Arts and Entertainment Books

I had just finished reading this book when I learned Rosa Parks had died, and I couldn't help thinking that, much like Rosa, Lincoln Perry also paved the way for African-Americans, only sadly, his life wasn't as honored.

This is truly a wonderful book. I read it, and am just now purchasing a copy for my son because I think he should read it too. When Denzel Washington and Halle Berry won their Oscars, they owed a nod to Lincoln Perry. This book gives you a whole new perspective on race in Hollywood. V. Bane (Littleton, CO)

This is a well-written book about a fascinating subject. Even if you've never heard of Stepin Fetchit -- or especially if you haven't heard of him -- you'll be glued to this one.

As a casual, curious reader, I found Champ Clark's selective recounting of Steppin Fetchit's life crisp, graceful and entertaining. Rather than bury the reader in a mountain of biographical facts, Clark presents only the key salient facts, plus many until-now unreported, unpublished stories and remembrances of many people still alive who knew the entertainer. In this sense the book is unique and quite moving emotionally.
-Ron Arias
Hermosa Beach, CA

With this first rate piece of journalism and cultural history, Champ Clark has done a great service not just to cinemaphiles but to anyone curious about the dark paths we have traveled as a country. While Clark makes fine use of primary and secondary sources, what makes this book unique and truly invaluable are the extensive and exclusive interviews with the men and woman who knew Stepin Fetchit, some of whom passed since being interviewed by Clark. As the story unfurls, it becomes clear that the Stepin Fetchit story is indeed the tragedy of the title, but not simply in the way that we all know. Like so many who have come before since him, Fetchit was a victim of first fame, and his swelled head and inflated sense of self kept him from, among other things, starring in a series of Hal Roach shorts that would have undoubtedly propelled him to the first ranks of early cinema clowns. Instead, he became one of the saddest and most lasting symbols of Jim Crow America. The only thing missing here are more extensive citations so we could know what came from where and learn the full extent of Clark's interviews. Still, this is the one essential book needed for anyone who cares about Fetchit's story in specific and the history of African-Americans in pop culture in general.

This book was an eye-opener in many ways. It makes it possible to see beyond Stepin Fetchit's lazy slow-moving character to the talented black man who found a way to experience success in white men's movies. Here was a man who played the fool, while positioning himself center stage. Clark brings this man to life through synthesizing first-hand interviews with family and friends along with media and other accounts to give a well-rounded picture of the successes and the pain. More than that, it explores the relationship of the artist to his audience, the challenge of succeeding in a world where someone else makes all the rules, and the bigoted world as Stepin Fetchit experienced it. Plan to be enthralled by the story of the man and the richness of the descriptions of the settings and the people of the time.

El mundo esta repleto de libros. Unos buenos. Otros malos.
Este es uno de los buenos libros. Hay que leerlo. Su prosa es captivante, su historia es altamente imitable para nosotros los que pensamos tener pocas esperanzas. Sus puntos de vista son claros, sinceros, directos y sin compromisos hacia ninguna entidad o punto de vista.
Me emociono haber leido este libro no solamente una vez si no muchas mas en su totalidad. Y con admiracion y respecto dedico estas lineas a ese genio de nuestra gente, Roberto Gomez Bolanos.

Sin querer queriendo es un libro ameno, gracioso por momentos e interesante por otros, que nos da a conocer detalles de la vida de este genio llamado Roberto Gomez Bolaños. Las fotografias incluidas ayudan a complementar la lectura. Recomendable a todos sus seguidores!

si duda un libro que todo aquel que lo lea hace que se sienta orgulloso de su cultura hispana, como siempre el titulo de grande se queda corto ante el virtuoso chespirito.

Es un libro muy entretenido, ameno y divertido, fácil de leer, ya que está logicamente estructurado. Lo recomiendo. Merece la pena conocer la vida de este genio, que nos tiene "mal" acostumbrados a esperar siempre lo mejor de él.

Lo recomiendo es su totalidad. Un libro que no debe dejar de leer si es Fan de Chespirito, o sea casi todo el mundo!. Cuenta su vida de una manera graciosa, inteligente, donde hay alegrías, tristezas, chispa, emoción y buen humor. Cuando empiezas a leer es difícil soltar el libro.

I have many books about Sinatra and this is one of the best. Richard Havers put together a wonderful read. The book combines his music and life very well in a chronological format. There are some great pictures and sidebars about other events music and otherwise associated with the time frame you are currently reading.The research put into this gem is amazing.If you are a fan of Sinatra get this book. You won t be able to put it down!

To me, as someone who lived thru this era and read many books on Sinatra,
none has captured the essence of the man and the times he lived in as
Richard Havers has done. All aspects of Sinatra's life are discussed; the music,
the movies, the concerts and shows, his friends and his loves, good and bad,
in a fair, unbiased, nonjudgmental manner

This is a big book that contains a lot of information and pictures that you
will not find anywhere else. It can be read by casually leafing through the
pages and enjoying the sidebars and photos, or it can be read carefully from
beginning to end to reveal the real Sinatra. If you take the latter approach
you will not only better understand what made Sinatra tick, you will also
better understand the times he lived in.

This book was a delight from beginning to end, packed with useful biographical information. It also contains dozens of sidebars on every one of Frank's albums as well as supplementary sidebars giving historical context to Sinatra's life and work in the form of other artists, historical events, and his various arrangers and labels. The book is packed with photos, memorabilia, track lists--in fact, everything you need to know about the life and work of Sinatra. I think that this book, combined with Will Friedwald's 'The Song is You' are the two best books on Sinatra, and as a dedicated Frankophile, I've read many. Also evident in the book is the author's love of Sinatra and his music. The book is like a virtual Sinatra museum, one you can open and enjoy over and over at your convenience.
Five stars.

This is an amazing book that lets you see Mr. Sinatra through the early days of his childhood, to what would become the ultimate legend...I was never into this kind of music but after listening to the wonderfully composed scores of music and lyrics, you cant help but become an avid fan of his. Through the good and the bad you see something everyone should strive for, the high expectation for ones self in whatever they do as he did and beautifully executed with class....I've discovered Frank Sinatra and I am definately Flying to the moon!!

His voice, his style, a trip into the past. Ole Blue Eyes we will never forget him. For all old and new fans this book is a treasure indeed.

This book is fabulous! It is an important resource for a serious singer.

This book occupies a unique place in the entire body of published works for an overview of the art song genre and its development. Dr. Kimball's superb eye for detail has carefully amassed an amazing compilation of biography, analysis, and commentary on the most comprehensive number of composers, spanning all eras of song composition. The introductory
section of the book lays out a practical but not mandatory approach to using the information, in a way that encourages good listening skills and a coherent overview. Additional bibliography provides a very flexible resource for any course structure or further independent study.

Researching for an accademic paper on the development of the Art song has brought me to Amazon and it's great prices and selection. I bought this book based on the description, assuming that I would find some good resources for my paper and for future research.

When I got this book, I was astonished at the heft of the thing! This book is huge, and is much more than just information on a few songs or composers. "Song" gives a basic introduction to the idea of the Art Song, and then gives ideas on researching and studying the song that is being studied. from there, and for the vast majority of the book, the author completes a thorough, systematic survey of songs, grouping into location of origin (German, French, etc), then by composer in a chronological (earliest to latest) order.

Each of the most important composers of Art Songs is included here, with no glaring omissions that I have found. Each composer is presented, with valuable information on the individual, influence and styles. Then, the most important of that composer's songs (or song cycles) is given the same, thorough, systematic treatment, with more than a page of information and insight into each song.

I will doubtless use this book over and over in order to research my repertoire pieces I am studying, and those I am assigning to my students. I will also be passing this on to my own teacher and my mentor for their libraries.

This text contains valuable information on Standard Song Rep.
It provides in-depth but concise information on the composer, song text and the poet.

Excellent survey of the literature in the major European languages. Well-organized, thorough, wonderful bibliographies. Start with this book, check out the references, read the title recommendations, lots of hidden musical gems in here. Buy it first, then search for the references in Amazon or your local library. A splendid service to those who want to know more about classical song literature and its background.

Every book i have ever read about the stars of Dawson's Creek or even just biographies i love to read anything on the stars or just things that they are in

Dear Reader,

The book of Dawson's Creek it tells about the stars. This book is a real good book because their life is the same as ower life.This book conext to these other teenagers today. The book is really great and exciting. I would read this book when I am going though the teenage systuem. Sometimes I get to watch the show but not all the time.

Sincerely,

Sport

I'm 8, and I am allowed to watch Dawson's Creek with my older sisters. I enjoyed all 8 pages of the color pictures, and I learned a lot of cool stuff about all the stars. I got the book for Christmas and I really really liked it!!!

I'm thirteen years old and I have been watching Dawson's Creek since it started. I thought this book gave tons of information about the show, what was going on in it, and all about the people who star as the main characters. This book would be great for people who want to learn more about Dawson's Creek because it is filled with so much information. I love it! :)

Calling Hilary Rice by such a nickname may seem to indicate familiarity but the fact is that after reading this incredible book, I feel as if I know Ms. Rice as personally as I would know, say, my best friend. As a big Dawson's Creek fan, I must say that Ms. Rice does the show, the characters, and the actors, a great service. If there is one book that will make people appreciate this wonderful show, it would be this one. And I would hesitate to call anyone a fan who has not purchased this book. Ms. Rice's wonderful appreciation for the show, and delightful sense of humor make this book a joy to read. I would read it again and again, if I did not have classes to attend.

Great insight, untold stories, and unseen photographs about an extremely private man. It was quite refreshing from the self-serving tomes that celebrities have put out and continue to put out about themselves. The one thing I've always admired about McQueen (besides his obvious acting talent) was his disdain for celebrity and the fact that he remained true to himself. This book drives that home.
Excellent.

Wow, the photographs are beautiful and highly personal. It's like seeing a private photo album from this marriage. Plus the text is informative and revealing. I'm so glad this part of Steve's life is now so well documented.

It goes perfectly on my coffee table.

A fantastic book on the last years of legend Steve McQueen! Great job by Barbara McQueen and Marshall Terrill! Touching moments! Great photos!

This book takes you into the very intimate and private world of Steve McQueen between 1977 and 1980.

Consisting of approximately 150 color photos (most of which were taken by his wife Barbara McQueen) and accompanied by Barbara's recollections of their time together.

Unlike some other photobooks where you sense you are watching the star pose, this book shows you the absolutely unguarded and relaxed side of the man as he goes about his daily life, talking to friends, tinkering on his bikes, dozing in an armchair or washing down the pavement outside his airplane hanger.

These are the sort of photos you would usually never see of a movie star - Steve in the morning before he has showered, looking drowsily over a hot mug of coffee, househunting in Montana with Barbara, or lying asleep on the living room floor with his pet dog lying on top of him.

You really feel like you have stepped into Steve and Barbara's house, it is that personal.

The text accompaniment is also very entertaining and educational as Barbara shares her memories of how Steve wooed her, the initial problems he had to overcome in winning her parents approval of the relationship, his personal lessons to her on how to dismantle and rebuild a motorcycle (sadly unsuccessful) or a gun (successful), how he came to propose, and many other intimate and fun moments. Overall it takes you through their entire relationship and serves as something of an autobiography in itself.

All these photos are beautifully presented in a high gloss large coffee table book format.

Released with the first limited edition run of the book is a 45 minute audio CD of Steve verbally working through the script of the film "Tom Horn". It is fascinating to hear him talk about his vision of the film, rework the script and plan his character. You get a real sense of the epic film he wanted Tom Horn to be (but was denied due to the studio slashing the budget), and you realise just how insightful he was with film and acting. The amount of thought he puts into his role should forever dispel the notion that he just played himself on film.

Steve McQueen - The Last Mile is a very special book and no fans collection will be complete without it.

Intimate, touching, insightful, sometimes hilarious passages into the life of The King of Cool, Steve McQueen. We live in such a visual, media oriented world that we tend to get preconceived notions of who movie stars are, based on what we see. The world saw Steve McQueen as the ultimate man- handsome, macho, cool, someone they could spend their hard-earned bucks on back in the day and get their money's worth at the theater. Barbara McQueen, his widow, saw the real Steve McQueen. She got to know Steve, the family man; Steve, the man who loved the great outdoors and his morning constitutional; Steve, the great mashed potato guru, airplane and motorcycle enthusiast. "The Last Mile" shows how little we all knew of his kindness and philanthropy; how little we knew of his yearning for happiness and how he ultimately found it. The photos in this book will enchant you, leave you wanting more. One of my favorites is one where Barbara embraces Steve from behind. That photo alone is worth the book to me. Beautiful model, handsome superstar, real people worn out from what life has dealt them. You can see it in their faces. It makes me sigh everytime I see it because there's not one person I know who hasn't been to that point and had nothing left but an embrace. You will love this book and you will want more. I guarantee you.

I had the cd version of this book, and it was excelent. It gave the most in depth information I have ever seen of them. Also, it was approved by oasis so we know it's official. A MUST have for anyone who wants to know the true oasis.

This book will definitely grab your attention if you're an Oasis fan. Fanatics will love the great color photos. Even if you don't like the band, the stories (following Noel and Liam's exploits from Oasis's conception to mid-1996) will provoke astonishment, laughter, and intrigue. The background information on everything from the development of the songs to the interband relationships are highly interesting. Along Oasis's monumental rise, the brothers share their strange and expected encounters with friends like Paul McCartney, Evan Dando, John McEnroe, Ringo Starr, Micheal Hutchence, Bono, Lars Ulrich and others. My favorite part is when Liam gets into a argument with a grunge fan at Oasis's first New York show who tells Liam he'll "never amount to anything".

This highly entertaining book captures not only the spirit of one of the most influential rock bands of the 1990's, but also gives an insightful look into the emotional conflict among the band members. Intelligently written by one who has had close, personal contact with the group from their emergence on the musical scene.

This book is so trashy! I loved it! It was written by a good friend of the band, so you KNOW he's not totally honest, but it's still an exemplary biography of a wonderful band. The two Gallagher brothers are arrogant beyond belief, and their characterizations make "Take Me There" all the more fascinating. I particularly liked the stories of Evan Dando, their celebrity tag-along, as well as Noel's admissions of which songs he ripped off. Overall, this book serves as a fine introduction to a band who CLEARLY think they're better than they are (which is admittedly great anyhow!).

At last a book about Oasis where the author knows what he's talking about! Paul Mathurs has been with the band from the start and they trust him which lays the solid foundation for the best book about Oasis to date.

This book is a must for anyone interested in Oasis and highly recommended for anyone who merely has a passing interest. It charts the band from their beginning to the release of Be Here Now (the interesting years!). It is a thorough and amusing account of the band's rise to fame and the downners along the way, especially with some of the tales form America.

Mathurs writes with a knowing, chatty and humourous edge which makes this book extremely addictive and you will no doubt be shocked and amazed by some of the antics covered! The sections where Robbie Williams pops up are simply unbelievable considering recent events. The constant banter of the Gallaghers highlighted in the book is great for the comic element and the comments on the bands music (always the most important thing with Oasis) are honest and truly meant.

A great read with highlights in every chapter. Buy it.

Well written and easy to read, Dawn Steel combines key events in her life with key strategies to make it in today's entertainment world. The book is humorous and enlightening. It may not be The Art of War, but it's a great read none-the-less. It's just too bad the book was so hard to find. No longer available as a new buy, it is readily available in the used book market. Although Dawn left us in 1997, her spirit lives on within each page read. A recommended read for those looking to learn the basic principals of succeeding in this industry.

Dawn Steel, Hollywood's first female movie mogul, died in Cedars-Mount Sinai Hospital on December 20, 1997,of a brain tumor after a long battle with cancer. She was 51. Steel was named president of Columbia in 1987, leaving two years later when Sony took over. Commenting on Steel's death in the New York Times, writer-director Nora Ephron said, "Dawn certainly wasn't the first woman to become powerful in Hollywood, but she was the first woman to understand that part of her responsibility was to make sure that eventually there were lots of other powerful women. ... The situation we have today, with a huge number of women in powerful positions, is largely because of Dawn Steel."

I happened upon Dawn Steel's book and fell for the title. She speaks honestly and with humor about her triumphs and her trials, demonstrating that to succeed, you must first take some risks. I was saddened to learn of her death a couple of years ago--she's someone I wish I'd known in person.

i just liked this book alot. i fell in love with dawn steel. she was a mover and a shaker. her energy jumps to you from the book. i recommend this book to any female who feels lost, misdirected, or going nowhere in her career. this book ought to be everywhere.

They Can Kill You...But They Can't Eat You (Lessons From the Front) by Dawn Steel. Some might call this a book strictly for women...but it's not. Dawn Steel, former, first, and only woman who ever became president of Columbia Pictures, gives us a fast-paced peek into the world behind motion pictures, sharing so many names of stars, producers, directors, writers, who was and is the "in crowd," that you can't possibly grasp the magnitude of what it takes to have those new movies appear before us each week.

The book, according to the inside cover, was written "For every woman (or man) who knows there's a great person in there dying to escape, but lacks the confidence or tools to truly express oneself...for every woman trying to get out of the typing pool...for every woman who wants to be valued for cherishing her role as a mother...for corporate vice-presidents who are as sick as Dawn Steel was of wanting to be one of the boys...for every woman who, just as she conquers the next step, wonders, "so what do I do now?" Dawn Steel offers hard-won insights to help accelerate the trip, eliminate some of the angst and pain, and create a spirit of optimism and hope."

Dawn Steel's book is fun--it makes you cry, it makes you angry, it makes you cheer when she succeeds. It makes you sad when one more job is lost, but over it all, it makes you realize your own potential. You realize that others have had those wild entrepreneurial schemes, and that they have gone out and did them! Dawn sold amaryllis as "penis plants" and created the advertisement headline to "Grow Your Own Penis. All it takes is $6.98 and a lot of love." Now, when you read about someone who comes up with such ideas, you just got to love her...right?

Dawn's life is anything but normal and traditional. Her book opens as she overhears in the "second-floor ladies' room in the Administration Building at Paramount" that "She's dead." While her first reaction is to paraphrase Mark Train, "The reports of my death had been greatly exaggerated," she shares that it actually "took another six months for them to kill" her.

From Paramount to Penthouse, to Columbia, to selling her own ideas, Dawn tells all of us that we can survive anything--being fired, having someone come in over or under us in the corporate ladder and sabotage us, being chased out because of being pregnant, or being referred to as "The Queen of Mean" in newspapers.

The life of Dawn Steel started in 1946 and as her story is told, Dawn highlights for the reader what was happening at that time. These little references takes us back through our own lives and we live her life along with her as songs like "Zip-a-Dee-Do-Dah" that year, on through to Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" in 1987, play through our minds. She helps us recall how the last thirty or so of our lives have gone, and you find you quietly do a comparison of where you could be if you had dared to "risk."

Underlying the story line of her life, the glamour of working at major motion pictures and for "men's magazines," Dawn inserts, casually, but effectively, all the lessons learned in these fascinating arenas. So in the midst of learning about the problems of making the movies, Fatal Attraction or Flashdance, or while negotiating or going to events with Harrison Ford, John Travolta, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, et. Al., Dawn drops in her sage advice, like:

Sometimes you have to accept that there are bosses and colleagues whom you can never turn around. Instead of going home frustrated and torturing yourself and the people around you, move on and find another way. There are people with whom you pass a point of no return and you should give up on them...

You can't let your competition sway you. On of the most important things I learned is that you must be willing not to get it. You must be willing to let go. Then it will come back to you...or

Set your boundaries ahead of time. Set your appetite ahead of time. Then be ready to let go...I learned my job by doing and watching...

As these little nuggets sink in, you realize that this book is about power, personal power. But after all she accomplished, Dawn Steel closes the book with an image..."I had this image of my mother. She was going off to work, dressed in one of her suits. She had to go to work. She had to take care of her family. She didn't have a job with a fancy title, or a plush office, or her own parking space. The guard didn't know her; in fact, there probably wasn't even a guard where she worked. She didn't have a hundred calls a day to define her status. She wasn't looking for anyone to rescue her. She wasn't looking for power. My mother did what had to be done because the power was already in her." And Dawn shares her own realization that she, too, didn't want to look for power anymore...that it had been there, inside her, all along.

This book makes you feel good. It's definitely written for those in the business world, but is written from such a personal slant, where even how potty training for your daughter is handled during the work day, that you don't realize until you've completed the book how it has elevated your spirits and challenged you to look at your life and use that power that is there within us.

Take a trip to Hollywood with Ms. Steel--you'll have a wonderful time!

I consider myself an expert on Disneyland; I'm a former Imagineer and a collector of Disneyland information. Michael Broggie is not exaggerating his father's importance to the realization of Walt's dream. This book goes slightly beyond the sanitized "official" version that the Disney company promulgates and includes some stories and details that haven't been widely known. It's a beautiful coffee table book, complete and accurate (except for one or two nits someone like me might pick). I love it particularly for all the never-before published photos--you get so tired of seeing the same old approved shots when you collect Disneylandiana.

In case Amazon doesn't provide links, I would also recommend "Walt Disney Imagineering" by David Mumford, et.al. and "Inside Story" by the late Randy Bright. Both are "official," but just as authoritative as Broggie's.

Having been a "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour guide at Disneyland AND an engineer on the Steam Trains, I can say with full confidence that this is THE best book written about Walt Disney and his vision of Disneyland, and his love of trains.

The photographs are outstanding, the writing is wonderful, interesting, and easy to read, and the the stories, history, and facts are amazing.

Buy this book for yourself, and get an extra copy to give to someone who likes Disney - they'll be very thankful!

I have always loved the trains at Disneyland more than any other attraction. I always had dozens of questons about the trains that I wished I could get answers to. When I found out about this book I ordered it immediately. (My first experince with "one-click" ordering by the way, and WOW how easy!!) The book arrived on a Friday and I sat down to read it as soon as I got home from work. I could not put it down! I read straight through until 4am the next morning and finished it. It answered all the questions I ever had about the trains at Disneyland. It is a wonderful glimpse into the life of Walt Disney, and the group of incredibly talented people who worked for him. If you love trains, this book is a must. If you love Disneyland, this book is a must. If you could care less about trains and Disneyland, but you love a good story, this book is a must. Thank you Michael Broggie, for sharing this wonderful story.

I normally only read technical books. I picked this book up just to look at the pictures. Then I started to read the short articles within the chapters. I found them so fasinating that I found myself reading the main articles. My son asked my wife "what is Dad doing reading?". Walt Disney said that it all started with a mouse, but after reading this book you will realize that it all started with a train.

As a backyard railroader for the last 30 years, I had always wanted to find out more about Walt Disney's backyard, the "Carolwood Pacific". Now in "Walt Disney's Railroad Story", you can read about all of his interest in railroading, first building a miniature railroad in his backyard, and finally developing theme parks, complete with railroads. Author Broggie knew Walt personally, and covers all of the details of the many Disney railroads. This is one book that I could hardly put down until I had read it completely. I feel that this is a book that should be on the shelf of every backyard railroader and most Disney fans.

This book is so entertaining and interesting... and will make you realize you don't have to get old... These people didn't!

This book was such an inspiration. I am 43 and so hope I can live until I'm 80+. The participants were honest, good and bad, about growing old in such a youth crazed world. I am going to buy at least 4 copies, from Amazon of course, for Christmas presents this year. A great wealth of knowledge.

This book is a must read for anyone who is 80, or who plans on being 80 one day. Your parents or grandparents will enjoy this book since they can compare their thoughts, feelings and experiences with those of the stars and celebrities they followed throughout their lives. Younger readers, and that means anyone not yet on social security, will learn how the 80 famous people discussed in this book have handled aging so gracefully, and with so much vitality. This is an inspirational book which reminds us that age need not affect how a person chooses to live life, and that life holds great rewards for anyone -- including people over 80 -- who choose to remain young at heart.

A wonderful read for anyone who thinks they're getting
on in years and wants to know how the 80plus set
keeps it interesting. It's a "How To" book that should be
on every night table and coffee table.

I've now sent this book to three people as gifts. This is a marvelous gift from all these famous 80-year-olds, to tell their stories of how they got there. Because each profile is in the first-person, I really feel as though I got to know many of these extraordinary people.