Arts and Entertainment Books

While doing my science research project, I found many books on advertising, but none as fascinating and complete as this. It's actually fun to look through!

I think it's really true that whatever are in ads reflect our society, and it was interesting to see ALL the entertainment ads, which made me think more about my project and everything else. It's a terrific book!

While doing my science research project, I found many books on advertising, but none as fascinating and complete as this. It's actually fun to look through!

I think it's really true that whatever are in ads reflect our society, and it was interesting to see ALL the entertainment ads, which made me think more about my project and everything else. It's a terrific book!

I have admired Nicholas Pennell's work since I saw him in the Forsyte Saga when I was in high school. I was glad to be able to find out more about his carreer in a book where the author was not trying to sensationalize anything but just give the facts.

This is a charming and readable biography of a man who dedicated himself not only to theater but to one remarkable theater in particular-the Stratford Festival in Ontario. Despite the beginning of a good career in London, Pennell, British by birth, once accepted a limited engagement with Stratford. Almost immediately he became fascinated with the theatrical opportunities that that repertoire company provided an actor, to say nothing of the rich dramatic offering it presented to an international audience.
As a result, Pennell became a Canadian citizen and spent a professional lifetime acting and teaching at Stratford. His work took him elsewhere, including the United States, England, and the West Indies, but his base remained always at Stratford, where he quickly became and remained one of the stars of the company.
Maher, who knew Pennell, bases her biography on his correspondence, interviews with his friends and associates, and interviews that Pennell himself granted to her and to others. The book is full of amusing anecdotes, as one always hopes to find in a book about theatrical personalities. It could also serve as a useful teaching aid for young actors because Pennell talks compellingly about the demands and techniques of acting.
Finally, you don't have to know what has been going on in English-language theater since at least the mid-20 century to enjoy Maher's book. But if you do, it is even more fun.
Henry Butterfield Ryan, July 29, 2005.

There are probably a dozen or so books that I've read and re-read cover to cover in one siting. I am adding Kanze and Sulek's to that pile, making it a super baker's dozen. It's a solid, well written text, highlighted with great pictures and memorabilia about radio's AM history in metro #1. My only regret for the radio historian is that there isn't one for all the other major metro areas like Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas. I look forward to their FM version. Gotta have it. Bob Donnelly

Montclair NJ

Growing up in New York City, I lived the New York AM radio experience. My era was 1010 WINS with "Murray the K" and Jack Lacy. Occasionally I would dial up to Peter Tripp on WMGM-1050 or down to the "sweatshirt station", WMCA (Yeah-yeah). As I moved through adolescence music began to disappear from New York AM. Soon all we had left was WABC-Musicradio 77. That too would eventually go to radio heaven.

Bill Jaker's fantastic compilation takes us behind the New York radio scene. It puts faces to the voices of the disk jockeys who woke us up each day. Those who sat next to us on the beach blanket at Coney Island on a warm summer afternoon, and to the ones who rocked us to sleep each night. They all come back to life once again thanks to Bill Jaker and his friends.

But that's not all. You'll learn all about the storied history of the #1 radio market in the world. All the great radio stations of the 50's and 60's, and about stations you never even heard of. If you ever turned on a radio in New York, waited patiently for the tubes to glow and wondered who are these guys who keep playing the music I love, this book is for you. Despite what others say, you can go back in time, and this book will take you there. Enjoy! I did.

The interviews collected by Bert Cardullo in "Akira Kurosawa Interviews" give us various lenses and filters through which the great director's works were seen, over a fairly decent period of time. We have Japanese filmmaker interviewers, American critics, A Latin American novelist interviewer, and Bert Cardullo himself. We have the very respectful, the respectful but inquisitive, the annoyingly self-absorbed (you'll know it when you read it...a tipoff is that, after the most pompously convoluted question Kurosawa laughs...)and the one mind that provokes a real emotional response from Kurosawa.

That's a nice survey! You will hear many stories repeated (I begin to think that Kurosawa relied heavily on some basic themes drawn from his experience, and reiterated in his work with Audie Bock:"Something Like an Autobiography" and nearly word-for-word in Cardullo's final interview in the book) but, despite the repetition, new stuff is intermixed, and quite fascinating for Kurosawa fans and scholars.

Goes on the Kurosawa bookshelf.

Akira Kurosawa: Interviews.

I recommend this book unreservedly to anybody interested in film. In conversation with knowledgeable and distinguished interviewers Kurosawa gives detailed insights into how he works: how every stage of a film is exhaustively discussed beforehand by all its participants and the Director himself; how unplanned factors such as the weather can contribute to episodes of unforgettable beauty and mystery in the finished film; his refusal to be regarded as a philosopher, let alone a preacher ('I look at life as an ordinary man. I simply put my feelings into the film'); his passionate interest in, and extraordinary knowledge of Japanese history, of the social and military life of the given period; of how his early training as a painter has informed his perceptions and his methods.
Apart from all that we learn about Kurosawa's work, the book is full of insights into recent Japanese history and contemporary society, including, of course, Japanese cinema.
Kurosawa's speech is engagingly fresh and energetic, and despite his great fame he seems to be utterly without self-importance.

do you have a boy frin

I'm not the kind of person who likes country music, but when I heard the Dixie Chicks on the radio, I was pleasantly surprised at their music. So I bought this book and it is very interesting to read about all the things the Chicks have been through. They are strong, persistent, and fun loving women that gave modern country music a new look.

Teachout's short biography of Balanchine has a lot more meat in it than I expected, considering that he makes a comment in the Preface that he wrote it for the casual ballet-goer or even someone who has never been to the ballet. He takes a casual but observant stroll through Balanchine's professional and personal lives and with telling incident and anecdote makes this giant of twentieth-century art come alive, warts and all. Further, his tone is one of kindliness and understanding, even when it comes to Balanchine's inveterate womanizing, without it becoming a work of hagiography. And he conveys in words how Balanchine filled his plotless ballets with "the most extraordinary encounters and events" and changed the face of modern ballet.

I came to this book not as a balletomane but as a lover of the music of Stravinsky whose music, of course, was the aural life blood of Balanchine's art. I was not disappointed in that there were many glimpses of Stravinsky along the way. But more important Teachout's easy style and consummate story-telling ability made this a compulsive read. Many biographers lack that quality.

Frankly I would recommend this book not only to the dance neophyte like me, but to any lover of ballet, or modern dance, or of twentieth century music. It certainly provides a beautifully written record of one of the high points of American culture of its era.

Scott Morrison

I will make the inevitable comparison between this book and Robert Gottlieb's short biography of Balanchine. This book is my choice because Gottlieb's book, while businesslike, is a bit earthbound. Gottlieb's biography did not exude the spirit of dance for me. And the biographical facts, reported in brief by both Gottlieb and Teachout, have been given more scope in Bernard Taper's wonderful full length biography. In Teachout's favor, he is a dance critic, and he treats the dances themselves with more insight and depth. As a reader, I feel this added to the book's value. So the book I'll keep on my shelf is Terry Teachout's Balanchine.

the book was very good and talked a lot about the girls thoughts on every thing. if your a fan of the group this is the book to buy.

All saints are a very good group. We did a dance to the song called I know where its at and Bootie call.Tara looks a bit like Mel and Rachel looks a bit like Nat. Rachels fav songs are Never ever and Under the bridge . Tara's fav songs ara Alone and Under the bridge. WE LOVE ALL SAINTS.

All The Young Dudes is a fantastic read. The author had access to the founding members of Mott and uses this inside information to paint a thorough picture of how things were; how the members thought about various times of their careers; the ups and downs; David Bowie, etc. For instance, I didn't know that Ian Hunter was the bassist for the New Yardbirds. Or that he played with Ritchie Blackmore once. But I don't want to ruin all the surprises. Suffice to say, it is a fantastic book. Complete in every way. You couldn't ask for a better or more thorough biography. There are lots of rare pics and a complete discography too. I loved this book!!

Whether you are a Mott/Ian Hunter fan or not, you can enjoy this book. Although the early background/biography sections aren't as interesting as the career of Mott The Hoople, this book is very entertaining. It shows the inner workings of a legendary band, and in the process, the inner workings of the music industry. This book is easy to read and a must for Ian Hunter/Mott fans. These guys had a lot of funny things happen to them as they became unlikely pop stars.

This is one of the best books I have ever read.

While I was not very familiar with James Broughton's work, I had heard how much people liked him as both a poet and filmmaker. Poetry is not my first choice of reading but I can be induced to try out anything unfamiliar to me as it was with this book. The book was very engaging and let the reader immerse themselves in the author's personality. Broughton comes across at times, a happy and care free person and then there are times you can sense a bit of unhappiness or depression. All in all the reader gets a chance to see all facets of the author as a person and a great poet/filmmaker. The book somewhat serves as a primer on some of the collected works of James Broughton. It does this job admirably and I was intrigued to keep reading all the way to the end in one sitting. I highly recommend this book. The book can also serve as a literary work that needs to be added as a permanent fixture into the annals of gay literature for the GLBT community to have as a piece of their own history. Bravo to Jack Foley for putting this book together.

With the release of this important book on filmmaker and poet James Broughton we are handed a unique experience, for it is "the very first book to allow the various aspects of Broughton's complex personality to 'sing' to one another." Broughton, or "Big Joy," was so vastly talented and led such an extraordinarily interesting life, that one comes away from this gorgeous and excellently structured book wondering how we did without it. Foley knew Broughton personally; perhaps this is one of the reasons he brought the book to perfection. If you are familiar with James Broughton's work, you already know you must have this book. If you have not experienced Broughton's poetry, film or journals, treat yourself -- you're in for "Big Joy."

This book brilliantly depicts the outstanding role Ralph Cooper played in shaping American music as we know it today. His genius and forethought has yet to be matched in this century. I enjoyed the book immensely!

A history not only of the Apollo Theatre, but of Black entertainment in this country. Mr.Cooper is very knowledgeable and gives a wealth of information about an exciting era. A good reference book, giving me a better understanding of the roots and important of Black entertainment and its influences in the U.S.