The Janson Directive

Amazon.com

Even after death, Robert Ludlum remains the master of the international spy caper, and whether this posthumously published new thriller was cobbled together by a real ghost or already completed before Ludlum died doesn't matter. All the trademarked Ludlum gifts of plotting, pacing, and suspense are on full display in this engrossing mystery about a former covert operative turned private security executive who's stranded, abandoned, and marked for murder by his old colleagues when he manages to survive an unsurvivable mission. Rescuing renowned philanthropist and statesman-without-portfolio Peter Novak from the clutches of the terrorist who murdered his wife and unborn child, Paul Janson watches, unbelieving, as the plane carrying Novak back to freedom explodes before his eyes. Soon after the first post-mission attempt on his life, Janson begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but Ludlum keeps the reader from seeing it whole until the last thrilling chapter. A page-turner that doesn't let up, this one will leave Ludlum's fans hoping there are more unpublished manuscripts where this one came from, a not unlikely possibility. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Paul Janson has a difficult past that includes a shadowy, notorious career in U. S. Consular Operations. Now living a quiet life, nothing could lure him back into the field. Except Peter Novaka man who once saved Jansons lifewho has been kidnapped by terrorists and is set to be executed. Janson hastily assembles a team of former colleagues and proteges to rescue Novak but the operation goes horribly wrong. Now Janson finds himself marked for death and his only hope is to uncover the truth behind these eventsa truth that has the power to foment wars, topple governments, and change the very course of history.

Customer Reviews:

Plenty of action and Surprises!.......2007-10-03

As I was reading "The Janson Directive" I found that the plot was extremely interesting and soon got so involved with Mr. Ludlum's world of espionage and intrigue that I could hardly put the book down. Like many other fans of Mr. Ludlum his death marked a dark day for me. I considered him one of the premier writers of this century. While this book is far from being the author's best it is still an entertaining and action packed book with plenty of spins and surprises. Like all of his books the book is ten times better than the movie. Highly recommend.

Wow, pleasently surprised. A post death Ludlam that rivals his best work!.......2007-05-16

I wasn't really expecting a whole lot going into this book, but I was pleasently surprised. A page turner for sure, I was through the book in a couple days and enjoyed it thoroughly. I would recommend this highly, up there with his best work. Whoever finished the book is to be commended as well.

stick to this great writer for all ludlum's drafted blueprints.......2007-02-21

wow, the ludlum estate and the publisher finally found an appropriate writer-in-heir to continue write in his name. this one is uniquely good, and the writing sometimes even better than what ludlum could deliver when he was at his best. i also liked the other anonymous writer who wrote the 'prometheus deception', although it's not as good as this 'janson directive'. the weaker ones are 'the sigma protocol'(i couldn't finish it, that's how bad it is), lousy writing with poor sentence structures, very boring and contrite dialogue and scenario development, this one was obviously written by that terrible female espionage thriller writer, everything flowed out of her pen not only lukewarm but sucked big time. as for the 'covert one' series, forget about it, it's simply horrible!

One long cliché.......2006-12-30

Although I have enjoyed Robert Ludlum in the past (Bourne Identity, among others) this is the most cliché-ridden piece of novelistic junk food I have ever had the displeasure to read -- well, partly read, since I couldn't even finish it. One stereotypical, unrealistic character after another. One stereotypical, unrealistic line of dialogue after another. I highly recommend that you do not bother to read this book: if you want a thriller, try Echo Park by Michael Connelly or Lost by Michael Robotham.

A good read: high action and intrigue, with a few minor drawbacks.......2006-09-21

This is my first Ludlum novel, although it is apparently "Ludlum by proxy."

The book holds your interest, and while the plot itself is nothing ingeniously new or surprising, the tale moves along nicely with plenty of action and character interaction.

In numerous (if relatively brief) instances, the writer shows a doting fascination with the details of death, injury, and torture. These emphases are expressed in flavors both morbid and clinical. It can be a bit sickening, even disturbing at times; yet these kinds of things are also notorious for being interesting. Quentin Tarantino would probably have fun with parts of this book.

There is also one dangling plot thread that is left completely unresolved: that is, the fate of Angus Fielding. The reader must rely on their own imagination to figure that one out. The later segment with Fielding was put in as a sort of side-show, and to further establish the nastiness of the story's main antagonist (whose villainy really needed no further defining by this point). But since the writer(s) and editor(s) neglected to provide closure on this point, Fielding's second appearance should have been left out altogether. It really is a glaringly obvious omission. Ludlum, I am sure, would never have left it up in the air like that, were he alive to finish this book.

On a nitpicky note, there are a few incidences where the writer's use of arcane or pretentious vocabulary can be a little annoying. For instance, when I see a word like "munificence" repeated within 40 or 50 pages of itself, I almost have to laugh out loud. And surely, the mainstream reader can be spared words such as "bedizened."

But all in all, this is a richly crafted book. It plays out nicely.

Average customer rating:

The Janson Directive
Robert Ludlum
Manufacturer: Orion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Peter Janson is a retired operative, now a highly sought after and extremely selective security specialist. The spy game ended up costing him everything that was most important to him and it would take a lot to lure him back into it. Unfortunately, the one person to whom Janson's personal debt is so large that he could require anything of Janson is calling in his marker. Peter Novak, the legendary Hungarian immigrant and head of the Liberty Foundation - an immensely rich man who uses his wealth to rebuild and foster the growth of democratic ideals in the most ravaged and war-torn spots around the globe - has been kidnapped and faces execution at the hands of terrorist extremists. It is up to Janson to rescue him before Novak is murdered. Janson immediately puts together a top team and manages the nearly impossible task of extricating Novak, but something goes horribly wrong - something that indicates that his operation has been compromised from the start - and only Janson himself survives. Now the major intelligence services think that Janson was responsible for Novak's death and are sending their finest operatives after him. If Janson is to survive, and to avenge Novak's murder, he must unravel the twisted truth that lies behind the legend that is and was Peter Novak. Because it appears that Novak is somehow, inexplicably, still alive and speaking publicly. And something serious is about to happen - something that threatens to change the course of history itself.

Average customer rating:

The Janson Directive
Robert Ludlum
Manufacturer: Orion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GTSSBS

Average customer rating:

The Janson Directive
Robert Ludlum
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NY3S84

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The Janson directive
Robert Ludlum
Manufacturer: Orion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The Janson Directive; The Chancellor Manuscript; The Sigma Protocol; The Prometheus Deception: The Cry of the Halidon; & Apocalypse Watch (Robert Ludlem, Set of 6 Books)

Average customer rating:

The Janson Directive; The Chancellor Manuscript; The Sigma Protocol; The Prometheus Deception: The Cry of the Halidon; & Apocalypse Watch (Robert Ludlem, Set of 6 Books)
Robert Ludlum
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WSRFR6

Product Description

Great detective murder mysteries

The Janson Directive. Winter's End. The House Sitter. I'm Not Scared

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The Janson Directive. Winter's End. The House Sitter. I'm Not Scared
Robert; Rickards, John; Lovesey, Peter; Ammaniti, Niccolo Ludlum
Manufacturer: The Reader's Digest Association Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GLZDLY

The Janson Directive; The Chancellor Manuscript; The Sigma Protocol; The Prometheus Deception: The Cry of the Halidon; & Apocalypse Watch (Set of 6 Books)

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The Janson Directive; The Chancellor Manuscript; The Sigma Protocol; The Prometheus Deception: The Cry of the Halidon; & Apocalypse Watch (Set of 6 Books)
Robert Ludlum
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WSPSVQ

Book Description

Key West seduces people--then asks them to leave in the morning. Take Aaron Katz. He shucked his nine-to-five to restore Mangrove Arms, a rotting wreck of a guest house. Suki Sperakis sees opportunity in Florida too. In the meantime she's peddling ad space for a third-rate freebie paper. Then she stumbles upon a nefarious plot revolving around a handsome Russian and his string of T-shirt shops. Can't a guy manufacture plutonium in peace?

Now, with the Russian mafia on her trail, freewheeling Suki is running for her life--and right into the safety of Aaron's Mangrove Arms. As dead bodies sully the Key West scenery, a secret society of killers puts the squeeze on Suki and Aaron--and conspires to turn an island paradise into a tropical death-trap. . . .

Customer Reviews:

My first Laurence Shames novel..........2006-07-07

...and still my favorite. It isn't as funny, comical and absurd as some of his other stuff, but it is more touching. Where the others go out to produce some fairly hectic action, this one here is more quiet and almost deliberate. Characters other than the central ones get more screen-time, and this is all for the good.

Shames's language and descriptions mirror the tone of the novel. Instead of going for comedic, he tends toward affectionate for the protagonists and grim to pathetic for the bad guys.

I liked this book. It has a lot of heart and a lot of soul. An interesting change of pace from his other ones.

Till Noever, owlglass.com

passable comic crime fodder; Shames has done better.......2003-07-28

'Mangrove Squeeze' is my third Laurence Shames novel (after 'Florida Straits' and 'Sunburn') and is easily the worst of the bunch. Yes, it has the same south Florida setting and similarly quirky characters. But the plot fails to ignite, and the laughs are comparatively few.

In 'Mangrove Squeeze' we have big crime by the Russian mafia in small town Key West. A nosey do-gooder from the local weekly newspaper gets herself in trouble with these guys, gets her boyfriend caught in the middle of it, and ... so the story goes. As a previous reviewer has noted, 'Mangrove Squeeze' does pass the time rather nicely. But otherwise it is forgettable in every way.

Bottom line: useful beach-reading material. But you won't want to keep it on your bookshelf.

Moderately Enjoyable.......2001-10-19

Shames once again puts together a passable-but hardly noteworthy-South Florida thriller in the vein of Carl Hiassen, Elmore Leonard, et al. This time he trots in the tired specter of Russian mafia types running tawdry tourist t-shirt shops as a money laundering operation for the big bucks they make as brokers for ex-Soviet art and weaponry. Against these cardboard villains are arrayed an ex-Wall Street type who left it all to forget about his divorce, take care of his father, and renovate an old hotel; a Jersey transplant called Suki who's stuck in a dead-end job, two creaky old men, and two nice semi-homeless guys. Through it all there's a kind of stumbling, bumbling good naturedness-which serves to heighten the nastiness of the Russians. The outcome is hardly surprising, but it passes the time and is slightly more successful than two other of his books I've read, The Naked Detective and Scavenger Reef,

Laugh Out Loud Funny!.......2000-03-22

I had really liked Florida Straights, so I decided to give this one a try. And I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard! I kept waking my girlfriend up I was laughing so hard in bed! This book has the kind of wry sense of humor that is so hard to find. It also has sweet, likeable characters. And Shames has left out a lot of the violent nastiness a lot of other writers in this genre go so heavy on! I can't wait for my next trip literary trip to Key West!

Shames style remains contemporary, but this is not his best.......1999-08-03

Laurence Shames is a very enjoyable writer if you are alive and well living in this decade. The way he sprinkles anecdotes about society into the fabric of his characters is both fascinating and an all around "hoot." The only thing this book lacks that the others have is more situational comedy. Nevertheless, an enjoyable experience!

Average customer rating:

Mangrove Squeeze

Manufacturer: Recorder Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788720376

Average customer rating:

Mangrove Squeeze
Laurence Shames
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0752814338

Book Description

A mixture of a burnt-out banker, a bugeoning romance and a bunch of Russians, out to make some easy money in Key West, creating an intoxicating new novel that's "as tasty as a mango sundae"

Average customer rating:

Mangrove Squeeze
Laurence Shames
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0752810022

Average customer rating:

Mangrove Squeeze
Laurence Shames
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000JD8GDG

Average customer rating:

Mangrove Squeeze
Laurence Shames
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVFG7M

Average customer rating:

Mangrove Squeeze
Laurence Shames
Manufacturer: Orion mass market paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIL1JC

Average customer rating:

engaging

What a cast of characters!!!

The Kaua'i Obake Bar: A Primo's Talk Story Book
Michael A. Herr
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1413761054

Book Description

Looking for something a little off the beaten path? You just found it. Come on in to Primo's Bar. Just off the Kuhio Highway, in the town of Kapa'a on Kaua'i, and down a dusty street, sits Primo's Bar. A refuge for the hard-working common man, the last Menehune on the island, some local obakes, and the occasional drop-in goddess of the volcano. Be sure to leave some room in case any Night Marchers drop by. Come on in and pull up a stool. Have some pupus with your beer. It's Talk Story Time!

Customer Reviews:

engaging.......2005-11-27

A fun book to read - it reminded me of the Mickey Spillane books I read at a younger age. Mr. Herr manages to tell several stories within one, using a finely tuned sense of humor and a knowledge of the islands to keep his readers fully engaged. It would be a great book to read while visiting Hawaii.

What a cast of characters!!!.......2005-07-06

A thoroughly enjoyable and amusing read. Mr. Herr has an amazing way of spinning tale after tale with a cast of delightful, eccentric, and colorful characters, all seen through the eyes of the story teller. Primo's is definitely off the beaten path but well worth the dusty trip to get there. Can't wait for Mr. Herr's next book.

Book Description

This new resource presents today's most complete guidance on performing, interpreting, and reporting post-mortem examinations. The first section is a manual covering specific autopsy procedures, biosafety, generation of autopsy reports, preparation of death certificates, and other essential subjects. The second section is an atlas, organized by organ system that captures the appearance of the complete spectrum of autopsy findings.

Focuses on hospital autopsy, while also providing a brief introduction to forensic autopsy.
Examines autopsy photography and radiology, microscopic examination, supplemental laboratory studies, and other investigative approaches.
Includes a chapter on performing special dissection procedures that are usually not covered during a typical residency.
Addresses legal, social, and ethical issues as well as quality improvement and quality assurance.
Presents over 395 photographs200 in full colordepicting common gross and microscopic autopsy findings for every part of the body.
Correlates pathologic findings with their clinical causes.

Average customer rating:

Sweet little cookbook

for the I hate to cook crowd

The Best of the South

Mrs. Whaley's Charleston Kitchen: Advice, Opinions, and 100 Recipes from a Southern Legend
Emily Whaley , and William Baldwin
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
South | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Special Occasions | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Etiquette | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden

Mrs. Whaley Entertains: Advice, Opinions, and 100 Recipes from a Charleston Kitchen

Dinner at Miss Lady's: Memories and Recipes from a Southern Childhood

Charleston: A Historic Walking Tour (Images of America)

Very Charleston: A Celebration of History, Culture, and Lowcountry Charm

ASIN: 0684863243

Book Description

The kitchen and the dining room are where we can truly learn life's lessons, and we learn through trial and error," Mrs. Whaley declares, as she sets about sharing her secrets for cooking delicious meals and serving them with style. As in the bestselling Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden, her approach to entertaining is a mixture of warmth, wry asides, and clever advice. Whaley offers up timeless do's and don'ts for today's hosts and hostesses, offering candid opinions on everything from selecting the guest list to handling cleanup. As a tasty treat, she supplies her one hundred favorite recipes -- including such regional favorites as Pawleys Island Crab Cake and Dancing School Fudge. Here indeed is a classic treasury for cooks and armchair chefs alike.

Customer Reviews:

Sweet little cookbook.......2007-05-15

I was inspired to purchase this after I went to a luncheon and had the shrimp sandwiches. It is a sweet little book about the old south and Mrs. Whaley's philosophy about life. It ended up being a very nice Mother's day gift for my Mom and Mother in law.

for the I hate to cook crowd.......2004-05-01

What a joy to read Emily Whaley's relaxed approach to entertaining friends with good food and conversation. The humor keeps one turning the pages and the simple recipes appealed to my quick sessions in the kitchen. I bought the $17.95 hardback copy to take with me to Maine for the Summer so that I could easily refer to her superb selection of favorites. Both of Emily's books are great gifts for dear friends who enjoy gardens and good food....who doesn't?

The Best of the South.......2002-08-14

I adore this wonderful warm & funny woman and her wit! Too bad I discovered her before she left us. However, she lives on in her two books which are fantastic gifts for your favorite people. Her daughter also has authored a book on the plantation life of her gggrandmother. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:
Wallpaper in America: From the Seventeenth Century to World War I
Catherine Lynn
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Manufacturing | Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Materials Science | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Papered Wall: The History, Patterns and Techniques of Wallpaper, Second Edition

Fabrics and Wallpapers for Historic Buildings

Landscape Wallcoverings (Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution)

Off the Wall: Wonderful Wall Coverings of the Twentieth Century

For Historic Buildings, Wall Papers (Historic Interiors Series)

ASIN: 0393014487

Average customer rating:
Wallpaper in America: From the Seventeenth Century to World War I
Catherine LYNN
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RJJX0M

Average customer rating:
Wallpaper in America:From the Seventeenth Century to World War I (Includes letter from Author)

Manufacturer: Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HJMZQQ

Average customer rating:
Greenberg's Wiring Your Lionel Layout: Intermediate Techniques (Greenberg's Wiring Your Lionel Layout)
Peter H. Riddle
Manufacturer: Kalmbach Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Model Trains | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Greenberg's Repair and Operating Manual for Lionel Trains, 1945-1969 (Greenberg's Repair and Operating Manuals)

Greenberg's Wiring Your Lionel Layout: Advanced Technologies Made Easy (Greenberg's Wiring Your Lionel Layout)

Wiring Your Toy Train Layout

The Big Book of Lionel: The Complete Guide to Owning and Running America's Favorite Toy Trains

Standard Catalog of Lionel 1945-1969 (Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1945-1969)

ASIN: 0897783727

Book Description

Teaches advanced wiring techniques, such as control rails, automatic train control, and uncouplers, as well as realistic, functional block and highway warning signals. Includes photos, diagrams, and detailed explanations.

Average customer rating:

Great ideas!

Absolutely a Wonderful Book!

Inspiring book on how to accessorize

Like A Decorating Class

Helpful decorating book...

Christi Carter's Art of Accessorizing
Christi Carter
Manufacturer: Meredith Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Nell Hill's Decorating Secrets: Easy and Inspiring Ways to Bring Style into Your Home

Nell Hill's Style At Home

Nell Hill's Christmas At Home

Kitty Bartholomew's Decorating Style : A Hands-On Approach to Creating Affordable, Beautiful, and Comfortable Rooms

Nell Hill's Feather Your Nest: It's All in the Details

ASIN: 0696222159
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Book Description

Demonstrates the four-step approach to accessorizing developed by Christi Carter Urschel: Wall decor, signature accessories, flowers and foliage, and ambience.

Step-by-step lessons show how to create simple to complex arrangements throughout the house to suit any budget.

Offers dozens of ideas for using what you have to create eye-catching arrangements that express your personality.

Includes inspiring quotations from Mary Crowley, Christi's grandmother and founder of Home Interiors and Gifts.

Customer Reviews:

Great ideas!.......2007-09-22

This book is great. It gives a lot of practical hints on how to accesorize your home. I can't wait to try out some of the suggestions.

Absolutely a Wonderful Book!.......2007-06-17

It's simply a wonderful book in every way - wonderful to look at, wonderful to read and wonderful to learn from! It contains lots of simple brilliant ideas to be aesily applied at our home w/ our own collection that bring smart and beautiful result!

Highly recommended both for the homeowners and design proffesionals - one of the best book in its kind - we got all the lessons and samples we need in accesorizing and decorating our rooms easily and stylishly!

Inspiring book on how to accessorize.......2007-05-28

This is one of my favorite decorating books in my library.

I wish Christi would write another book on this subject (or any decorating subject!) Her photos are simply exquisite. Also, this book is easy to follow.

This book shows how to accessorize in a "semi-formal" way. Christi takes the reader through every room in (any) house and shows ,for instance, how to hang pictures, or place objects in an appealing manner, or use colors, etc....

Like A Decorating Class.......2007-03-20

This book is sooooooooo good. It is like being enrolled in a decorating class --- except you learn and study at your own pace. This is helpful to me since I do not have time to take a class. I have never seen another decorating book that even compares to this. She breaks everything down into steps and categories. Everything is illustrated using actual rooms and real situations. The information is very usable and I will be applying the principals learned in this book from now on. I think it will save me $$$$ by keeping me from purchasing the wrong accessories that do not work in my home. The book is also attractive and fun to look at so you could approach it by just looking at it and getting ideas the way most decorating books help us This book will help you learn what works and what does not and why. Again it is the best decorating book ever because you can casual use it to flip through and get ideas. You can also use if to really study and learn how to decorate. Either way you will not waste your money on this one.

Helpful decorating book..........2006-11-04

Alot of inspiration and ideas on decorating and accessorizing walls, bookshelves, tabletops, etc. Very helpful, with alot of beautiful pictures.

Book Description

Contemporary graphic designers, particularly those who have grown up with the computer playing an all-pervasive role in their work, are now discovering the potential of letterpress for its unique visual and tactile impact, made possible (in contrast to digital type) by its physical presence on the page.

In parallel to the proliferation of digital typefaces and the dominance of computer typesetting and printing in trade publishing today, new, private letterpress publishers are on the increase. The principal reason for the re-emergence of letterpress as a potent medium in this new millennium is its creative potential, making it possible to express ideas and encouraging a more thoughtful, more intelligent use of type.

This book celebrates the diversity of the original work being produced by graphic designers and typographers using letterpress around the world. It examines US and European private presses, top international graphic designers working with letterpress, how letterpress is being used as a commercial medium in developing countries, and the continuing new developments in letterpress technology. This is a timely book designed to support the trend for non-computer design techniques now enjoying a period of growth and reinvention.

Customer Reviews:

great stuff for printers & aficionados alike.......2004-08-17

not so much a technical manual but more an overview of contemporary use of letterpress, both as artform and a technique that works well in tandem with digital technology.. excellent photos & jury's writing is clear & concise. certainly worth the price.

Book Description

The words "A Hal Wallis Production" grace the opening credits of several of America's best-loved films. During nearly half a century of work in Hollywood, Wallis produced timeless classics such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Becket, True Grit, Rooster Cogburn and, perhaps the finest representative of American cinematic art, the haunting masterpiece Casablanca. A self-proclaimed "starmaker," Wallis helped launch young talents such as Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, and Charlton Heston; introduced the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; and brought Elvis Presley to the silver screen.

Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars is the first biography of the man behind these legendary films and iconic actors. Noted film historian Bernard F. Dick, using extensive research from studio memos, film archives, and personal correspondences, examines Wallis's creative genius and his stature as Hollywood's "Gentleman Producer." Several of the people closest to Wallis, including his publicity director Walter Seltzer and his second wife Martha Hyer Wallis, granted Dick exclusive interviews, and their insights reveal glimpses, unseen until now, of Wallis's remarkable life and career.

Born to poor immigrants in Chicago just before the dawn of the twentieth century, Wallis stands as a rare example of the American dream come to life. At the beginning of his career, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Warner Brothers hierarchy on the basis of his organizational skills and creative powers. As a producer at Warner Brothers and later at Paramount, Wallis was always most attracted to narratives that mirrored the transformations that marked his own life: from commoner to gentleman, destitution to luxury, the hard streets to Easy Street.

Wallis produced great films across a number of genres, including comedy, tragedy, action, romance, melodrama, gangster, and Western, and the hands-on producer left his mark on cinematic touchstones such as The Maltese Falcon and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, Wallis brought talented young actors into the limelight while soliciting career-defining performances from the era's biggest stars, including Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, Richard Burton, and Humphrey Bogart. Bernard Dick's study of Hal Wallis proves that the title of the great producer's autobiography—Starmaker—was no idle boast.

Customer Reviews:

The Golden Age.......2005-11-07

Contrary to the other reviewers, HAL WALLIS is indeed a worthy book on its subject, the gutsy, somewhat nutty Hollywood production head whose career took a tragic turn when he got too uppity for Jack Warner's taste in 1943, and pretty soon Warner made the studio too uncomfortable a place to work in, and Wallis was forced to leave. He then wound up at Paramount, where his pictures, while individually interesting, lacked the stature of the Warners' studio masterpieces.

What went wrong? As Bernard Dick relates, the Warner Brothers needed Wallis to come up with films that would ape the sheen of high-class MGM, its great rival. Wallis indeed wound up producing dozens of imitation MGM films, everything from WHITE BANNERS to ROBIN HOOD to FOUR DAUGHTERS to JEZEBEL--these four all made within a single year, 1938. Wallis' films stood out from the typical run of Warners productions, which often emphasized a proletarian, socially conscious "street smart" attitude, often featuring Bogart, Robinson, Blondell, etc, stars with whom the underclasses could identify with. Not so Wallis.

At Paramount Wallis decided to become a "starmaker" (the title of his autobiography) with mixed results. He had a taste for strong, supermasculine men, and promoted Burt Lancaster, Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas to superstardom (and ten years later, Elvis Presley, who sort of fits in that mold); but sometimes his predilection for the strong and the silent went haywire and he spent picture after picture trying to make a star from the charisma-free Wendell Corey, whom Dick claims was anti-Semitic to boot.

As for Wallis' female stars, he showed a decided taste for the freakish. Who else but Hal Wallis would have signed up Shirley Booth and Anna Magnani? In an industry dominated by beauty and the hyperfeminine, Booth and Magnani were dark stars indeed. And there was something freakish also about the andrgogynous appeal of Lizabeth Scott and Shirley MacLaine as well. Dick discusses all of these actors at great length, and yes, he seems to slight the Warners movies at the expense of the Paramount and Universal films, but it's plain that he sees the later, independent productions as more revealing of the kind of man Hal Wallis was. And he had the good taste to interview quite a number of Wallis' lesser known stars, including Douglas Dick (no relation I assume to Bernard Dick), the lovely Kristine Miller, and Dolores Hart, now a nun.

He reveals that Martha Hyer began her romance with Wallis (she eventually became his second wife) many years before she had previously admitted, in her memoir, to having dated him. Reading Wallis and Hyer's memoirs you would think that they began seeing each other only after the death of Wallis' first wife, the madcap comedy star Louise Fazenda. But actually that was a white lie and they met when poor Louise was very much alive. Dick does an artful job of deconstructing the Wallis and Hyer memoirs to find out how, when truth is fudged, it invariably finds a way to speak itself through the broken texts of STARMAKER and FINDING MY WAY.

Need more details.......2004-09-27

I am a big fan of the films of Hal Wallis and wanted to read more about him. He also married two intriguing Hollywood filmstars: Louise Fazenda and Martha Hyer. I read through this book and was disappointed and left wanting to know more. There just wasn't enough information about Mr. Wallis and his family. Louise Fazenda is glossed over in a few pages but she was a major star at Warner Brothers and I wanted to know more about her. Why did she put up with her husband's other women for instance? What were the roles that made her a star? I felt cheated. Martha Hyer is given much more coverage and the author says she was the perfect Hollywood wife. The author doesn't go into detail explaining why she was better at it than Ms. Fazenda. Nor is there much coverage of Brent Wallis, Hal Wallis' son with Ms. Fazenda, and Mr. Wallis' only child. In other books about Hollywood moguls we learn a lot more about their private lives and their wives (e.g. Bob Thomas' books about Selznick and Thalberg does justice in coverage of their remarkable wives: Irene Mayer Selznick, Jennifer Jones Selznick, and Norma Shearer Thalberg. I was also frustrated at not knowing more about Minna Wallis, a woman ahead of her time as a Hollywood businesswoman.Too much time is spent on Lizabeth Scott and why she wasn't another Lauren Bacall and what roles she should have taken, etc. There is relatively scarce coverage of Casablanca. The author didn't mention the legend that Ronald Reagan was the first choice to play Rick. Also, when the author discusses the later Wallis films Mary Queen of Scots and Anne of the Thousand Days he spends too much time dwelling on historical facts like why Henry divorced Anne and if Leicester and Elizabeth were lovers, etc. This should have been removed in favor of more coverage of the book's subject Hal Wallis. I hope another biography is written soon doing justice to Wallis and his remarkable family.

A Major Disappointment.......2004-07-12

I agree with the other reviewers: Wallis' prime identity and chief claim to fame was his monumental work at Warner Bros. from 1933-1944. This is what he will be best remembered and revered for - and to just quickly brush over this vital period of his career is really unforgivable. The author must have been just walking through the paycheck line in a hurry with this book. It reads like a college thesis in which the student just wanted a passing grade and really had no commitment or interest in his topic. Obviously the Hyer interview was easy to obtain and the author just sailed through with it and made it the bulk of his lazy research. Pretty sorry and poor stuff - what a disappointment for any movie fan who appreciates the classics!

A choppy book.......2004-07-01

Hal Wallis is a worthy subject for a big biography, but this book doesn't get the job done. It is simply not thorough enough.

A warning: If you're interested in Wallis' fantastic years at Warner Bros. - the era of Bogart, Cagney, Raft, Flynn, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan - this book isn't for you. The author spends much more time dealing with Wallis' independent productions, particularly his big budget productions in the 1960s and early 1970s. Hal Wallis, a superb movie producer, certainly deserves a book that is more focused and complete.

Wallis deserved better.......2004-05-08

How Bernard Dick managed to write about the life and films of Hal Wallis in such an uninteresting way is certainly an accomplishment. Wallis was in charge of production at Warner Brothers for most of the 30's and into the 40's, but Dick chooses to ignore that period. This was the period when Wallis gave the studio its look and style.

A movie like "Kings Row" gets no mention at all, but Dick plods on for a dozen pages about movies in which Wallis "could have" cast Lizabeth Scott, and plays he "should have" bought and brought to the screen. It's almost like the author doesn't care for his subject or the movies he made. He'd rather that Wallis made some other movies he could write about.

The book does delve a little more deeply into the personal life, more than Wallis chose to in his autobiography. But what is clearly lacking is why we should be interested in this man who was behind so many beloved films - "Now, Voyager", "Dark Victory", "Confessions of a Nazi Spy", "Yankee Doodle Dandy", "The Rose Tattoo", "Beckett", "Gunfight at the OK Corral", "The Maltese Falcon", and of course "Casablanca". Wallis was a producer who had a hand in every creative decision on his movies (just read "Round Up the Usual Suspects" and see how he shaped "Casablanca"). If you are looking to learn what Wallis did to make his films special, it's not in this book. (...)

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Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars
Bernard F. Dick
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU86KY

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