Customer Reviews:
"There Were Some Damned Odd Fellows About in the Earlies".......2007-08-06
In George MacDonald Fraser's 'Flashman and the Mountain of Light', our man Flashy sees Queen Vicky holding the Koh-I-Noor diamond and flashes back to India - more precisely, the Punjab where he arrives just in time for the first Anglo Sikh War (1845-46), not to suggest that Flashman had a hand in the war or anything.
The reader meets some of the most colorful figures ever to occupy the historical stage - as Flashman says "there were some damned odd fellows about in the earlies" - many of whom have just about slipped into the obscuring mists of time before Frasser rescued them. There's the White Mughal Alexander Haughton Campbell Gardner, the Queen Mother Maharani Jeendan (ohh, what a mother!), British 'agent' George Broadfoot and more. Flashman even meets up with a couple of fellows who are bigger cowards than he - Lal Singh and Tej Singh.
Fraser also takes the reader through the war in some detail, especially the battles at Ferozeshah and Sobraon. If anything the battle scenes last too long, but that will be a matter of taste for the individual reader.
Along the way, Harry engages in some rather disturbing behavior, which other reviewers have suggested indicate a degree of bravery heretofore undetected. Bosh! While Flashy isn't always the quivering mass of jelly we have come to expect, any actions suggestive of courage are simply acts of self-preservation. And anyway, Flashy gets his just reward for such behavior in the end.
Highest Flashman recommendation.
Another great adventure of Flashman.......2005-08-03
After reading Royal Flash and Flashman's Lady, I was beginning to think that I as over Flashy, as those books didnt move me in quite the same way the Flashman Papers and the Dragon did.
However, this tale of debauchery and adventure redeemed good ole Flashy in my eyes. Actually, I have been beginning to suspect that Flashy isnt as big a coward as he plays himself to be. His aim appears steady and his sword arm sure when ever he is in a pinch.
The only draw back is that if you are not careful to remember the meanings of all the native lingo, you'll bound to get lost.
Say it isn't so! Flashman shows some courage?!?.......2005-01-11
In the fourth installment of the Flashman papers, our intrepid hero is in India, helping the Empire expand into the Punjab. And yes, there are instances where Flashman does seem to demonstrate a little spine - but perhaps this is more a result of his working along side equally manipulative and underhanded schemers that Flash looks downright heroic in comparison.
As Flashman fans would expect, the history behind the story is meticulously documented. The tale is set a few years before the crown assumes control of the sub-continent from the East India Company, as India makes is greatest (but ultimately failed) attempt to drive the English out of the region by force. The history alone makes a fascinating read. With the addition of Harry Flashman's escapades to "liven up" the byzantine plotting of real -life theives, turncoats, cowards and liars you have the best Flashman book to date.
History has never been more enjoyable.......2003-09-18
Neither has historical fiction. Harry Flashman is both. By now you are probably joining me in wishing Harry Flashman was here today. I'd vote for him to President.
Flashman's fourth, and best so far........2002-03-19
I read this book as part four of my chronological survey of the life and times of the greatest jewel in the British crown. After greatly enjoying the original Flashman papers and the two following edited packages, I consider this installment the best so far.
Fraser not only gives us the expected portion of ribaldry, but puts our hero in an accurately described historic situation in which some of the players are so spineless that they make look Flashy rather virtuous, by comparison.
The result is a well-documented narrative, describing the first series of big battles of the British in the Punjab in which the local powers did not have any scruples about plotting a defeat resulting in thousands of deaths of their own people, just to hold on to power a little longer.
In style, Flashman, who looks rather upstanding through it all, gets none of the credit that he for once deserved. ...
This book was a great read and I can't wait to devour the next volume in the series.
Average customer rating:
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Flashman and the Mountain of Light
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Collins Harvill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
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Historical
| Genre Fiction
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ASIN: 0002711354 |
Book Description
A brand-new Ellie Haskell mystery from the doyenne of malice domestic-- "wickedly witty . . . outrageous plotting" (Chicago Sun-Times).
For thirteen years, Dorothy Cannell, the award-winning author of The Thin Woman and The Widows' Club, has enchanted readers who relish Nancy Atherton, Carolyn Hart, and Diane Mott Davidson. Now she brings us her inimitable Ellie Haskell--heroine of the weight-loss wars and busy mother of twins--in a mystery that fizzes with deadly wit.
Spring cleaning fever has Ellie nearly scrubbing the Merlin's Court chandeliers with a toothbrush. But when yet another member of the Chitteron Fells Charwomen's Association bites the dust, Ellie swaps scrubbing for sleuthing to find out who has more than dust bunnies and dirty dishes to hide. With Ellie and a madcap cast that includes her handsome husband Bentley, her feckless cousin Freddy, and caustic home helper Mrs. Malloy, The Spring Cleaning Murders is Cannell at her best.
"If there's anybody funnier than Dorothy Cannell, I don't want to meet her until my sides stop aching." --Nancy Pickard
Customer Reviews:
A great cozy mystery by a favorite author.......2007-09-28
What a lively and charming book. It's on my top list of Dorothy Cannell favorites. The characters are fun and interesting and never a dull moment. I read it in one day, couldn't put it down. I love books that take place in quaint English villages. The setting always enhances the book for me. Ellie Haskell is a great character and I love that she has a great husband and family. I could not figure out who "done it" until just before it was revealed. Clean, funny, charming mysteries - that's what cozies are all about and I loved this one.
Mom Needs a Break.......1999-12-24
Maybe Ellie needs a break from the twins. This book plods rather than waltzes. Cannell's usual sparkle is missing, and Ellie's character is somewhat anemic, showing little of her usual goofy charm. The ending is Victorian mush, which may appeal to some, but seemed overdone to me. Spring tonic? Vacation in Mazatlan? Let's hope that the next Cannell outing shows more spunk. In this one, Roxie rules.
Another winner in the Ellie Haskell series.......1998-08-06
The opening of this entry is as funny as the opening to *The Thin Woman* [first in the series], which I recently reread. The rest of the book is delightful. One of the things that I like about this series is that Ellie is among the handful of female mystery solvers who is permitted to be happily married. I'm so glad that Ms. Cannell hasn't broken up said marriage or bumped off Ben. The end of the book made me wonder if Mrs. Cannell was thinking of Louisa May Alcott when she wrote it. The atmosphere reminded me of *Little Women*, the book that taught me that book friends are never lost. (You just turn the pages back to the beginning and your friend is alive again.) Then again, perhaps I felt that way because Vanessa's daughter, Rose, made me think of Ms. Alcott's Rose in *Eight Cousins* and *Rose in Bloom*. I look forward to my next stay at Merlin's Court. Ann E. Nichols
Simply terrific.......1998-04-03
It is Spring and Ellie Haskell's nesting instincts are in full bloom. She cannot wait to get started, along with the help of her trusted cleaning woman Mrs. Malloy, to whip Merlin's Court into tip top shape. There is only one problem with her plan. Mrs. Malloy is leaving her to become a full time nanny to her newborn grandchild. However, she has arranged for Mrs. Large to replace her as the cleaning woman on the staff.
Ellie feels that her new employee will work out until she is found dead, a victim of an accident, in the home of the Miller sisters. When her next helper is also found dead in her own home and a third corpse is found inside her missing car, Ellie finds herself working another murder mystery. She intends to solve the case so she can keep her help a little bit longer.
Dorothy Cannell, author of the classic THE THIN WOMAN is in fine form with another extraordinary Ellie Haskell mystery. The cast of eccentric characters that readers have loved for years are all present in THE SPRING CLEANING MURDERS, which is one of Ms. Cannell's most humorous novels to date. Anyone who needs an uplifting experience should try this series that hopefully will have another entry soon.
Harriet Klausner
Product Description
3 Titles By Dorothy Cannell Ellie Haskell Series : How to Murder Your Mother-In-Law How to Murder the Man of Your Dreams The Spring Cleaning Murders. three mmpb books.
Average customer rating:
- Short Snapshots of Goo
- Hannibal-like
- Proof that excellent writing and entertainment can co-exist
- This book made my nerves twitch!!
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My Brain Escapes Me
Robert Steven Rhine
Manufacturer: Sun Dog Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
United States
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
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ASIN: 0941543188 |
Book Description
Short Fiction. SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: The stories within contain unrestrained thoughts, unleashed fantasies and unfiltered ramblings which may lodge between the moist folds of your cerebrum. Call it a literary free fall without a parachute, taking the id on a walk without a leash. This is the way Robert Steven Rhine writes, channeling his subconscious onto the page. The stories range from science fiction to contemporary, fantasy to detective, comedy to horror. But what they all have in common is a dark vision and comedic bent which suck the reader unflinchingly into the extreme of consciousness. Be sure you're ready to taste the stories inside. You can't read just one. DOSAGE: TAKE TWO STORIES AT BEDTIME, NOT TO EXCEED SIX STORIES IN 24 HOURS. May cause night sweats, anxiety, sleeplessness, uncontrollable howling, spontaneous combustion and sheer terror.
Customer Reviews:
Short Snapshots of Goo.......2005-10-03
This is the second book of Horror Short Fiction I have read this summer from the author Robert S. Rhine.
These are quite enjoyable, summer-by-the-pool stories.. If you are looking for a quick read, these will fit the bill nicely, or I should say : grotesquely. In particular, I enjoyed: "What if Clouds were UFOs " , " Taking out the Garbage" and "My Brain Escapes Me".
I picked this book up after being directed to Books of Blood by Clive Barker. I thoroughly enjoyed both. I recommend this highly for those of you who dig horror.
Hannibal-like.......2001-03-09
If Hannibal Lecter were a writer he would write stories like these but probably not as well as Robert Steven Rhine.
Proof that excellent writing and entertainment can co-exist.......2000-12-16
I bought this book at Borders when I was searching the "literary" racks for something better to read than the horrible mass-produced sludge (Tom Clancy's NetForce, the Left Behind series, most anything written by a best-selling author other than Stephen King) that now clogs the paperback sections. My one complaint is that the book wasn't packaged and marketed for a larger audience. The writing is sharp, fast-paced, and intelligent - as if our best science fiction writers had suddenly decided to write horror. The stories remind me of Richard Matheson at his best. This is the only book I've read this year that didn't immediately strike me as either pretentious (like Fight Club's ill-advised use of "avante-garde" prose stylings or Hannibal's sophomoric sermonizing) or insultingly stupid (like the Left Behind series - oh, the pain!). Maybe Sun Dog will keep this book around and bring it back in an affordable, mass-market edition that can connect with the thousands of readers out there who want something intelligent and entertaining, but who can find neither.
This book made my nerves twitch!!.......1999-09-03
A great collection of horror, Sci-fi, and dark comedy. Robert Steven Rhine has a sick mind and he's not afraid to show it. The Raoule stories were by far my favorites! It's obvious from these yarns that Robert Rhine has some insidious knowledge of L.A.'s seedy underworld...maybe he's been there...or wants to be! From this collection of goods it's obvious that Robert Rhine will be horror's newest rising star!!
Amazon.com
With the clever wit and good sense of Fitness for Dummies, exercise physiologist Liz Neporent covers everything you need to know to make walking a habit. You learn walking techniques, how to set up a program, a variety of walking routines, and tips for getting and staying motivated. Neporent breaks walking for fitness into four levels, with plenty of advice on who should do that level, proper form and technique, and routines:
- 1. Lifestyle walking (2.5 to 3.5 miles per hour)
- 2. Fitness walking (brisk: 3.5 to 4.3 miles per hour)
- 3. High-energy walking (intense: 4.4 to 6 miles per hour)
- 4. Walk-run (alternating running and walking intervals).
For those of us working on getting to level one, Neporent is gentle, explaining how to test endurance; set goals; choose the right clothing, shoes, socks, and sports bra; eat right; set up a routine; walk in different weather conditions; and stay safe. She also includes strength training exercises and stretches for walkers, tips for walking with a dog, common injuries, a treadmill guide, snazzy gadgets, and much more. This is a super book for the fitness walker, beginning or experienced, from an author who clearly is a walker herself. Highly recommended. --Joan Price
Book Description
Call it power walking, fitness walking, or just plain walking. Indoors or out, walking is one of the healthiest and most rewarding forms of exercise available to all sorts of people, young and old. In fact, walking burns about the same number of calories per mile as running (and it's a lot easier on your knees). Walking is one of the most adaptable workout activities around – you can walk for an hour straight to make your walking program effective and to achieve your goals, or you can accumulate this hour over the course of a day.
Fitness Walking For Dummies is for anyone who wants to start an exercise program but may not have the knowledge or motivation to do it. If you're already a walking fanatic, you'll find out how to become a better fitness walker. This easy-to-understand guide is also for those who are on track to
- Lose weight
- Decrease blood pressure
- Control cholesterol
- Relieve stress
- Prevent heart disease
- Deal with depression
Explore what it takes to begin an exercise program by setting goals, choosing shoes, and considering nutrition to optimize your workout. Fitness Walking For Dummies also covers the following topics and more:
- Warm-up and cool-down routines
- Strength training
- The four levels of walking: Lifestyle, Fitness, High-Energy, Walk-Run
- Weight-training routines and stretches that add variety
- Buying and using a treadmill
- Age, pregnancy, and walking with your dog
- Dealing with pain and injuries
Like 67 million other people in the United States who log over 201 million miles a year, you want to take advantage of all of the great things a regular walking program can do for you. Whether your goal is to improve your health or your appearance, lose weight, get stronger, feel good about yourself, or all of the above, walking can help you get to where you want to go. This book can help you do that by showing you everything you need to know about starting and maintaining a walking program.
Customer Reviews:
Great Guide to Walking!.......2003-04-11
I purchased this book back in 2000. I just picked it back up last week. After reading it, I began my Walking Program. The book is great, easy to read, and a good reference tool. Anyone who is interested in making walking a part of your fitness routine MUST get this book!
Find something else.......2001-10-22
I don't know what I expected, but there wasn't much there. I think that most everyone knows the stuff that's in there. Maybe motivation is what I was after and didn't get it.
IT WAS OKAY.......2001-09-11
NOT AS GOOD AS I HAD HOPED, AS I HAD NOT HAD A BAD "FOR DUMMIES" BOOK IN THE PAST.
Not just for Dummies!.......2001-02-27
Truly, dummies, need not apply. This book is for anyone interested in fitness in general. This book is filled with so much information, it is mind boggling.
I had no idea that buying this book would be such a great move on my part, I have gained so much needed insight on various health topics. From understanding your risk for heart disease, to finding the right pair of shoes, this book has it all.
The author Liz Neoporent, is really a Fitness expert. There are 20 chapters, each jam packed with useful information. I have determined my body mass index, as well as measured the strength of my middle and lower body. I have finally been able to buy the right sports bra, that does not make me 'wiggle and jiggle'. I have understood the 4 levels of walking plus their benefits, and found out the importance of strength training, how beneficial it really is. Plus, I have finally been able to find a pair of shoes that do not give me painful blisters (what a miracle).
This book is great, what I mentioned above, is just skimming the surface of all the useful information provided. This is NOT just a book about walking. This is a great resource for any fitness enthusiast. I recommend it to anyone wanting to better their bodies and themselves.
Great book.......2000-04-25
Fantastic book. Easy to read with clear descriptions.
Customer Reviews:
missing recipes.......2002-12-26
Contains hundreds of recipes, but never has the recipe I need. The indexing system is also quite inefficient.
An indispensable shopping guide.......2001-09-16
This book is an indispensable shopping guide to the best, the best bargains and the most over rated in distilled spirits. I have never been disappointed in its recommendations. This book will pay for itself after one trip to the liquor store.
Perhaps The Best Whisky and Liquor Tasting Guide.......2001-02-13
One of the best whisky guides, even though it is diluted with other hard liquors as well. Not as pretty as "Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch" (there are no pictures), it has the better, more complete tasting notes, and user-friendly rating systems for both overall quality and price. Pacult is opinionated and often funny, especially when it comes to the one * liquors: The Borghetti Café Sport Espresso Liqueur (Italy) is "a disaster; one of the singlemost sickening liqueurs I've been within 50 miles of in the last decade." He can see the Licor 43 Liqueur (Spain) "as a useful addition in the kitchen of an imaginative cook; but on its own, it's horrible."
Even the popular Laphroaig 10-year old earns only one * ("...make sure you have a whip and chair handy after opening this beastie. . .") Yet, Pacult is not a curmudgeon, he gives the 15-year old Laphroaig a 3 (out of 5): "There's still oodles of peat, but my nose cavity isn't aflame as it was with the cantankerous 10," and the strong iodine and seaweedy overtones of another Islay Whisky, the Lagavulin 15-Year Old, gets a 4 * recommendation.
Pacult favors Bowmore, Clynelish, Highland Park, Longmore, Macallan, and Springbank as "Scotland's Finest Malt Whisky Distilleries." The 12-Year old Highland Park gets a full 5 * and is praised as a glorious malt...one of my top ten malts without any hesitation; find and hoard at all costs... on the palate...the sherry races to the front just ahead of peat, mild brine, and heather...." The 12-year old Macallan gets 4 * for its nose of spice nectarine, lanolin, tannin, and cream..." and "succulent tastes of ripe blueberry, bell pepper, sweetened coconut, and peppermint." Although I didn't agree with this last description, Pacult, as always, is opinionated, descriptive, and fun to read.
Although Pacult, the editor of "Spirit Journal" magazine, has a special love for Scotch whisky, the book includes similar notes on Brandy, White Spirits (e.g., Rum, Vodka, Gin, Tequila), Liqueurs, and Fortified Wines. Whisky, including single malt, blended, American, Canadian, and Irish varieties, take up about one-fourth of the 468 pages. The book describes briefly the making and appreciation of the liquors, an explanation of the rating system, and a bibliography. For a beautiful and informative "coffee table book" focused exclusively on whisky you might want Michael Jackson's recent volume, for a fun, thorough, and thoughtful guide to liquors, including a wonderful section on whisky, get this one.
A roadmap for a developing palate........1999-07-12
Ever wondered what that expensive bottle of cognac in the glass case tastes like? Afraid to spend huge amounts of money on fine liquor only to be disappointed. Or perhaps you're looking for the best tasting spirits that fit a more limited budget. In any of those situations, this book is for you.
The book provides exquisitely detailed tasting notes of virtually every form of spirit, and most of the available brands. Some of the notes are almost poetic. Others are quite funny. You definitely get the author's strong opinions, but usually with enough information to make up your own mind. He also explains the different kinds of spirits, their histories, and what they are "supposed" to taste like in a more generic sense. Afterward he gives notes and ratings on a 1 to 5 star scale (sound familiar Amazon.com readers?) for particular bottles. Those he gives the "5 star" designation have NEVER failed to impress me. Sometimes they are surprisingly easy to find and not expensive. Other times they become the objects of a personal quest, which is another fun way to use this book.
The breadth of the material covered is also impressive. Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados, Grappa, Gin, Rum, Vodka, Tequila, Scotch Whiskey, American Whiskey, Irish Whiskey, Canadian Whiskey, Oodles of Liqueuers, Sherry, Madiera, Port, Marsala.... and yes I am leaving a few out. Each of these topics has multiple (sometimes exhaustive) tasting notes within it. My favorites are the sections on Scotch Whiskey, American Whiskey, Cognac and Tequila.
Think of this as a reference book, a guidebook, or a treasure map. In my house it has been all three. If you buy liquor regularly - for yourself, for parties, or as a gift - this book will easily pay for itself. And while my own palate has developed its own particularities since I first read this, I still frequently return to it for new ideas and new experiences.
extremely useful resource.......1999-01-03
Mr. Pacult's no-holds-barred and very opinionated reviews have been extremely helpful to me in selecting spirits that offer great value. I have not been disappointed in his selections.
Book Description
Price guide for collectors of antique, wood shaft golf clubs.
Average customer rating:
- This value guide has real value
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Pete Georgiady's Wood Shafted Golf Club Value Guide, 2000
Peter Geogiady
Manufacturer: Airlie Hall Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports Cards
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
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ASIN: 1886752117 |
Book Description
Price Guide for antique wood shaft golf clubs.
Customer Reviews:
This value guide has real value.......2001-07-27
I have been interested for a long time in the history of golf clubs, but there are few good books on this subject. Pete Georgiady seems to be the only real expert out there who has put it in writing. In addition to lots of good information about many club makers, he supplies almost 300 pictures to help identify old clubs. A great aid to any serious golf club collector!
Book Description
A new style of scrapbooking, embracing the trend towards altered books, has been taking the industry by storm! Now Memory Makers, the #1 source for scrapbooking information, gives readers a title that explains everything they need to know about this popular technique.
Montage Memories: Creating Altered Scrapbook Pages teaches readers how to reproduce the "vagabond" look of highly textured, organic pages and includes projects on: -How to stamp, crumple, and distress background paper -How to use feathers, metal, and leather in embellishing pages -How to create album jewelry to suspend from pages and bindings
Each project features a simple supply list that tells readers all of the materials they'll need. With easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and inspiring ideas, this book is sure to attract first-timers as well as veteran scrapbookers looking to spruce up their pages.
Customer Reviews:
More Techniques to Try.......2007-07-08
This has so many ideas that I'd never thought of. Cutting out words to get a "ransom note" effect, tearing and reassembling photos, sanding photos to age them, transferring photos onto laminate, and many more. I'll have hours of fun trying these out.
It's great to see the cross-pollination between altered books and scrapbooking and card making. Paper crafts are just so much fun and creative artists like these two really inspire me.
The fine Art of scrapbooking. . ........2004-03-20
If you're a scrapbooker looking for new ideas & inspiration, then baby, have you picked the right book! If you're a collage artist & think you have nothing to learn from a book marketed to scrapbookers, think again!
Erikia & Pamela have put together a treasure trove of fresh & fun techniques to keep both groups happily experimenting, thinking out of the box, & of course, creating their own fabulous pages & more, for scrapbooks, journals & framed art.
From novel approaches to altering photos & making one's own background paper, to using scratchboard & etching glass - it's all here. These girls are as handy at wielding a metal hammer as they are at showing us how cut our own stencils or print a cyanotype!
And by the way, I am just wild about that funky retro '70s clock on page 35 - can't wait to make my own!
Average customer rating:
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Making and Using Working Drawings for Realistic Model Animals
Basil F. Fordham
Manufacturer: Guild of Master Craftsman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Decorative Arts
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| Drawing
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| Drawing
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ASIN: 1861081200 |
Book Description
To make an animal "live" in a three-dimensional sculpture, you sometimes have to make it live in a two-dimensional drawing first. With carefully crafted illustrations as a guide, the animal's character will show, it will have realistic facial expressions, and its body language will be just right. No sculptor or model-maker can do without this detailed manual that covers the basic components--from trunks and limbs to paws and claws--of all kinds of animals. Collect and organize information on your animal, take measurements for reference images and modify them to suit your model, find out what materials to use and how to transfer shapes from the working drawing to the sculpture. Includes numerous photos and grids to follow.
Average customer rating:
- Great biography!
- A Gripping Story of an Actor's Life
- The quintessential biography of Albert Salmi.
- An interesting study of a great character actor
- Just great!
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Spotlights & Shadows: The Albert Salmi Story
Sandra Grabman
Manufacturer: BearManor Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Entertainers
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Similar Items:
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Plain Beautiful
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Daniel Boone - Season One
ASIN: 1593930011 |
Customer Reviews:
Great biography!.......2006-07-21
This book isn't just for Albert Salmi fans; it's for anyone who enjoys a good read. I read Sandra's second book first, "Plain Beautiful" the biography of Peggy Ann Garner, and decided to read about Albert Salmi, whom I'd never heard of, because I enjoyed the Peggy Ann book so much. I was surprised when I received the book that I recogzized Albert Salmi on the cover. And you will too. Salmi was a character actor in so many TV series from 1954 to 1989 that I'm sure just about anyone who watched TV during that period would recognize his face.
Sandra knows how to write a great biography. A lot of research obviously went into this work and it shows. It reads as a refreshing piece of literature, not like a history lesson. And over 70 photos are spread throughout the book (not a center section containing a few photos)which means there are photos on over a third of the pages of the book!
Albert Salmi's memoirs are woven into the story almost as if he and Sandra sat down and wrote this biography together. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next biography by this author.
A Gripping Story of an Actor's Life.......2005-11-16
Sandra Grabman's biography about an actor whose face most know but not his name, brings him to life like a long lost friend. Albert Salmi was seen on TV time and again from the 1950s through the 1980s, but nothing, to my knowledge, was written about him. You don't have to be a fan to enjoy this book. The book stands on its own as an interesting account of the life of an actor born to immigrant parents from Finland. Of particular interest to me was his early career as a stage actor in New York, his early training, and award winning performances before he migrated to Hollywood for television roles, primarily to support his family.
Salmi died a tragic death in 1990 and what makes this book so poignant is that Grabman uses Salmi's own handwritten memoirs, which he obviously planned to publish one day, but never finished. Grabman finished it for him, explaining and filling in facts from many interviews with his family and friends. Her sympathetic treatment enlightens the reader to Salmi's emotional turmoil intensified by his second wife, Roberta, who brutally abused his daughters, especially his daughter from his first wife, actress Peggy Ann Garner. Grabman is almost too kind to Roberta in her objectivity as a biographer and her consideration of family members. She merely gives the facts for the reader to discern. Grabman gives the reader much more to remember Salmi by, rather than a shocking Hollywood tragedy riddled with rumors.
A page-turner from page one, this book is an easy and entertaining read.
The quintessential biography of Albert Salmi........2005-08-07
Albert Salmi (1928-1990) appeared in about 60 movies, and had over 100 TV guest appearances. Albert was a truly great professional -- the consummate actor. Albert would appear on Broadway in some famous plays, such as "Bus Stop" and "End as a Man."
When Albert decided to make the transition from stage to screen, Albert was offered an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his first movie, "The Brothers Karamazov" (1958), for which the studio wanted to nominate him for an Oscar. He told them no. Why? Read the book to find out. Albert would go on to appear in many movies, and TV shows, in the following decades.
His first marriage, to Peggy Ann Garner, ended in divorce; they had a daughter named Catherine Ann Salmi, or Cas for short. Alb's 2nd marriage, to Roberta Pollock, was rocky; they had 2 daughters, Lizanne and Jenny, but Albert discovered later that Roberta had been severely abusing Cas and one of her own daughters. Nevertheless, the book tells us that she did many things right, too -- helped him achieve peace and quiet so he could learn his lines, brought the children to visit him when he was working on location, filled in for him at a White House reception, arranged a teaching job for him during his semi-retirement, etc.
Later in his life, in his fifties, Albert felt that he had been abandoned by Hollywood. Albert used his vast knowledge of acting to teach young students. Sandra Grabman interviewed dozens of his co-stars, friends, neighbors, and family members for this book. Best of all are excerpts, throughout the book, of Albert's own handwritten memoirs telling us about the happenings of his life. Sandra Grabman's book is the quintessential biography of Albert Salmi.
An interesting study of a great character actor.......2005-07-12
This was an interesting biography. Concise and easy to read. The author did a great job gathering source material. I really enjoyed reading it, but I felt there was an inherent bias in the last few chapters. The book paints the actor to be something greater than what he was. There is never a justification for spousal abuse or murder, and I felt the book weighed too heavily with criticism of Al's wife. It was a tragic situation, and I would have preferred a more unbiased view of Roberta. However, it's definitely worth reading!
Just great!.......2005-07-07
I only wish more bios like this would be written. These days, bios of Hollywood personalities are usually laden with sordid details of typical stardom - sudden success, decline into alcoholism, divorce, more alcoholism, giving birth to kids who get into drugs, 12-step program, and BOOM! Now the celebrity is happy at age 65. Unfortunately, Albert Salmi wasn't able to complete his journey...but what a life this guy had. And a happy one at that. Anecdotes from Hollywood actors, plus a great many excerpts from Salmi's unpublished memoirs, are splendid. I hope Ms. Grabman writes many more books.
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