Arts and Entertainment Books

he didn't save lots of kids from burning buildings or shoot down Zeroes, but Bob Burns sure did a lot of other cool things. A neat story of the famous and near famous as told by one of the nicest guys ever to dress up like a gorilla. The writeups on his giant halloween extravaganzas are fantastic - could you imaging being a kid and being able to look forward to these giant home-transforming shows at the end of your street every year?

To my mind, there is no greater Monster Kid than Bob Burns. Burns has lived (and continues to!) the life that every Monster Kid dreams of. He has met some of the giants in the field; become friends with many other lesser-known, but equally interesting personalities; participated in the making of some of the classic films of the genre; appeared on television as part of Shock Theater; has accumulated an untold number of props and other memorabilia over his more than 50-year association with monster and science fiction films; and produced some of the most talked-about, elaborate, and awe-inspiring Halloween "haunted attraction" spectacles of all time.

Yet, despite his extreme good fortune, which could turn lesser men selfish and possessive, Bob Burns never hesitates to share his stories, anecdotes, collection, and super big heart with others.

At long last, Burns, in collaboration with horror/science fiction genre writer Tom Weaver, has gathered a collection of his wonderful experiences in Monster Kid Memories. Here, Burns shares many of the highlights of his life with fellow fans, in addition to hundreds of amazing, seldom-seen photos (the book contains over 300 illustrations), including one very special, never-before seen shot of the Martian costume from War Of The Worlds.

Ever the selfless, generous Kid, Bob turns the spotlight on others, allowing them to shine. We: listen with envy as he describes seeing Bela Lugosi on stage and relates his encounters with Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Chaney Jr., George Pal, and William Castle; visit the sets of films (Destination Moon, Unknown Island, the 2002 remake of The Time Machine); learn the intricacies of portraying a gorilla; discover the man behind the genius that was Jack Pierce; help Bob rig the seats for a showing of The Tingler; and learn of Bob's innumerous movie prop acquisitions over the decades (he owned the original Time Machine!) and how he came to possess them - these are just a handful of the many treats awaiting the reader.

The book contains numerous highlights, but a few deserve special mention:

The chapter where Bob discusses his friendship with Glenn Strange (the man behind the Frankenstein monster in the Universal House films and Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein) is touching and sweet. The two men first met when Bob was a teen, but a genuine friendship started, and lasted until the day Strange died in 1973. The two men shared many experiences together, and such a bond developed, that Burns came to think of Strange as a second father. It's wonderful to read of a friendship between two men like this, and to have Strange step out of those huge Frankenstein monster boots (which Strange gave to Burns by the way, along with an unused Monster headpiece) and learn that he was just a down-to-earth, regular Joe.

A chapter detailing Bob's friendship with George Pal is illuminating. We learn that Pal was a warm and fun-loving man, in addition to fascinating facts about the making of Destination Moon, The Time Machine, and War Of The Worlds. Unfortunately, the chapter is also heart-breaking. To learn Bob's opinion of what really killed Pal is to want to storm the offices of today's Hollywood bigwigs with torches and pitchforks.

The fact that Bob relates the lives and stories of many "behind-the-scenes" people - people whose names won't ring any bells and often don't receive any of the credit and recognition they deserve, is refreshing and very welcome. Some of the make-up artists, stuntmen, bit players, prop and special effects people that Burns knew receive their just due here, and I was grateful to learn of some of the "invisible" people behind some of my favorite old-time films and serials.

Lastly, the chapter that details the history of each of Bob's Halloween "haunted spectaculars" made this reader greener with envy than Elsa as the monster in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Reading of the amount of time, effort, and talent that went into producing each of these shows, merely for the entertainment of friends and neighborhood children, is a testament to just how big Bob Burns's heart really is.

The mere fact that these memories, and much more, are captured in one book is reason enough to recommend it. But quite often the telling of one's life to another can make for a dull, difficult read. Not Monster Kid Memories. Although many of these memories occurred decades ago, you wouldn't know it to read it. When he's relating one of his many stories, there is such genuine excitement and enthusiasm emanating from Burns that you swear you're sitting in a chair across from him, listening, caught up in his excitement - several times while reading I found myself actually exclaiming, "Oh, wow!"

This sense of fun and "gee-whiz!" excitement, perfectly captured and transferred to the page by co-author Weaver, is the book's grand accomplishment. For several hours, the reader once again becomes a little 15-year-old boy (or girl!). Only a handful of books can accomplish magic like this, and Monster Kid Memories is one of them.

My only regret is the fear that the title might turn away a wider audience. While the book does concentrate primarily on Burns's association with monsters and science fiction, a potential reader should know that these stories will appeal to anyone. You don't have to love monsters and aliens - Bob Burns does, and the kid-like joy and genuine love that he has for his subjects spills over onto the page and will captivate any film fan.

Just a terrific book.

I read an edition of Starlog magazine about Bob Burn's Halloween extravaganas. I always wanted to attend one of these Halloween shows. Monster Kid Memories is as close as I will ever get. The book makes you feel like you were right there when it was being built and shown. Bob Burns is probably the greatest SciFi fan out there. The book is hard to put down once you start. I do wish Mr Burns would put a video out showcasing the Halloween shows. If you watch a documentary of The Time Machine you can see a portion of one of his shows.

Being a long time lover of everything that is classic horror & sci-fi, I consider this is a great and highly recommended book from one the most beloved fans of the genre, Bob Burns. It really feels as if he is sharing all his wonderful memories about guys such as Glenn Strange (the Frankenstein monster of the 40's), George Pal (War of the Worlds, The Time Machine), and Charlie Gemora (Monster & the Girl, "the Gorilla man"), with you in your living room. It is a fun adventure to share all of Bob's wonderful memories, and gives insight to not only those actors, directors and makeup men I mentioned, but to Bob's life as well. He is THE fan that we all wished we could be, and along with "IT CAME FROM BOB'S BASEMENT", is a wonderful journey back to the days of classic horror and early sci-fi!

Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams is an interesting work that captures the personality of the wonderfully talented musician. The biography captures the struggles and achievements of Williams; it also shares some amusing details that make the book hard to put down for anyone interested in the careers of early black musicians.

An engagingly written book on a much ignored, extremely talented musician. Mary Lou Williams was (and is) respected by music giants the world over, including the likes of Duke Ellington. This book puts Williams' importance to American music in perspective, and gives her the overdue credit she so obviously deserves.

My recommendation is to put on a MLW disc, sit back and read. It will be a rewarding experience.

Mary Lou Williams' jazz experiences are detailed in a biography which covers both her life and career and her role as an Afro-American female musician. Dahl was given unlimited access to the Williams archive and her first full-length biography of Williams makes for an important coverage.

It's too easy (and condescending) to say that Mary Lou Williams was one of the greatest female jazz artists; she actually was one of the greatest, period. Her compositions and arrangements for the Andy Kirk band while she was a member throughout the 1930s brought much praise and admiration at the time (and still do today). (She also arranged for Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and other top-rated swing band leaders.) She was a sensational pianist, too, one of the finest boogie-woogie and stride players in jazz; she was also a great innovator and was among the first to master and play bebop in the 1940s. She greatly influenced many modern pianists, and personally changed the styles of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. Mary Lou was a deeply religious person and wrote much religious music and kept very close relations with the Catholic Church (Ms. Dahl covers this aspect of Mary Lou's life very thoroughly.) Williams was a demanding player and seemed to have her greatest difficulties dealing with incompatible bass players (she once fired the great bassist Richard Williams during a New York club engagement). Linda Dahl has written a detailed and comprehensive biography of Mary Lou, covering all her musical and extra-musical activities. Included is a nicely organized selective discography. Anyone familiar with Mary Lou's playing or arranging and would like to learn more about her will benefit greatly by reading this excellent biography.

I have a feeling this book will continue to draw acclaim as the months and years go by, for it must be the standard biography for some time to come. Drawing on a wealth of material from the artist's family, Janis Londraville and Richard Londraville have managed to animate a long forgotten story, and it has made me completely interested in Paul Swan's works in all their guises. It's hard to imagine today the ease with which Paul Swan seems to have said to himself, "Well, painting is only making me this famous, I think I'll add another string to my bow and become an interpretative dancer"? How often does that happen, and how often does any arrist excel in both wildly competitive fields?

Janis Londraville and Richard Londraville hint that Swan's good looks helped him along here and there. With so many photos of him spread throughout the book, a concordance of beauty begins to take shape in the reader's mind. Is he the "most beautiful man in the world" as his press agents claimed? It's a type of good looks you don't see very much today, or if you do, you see them in leading men who are just average looking--say, the Bill Pullman look. (Take a gander at the book jacket photo.) But Swan knew how to work his look, and he studied the Egyptian arts of presentation, so that his dances resembled early versions of Madonna's "Vogue" movements, with hand manipulations framing the face, the body, the long legs and the cinched in waist. He could have been a contender in the movies, but alas, he let the camera come close a little too late (he was already 40 when he played a herald in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (first version) by Cecil B. DeMille. In fact his age was always getting in his way, like a clumsy, ardent teenage boy stumbling over his erection. In old age he was still performing his "Grecian" and "classic" dances in which, apparently, he would dance off his seven veils and at the end reveal the original naked body Isadora Duncan had fondled way back in the day. In his prime, when he went to Greece, Greek newspapers claimed that their statuary had come to life and was walking in American clothes! "See him and then see our marbles! Is he not the Hermes of Praxiteles come to life again? Or is he Antinous?"

He was sort of a dramatic Paul Lynde sort of queen except without a sense of humor, and not much of a dad to his two long suffering daughters. The authors luckily had his unpublished memoirs to draw on, and they are adept in art criticism to a scary extent, coming close to persuading me that Paul Swan's painting is necessary, like Thomas Hart Benton or Jackson Pollock. At any rate he is an American Rousseau, for good or bad, and I would love a companion volume with full color plates of all his surviving work, And what a shame that the authors worked hard interviewing nearly every available witness who knew the old man, and in a touching vignette they report that one, the actress Lisan Kaye, who posed as the Empress Theodora in 1944 for Swan, can't remember him at all, trapped as she is in her Alzheimer's disease. Something very Swanlike about that inability.

Do the authors cheat in subtitling their book "from Wilde to Warhol," considering that Swan actually never did meet Oscar Wilde? Yes, a little, I think, but it suits the carnival barker aspect of their subject, for whom no publicity was bad publicity.

I have had the privilege of working with Janis and Richard Londraville as an intern, and as a gift for assisting them with the exhibition of Paul Swan's works that Janis is curating at the SUNY Potsdam campus, I recieved an autographed copy of their book. I simply couldn't put it down! The authors did an amazing job of telling the story of Paul Swan, and after I'd finished the book, I felt as if I'd known the artist for years. This is a wonderful, amazing book and I'm glad I got the opportunity to work with the authors on an exhibit of Paul Swan's works. Everyone should read this book!

When I read the review in the Hollywood Reporter, I figured the book was worth a look. Indeed, it was. I can't say it better than HR: The book should have screen actors guild members "turning pages with one hand and dialing their agents with the other." This is a visual book, filled with images. There is a lot of power is this crazy artist's life. --Another artist.

If this were fiction, it would almost be unbelievable. As a biography, it's simply fascinating to read what he did, who he knew, and how he survived during that time in history. An excellent exploration of art, sexuality, personality. You will burn through it.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to start treating their music career as a serious business.

There are a lot of solid books out there that bite off a piece of the music industry - promotion, getting gigs, publicity, website management - but this is the book you need to start with. In it you will find a detailed overview of every aspect of the music business in clear no-nonsense prose. Getting a sense of the big picture is crucial in order to be able to prioritize the work that needs doing.

Unlike many of the music books out there, the reader is treated as an adult, and there are no silver bullets offered. What you get instead is professional advice on all of the tools you need to develop a solid and professional business around music. This is not a book of generic answers, but a book that will help you make sure you are asking all of the right questions, with advice for how to find the answers specific to your career.

Whether it is the proper way to organize a bio, or how to submit your music to magazines, or how to set up house concerts and build a loyal following, there is a ton of great thinking in here.

Whether you're thinking about a career in the music industry, curious about the mechanisms behind starting up a record label, or an artist that wants to cover the business side of being a successful performer, this is the book for you.

Christopher Knab's book, "Music Is Your Business: The Musician's ForeFront Strategy for Success", skillfully navigates the reader through the sometimes tumultuous terrain that independent musicians and record labels travel every day. Methodically comprised of what he calls the Four Fronts, namely Artist & Product Development, Promotion, Publicity and Performance, Chris pulls from a body of knowledge that spans from his thirty years in the music industry.

Terms are spelled out in an easy to read format, but with a technical tone for those that want to sharpen skills they already have. Whether you're a beginner or long time veteran, his book is loaded with useful and insightful information that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else. As someone whose starting his own label, this resource has been an invaluable source of inspiration and information. Simply put, this book rocks!

As a working professional in the Music Industry, I feel this book is a "must" read for any artist or anyone representing an artist who wants to make the Music Industry their career. So many artists just want to play, and ignore the business aspects. As it's stated in the book, The Music Business is just that, a business!

Hands on experiences, with printed examples make this an easy to read and reference guide that you'll come back to time and time again. Before you know it, you'll be sharing this information with other artists.

If you don't read this book, or think you know it all, you are not serious about furthering your career, for it discusses the pitfalls of the industry and warns you how to not fall trap to them.

Take control of your career.. Do it now! Order this book!

Robin Fairbanks, Seattle

Chris Knab has made his career in all areas of the music business, from record store owner to radio DJ, starting a record label to managing an independent radio station, and music business educator and consultant.

Using what he calls the Four Front strategy to cover Artist and Product Development, Promotion, Publicity and Performance issues, Chris Knab shows independent musicians how to navigate the paths to sucess in the music business.

Let me break these down for you a little bit. In the Artist Development section, he lays out the knowledge and skills that musicians and bands need to reach their goals of getting their music out to an audience, and guides you through the many potential minefields that can hinder you from achieving success. In the Product Development section, he and entertainment lawyer Bartley Day detail the specifics of getting a record released, including CD production and both retail and internet distribution, as well as the many legal issues to be considered. In the Promotion section, he gives detailed information needed to get radio airplay for your songs. In the Publicity section, he shows the ways to get the word about your music out to the print, broadcast and internet media. Finally in the Performance section, he focuses on ways to find and build an audience of customers for your music.

The book is packed with useful information, but is also easy to read, and is a very good reference for any musician or band seeking a successful music career. The book won't do the work for you, but it will give you a detailed insider's view on what you need to do to make it in the music business.

In the airport recently, I picked up the Los Angeles Times and came across a review of this delightful book, which will appeal to movie buffs, history buffs or anyone whose family experienced the Great Depression. I quote from Jonathan Kirsch who wrote the review: "The next time a 1930s gangster flick called 'Kid Galahad' shows up on cable, take a close look at the guy in the spectacles and the fedora standing next to Humphrey Bogart. 'If you are familiar with many B movies of the late '30s or '40s,' writes Joan M. Cunningham, 'you would probably recognize my father's face, if not his name.' Joe Cunningham was one of the character actors who are the unsung heroes of old Hollywood, and his brief but memorable career is detailed in an unabashedly sentimental memoir by his daughter. Joan Cunningham recalls a childhood on the margins of Hollywood." The review goes on to highly recommend this fascinating book about the other side of Hollywood during it's Golden Age. I picked up the book and couldn't put it down.

Just returned from a tip to California where I learned about the Hollywood moguls who founded the movie industry. What a joy, when I returned, to discover this little book--the other side of the coin--that told what it was like for families to live and work amoung the famous in Hollywood of the 30s and 40's. The author takes you back with her to walk the streets where Jackie Cooper was her neighbor and little girls adventured out to get a peek at the big studio lots. You feel the highs of dining at Chassens when dad has a bit part and the lows of moving to a smaller house when bits are sparse. A love story from a daughter for her father, forever a featured player in her life.

A delightful read. I was transported back in time to an era of "B" movies as seen in the lives of the players, a family that shared love, and tough times with humor and strength.

A revealing, surprising, delightful look at bygone Hollywood by one who was there: the daughter of the "Bit Player" in the title. This personal remembrance is sprinkled with the famous--and not-so-famed--personalities and events that have shaped our impression of Hollywood's "golden age." Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Ginger Rogers...they're all here, but in small roles, supporting the star: Joe Cunningham.

Snap this one up for an insider's look at a special time in our nation's cultural history. You'll be rewarded with page after page of anecdotes about life on the edge of the spotlight, and in the middle of how things really were. (Check out the photo of the author at Shirley Temple's birthday party--she's adorable!)

I was fascinated by the star-studded stories, and touched by the loving look back at a uniquely American family. I recommend this to all who appreciate good movies, good writing and good reads.

Stanislavsky is still the most influential figure in modern or contemporary theater. In this book, he is open about his life especially the rough years in Russia, his first exposure to the theater, his first time at directing. He also writes about his professional relationship with another Russian, Anton Chekhov. He writes about his travels mostly in Russia such as his journeys to Petrograd, the Russian provinces that inspired many of Chekhov's plays, and of course his first journey abroad. The book is really for theater junkies like myself who would have loved to have been a theatrical actress or director but life isn't so bad. He has directed William Shakespeare's tragedies like Othello and Julius Caesar along with Chekhov favorites like The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya and The Sea Gull. Stanislavsky also founded and developed the Moscow Theater Company. He did it all for love, not money nor fame. He became rich in so many other ways.

For those in the arts, and especially those in dramatic art, this book is a must. It is the account of the father of modern truthful acting and a look into what a life spent towards creating art is about. While at times the book can drag a bit and get wordy, there is too much insight and inspiration in this book to pass it by. It is so wonderful to have an account of this mans amazing life in his own words to read, study and eventually aim for.

A must read for those of the stage!

This book is Stanislavski account of his experiences in working at the Moscow Art Theatre that he Co-founded with Vladimir Danthcheko ( who also wrote a similar book from his perspective titled ' My life in the Russian Theatre'). The book deals with the problems the duo faced in ushering in modern theatre as we know it today and the solutions they came up with. Highly recommended for those interested in learning about this major revolution that happened in theatre at the end of 19th century.

"Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art." Truly one of the world's greatest arts educators, Stanislavsky's autobiography is beautifully written. It is a fascinating portrait of the history of modern acting and also of Russian history. Absolutely key for understanding the Method, and the development of today's theater.

The New Amsterdam Theatre is amazing. It has been given a new life. This book tells that story. It brings us back to Old New York when there used to be over fifty theatres!! It is a shame that we've let them be destroyed. But this book gives the story of a theatre and a peek into a past that deserves to be remembered.

This is the most beautiful book I own. I had been to the New Amsterdam in its most painful days. At this time I saw Mondo Cane and would not sit down it was such a flea bag theatre. It was a historical sight...Ziegfeld Folies et al. I really felt sad as I stood there feeling the greatness that had passed; at the time I felt... forever. Disney has brought the theatre and the feeling back. I witnessed this with my viewing of LION KING. What I felt had been lost forever can be seen in this wonderful book. The pictures before and after make one feel that nothing is impossible. The beauty that had decayed and looked irreversable has been accomplished and this book, and this theatre stand as testaments to what can be accomplished. Anyone who has walked into a theatre and felt the past rekindle will love to read this inspiring book. This book shows the cycle of a wonderful theatre and all that it was and lost and then saved. It symbolizes the rise and fall of 42nd Street as well as one beautiful theatre. This book will for once and for all show what a thetare can be and fall to and rise above. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in Theatres anywhere and what they should symbolize to all of us.

This book offers an excellent overview of the New Amsterdam Theater from the beginning through the recent renovation with discussions of the architecture of the building, the decorative artwork and of course a history of shows that have played at the theater from the beginning.

Do you know a theater buff who deserves the perfect gift this holiday season? Disney's Hyperion has just released the ideal book for anyone who loves the theater: The New Amsterdam: The Biography of a Broadway Theatre.

The book is as striking as New York's famed and recently refurbished New Amsterdam Theatre. Opening from the center to reveal the main stage framed by delicate murals and art nouveau decorations, the book is brimming with pictures. It begins with decades old photographs and sketches that depict the grace and splendor of the theater when it opened in 1903 and concludes with before-and-after pictures demonstrating the care and effort that went into the building's restoration.

This book does not simply tell the story of the rise, fall, and rebirth of the Broadway landmark, it recounts the history of American theater as it passed over the stage of the New Amsterdam. From the Ziegfeld Follies to Fred Astaire to Jack Benny to Disney's recent staging of King David, the New Amsterdam welcomed America's most famous and talented performers. The New Amsterdam: The Biography of a Broadway Theatre makes this history come alive with photos of movie posters, actors, sets, and costumes.

Disney is to be commended for committing their resources to the painstaking and comprehensive restoration project that has saved the New Amsterdam from its undeserved fate as a forgotten and abandoned relic from Broadway's' glamourous past. They can also be congratulated for offering this remarkable book that preserves and shares 94 years of America's artistic heritage.

This book provides detailed technical discussions of the methods of cinematography in a number of contemporary films by different contemporary cinematographers. It is a technical discussion of shooting techniques, lab processes, etc. and now recommended for the average reader or even the reader interested in films but not the technical details. There are frequent illustrations, though I dont believe that they are all taken from the actual film footage.
There is an emphasis on European films and cinematographers, but some American films are covered as well.
I found the book interesting but it has a narrow appeal: you must want to know about cinematography techniques but accept that you are not getting all the details of how to do the techniques. (For example, there are several areas where special lab procedures are mentioned, but not specifically what was done, for this you would presumably have to contact the lab directly.
Also with the emergence of several types of HD videography, it is too bad that some discussions of d.p.s using new electronic methods was not included.

New Cinematographers is a quick, thorough, and interesting read. The information is presented in a simple way that is neither too flowery nor too sparse. Divided into 6 sections, one for each cinematographer, then sub-divided for each film that is discussed. The language is not excessively technical, so a beginner should be able to understand. It is not bland for the seasoned professional though, since a lot of the techniques presented are very non-conventional. Some of the films covered are quite different than what you will find in your typical issue of American Cinematographer, whose films seem to have a limitless budget. Especially in the early part of their careers, these cinematographers, found innovation, imagination, and hard work would go a lot further toward the overrall success of the film than just a budget can allow. Highly recommended for beginner, professional, or enthusiast.

This book is an excellent resource for cinematographers, both professional and aspiring.

Lance Acord, Jean-Yves Escoffer, Darius Khondji, John Mathieson, Seamus McGarvey, and Harris Savides all go through a step by step process of what they did to execute certain scenes. Lighting charts, set design blueprints, call sheets, storyboards, on set photography, film stills... it's all in this book. Very detailed and descriptive. In depth writing about film stocks, developing processes, filters, lights, colors... everything you could possibly imagine!

Hands down a GREAT resource, as they dissect scenes in movies they actually shot. So you can follow along while watching films such as Buffalo '66, Being John Malcovich, Lost in Translation, Gummo, City of Lost Children, Seven, The Beach, Gladiator, The Hours, and plenty more.

Definite recommendation.

"New Cinematographers" is a beautifully produced and packaged book, full of insights into what goes on in the mind of some of the most creative and interesting cinematographers working today. There are sections devoted to each of several new cinematographers, and chapters on several of the films they worked on. Readers of the book basically get to look at refined notes by some of the contemporary masters of cinema (Lance Acord - Buffalo '66, Being John Malkovich, Lost in Translation; Jean-Yves Escoffer - Lovers on the Bridge, Gummo, Good Will Hunting; Darius Khondji - Delicatessen, Se7en; John Mathieson - Gladiator, Matchstick Men; Seamus McGarvey - High Fidelity, The Hours; and Harris Savides - The Game, Elephant), whose names are not as well known as the directors of the films they worked on, but who ought to be -- as this book makes abundantly clear, the body of work to which each of these cinematographers contributed bears the mark of their creative talents just as much as it bears the stamp of their directors or writers. The list of films covered reads like a catalog of all of the most visually compelling works by the most creative directors of the past decade (Being John Malkovich, Seven, Elephant, The City of Lost Children, etc.). There are pictures, diagrams, scripts, notes, all included to flesh out the process they went through in each film, and accompanied by an incredible wealth of detail about the filmmaking process, their experience with the director, their methods for planning for each shoot, their reflections on their craft, specific explanations on how they achieved some of the most interesting shots, and details about difficulties faced during each shot. Some of the most illuminating bits include some of the various reflections on how to capture the distinctiveness of particular faces, or how and why they decided to manipulate the look of a particular actor. Reading through this book is not only exciting and intriguing for me as a lover of film, but was also extremely rewarding in the wealth of insights it gave me into the decision-making process of a wide range of experts. This is an exceptional and extremely valuable book, well worth owning.

Excellent autobiography from one of the giants of Chicago soul and a giant in the world of pop music in general.

Lots of anecdotes about life on the road and the Chicago music scene from the 50s through the 90s.

Butler is a major talent as well as an intelligent, literate man. A must read for fans of popular music in the last half of the 20th century.

A friend of mine gave me "Only the Strong Survive" as a Christmas gift, and now I treasure it as one of the best gifts I've ever received.

This is more than a book about music--although eighty percent of it is. It is a history book, political book, inspirational book -- you name it! One would never think that a rhythm and blues singer had that much depth. For example, Mr. Butler uses the tragic case of his former bongo player to show the horrors of the war in Vietnam. Then, turning to politics, he reminds us of the debt we owe the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, and what all of us can do to make this world a better place. It is at once inspirational and entertaining, thought-provoking and profound -- a must-read for all serious readers!

Jerry Butler's book tells an important--and fun--story about his history as the one great rnb singers. Did you know he co-wrote I've Been Loving You Too Long, with Otis Redding. Butler also worked with Curtis Mayfield, who produced and wrote for him. His composition "Brand New Me," has been covered by countless artists from Dusty Springfield to Phoebe Snow. Don't just get the book--pick up his greatest hits too.

A MUST READ ESPECIALLY FOR DUSTY RECORD FANS. MR. BUTLER IS CLASSY AND ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMERS BACK FROM THE 60'S, A TRUE PROFESSIONAL. I STARTED READING THE BOOK AND COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. TRUST ME THIS BOOK WILL NOT BORE YOU, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT IS JERRY AND EARL ADD A TOUCH OF HUMOR TO JUST ABOUT EVERY CHAPTER. THIS BOOK IS A KEEPSAKE. JERRY ALSO HAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VOICES I HAVE EVER HEARD, DID YOU KNOW THAT HE WAS THE LEAD SINGER OF THE IMPRESSIONS AT ONE TIME AND HE LED ON THE SONG "FOR YOUR PRECIOUS LOVE" I AM A LIBRARIAN, AND I CONSTANTLY REVIEW AND PREVIEW BOOKS AND THIS IS A WINNER. AS JERRY SINGS IN ONE OF HIS SONGS "I'M A TELLING YOU".

This book provides fabulous insight on WWII and the spirit of America that helped win the war for the Allies. So many times, my parents said, "Why, back in my day we didn't get meat at every dinner. But we didn't complain: we LIKED it!" If you want to know more about America's patriotic spirit and how it "gets the job done", you'll love this book. The Andrews Sisters were a class act and Maxine and the other USO "soldiers in greasepaint" did their best to encourage and cheer our fighting forces on home soil and abroad. This book has a lot of history and tells about emotions of the folks during that time in a very poignant way. If you ever wondered why certain songs with wacky titles were popular ("Six Jerks In A Jeep"), you'll come away with greater understanding.

Great book about the Andrews Sisters, their work during the WWII years with the USO, and many of the other stars that participated in these shows to entertain the troops.

This book provides fabulous insight on WWII and the spirit of America that helped win the war for the Allies. So many times, my parents said, "Why, back in my day we didn't get meat at every dinner. But we didn't complain: we LIKED it!" If you want to know more about America's patriotic spirit and how it "gets the job done", you'll love this book. The Andrews Sisters were a class act and Maxine and the other USO "soldiers in greasepaint" did their best to encourage and cheer our fighting forces on home soil and abroad. This book has a lot of history and tells about emotions of the folks during that time in a very poignant way. If you ever wondered why certain songs with wacky titles were popular ("Six Jerks In A Jeep"), you'll come away with greater understanding.

I am a professional director in the American theatre, and for the last 20 years of her life, it was my joy to direct and collaborate with Maxene Andrews on many shows, radio interviews, personal appearances, and stage appearances! She was a great lady with a heart of gold, and such pride in America!

She always spoke highly of her sisters and family, and was never boastful about the major contribution "The Andrews Sisters" made to America, and especially the WW II effort to bolster the spirits of our fighting men and women.

Maxene is sorely missed by her friends and fans, but the book she wrote with Bill, "Over Here-Over There," is a treat to read and love! She was excited when "telling the memories!" The book especially reflects wit and faith in times of great trouble for our country. The music and the stories behind the shows for the USO are inspiring!

I am happy to have known Maxene and to have been a part of her life as her director and friend! No single singing group in our history has equally the perfection and spirt of these three Greek daughters of an immigrant to America!

Maxene Andrews is a spirit that continues to brighten our torch of freedom through the music that she and her sisters sang. The stories told in this book reflect the scenes behind the scenes of keeping America smiling!


CASH BAXTER
Producer/Director
Palm Desert, CA