Clubs Books

I can add little to the other reviews except for my enthusiastic recommendation of this book! Mank, one of the best film historians on the beat, liberally mixes careful scholarship with the zest of good storytelling. This makes for part one of a great double-feature if you follow it with Shawn Levy's dynamite RAT PACK CONFIDENTIAL. Ah, for the good old days... when bad behavior had panache! Great read! As another has noted, it's hard not to tear through in a single sitting.

There are only two ways you can look at the lives of these legendary "bad boy" actors and comedians. First is head-on, which this book offers in abundance. And second, philosophically, as suggested by one of the most poignant passages in the book, "They all saw the joke of life, and they teach us not to be scared. There is no bogeyman. Get the essence of love and happiness and joy, and share it with people. All that matters is to leave a legacy of happiness, and to give someone else an inspiration--like they gave us." (Rita Saiz, clairvoyant?)

John Barrymore, W.C. Fields, Errol Flynn, and John Decker were among the most talented individuals of their day, and seemingly, among the most tragic, each drowning his pain in alcohol and prematurely snuffing-out their abilities and lives. But they did so in good company: John Carradine, Alan Mowbray, Ben Hecht, and Thomas Mitchell, to name a few. And best of all, there was Gene Fowler, the writer whom they trusted to keep the record straight. And worst of all, there was Sadakichi Hartmann, a pre-counter-culture beatnik/hippie who seemed to be consumed by his worst impulses, and was kept afloat by Barrymore.

But to concentrate on the tragic is to lose sight of the legacy that includes Barrymore's "Svengali" and "Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde," Fields's trenchant satires of American family life, and the transcendent magic of Flynn's swashbuckling heroes. Authors Mank, Heard, and Nelson offer no apologies for these artists, nor do they cast judgement. This is a book that is both repulsive and yet mesmerizing. In the end, we are left not so much mourning the shortened careers of these men, but marveling that their genius allowed them to perform a weird alchemy that transformed so much personal squalor into artistic brilliance.

This is High-Gothic Hollywood storytelling, and maybe it's about time.

I was a bit nervous when I ordered "Hollywood's Hellfire Club" by Gregory Mank, Charles Heard and Bill Nelson.

I love old Hollywood and the stars of its golden age and although I was not looking for a whitewash of their lives, I was worried it might be a book that just trashed them. And yes, the book shows their lives warts and all, but it was clearly written by people who love these guys and the period of Hollywood they lived in.

The interwoven stories of these friends has the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, but all told in an engrossing way that really wraps you up in the tale. I was familiar with W.C. Fields, Errol Flynn, John Carradine, John Barrymore, Ben Hecht and Gene Fowler but I did not know much about John Decker and Sadakichi Hartmann but reading about their exploits and insanity was funny and fascinating (W.C. Fields as Queen Victoria? And who in their right mind would ever think of a perfume concert?!?)

The book is a very enjoyable read, it grabs you with each persons story and pulls the group together as it tells the tale. Organized by decades, the book is lavishly illustrated and although most of the cast of characters had a lot of sadness in their lives, the book does not get morbid, it more looks at the absurdity and fun these people brought each other, and through their work they brought each of us.

These guys personified perfection in their chosen fields, were perfectly decadent in their private lives and the way "Hollywood's Hellfire Club" is presented makes for a perfectly fascinating story.

Greg Mank has left the haunted mansion of golden age horror film critiques and heads into Hollywood Babylon territory with his newest book; and what he finds would have Kenneth Anger gasping for breath. Mank, with his coauthors Charles Heard and Bill Nelson, tells the tale of the Bundy Drive Boys, a collective of fast living and hard drinking Hollywood actors, writers and artists--- all committed to their friendship and the right to destroy their careers, their families and themselves by any means necessary. Among the hell-raisers are John Barrymore, W.C. Fields, Errol Flynn, John Decker, William Fowler, John Carradine, Ben Hecht and Sadakichi Hartmann; and their stories of childhood tragedy, incest, rape, cannibalism (in a POW camp), drunken brawls, sexual conquests, and even an art forgery scam, will have your jaw hitting the floor.

I read HOLLYWOOD HELLFIRE CLUB in one sitting. My morbid curiosity (wondering just how much worse can things get for the Bundy Drive boys) simply would not let me put this book down. If you are a fan of Hollywood's Golden Age... or the last person to leave the scene of a train wreck, this book will surely entertain and/or horrify you!

this is a good book because stevie is so preoccupied. i also really loved learning more about vaulting. now i can convice my friend(shes a gymnast/circus performer) that horses r the greatest. i got so attached to the goslings, and #7's (or was it 5?) gift for Veronica is an image i will cherish forever! it was so sad when stevie realized that the goslings were not all going to hatch. it was funny when #'s 1-8 officially became #'s 1-8. even my brother likes it!

This book was great. Stevie gets 12 goose eegs when she entered in a contest. There is also a other thing going on. Max Pine Hollow's onwer as a vaulting horse at the stables. The Saddle Club is determined to master vaulting but Veronica is getting in the way. She is taking fancy coaches and the girls can't helping admitting that Veronica is really good at it. When Stevie's goslings hatch they follow her everywhere she goes. Now there is a vaulting show coming up and The Saddle Club is going to be in it and so is Veronica. Lisa is getting really good. She was the first one to master the Stand. Stevie and Carole think Lisa got what it takes to win the show or is the Saddle Club and Veronica in for a big surprise?

It was a good book and I like what happens to Varonica in the end. I also liked the surprise Stevie gets when she opens the box, but it go's on for to long when the eggs are hatching. I don't think Steve would forget about the new horse so quickly either.

I really liked this one! Stevie gets to become MOtherGoose! When stevie gets a box in the mail, she assumes it is a down comforter that she won in a contest, little does she know that when she opens the box that her real prize is not the blanket but a clutch of unhatched goose eggs, and when the eggs hatch, the fun begins and stevie heads into trouble. Meanwhile everyone is learning a new skill, vaulting and good old veronica thinks that she can just hire any old coach and she will automatically win the competition, boy is she in for a surprise and so will you! SO Read HOrse Feathers and let it tickle your funny bone!

I think Bonnie Bryant writes great books.The Saddle Club is a good series for all the serious horsemen today. Read this book and the others!

Horse Trade was a great book.Everything about the book was great,except when Max told Carole to demonstrate the wrong ways of jmping they called Starlight a she when he is a gelding.

I really thought Horse Trade was a good book, because as you read more the plot thickens. Phil Stevie's boy-friend is bording a mare and Stevie falls in love with the mare.But she has a problem the mare(No-Name)keeps braking out in hives.Can Stevie find out whats wrong before it's to late for a person and a horse?

This was a great book . I loved the part about stevie trying to figure out No- Names allegries. However I noticed several minor mistakes . like calling Starlight a mare . But over all it was really good!

After reading this book,you would think that your underachievemedents aren't unique,since there are lots of "crazy" but "special" failures which are written in this book.

This is the funniest book I own, and I re-read it frequently. It has an amazing cumulative effect--you start out with smiles, and a few pages later you're wiping away tears, rendered speechless and almost breathless with laughter. Mr. Pile's prose style is brilliant. His awe in the face of breathtaking human incompetence (which he claims "separates us from the animals")is inspirational. Buy this book.

If you need several hundred good laughs, you need the Incomplete Book of Failures. Chronicled here for all time are the spectacular underachievements of idiots of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds. Well worth a two to six month wait! Complete with erata list

I can't say enough good things about this book. Perhaps the 'English as she is wrote' section is the most side-splitting text ever! I refer back to the book frequently, and tell everyone about it.

I didn't think my (young) 3-year-old would sit through this book. The text looked long, the art very detailed. But I was WRONG! This has been our nightly story for weeks and I confess: I'm not bored. It's the perfect touch--not very frightening and a reassuring story of self-confidence. Even my 2-year-old pops in for the occasional ghost or pig (no, he's not quite ready for the whole story although Curious George has kept him seated).

Jan Waldron needs to write more! And I'm buying more of David McPhail's books!

This is our family's favorite Halloween book, hands down! The story is great. The rhyme and meter actually work and sound great read aloud, and the pictures are amazing. We got it a few years ago, and my kids, now 6 and 11 BOTH still love it. And for us as parents, this one is one of the rare picture books we never get tired of reading over and over. I'm buying more for friends.

I bought this book for my daughter to celebrate Halloween. It is her favorite holiday so we read this book year round. The story is about a pig named John who is too scared to go trick or treating on Halloween with his friends. John stays back at the house as his friends go on without him. After they leave a real witch comes calling for some treats. When she sees that John only has candy to hand out she decides to teach hime how to make some real Halloween treats. They whip up such heavenly connoctions as pies, tarts, mousse, sundaes, and cookies. All of the witch's monster friends show up for a real Halloween party. Finally the witch tells John that they have to leave while it is still night out. When John's pig friends come back cold and tired they are amazed to find all of the treats that John has prepared. When John goes to bed he realizes he is no longer afraid of Halloween and he dreams of all of the new friends he has made. The illustrations in this book are great and the story is really sweet. My daughter loves this book and I really enjoy reading it to her. This book will really put you into a Halloween mood.

I fell in love with this book from the start. I loved how John Pig portrayed his feelings about Halloween. There was so many adorables pictures that you begin to see new things in the pictures that you didn't see before. The witch is great - My kids loved that idea that she was a fun witch. The food she made sounded heavenly... What a great book for kids.... My children adore this book as do I.

Excellent book - met all my needs about obtaining and training a Kerry Blue.

Two years ago I obtained my beloved Kerry Blue Terrier, as my first official dog and first show dog. About 7 Months prior to purchasing him, I had pre-ordered this book through my local bookstore and when they had it in I was ecstatic...I had already heard that the author was a "Terrier Guru," so I had faith that this book would help me learn a bit more about the breed. And it certainly had. When I finally brought my little guy home, I had finished reading the whole thing, but was glad to have it around for a quick reference every now and then...two years later, I still look through the book whenever I need help with a Kerry issue (though his breeder is wonderful help, too!).

A big plus for me is that his father, grandparents, and great grandparents are featured in this book! So it's always fun to show people what great specimens of the breed his bloodline consists of :)

I totally recommend this book to anyone considering a Kerry! Bardi McLennan does a good job describing the breed's history, health, grooming needs, etc.
And if you decide that the Kerry is the not right terrier for you, she has written many other great terrier books worth checking into.

I research the breed for a while prior purchasing a puppy, I wanted to make sure we are the right family for this dog. This book was very comprehensive and among all those I had looked at it was the one I purchase for the content and amount of information regarding the most important aspects a new dog owner ought to know. The price was right too.
Thank you!

I bought this book for my father who owns a Kerrie Blue. I mentioned the book to him prior to purchasing it & he reminded me that he hates to read & I had better not even think about buying him a book for Christmas. I didn't. Paudie, his Kerry Blue did. I called a couple days later to see if he was reading it and much to my surprise, he had already read it cover to cover! He couldn't stop telling me how much he enjoyed it and how it described Paudie perfectly. Paudie's family was mentioned in the book, as well as his breeder. My father reading this book from cover to cover in less than two days is the highest compliment a book can have!

Inviting book that made you want to visit the Klamath Mountains and learn about the wild plants of any forest system.

Wallace is first an explorer, then a writer. He explores the wild places of the Kalamath Mountains, from the "wonder of dreams" of the upper canyons of the Chetco River, to the scrubby peaks of the Siskiyou and fits it all together in a fasinating evolutionary story. I have explored many of these same areas and found this work to best capture that feeling of being in truely wild places. Read it, then go explore!

Interesting book that explores the ecologically unique world of the Klamath Mountains of northern California and southern Oregon. Author travels from one ecosystem to the next and moves from one taxon to another while exploring evolutionary theory. Wallace also discusses whether Sasquatch might exist, and why humans are so fascinated with the idea. Tone is rather pedantic at times. Sometimes one wonders how many of the ideas and theories expounded here are fairly well accepted in current (i.e. 1983) evolutionary thought, and how many are strictly those of the author's. However, he makes a good case for most of the ideas and seems to know his subject well. Overall an interesting read that makes you want to explore the area on your own...while looking over your shoulder for Sasquatch

Wallace takes on evolution (and the way we were taught about it) the way Annie Dillard lifted the veil over nature in "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek": you are forced to replace the myths with a newer, even more mysterious understanding. Ironically, the theory of Sasquatch is retold as common-sensical, scientific fact. The steelhead trout, in fact, comes across as the greater nystery!

I count this book among my all-time favorites, a sort of heir apparent to "Walden."

I am a nurse practitioner who has worked in trauma centers (mostly inner-city ones) for more than 20 years. "The Knife and Gun Club" was not only a trip down memory lane for me but also a decent reflection of the trauma business as it still occurs across the US -- the only really obsolete material in the book is the technology.

We have a higher success rate with really severe injuries now because the science has advanced, but unfortunately the social and economic forces that created the Friday Night Knife and Gun Club have not abated. Rather, they've increased, so the Club now meets every night in most cities in the US, with penetrating trauma (from knives, guns, ice picks, screwdrivers, etc.) increasing for the past 20 years.

If I were to recreate this book in the current system, the only thing I would add is the impact of 48 million uninsured and the change in hospital emergency departments as they have become primary care providers for those uninsured. These are the people who wait for 8, 12, 16 hours to see an ED provider because they cannot afford to see someone before an illness becomes serious.

Richards' book is (and deserves to be) a classic.

This book is an honest look into what goes on in a busy, public emergency room. It's filled with amazing black and white photography that captures so much emotion and drama. In between the pictures are candid interviews with the emergency room staff...their stories about the harsh reality they work in astonished me. This book is so much better than any medical TV show simply because everything in this book actually happened...and the true stories are better than anything I've ever seen on TV.

The Knife and Gun Club gives a candid and uncensored look into Denver General Hospital's Emergency Room and Paramedic Division. Richards has captured the spirit of the personell of the Denver General ER. As an EMT trained at Denver General and the daughter of one of Denver General's first paramedics, I found this book very accurate and true to life. It spares no detail and gives the true flavor of one of the nations top trauma centers and emergency departments. If you have any interest in the emergency field, I suggest you read this book for a truthful look into an emergency room and the lives of the people who work in the emergency system. This book is fabulous, and very well written. Richards pulls the reader in to Denver General and all its supporting emergency systems. I have never read a better documentation or representation of the way emergency medicine in all its aspects truely is.

Richard's provides an unbiased look into the world of emergency medicine at Denver General hospital and Denver Emergency Medical Services. This book couples full page black & white pictures with interviews with various health proffesionals. A true look at the events and emotions surrounding emergency care.

My wife told me I would enjoy this book but not being a reader myself I thought no way. But she kept asking me if I had started reading it that I started it just so I could tell her I did. Boy, was I suprised and found that I was having a hard time putting it down. I like the way it was written and how it made you want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. If you want a book that is easy to read because the chapters are short and to the point and just enough information to keep you wondering what is going to happen next. Now I can't wait for the next book of Mathew Gill.

I just finished the book "leaving the canoe club" by Matthew Gill.
I must admit when the title was suggested for our book club - I was not that excited. Boy was I surprised - I could not put the book down.
I love the way he writes in short chapters and introduces a character in each and then ties them all together.
You truly become a part of this book. I cannot wait for his next book and this time I will recommend it to my book club.

I had a hard time putting the book down. Mathew Lee Gill has a great style of writing. His style reminds me of Dean Koontz but more exciting. He introduces you to a character in each chapter and then begins to mesh them together for the plot. The story is exciting and suspenseful. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to his next one.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (11/06)

Over a period of time Yeoman First Class Cameron Leasig has gotten himself involved in a complex drug distribution plan. With an unbending will and a keen focus Cameron has been able to succeed at whatever scheme he undertakes. The focal point of "Leaving the Canoe Club" is Cameron's plan to get out of the Navy and the drug trafficking unscathed and alive.

Cameron is a complex person. He is a dedicated member of the United States Navy while deeply involved in drug running, using government ships in the distribution plan. He has helped a host of people down on their luck, including Kalina Morris, owner of "Club Kittie." Kalina became his lover. She also became his partner in the plot to leave the canoe club.

An NCIS task force, actively investigating the activities of the drug operation, is led by Special Agent James Storenn, and San Diego Police Officer Jessica Muir. From the prelude to the epilog Gill maintained a story line that followed an intricate pattern of twists and turns, life threatening events, and crime solving techniques that challenged the reader to join forces with the NCIS in bringing the top man of the drug ring to justice.

Fast moving short chapters, reminiscent of James Patterson, add to the suspense of this multifaceted adventure novel. Gill has masterfully created and developed a strong cast of characters. I found myself aligning my loyalties with James and Jessica while empathizing with psychopathic, drug dealer, Noah. I also was drawn to Cameron and Kalina, modern day "Robin Hoods" who carried the plot to a dramatic surprise ending.

As suspicion and tension mounted Special Agent Storenn comes closer to the truth of Cameron's plan. One mistake in timing on Cameron's part in the final deadly confrontation could foil his whole plan.

Gil, a 15- year navy man, has served on a variety of naval ships. His knowledge of shipboard and military life give the novel authenticity. As an ex-navy enlisted man, I found the background material to be of special interest.

Intrigue, mystery, suspense, and romance make "Leaving the Canoe Club" a book that will be enjoyed by readers of all four genres.

I read this book to my daughters when they were younger. They are in college now and still recall our reading of this book as one of their favorite childhood memories. What more can a daddy ask of a book?

When my little one was even littler, Let's Go Home, Little Bear was the one sure-fire put-to-sleeper on her bookshelf. The gentle, soothing rhythm of the text combined with soft illustrations to slowly, slowly, slowly drop the eyelids. By the time Little Bear got all snuggly back at home, my own little bear was inevitably down for the evening.

There's not much of a plot, but this story relays a powerful message of the grown up providing a protecting and caring environment. Now that my friends are raising their own little bears, this is one book I make certain I give them. And my now-10-years-old bear has made it a permanent part of her babysitting kit.

My two year old really loves this book! We snuggle up to read this and my two yr old, holds tighter and tighter as the book progresses. The content is exciting, the illustrations are great-what more is needed? Great story!

This is a cute story about Big Bear and Little Bear. As they are heading home from a walk in the snow, Little Bear becomes concerned that he has heard "plodders", "drippers" and "ploppers". Big Bear points out the source of these noises, and eases Little Bear's mind. This book is cute, funny, comforting, and an easy read. It is a good bedtime length (not too long) book. I think Martin Waddell is a fantastic children's book writer, and I highly recommend this book for children up to 8 or 9.