Arts and Entertainment Books

The book is gorgeous. Without doubt the best book ever written about Caruso(and there are thousands). And it is exiting to read too... Go and get it! You'll love it! It's just a pitty (and I mean a real pitty) that this is the abridged version - the full one is even better (just in case you love to read ghost stories of how Caruso appeared to his son or you want to know what happened to all the people, Carusos belongings and his body after he died.)

Enrico Caruso is the greatest tenor of this century. I say "is" because every tenor is still compared to Caruso (not to one of "The Three"); his records, all predating the microphone, still sell 76 years after his death; and there are more books about the life and art of Caruso than any other singer. The original version of this book appeared seven years or so ago and was regarded as one of the best Caruso biographies ever written. The book has now been streamlined to remove chapters that were more about the family after Caruso's death than about the great tenor. Not only did Caruso's son have access to family photos, letters, etc denied other biographers but he also has the unique first-hand perspective. Caruso Jr and his co-author, Andrew Farkas, produced a balanced, admirable biography with a smootly flowing narrative. This book belongs on the shelf of every opera lover beside copies of Robinson's collection of Caruso photos and a collection of Caruso's caricatures. Even though I have copies of numerous other biographies of Caruso, this one is the best and the others can be put aside

This biography is an excellent nice surprise. There are three kinds of biographies: 1)written by a ghostwriter (who often did not know the person itimately or at all), 2) written by a close friend or relative, or 3)autobiography. After reading this one, and many others like Isadora, Rockefeller, Heisenberg, Newton, Einstein, Von Braun, Rembrandt, I opt for the second option. Biographies like this one, written by a close friend or relative simply give the best of both worlds: intimate information normally inaccessible to others, and still an objective but well informed and not too speculative view.

This book is told by Caruso's second son, who was fortunately bestowed with an excellent memory and decided in the last years of his life, thank God, to put this story together before it would be too late. He was only 17 when his father died in 1921. His son said himself he was more a storyteller than a writer, and as for choosing the writer Andrew Farkas he also did an excellent job. The style is very readable and elegant. It is simply fascinating to read about a life in the Edwardian says, and especially such a famous one.
Many biographies tend to become a bit tedious since in trying to be definitive they often sum up too many facts without paying attention to a general idea of the meaning of the biography itself, that is, why that person, in this case Caruso, is worth a written life story and why the reader should care to read on.

This book shows how it should be done. Not only is it an intimate insight in Edwardian life, also it shows how it is to be the child of such a unique artist. Even more unique is that more than going into voice studies and the like, it is about the life of the great tenor at home, after the concerts (of which he did many). It shows Caruso the man, the character, the child, the tragedies (of loosing his wife to his chauffeur), the father, and last but not least Caruso the Italian.

This is a definite great addition to the vast literature of Caruso. There are enough books and studies written on Caruso the voice, but none will ever surpass this one about Caruso's intimate, or as Proust would put it, 'real' life. Although seen through the eyes of his then young son, who was old when he told it to the world, it gets as close to the facts as we will probably ever be. His son is convincing in his objectivity by just telling what happened. This story is no idealisation of his father. As an example: many biographies were supposed to be hostile to his mother Ada after she left the family. This biography shows why she might have left while at the same time it also makes understandable why his son must indeed have loved his (dramatic) father so much. Caruso was a real Italian, having possibly many relationships, but still acting out when his wife left him for it. Apart from this, many other myths and errors in other biographies are corrected. So why read another biography when you can buy this one?
His son was a Caruso as many Italians, although not bestowed with such greatness as his father. Elegantly enough he even admitted himself that at six years of age he wondered he had to be the son of this great artist.
He can rest assured that he has done his job well by telling the world as neutrally as possible who his father Caruso was, with all his flaws and greatness. Turning the last pages we can only agree with his son's enormous affection for Caruso, who was not only a great actor on stage, but full of melodrama in real life, like a real Italian.

How wonderful it would have been had he only lived in our time, but thanks to the recording technology we can still enjoy many of his songs, and thanks to his son, we also have a glimpse of his intimate life as close as it will ever be.
I recommend this book to any Opera lover, or any person who loves this era or any good biography, as I do not see how this will ever be surpassed, not even by Caruso himself were he still alive - since according to his son, he would never have admitted his mistakes, and his autobiography, if existed, would have been too flattered.

This is the second entry in this series that I have read, the first being The Talkies: American Cinema's Transition to Sound, 1926-1931 (History of the American Cinema, 4). That one is still my favorite, more because that is one of the most interesting times in the history of cinema than because that is a better book than this one. Basically reading cinema history in reverse, this book tells you everything you'd want to know about the evolution of the film industry from the time the feature film came into being until the end of the silent era. It manages to be thorough and insightful without being dry, and lets you see things from the moviegoer's point of view as well as giving a complete overview of the film industry itself. It even talks about the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and how it coincided with the end of the silent era. This produced some strange early Academy Award results, and this book discusses that. It also discusses all of the different state censorship boards that made it impossible to make one film that was viewable in all of the states. It was this commercial consideration that made the motion picture industry decide to police itself, although those police largely had little power until 1934. Highly recommended for the reader that really wants a complete history of film during the silent era. Having read this one second, I would recommend that if you want to read the book on talkies in the series that you read this book first to get an idea of the perspective of both the industry insiders and moviegoers as the dawn of sound approached.

This is a must have for any film buff . This volume is endlessly fascinating as it covers all areas of the silent film age from the studios to the theatres and everything in between. The author speaks in a factual style without being dry and the photo's all serve to illustrate the text. I have seen and read an endless amount of books on film being a dye-in-the -wool film fanatic all my life and this book stands amongst the most informative, fascinating well researched volumes I have ever seen. You know you love a book when you can't put the darn thing down, which was the case with this one.

Don't be fooled by the slimness of this book. It is packed with information and is extremely useful in giving the reader a view of the American film industry in the heyday of the silent era.

One can read not only about popular genres and movie stars, but about how the studios came into existance (and Koszarski presents this in a clear, understandable way), and how movies were shown to the public, including the legendary "dream palace" movie theaters.

I am left breathless by this book. Was there an aspect of movies in the 1920s that Koszarski overlooked? If so, it must be unimportant. He mastered an incredible amount of information and presented it very clearly and concisely here. Highly recommended to all interested in the American film industry.

I have not read the book but I am guessing it's a good book. Hey! after all it is Ewan Mc Gregor.

This is a great book for anybody serious about undertsanding mcgregor. It's really well reserached and has plenty of funny stories about his life. A cracking read.

I am a HUGE fan of Ewan McGregor, and this book really gives u the lowdown on this star. This book, although lacking in pictures compared to "ewan mcgregor-from junkie to jedi" makes up in it's writing. It is really written to keep u interested and puts the good and the bad in, which is important. Excellent book!

In 1969, for me, modern jazz had hit a dead end. The same riffs, the same key changes. Four soloists in search of an ensemble. To paraphrase Hemingway, the musicians were having all the fun and the audience none.
The critics had come to rule the roost and acted like political commissars on what was correct and proper jazz. Who influenced whom? Who was selling out? It had become boring and tiresome, and I was not alone in this feeling or rather I was alone...alone or nearly alone when I went to hear live jazz. It was over.

When visiting a cousin, I happened to hear an RCA Victor Vintage LP of Fats Waller (produced by Mike Lipskin who wrote the forward to this biography.) The first cut was "Got a Bran' New Suit." I laughed until I cried at first from nervousness at the corniness of the song but gradually from the pure joy of the record. It had a short but wonderful piano solo, he sang and clowned with the lyric, and then the band played a few ensemble riffs and a couple of short solos. In 3 short minutes, that music had sounded more alive to me than anything I'd heard in a long time. Later, I discovered that "Bran New Suit" was hardly Fats Waller's best work. It was nevertheless like a revelation.

I was most struck as I listened to the rest of the cuts on the album by the piano solos. Waller played piano with both hands and used the whole piano. He played with a great touch and technical proficiency. His brief piano solos said more in 30 seconds than I had heard in years of listening to music. It opened the door to all the older music that I've come to enjoy for many years.

I was not predisposed to reading books about jazz. Too often they were filled with score settling that came out of the old bebop wars. So, I missed this book by Fats Waller's son much to my regret now.

Fats Waller the biography is fine portrait of a very gifted, but very human celebrity. He overcame many obstacles with sheer talent but also created many of his own. There is also a lot of insight into how Harlem became Harlem and the story of the music world in the 1920's. It also tells some of the story of James P. Johnson and his important contributions to the music of the first half of the 20th Century, not the least of which was his mentoring of Fats Waller.

The book also answered one question I had about Waller's piano playing. Occasionally, he would play a few bars of boogie bass piano. While it was technically proficient, it sounded false, phony. Why, I wondered? According to his son, he hated it. He even had contracts written so that he didn't have to play it. Now it makes sense.

Fats Waller was a giant of American music and is today the most underrated piano player in jazz. Yes, that's right, the most underrated.

I just finished reading this wonderful book a few hours ago. The book is so well written, so full of honesty and family anecdotes, it make me feel almost as if I were a member of the Waller family. Maurice Waller (Fats' son) has written a classic, seminal book about the greatest pianist/singer/comedian/actor/composer of the twentieth century. I place Fats' untimely death at age 39 in the same category in terms of the tragedy and loss to the world of music, as the tragic death of George Gershwin in his 30's. (Gershwin and Fats were good friends, by the way. It was Gershwin who suggested to Fats that he study counterpoint and harmony with Godowsky). There are so many good things to say about this book that I wouldn't have room to list them all. Maurice Waller, born in 1927, should in my opinion win a Pulitzer prize for this book. I have already begun ordering CD's ...in order to better appreciate this great man's musical output. Fats was taken under J.P. Johnson's wing when Fats was 16 and J.P. Johnson was 26. Fats himself personally taught Count Basie how to play the organ. Fats was a truly wonderful human being. Over 10,000 people came to his funeral in Harlem when died in 1943. Thank you, Maurice Waller, for writing this monumental book about a monumental man.

I love Fats Waller, which is why I wanted to read this biography by his son, Maurice Waller. I had high hopes and expectations, and I was not in the least bit disappointed! This is a great book! The biography is filled with Maurice Waller's fascinating anecdotes, one of the most notable being the one about how Fats was kidnapped by Al Capone's men. I was also intrigued by the ways in which Fats acquired his musical education, and with the accounts of how he composed his music. The authors also bring to life the context in which Fats Waller lived and worked: the rich culture of Harlem, the way in which the jazz greats nurtured each other and promising young musicians such as Fats, how they created their music, and how Fats and the others dealt with racism in the performing world. It also provides a fascinating look at the young recording industry. The book includes several appendices of Fats Waller's recordings and compositions. This book is short, fast-moving and easy to read, and absolutely packed with information. It enhanced my appreciation and understanding of the great Fats Waller and his work. Anyone who loves jazz should read this book!

Steve Pool does an outstanding job of breaking down the skill of public speaking into usable concepts. Even though I have some experience in presenting material to groups, Steve's advice was very useful, offered practical advice and helped to build my confidence. I would recommend this to beginners (as a great how to) and to more experienced speakers as a good review of the key concepts related to public speaking. I also found the real speeches contained on this audio book very useful.

I purchased this set at my local Sams Club for about $15 a few months back and feel as if I got more than my money's worth. Even if you are not a public speaker, this set is full of great advice that you can apply to many aspects of your professional and personal life. The tips and advice in this set of CDs can help you in various situations, varying from job interviews to convincing your boss that you need a week's vacation to dealing with reticent teens...

This set is in my "Automobile University" binder (along with a few other sets of motivational and technical CDs). I took Brian Tracy's advice and started listening to CDs that will help improve my personal and professional life while I'm in my car, and it is making a difference. So I get to hear Steve Pool's advice on a regular basis as I travel!

Steve Pool, seven-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, provides straight talk for high level communication and public speaking. Some of the topics include: Specific Ways to Overcome Fear, How to Avoid Common Speaking Traps, Tips & Tricks of the Pros, Persuasion as Art & Science, Tested Techniques for Research & Organization, Effective Audio/Visual Use, How to Speak to the Media and more.

I was surprised to find out that the writer had taken so long to share his contribution to the world. It was a very sloft and heartfelt reading. Very nice Mr Douglass

I have never read a book that has taken off like this one. Some people who had bought a copy came back and ordered more for friends and family. That is the kind of word of mouth the Feathers of Color has.

I thought the book was genuine and heartfelt. I could almost feel Mr. Douglass sitting next to me sharing his experiences first hand. He has a story telling style that is refreshing and engaging.

Follow the life of this little-known Welsh playwrite from his roots in the coalfields of the Rhonda Valley through a brilliant scholastic career at Oxford.

Also, make a special effort to see the excellent television program from the BBC based on this book. Anthony Hopkins is at his best as Thomas.

This book, and the television production noted above, is a must for lovers of literature and humor. These works should have a much wider audience.

The canon of novels, short stories, plays and television appearances left to the world by the late, great Gwyn Thomas are unique in that they perfectly define a country and its people. If you thought that the only literary genius to come out of Wales was Dylan Thomas, then you have an absolute treat in store for you.

Gwyn Thomas is the ultimate literary craftsman. Words came easily to him and with just a few well chosen sentences he can evoke a mood, a time and a location. His books are like roller coasters. He takes you to the places he writes about. His characters become real people and, through him, you share their passions. I have absolutely no hesitation at all in recommending this book to people who love books. It is an absolute classic and when you read it you will understand why Sir Anthony Hopkins was willing to take a massive pay cut to appear as Gwyn Thomas in the BBC film of the book.

The man was a genius. Buy this book. Read it and tell your friends about it.

Gwyn Thomas' autobiography "A Few Selected Exits" is unlike any other autobiography you have read. A bold statement, but one which is easy proved. A reader need only delve into the first few pages, and they will be hooked on the genius of a man unappreciated in his own time. Thomas' autobiography is the only one I have read which is not self serving. He recounts escapades from his life yes, but in such a non-linear way, one gets the impression of sharing a drink with him in a pub. I have never read a book before which will make the reader laugh out loud in a room alone. Thomas skewers pretension at his alma mater Oxford, and takes a honest but affectionate view of the youth he spent in poverty in Wales with equal enthusiasm. .

You may think that Bobby D is the man, and you'd be right. But do you really understand WHY he is the man? Douglas Brode does, and in this project, he lays out all of the reasons De Niro has become one of the most prolific actors of his time. Informative and entertaining, The Films of Robert De Niro is a must read for fans of the actor and his movies.

This series of books is always outstanding for the bunch of pictures it contents. But the text equals the image, there's a lot of research for each movie De Niro's done -critic-guru Pauline Kael's comments among others-, and a few insights on the flaws of some of his movies, that may give you the right impression that this author knows some things about craftsmanship.

Robert De Niro is without a doubt one of the best actors of all time. This wonderful in-depth book covers his film career, from his early student films of the 60's with Brian De Palma through 1998's "Ronin". It briefly mentions his roles after "Ronin" and ends with "Meet the Parents" and "Men of Honor". As this fourth edition was published in 2001, an updated fifth edition is badly needed. But, even the most hardcore De Niro fans like me must admit that he hasn't had many memorable roles since "Ronin", although "Analyze This" was very funny.

When looking through this book I'm surprised at how many De Niro films haven't been released yet on dvd. With each of his movies, the author lists the cast, gives a plot summary, and tells how the critics and public reacted to each movie upon its initial release. There are hundreds of great photos from his movies (including a nice color section in the middle of the book) that fans will appreciate. I was already a major Robert De Niro fan before I bought this awesome book, but reading it helped me discover many more of his great movies. This book is an absolute must for any De Niro fan!

I MUST SAY THAT THIS MARVELOUS BOOK WRAPS UP ALL OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S CAREER COVERING MOST OF HER BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCES ON FILM & THEN SOME.I ONLY WISH THEY WOULD MAKE A VERY LOVELY COLORIZED VERSION OF IT,TO SHOW THE LIZ IN ALL HER BEAUTY.CHILD STAR ON UP TO SUPERSTARDOM,FROM NATIONAL VELVET TO CLEOPATRA TO CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF,GIANT,RAINTREE COUNTY,ELEPHANT WALK,A PLACE IN THE SUN,CONPIRATOR,IVANHO,BUTTERFIELD 8,SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER,REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE,THE VIP'S,ASH WEDNESDAY,THE MIRROR CRACKED.LONG LIVE THE LIZ!,AND TO MARK THE RARE OF ALL HER MOVIES THE BLUEBIRD WITH THE LEGENDARY LATE,GREAT AVA GARDNER!JOEY HOFFMAN DOVER PA.

I MUST SAY THAT THIS MARVELOUS BOOK WRAPS UP ALL OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S CAREER COVERING MOST OF HER BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCES ON FILM & THEN SOME.I ONLY WISH THEY WOULD MAKE A VERY LOVELY COLORIZED VERSION OF IT,TO SHOW THE LIZ IN ALL HER BEAUTY.CHILD STAR ON UP TO SUPERSTARDOM,FROM NATIONAL VELVET TO CLEOPATRA TO CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF,GIANT,RAINTREE COUNTY,ELEPHANT WALK,A PLACE IN THE SUN,CONPIRATOR,IVANHO,BUTTERFIELD 8,SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER,REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE,THE VIP'S,ASH WEDNESDAY,THE MIRROR CRACKED.LONG LIVE THE LIZ!,AND TO MARK THE RARE OF ALL HER MOVIES THE BLUEBIRD WITH THE LEGENDARY LATE,GREAT AVA GARDNER!JOEY HOFFMAN DOVER PA.

I MUST SAY THAT THIS MARVELOUS BOOK WRAPS UP ALL OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S CAREER COVERING MOST OF HER BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCES ON FILM & THEN SOME.I ONLY WISH THEY WOULD MAKE A VERY LOVELY COLORIZED VERSION OF IT,TO SHOW THE LIZ IN ALL HER BEAUTY.CHILD STAR ON UP TO SUPERSTARDOM,FROM NATIONAL VELVET TO CLEOPATRA TO CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF,GIANT,RAINTREE COUNTY,ELEPHANT WALK,A PLACE IN THE SUN,CONPIRATOR,IVANHO,BUTTERFIELD 8,SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER,REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE,THE VIP'S,ASH WEDNESDAY,THE MIRROR CRACKED.LONG LIVE THE LIZ!,AND TO MARK THE RARE OF ALL HER MOVIES THE BLUEBIRD WITH THE LEGENDARY LATE,GREAT AVA GARDNER!JOEY HOFFMAN DOVER PA.

This is a very fine study on Katharine Hepburn's films, loaded with photos plus cast (and role) credits, crew credits, synopsis, and quotes from contemporary reviews to Hepburn's films. An excellent opening biography chapter is included as is a credits and photo section detailing Hepburn's stage career. The book is capped with a complete list of Hepburn's Oscar nominations (and fellow nominees for those years) and an additional photo gallery. This book was first published in 1971 so many editions go only up to 1969's "The Madwoman of Challiot" with a photo of her latest project (1971's) "The Trojan Women" - this edition was not updated until the late 1980's. This is a wonderful book to have at your side when watching a vintage Hepburn film and wanting to know more about the film or who played what role. Homer Dickens was easily the best writer in the Citadel "Films of" series in my opinion.

What I most appreciate about this volume as a reference book on Katharine Hepburn is that it is richly illustrated with both professional and candid photographs, provides a complete list of the cast and crew for each of her films, and extensive excerpts from contemporary reviews. "The Films of Katharine Hepburn" is a wonderful companion volume to my almost complete tape collection of Katharine Hepburn films.

The introductory "Rebellious Lady: A Biographical Capsule" is only two-dozen pages long but it covers Hepburn's professional career in a complete but concise manner. The photographs included in the essay are the best collection of Hepburn shots you are likely to find, including: a rare shot of Hepburn with her husband, FDR and her gibbon monkey Amos. There is also a watercolor of Hepburn by Ginger Rogers, a bust by Robert McKnight, Alexander Brooks famous 1938 painting, and even Hepburn's first appearance with Spencer Tracy...in the 1938 Mickey Mouse cartoon "Mother Goose Goes Hollywood" (he is one of the three mem in a tub along with Charles Laughton and Freddie Bartholomew and she is Little Bo Peep, who has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find them... "rheally I don't.")

The meat of the volume is just what the title says, Hepburn's films. For each film Dickens provides the cast, credits, a synopsis, commentary from the "Critic's Circle," and notes on the film, along with at least a half-dozen photographs. The synopsis tend to run towards the short side, but that just underscores that this is a supplementary text and is not intended to substitute for the films. The excerpts from the reviews, which focus specifically on Hepburn for the most part, are the most fascinating part of the volume. In keeping with this you find that even in his own notes Dickens tends to use the words of others--Hepburn, her co-stars, her director--to provide insights into the film and her performance.

Dickens' book ends with a stage chronicle of Hepburn's career, a gallery of Hepburn in each of her film roles, and a list of not only Hepburn's Oscar nominations but her competition for Best Actress each year as well. This format serves Dickens well, not only in this volume but in the other ones he has produced.

What I most appreciate about this particular volume as a reference book on the film career of Katharine Hepburn is that it is richly illustrated with both professional and candid photographs, provides a complete list of the cast and crew for each of her films, and extensive excerpts from contemporary reviews. "The Films of Katharine Hepburn" is a wonderful companion volume to my almost complete tape collection of Katharine Hepburn films (Hey! I even tracked down "The Iron Petticoat"!).

The introductory "Rebellious Lady: A Biographical Capsule" is only two-dozen pages long but it covers Hepburn's professional career in a complete but concise manner. The photographs included in the essay are the best collection of Hepburn shots you are likely to find, including: a rare shot of Hepburn with her husband, FDR and her gibbon monkey Amos. There is also a watercolor of Hepburn by Ginger Rogers, a bust by Robert McKnight, Alexander Brooks famous 1938 painting, and even Hepburn's first appearance with Spencer Tracy...in the 1938 Mickey Mouse cartoon "Mother Goose Goes Hollywood" (he is one of the three men in a tub along with Charles Laughton and Freddie Bartholomew and she is Little Bo Peep, who has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find them... "rheally I don't.")

The main portion of the volume is just what the title says, Hepburn's films. For each film Dickens provides the cast, credits, a synopsis, commentary from the "Critic's Circle," and notes on the film, along with at least a half-dozen photographs. The synopsis tend to run towards the short side, but that just underscores that this is a supplementary text and is not intended to substitute for the films. The excerpts from the reviews, which focus specifically on Hepburn for the most part, are the most fascinating part of the volume. In keeping with this you find that even in his own notes Dickens tends to use the words of others--Hepburn, her co-stars, her director--to provide insights into the film and her performance.

Dickens' book ends with a stage chronicle of Hepburn's career, a gallery of Hepburn in each of her film roles, and a list of not only Hepburn's Oscar nominations but her competition for Best Actress each year as well. This format serves Dickens well, not only in this volume but in the other ones he has produced.