dozen new directors. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to venture into the "glamorous" life of television news, especially any aspiring meteorologist.

It is important to remember that there were four people in the Velvet Underground and only one of them was named Lou Reed. Though Lou has gone on to a waxing/waning career as homo heroin hipster in the thirty-odd years since their demise, the other three (Mo (best drummer on Earth) Tucker, Dr. Sterling Morrison (RIP), and John Cale) are just as relevant if not moreso. One might argue Lou hasn't done anything as great without them since the VU's demise.

Here we have the autobiography of uber producer (Modern Lovers, Patti Smith, The Stooges)/VU bassist/viola/singer John Cale written with NY scenester whore Victor Bockris (who wrote similar pieces on the VU with Gerard Malanga and on Patti Smith with Roberta Bayley). The time with the Velvets is here, as is his solo period, marriages and divorces, early childhood and history as a musician, in a book that runs the range of emotions not expected by someone approaching Cale with the reductionist mentality of "The dark other guy in the Velvets that wasn't Lou," which sadly, lots of people do approach him with.

This book screams for a "read by Cale" audio version as anyone who has listened to/seen footage of Cale interviews knows, the man has a hypnotic Welsh lilt to his voice.

Buy it, read it, find out more about one of the best bands of the latter part of the last century and one of the best musicians to come out of it. You won't be disappointed. The content as well as the graphic presentation are beautiful.

Signed,
epsteinsmutha

John Cale is one of my musical idols. I'm in the process of producing my own concert of his & my compositions. He has a great deal of range stylistic. I highly recommend you purchase this amazing life of an amazing artist! I actually bought the cardboard bonded first edition from the U.K. when it was first published. Very finely book. BUY IT & enjoy!

I devoured this book about my top music hero and pronounce it good! It's not perfect though, I would have liked more background on some of the albums (people involved in the recording, events etc) especially his work with e.g. Nick Drake, and the editing is really sloppy: in one place early in the text, the title of a newspaper has just been left out, and Cale's collaboration with Bob Neuwerth is called Last NIGHT On Earth (it is DAY). It provides valuable insights into his personal life and artistic development, and early reflections on Andy Warhol and The Factory. Great photographs and illustrations too make for a very pleasing design. Certainly worthy of the man and his achievements.

I just recently bought this book. I love it. Great stories, and nice pictures. Sometimes it is painfull honest. It is so nice to read about the start of the Velvet Underground.

Also the pictures are wonderful.

Bettina

After finishing this book in the wee hours of this morning I've come to the conclusion that Cale must be appreciated for his solitary genius in the fields of art and expression but also must be taken with a grain of salt. The entire book seems to be a thinly veiled attack at Lou Reed whom Cale seems overwhelmingly jealous of (thou others would tend to disgree) Plus it shows him as a very difficult individual to get along with (ie his many wives, his broken colaborative relationships with Reed and Brian Eno) I also found it amusing how he brought it other commentators only to attack Reed and make Cale out to be a saint. Overall this is a very well written book filled with sardonic wit and dry humor with an excellent view into the VU, The Factory days, and the progression of one man's struggles through himself and art. Cale is not blameless in his trangressions but I think he sees this...

I bought this book on a trip and thought it might pass some time on the airplane...

It truly surprised me! The quizzes are fun...lot's of great television shows included. There's no cheating...hard to determine which characters match the question choices...

AND...the end reults are surprisingly accurate! VERY fun and addicitng book...I want to find more like it.

This book is so much fun. It's great for groups or alone. When one quiz is finished everyone wants more!! It truly is hard to put this book down. The questions are quite clever and intriguing. In the end, these questions lead to quite accurate personality identifications. I love this book and highly recommend it. It makes a great gift.

This book is highly contagious and very fun. My friends and I were testing ourselves on shows that we weren't even all that familiar with. ;)

A great purchase for anyone who's ever wondered about their television persona. Are you a Carrie or a Miranda? Mary Ann or Ginger? This book gave mostly surprisingly accurate answers.

My only problem with it was that I noticed some of the quizzes were missing one or two characters that I personally felt should've been included. No Lisa on the Saved by the Bell quiz, or Andrea on Beverly Hills 90201. So I do have to wonder if that would've effected my results any.

Oh well, still a great find nonetheless. I hope Noah is planning on a part II.

So have fun and learn about yourself as well.

So much fun. The personality tests are funny and amazingly accurate at the same time. Great to do with your friends or to pass time on your own.
With so many shows there is something in here for everyone. Its a great gift for someone you love - or for that secret santa person you have no idea what to get for them. Definite crowd pleaser.

My boyfriend and I couldn't stop taking these quizzes. We even did one for a little girl on the train. When's the next one? Huh, Noah, WHEN?

Legendary money-burning KLF/JAMS/K-Foundation/Bunnymen main man reveals details of art terror tactics, a good old cow-hanging, Tenents Super distribution methods and his insane meanderings around the M25 with the Gimp. Proof that Drummond is a worthy link in the Magickal chain connecting straight back to Crowley...

Further book, film and music reviews, plus general shenanigans can be found at: www.mindcrash.co.uk and http://blog.myspace.com/mindcrash

Bill Drummond is a funny man. He is a gripping and vivid writer. If you have low boredom tolerance you will be satisfied.

Hope Bill Drummond writes more.

Lovely insight of a real artist in this fake world. Contains sudden loud laughs, honest and cynic. A bit too much of a whining and selfconfession, however they fit the agenda. A must for all serious considerers of pop in its any manifestations and for the admirers of The Manual, and The KLF phenomenon.

Bill Drummond is a funny man. He is a gripping and vivid writer. If you have low boredom tolerance you will be satisfied.

Hope Bill Drummond writes more.

As everyone already knows, Bill Drummond was in The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu/The Jams/The KLF/The K Foundation.

What most people probably don't know is that he's one of the most positive people they'd ever know, at least in writing. And with that positive energy comes inspiration.

Personally, it was this autobiographical text that got me back out of corporate america and behind the reigns of my own business once again. And I'm a happier person for it, even on the worst days.

Bill Drummond is an artist, first and foremost. He drips of creativity, and he's a genuinely funny man. Both show in his actions, see for instance "K foundation Burn a Million Quid," and his popularity gave him the resources to do more, but it never seemed to get to his head and in fact he seems to have thrown much of it away.

This book is never boring, and, really, don't be cynical - this text is very inspiring.

I have read this book over and over. Astrid Varnay has so much to offer readers who love opera. It is a great book to read through, but there are parts that take a couple of readings for a trained musician to understand. Her intelligence is evident in every word and so is her humanity. She is most knowledgeable about the works of Wagner and Strauss, so those interested in lighter opera may not be as well served, but her concepts are important for all opera singers. This book is quite honest and those who want some "dirt" on old singers, conductors and impressarios will be well-served. Go for it.

In the pantheon of twentieth-century Wagnerian sopranos, Astrid Varnay ranks very high, though she is woefully underrepresented on available recordings today. Through the efforts of friends and supporters, detailed in the preface, her autobiography has been made available in English, and music and opera fans everywhere should be grateful.

Varnay's story, told calmly but with frequent flashes of wit, begins with the tale of how her parents, both opera singers, met, married, and made their careers in Europe before coming to the U.S. and settling in New York. Young Violet Varnay, as she was dubbed by a teacher who could not cope with her Hungarian name Ibolyka (little violet), worked as a secretary, waited in the Met standing room line and quietly prepared herself for an operatic career. She prepared so well with her coach and eventual husband, Hermann Weigert, in fact, that her resume was met with astonished laughter at her eventual Met audition. The powers that be were quickly won over upon actually hearing her, and her stage career began at the Met in 1941 as a last-minute replacement for Lotte Lehmann in Die Walkure. Before retiring in the late 90s, after a career spanning more than five decades, her voice and dramatic presence would take her to Bayreuth and all of the great opera houses of the world.

It is of course difficult to say how much of the structure of the book stems from the singer herself, and how much from her co-author, Donald Arthur; but one of the attractions of this memoir is the skillful mix of narrative, anecdote and self-analysis of Varnay's numerous roles. She draws portraits of her husband, family and colleagues that leap vividly from the page, without ever descending to mere bitchiness, though she does allow herself some jabs at Herbert von Karajan and Rudolf Bing. The ultimate impression is of a strong, self-aware but not overweeningly arrogant personality--someone one would like to meet and talk to in person. One is touched by her inexhaustible eagerness to perform, and her capacity for discovering insights into roles usually dismissed as worthy only of comprimaria singers. She is also not above laughing at herself, and includes some amusingly informal photographs. Highly recommended.

Astrid Varnay, who died in 2006, just months after her very close friend and colleague Birgit Nillson, is enjoying a well-deserved renaissance, with the release of the Testament early stereo recordings of the Ring from Bayreuth in 1955. From her Met debut at the age of 23 as a last-minute replacement for an ill Lotte Lehmann as Siegelinde in Die Walkure, on the day BEFORE Pearl Harbor, through her primary career as the premier Wagnerian dramatic soprano of the 1950s, to her second career as a mezzo-soprano singing character roles into the 1990s, Astrid Varnay is one of the great opera artists of the 20th century.
Born in Stockholm to Hungarian parents, raised in New York City, and moving to Munich after being widowed in her late 30s, Varnay had an absolutely fascinating career that she relates with humor and verve. Indeed, many stories are just hysterical, such as a Dallas Tristan und Isolde, where Varnay, tenor Max Lorenz (as Tristan), and mezzo-soprano Blanche Thebom (as Bragaine), took turns holding up a collapsing fake tree! Although never mean-spirited, Varnay paints amusing and sometimes sharp pictures of many of opera's greatest names. (She, along with many in the opera world, saves some of her sharpest points for Met manager Rudolf Bing.)
This should be in any opera fan's collection of opera books.

Astrid Varney was born in Stockholm to two Hungarian opera singers. As a child she lived in South America prior to the family's immigration to New York.
Varney was trained as a singer by her talented mother and an older teacher whom she later married. Varney premiered with the Metropolitan Opera on Dec. 6, 1941 as Sieglinde in Wagner's
monumental "Walkure.' Since thay day Miss Varnay has traveled the world singing in great opera palaces and in regional companies.
Her comments on the life of a classical singer; various colleagues in the field and the various locales her craft has taken her to make for fascinating backstage reading for all of us who are opera buffs.
This biography is well written laced with humor and honesty.
I knew little about Varney prior to reading this book but am glad I made her acqaintance.
Bravissimo to this down to earth diva dedicated to her art!

I'm not especially interested in biographies of performers. Especially not autobiographies - these tend to be long lists of how wonderful the subject/author is/was and a bit of score settling to liven things up.
Varnay is not above score settling (in her genteel way, she eviscerates Rudolf Bing and she details her feud and glorious reconciliation with Karajan - a Salzburg Elektra that everyone should hear), but her narrative is quite gracious and restrained overall.
It's also engrossing to read. Although Varnay spends a little more time than perhaps she needed telling us what a hard worker and consummate professional she was and is, her actual thinking about the operas and characters she was involved in is fascinating stuff and a valuable guide for singers and perhaps actors as well.
Following her around the world to different opera houses and watching how things work (or, all too often, don't work) is engrossing and her comments on professional colleagues - always judicious - are usually quite on the mark.
There are only a few videos available showing Varnay's art (which is too bad) and not many more sound-only recordings (which is even worse). If you look, you can find her as Brunnhilde in Act III of Die Walkure (EMI with Karajan - they were getting along then) and a complete Gotterdammerung (Testament with Knappertsbusch)both from the 1951 Bayreuth festival; a couple of Ortruds from Bayreuth Lohengrins; a Senta from Bayreuth conducted by Knappertsbusch (Music & Arts); and the Salzburg Elektra with Karajan (Orfeo). There are also a couple of complete Rings available on private or semi-private labels and, allegedly, the 1955 Keilberth Ring due out on Testament. No Italian repertoire, alas, no Kundry, double alas, and no complete Tristan that I know of, triple alas.
My only complaint about this book, aside from that it wasn't twice as long, is that Varnay is and was so much a person of the theatre that it's hard to find the real person underneath. This is very much a narrative of the role of Astrid Varnay, great and hard-working opera star. Astrid Varnay the person is waiting backstage for the performance to be over, which is probably where she was for most of her life.
Still, it's a great treat to spend a couple of hours with a charming, intelligent, literate, kind, and witty companion who has so much good stuff to tell you. It's only afterward that you wonder whether there was a person behind all that dazzle who was sometimes frightened, lonely, introspective, or grateful and happy over little human things. I hope that person writes a companion volume someday. I bet she'd be wonderful to get to know as well...

After I purchased this book I contacted the author, Mr. Moore to ask him about collecting autographs by index cards or by photographs. He was prompt and very informative with his reply. If you want questions answered about auotgraph collecting, get in touch with him, you will be happy you did.

The reader and reviewer who wrote this book is the ULTIMATE has it right. This book is everything an autograph collector needs. Besides the thousands of celebrity addresses, this book backs up the names with celebrity facts. If you want a complete history of actors it is there under the website named in the book, if you want other facts to write to the celebrity about it is there. (the book has celebrity hobbies, celebrity charities, celebrity birthdays, celebrity hangouts and a lot of useful facts about celebrities)This is the only celebrity directory I will ever need. The price of this book is well worth it!!

I have known David Moore for many years and he is the only author of celebrity directories that uses and updates his address list on daily basis. For me, here is a list of celebrities who I have contacted and received autographs through the mail. They are: Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Gates, Roy Clark, Gillian Anderson, Nicholas Cage, Bill Cosby, James Garner, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Gary Trudeau, Olivia Newton-John, Brandi Chastain, James Watson, Sandra Day O'Connor, Harmon Killebrew, George Bush, Betty Ford, Jimmy Carter, Leann Rhimes, Muhammad Ali, Angela Landsbury, Reba McEntire, Jay Leno, Faith Hill, Tommy John, Tom Hanks, Michael Eisner, Nolan Ryan, Tony Bennet, Colin Powell, Robert Duvall, John Mellencamp, Whoopi Goldberg and many others. If you want excellent results and great customer service, I highly recommend David Moore's book.

I am an autograph collector and I was happy to see how complete this book is. I collect astronauts who have walked on the moon, hi-tech business people such as Bill Gates, movie actors like Tom Hanks and baseball sluggers like Sammy Sousa and Mark McGuire. They are in this books with thousands more. It is well organized and I liked the extra features of sample letters and questions & answers about autograph collecting. It is a very good reference for autograph collectors.

I e-mailed the publisher to ask for an update of a celebrity address. He was fast with an answer. He also mentioned he has started a new service to autograph collectors. He will answer any question on the subject of autoghaph collecting for FREE!
I will use the e-mail address for finding out autograph prices, how and where to buy and sell autographs plus anything else I can think of. A great offer!

Written by columnist and polka dancer Bob Dolgan, America's Polka King: The Real Story of Frankie Yankovic and His Music is the true-life story of ethnic Slovenian and Cleveland native Frankie Yankovic, winner of the first Polka Grammy, whose hit, upbeat tunes earned him international fame and fortune. Chapters cover his turbulent life, his service in World War II, the loves of his life including the bitter end to his first marriage, raising his children, and of course, the absolutely stunning and smashing popularity of his music. Black-and-white photographs, an extensive discography, and an index round out this appealing survey of the sunshine and shadows in a groundbreaking musician's life.

This was a great book about Frankie Yankovic. Bob Dolgan did a great job on this book and should be commended. I grew up on Frankie because my dad loved his music, as I grew older, I appreciated more the music and the man behind it. Yankovic truly sacrificed allot especially his family life. This book covers everything, there were some things that kind of bothered me, not that the book had anything to do with that, but I guess things that I learned about Yankovic that really told me more of who he was. I reccommend this book not only to Yankovic fans and fans of polka music but anyone who loves the history of music. Great book!!!

My husband and I found "America's Polka King" to be the most interesting book we have read in a long time. The book is subtitled "The real story of Frankie Yankovic and his Music" and although Yankovic is the focal point of the book and a person who has done remarkable things for the polka genre, we also found the side stories of other musicians and incidents to be absolutely fascinating.

Frankie Yankovic was the most famous polka musician in U.S. history but this book also brings other legends (guys like Johnny Pecon and George Cook)to life for us, and explains their influence on the music and the musicians of today. Until we fell in love with this music we did not realize that Cleveland and the surrounding area was a "hotbed" of such incredible talent in those early years. Frankie Yankovic was quite an interesting individual who sacrificed much of his personal life for his love of polka music, but when put in the context of the other musicians of his era, the music, and the times - the book is even more than his story. It is a history of the Cleveland-style music that is so loved by so many today.

We took turns reading the book (should have bought two copies!), laughing at the stories, and saying to one another: "Did you know............?" Bob Dolgan does an excellent job of bringing these people to life and you will enjoy the book thoroughly.

In 1977, the author, Bob Dolgan, wrote a book entitled "The Polka King" about the life and times of Frankie Yankovic. That book has been out-of-print for many years. In his new book "America's Polka King," Dolgan revisits much of what he covered in 1977, but additional information and subjects are covered because Yankovic lived another twenty-one years after the 1977 book was published.

Cleveland has been internationally renowned for its symphonic Orchestra since shortly after it was formed in 1918. In the late 1900s, we became the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. In between these two events, however, Clevelanders knew--and danced to--a different kind of music. This music was by Frank, as in Yankovic, the man who made the words `polka' and `Cleveland' nearly synonymous from the late thirties until his death in 1998. In fact, in 1948 Yankovic won the first of his three titles as America's Polka King three times running when the competition was new. (It was sponsored by the major record companies, each of which had at least one polka band in their collection.)

He won the first-ever Grammy Award for polka music. Just his name alone drew the largest crowds ever to many dance halls throughout the midwest during a time of less mobility than in our current era. It was also a time when the media wasn't always busy creating the new hotshot.
Ten famous accordionists played for his funeral--one of the largest ever seen in Cleveland.

Recently-retired sportswriter for the Plain Dealer, Bob Dolgan, who knew Yankovic when they were both hardly more than pups, has written an engaging book about "America's Polka King - the real story of Frankie Yankovic." Yankovic, who was not born in Cleveland, certainly made it his homebase (as much as anywhere) for most of his adult life. Dolgan tells it like it was--the shiny and the tarnished parts--without dwelling on those bits that might possibly be considered a tad unsavory. This is a portrait of a real person.

Yankovic was a natural on the stage--a born entertainer, who loved what he did, unqualifiedly, and made sure the people in the audience enjoyed themselves as well. The ones who suffered most were his family--wives and children who remained behind in Cleveland, while he toured for 325 days a year. The flip side of that is that he earned an excellent living by doing so, and none of his three wives or ten children ever went without anything he (or they) thought they needed--except for his presence or companionship.

It may come as a surprise to some to discover that polkas are not exclusively Polish. There are many differences between the Polish and Slovenian varieties, and Yankovic was entirely Slovenian. Once he learned how to play the accordion, he was a gifted musician, able to write lyrics to go with melodies that he wrote, or to put American lyrics to older Slovenian or Italian folk songs. Either way, he quickly made the new song his own, and happily shared with his huge audience. His biggest hits were "Blue Skirt Waltz," "Just Because" and "In Heaven There is no Beer".

Dolgan also honors other Cleveland polka greats: Johnny Pecon and his sons Jeff and John, Jr., Lou Trebar, Eddie Habat, Kenny Bass, Johnny Vadnal, Jimmy Sturr, George Staiduhar, Dan Wojtila, Don Wojtila, Ed Sumrada, Tony Petkovsek and Joey Miskulin. There are photos, an index and a splendid discography, in addition to the history of Cleveland through the 1900s, told as a framework to the man and his music.

It's too bad that Yankovic didn't listen (or pay attention) to another popular song of his era, however. "You Always Hurt the One You Love," might have saved him some heartaches along the way. Or maybe not. He was one of a kind--a showman through and through, and as Dolgan says, "He brought a lot of joy to a lot of people." Not a bad epitaph, after all.