Average customer rating:
- glad I bought it used
- appealing tough guy, good story
- Elmore Leonard in Tokyo
- Dashiel Hammett meets William Gibson
|
Samurai Boogie
Peter Tasker
Manufacturer: Orion Books Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Action & Adventure
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Hard-Boiled
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Dreaming Pachinko
-
Kinki Lullabye
-
Buddha Kiss
-
Silent Thunder: A Novel
-
Dragon Dance
ASIN: 0752836765 |
Book Description
Kazuo Mori, PI, is struggling to make ends meet. When he falls in with a prostitute called Angel, he is soon struggling for survival in a vicious game that has the Yakuza and Japan’s two major computer game makers as players. And on top of everything else, there is the rival agency that’s just set up and is undercutting him on every job. The only thing to do is set up in partnership with the eager young student who is taking his business. And it’s an arrangement with some unexpected bonuses.
Customer Reviews:
glad I bought it used.......2007-03-15
the editing was terrible -erm was it edited? The poor structure and cliched story telling made this book unbearable beyond chapter 1.
appealing tough guy, good story.......2002-05-04
I read this based on the website recommendation of Isaac Adamson, the author of the Billy Chaka mysteries which also are set in Japan. The main character, Mori, is believable and appealing, and the reader also cares about (or is fascinated by)the many other charcaters around which the story turns - Angel the tough girl who proves tougher even than the yakuza, Sonada the genius videogame developer, Uno the fledgling private eye, Mitchell the videogame player and investment broker who believes in Sonada's company despite everything, the awful but powerful Wolf who seeks to restore his lost honor, and numerous others.
This is a fast-paced, enjoyable mystery, and the author effectively has the reader walking, running, and driving the streets of the Japan it portrays. I look forward to reading the author's earlier two Mori mysteries.
Elmore Leonard in Tokyo.......2002-03-16
Tokyo-based British writer and financial manager Tasker's third novel to feature PI Kazuo Mori (following Silent Thunder and Bhudda Kiss, neither of which I've read) is a fast-paced insider's trip through modern Japanese society. Following a little job that gets him in bad with a nasty yakuza guy, Mori gets embroiled in a complex case at the behest of the girlfriend of a high-level government official who dies in murky circumstances. The novel cuts between Mori's investigation, the yakuza's various assignments, and a British financial analyst who's staked everything on a video-game company that's tanking. Mori's method is to call upon friends and sources to tap official databases while he uses one of his many fake name cards (kind of like business cards in the US) to demand information from people. The thriller's subtext says a lot about the innate respect for authority in Japan, and the rotten hollowness of authority. Throughout, the police, ministries, and corporations are derided as corrupt and greedy institutions bleeding the common man dry. None of it is very subtle, but Mori's trip through the seedier side of Tokyo and its drab suburbs is sure to open the eyes of anyone who thinks Japan is all teahouses and geisha girls. Eventually everything gets ties up nicely as the yakuza comes gunning for Mori and the British analyst's woes tie in to Mori's investigation.
While the setting is pretty interesting, the characters aren't particularly subtle. Mori is a classic old-fashioned rumpled, wearily cynical PI from well within the Western detective tradition. Middle-aged, poorly dressed, and with a love for traditional jazz and constant ingestion of various foodstuffs, he's somewhat reminiscent of the title character in John Harvey's excellent Charley Resnik series. The yakuza guy dresses loud, loves the old traditions, and is bound and has bouts of extreme violence. The women throughout are mostly sexual objects, and even though some of them are "strong," they're still not particularly well-rounded. The sum effect is rather akin to reading one of Elmore Leonard's better novels-reasonably entertaining, but not anything that'll stay with you long after you put it down.
Dashiel Hammett meets William Gibson.......2001-11-30
great read. neo/retro pulp fiction. engaging characters. lush environment. the seedy underbelly of modern Japan was never so enjoyable. only negative was the author's overzealous desire to paint too elaborate a picture at times. i realize he lives in Japan, but some descriptions of the scenes ran on a bit.
Customer Reviews:
Pure Delight!.......2006-06-15
This not-to-be-missed tale of MAGGIE'S BEAU is a tender emotional story of love found between a rough, but tender rancher and an abused desperate woman with only a pregnant dog a three legged cat. This story will tug at your heartstrings and make you appreciate the delicate love between two lonely souls.
This is a follow-up tale to A WEDDING PROMISE.
Maggie had climbed down from a hayloft into his heart.......2004-10-21
Beau Jackson found quite a surprise in his barn one morning - a dog that seemed intent on biting him, a three-legged cat, and a girl who had had the tar beaten out of her. Beau knows that the girl, Maggie, must have been abused for a long time by the way she refuses to trust anyone male. Nevertheless, Beau is determined to win her trust. He offers her a place to stay, a job helping out in the kitchen and on the ranch, and even offers to help her learn how to read and write. And as he watches Maggie blossom from a scared girl into a confident, beautiful woman, Beau knows he wants to offer Maggie one more thing - his hand in marriage.
Maggie O'Neill had only known abuse and hatred at the hands of her father, but she quickly realized that Beau was nothing like the man who sired her. Beau was patient with her, much more patient than she would have ever expected, and he was determined to protect her at any cost. As Maggie's heart learns to trust a man for the first time, she finds herself feeling things for Beau that she had never experienced before in her life. Can she find love after so much heartache in her young life?
This book really just grabbed me from the first page, and I didn't want to put it down until I had finished it! Beau was a wonderful hero, everything that you would want in a man :) He was patient and tender, and knew that Maggie needed him to take his courting slow so he wouldn't scare her. Maggie's transformation was a joy to watch. She was a frightened girl and slowly became a strong, proud woman. I loved watching her come into her own. Maggie and Beau's love story was incredibly tender and romantic.
The cast of secondary characters was also good. Cord and Rachel McPherson make an appearance in this book, as well as Jake and Lorena very briefly (both couples were in "The Wedding Promise" by the same author). Shay Devereaux was also introduced, I can't wait to read his story ("The Seduction of Shay Devereaux")! The last half of the book seems a bit rushed when compared to the first half of the book, but that can be looked over since the romance is SO good between Beau and Maggie :) This is a wonderful romance, I enjoyed reading it immensely!
#2 -- A FOLLOWUP PLEASER!.......2002-02-12
Beau Jackson, [brief introduction in THE WEDDING PROMISE]finds a lady of his own in Maggie O'Neill.
She is one fiesty little lady who doesn't let an abusive father crush her spirit.
Of course it is Beau's unfailing patience and gentleness that opens up Maggie's wary heart to the promise of love.
She is bound and determined to work off any kindness extended to her and apparently has a way with animals. So she helps Beau to tame his select herd of yearling colts.
Fantastic! We get to find out how Cord McPherson and his wife Rachel are progressing in their life. And don't forget about Jake McPherson and his wife, Lorena. Great News!
Maggie will be counting them among her friends.
Working for Beau is the neat ex-circus trainer Pony and a young man named Joe. Be sure to pay attention to the loner, Shay [you will want his story "The Seduction of Shay Devereau"]
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Maggie's sisters and her downtrodden mother. Loved their solution to family living.
Sophie was to become one of Maggie's great friends, second only to Beau Jackson.
These stories will hold you captive until the very end -- Highly Recommended - great addition to your library.
great story.......2001-03-13
Maggie runs away from an abusive father. She and two pets (a pg dog and a 3 legged cat) hide in Beau Jackson's barn. When Beau, a handsome rancher, finds them, he is moved by their condition. He invites Maggie to stay and be his housekeeper until he can find a safe place for her. Maggie is happy to be safe. She meets an interesting bunch of cowboys, who work for Beau. Beau plans to find her a safe place but ends up "keeping" her. Gentle, sweet western love story.
Book Description
LOST IN TIME
Exploring space and time is a dangerous business, and no one knows this better than Time Agents Travis Fox and Ross Murdock. So when both men are stranded on far-off planets with no hope of rescue from Earth, they must rely on their wits and their training to survive.
But survival is only the beginning. To better handle the rigors of the alien world of Topaz, Fox and his crewmates have been implanted with the memories of their Apache ancestors -- but the Opposition has sent its own team with the reawakened memories of their Mongol ancestors!
Meanwhile, Murdock is trapped in the ancient past of the water world of Hawaika, facing terrifying wizards in a kingdom he knows will soon be utterly annihilated by an alien empire that is bent on the conquest of the entire galaxy.
The fates of two worlds, and possibly the galaxy itself, will be determined by the actions of these castaways in time -- and whatever happens, the lives of Time Agents everywhere will be changed forever....
Customer Reviews:
Defiant Agents and Key Out of Time.......2003-03-02
These are two books from the early 60's that were originally published as Juveniles (current category is known as Young Adult).
The Defiant Agents has not worn as well as the second book mainly because it is built around a Cold War inspired race between the US and Russia to colonize space. The thing that really saves this book from being dated though is Norton's distrust of all big government.
The US team was sent into space under Redax, a conditioning that returns their thought processes to that of their ancestors-- Apaches living in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Although they were volunteers for experimentation and exploration, they were not made fully aware of what they were going to be used for by their superiors. Consequently, when their space ships cracks up on entry the survivors. some thinking they are living in the past, some more aware of the present are confronted with a puzzle. They must figure out how to survive in an alien world where their neighbors are escapees from the Russian mind control project-- and the Russians want their people back.
Key Out of Time moves to the water world of Hawaikan. Ross Murdock, a character from the earlier books, is thrown into the past of this world when a storm blows up while they are setting up a time gate. The Russians are only mentioned in the beginning so the book feels less dated than Defiant Agents. The action here involves a struggle among the ancient people of Hawaikan to escape the influance of the mysterious aliens whose wrecked ship provided the technology that let the people of Earth reach into space.
These books are well worth reading. Individually I gave Defiant Agents a 4 and Key Out of Time a 5. The first one was pulled down by the Russian/US conflict that probably doesn't resonate with current attitude toward the Russians.
A walk down memory lane with this sf omnibus.......2001-02-19
To gain perspective on when these novellas were released, Kennedy is President and Khrushchev is in power. The first moon walk has not occurred yet and the Mets winning the world Series is several year away when these two classic novellas were released. Both hold up well even with four decades of incredible gains by the scientific and technological communities, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some Cold War vestiges may seem outdated, yet nicely fit into the two story lines.
"The Defiant Agents". Travis Fox and crew land on planet Topaz where they must reach inside to their Apache heritage to battle a difficult climate and a Russian team of explorers who likewise dig deep into their Mongol heritage.
"Key Out of Time". Time Agent Ross Murdock needs to unite three radically different cultures and potential enemies into one force to repel the dangerous invading Baldies.
The anthology remains strong and actually shows how the great Andre Norton influenced future science fiction authors. Tales like these are why she remains one of the best loved writers of the twentieth century and now the twenty-first century.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
This is Kay Whitaker's spellbinding account of her "reluctant" apprenticeship to Domano and Chea Hetaka, two charismatic shamans from the Amazon Basin who come to teach her -- a young homemaker -- to be a Kala Keh nah seh, a builder of webs of balance," and to hand down the ancient wisdom of their people. In spite of her doubts and fears, Whitaker finds the balance and harmony she was destined to know.
Customer Reviews:
Fully Engaging.......2006-11-27
Brilliant, utterly compelling, and unforgettable. Highly recommended is an understatement. Far beyond and any other book on shamanism that I've read, this one is a multi-level, multi-sensory experience . It's one of those rare books that can awaken the reader's consciousness, compassion and heart. While autobiographical, the book also offers core information and teaching stories that are timeless. The author's personal experiences include exercises that can be easily put into practice. Yet,this is not another technique book. It's an irresistible call to remember and be who we truly are. It offers a path to living joyously in integrity with our Truth , Earth and all of Creation. One of a few books that I've read more then once. I am inspired by and grateful for the dedication, courage and commitment of the author and her teachers. This book is a treasure.
First Read this back in 1991 in Hardback edition.......2006-10-07
The book is still good as gold. Sometimes old books and old stories get better with age - certainly this applies to Whitaker's life experiences as written in her book "The Reluctant Shman". She goes from her more simple life in Santa Cruz into a whole new universe of spirtual explorations. She expands her world inside and out as she learns some new profound teachings and experiences many revolations- which she passes along to the reader.
Fascinating, entertaining and perhaps, in some ways, enlightening. How open you are to what she is saying will taint what you believe and what you absorb of her story and the message. It takes an open mind to digest all of the book - but if all she says happened, then it is really a very profound book of experinces that she shares. She certainly risks great ridicule by sharing this story if it were not fact - so we trust that she speaks from her heart.
Take with a pinch of salt.......2006-05-13
The author is approached one day by two indians who inform her that she is to be taught the way of their people. I was really looking forward to reading this book and hoped for an honest account of someone who had made an unexpected step into the spirit world.
Initially, I was not disappointed. The author describes her indian friends and the shamanic experiences beautifully including her emotional reactions to each experience.
By about two thirds through, however, I was wondering if the author would ever begin to mature. At the beginning of the book we learn that the author is filled with fear and anxiety and has difficulty standing up for herself; typical, as she says, of a 1950's upbringing. But despite tremendously powerful shamanic experiences, she never seems to loose the immediate reaction of fear to all new experiences. Even those delivered to her by her new friends are met with fear and questioning - right till the very end of the book. I found it very difficult to reconcile such powerful expereinces that require balance and spiritual strength with the author's fear and disbelief. I came to doubt the story as it was told.
As this book was written some time after her experiences (she was asked by the indians not to record any of her experiences whilst she was learning) I can only assume that the book is constructed to show the human side of things combined with the shamanic experience, rather than trying to show the spiritual journey as a maturing experience.
A very good read for the experiences themselves, irritating by the end.
The Gift of One's Song.......2006-02-10
The Reluctant Shaman opened for me the
door to my spiritual journey. Every
single page nourishes the soul. After
reading this I had very powerful dreams,
one of which informed me of "the gift
of my song". Every time I sing this
it heightens my consciousness and gives
me renewing energy. This book inspires
one's entire being how to literally be
in tune with oneself. Densely packed
with gems of stories, it was an adventure
of a read. Kay's personal style of writing
invites the reader to experience the magic
firsthand. Like a magical treasure box, each
time this book is opened it reveals more
wisdom to live by. I return to it often
for inspiration. I truly hope many more
will discover and enjoy Kay's mesmerizing
account.
A really fun read, these people are GREAT!.......2005-01-12
I haven't laughed so much since reading Rita Mae Brown's "Six of One"! These people are so joyful, so insouciant,so playful, that they really lightened up my spirits at a rather depressing time in my life. The whole premise of the book is so ... outlandish! I read fiction for that feeling of going SOMEWHERE ELSE, somewhere I can't go myself and this account of one woman getting there in real life is a RIOT!!!
I've had enough weird experiences to recognise the truly confused voice of real experience in this book - it's NOT fiction! - and reading this is like watching the Marx brothers come to one of my family's holiday get-togethers! There's no meanness in the humor, just affection, and the ridiculous combination of modern world with ancient psychic practices is just hilarious!
In addition, the hope that there CAN be a larger world out there, just waiting for us to find it, a loving, supportive, enthusiastic universe waiting to buttonhole us on the street, just to tell us to come on in and join the party is a beautiful and PRICELESS gift that this book brings, and an accurate one, in my experience.
Customer Reviews:
best pie crust ever.......2000-07-14
With a shelf full of baking and cook books, the one pulled off the shelf the most often at our house is definately this one. I hogged our local library copy as much as they'd let me, (off and on for almost a year! ) til I decided to find my own copy, and one for my daughter in college, but am sad to find it out of print. His step by step pie crust instruction, fulfills, nay, far surpasses, my lifelong fantasy of being able to master a decent result...Thank you, Jim Dodge! Everything we've tried has been magnificent, and even my 12yr old refers to you constantly! The Boston Creme Pie is truly out of this world; my 15yr old son's most requested dessert. Don't miss this gem!
The best baking book of all time.......1999-10-11
I have over 100 baking and dessert books and if I had to pick the best of all it would be this book. the greatness of any cokkbook is if one goes back to it again and again and if many of the recipes in this book become your standards. this book is true with me and it is a shame that it is out of print. there should be more from Jim Dodge.
Customer Reviews:
Lots of Information!.......2005-10-05
This book has lots of great information and does a good job with mark's. I would like to see more color pictures. If you are selling a book on colored jewelry it makes sense to have pictures that show the colors! Otherwise is a good reference book.
Excellent resource for American costume jewelry maker marks.......2001-12-02
As a collector, I'm always trying to find books that catalogue maker's marks for jewelry and the thing I like most about this book is that it has an extensive section on marks that I haven't found in other books on the subject. Definitely a MUST for collectors that are trying to identify the markings on their latest finds!
Rhinestone Jewelry.......2001-06-02
I'm a first time buyer of Maryanne Dolan's books,and she has a lot of information in this book. The trademarks are very helpful and also each piece has a lot of information about it. I feel her price ranges seem to be a little high and would love to know my jewelry is worth what she quotes. I really wanted a book with colored pictures, not black and white. There are only 16 pages of colored pictures in this book. The color of the jewelry really helps in identifing it for me. Hope to find a book with more color pictures to help me identify my jewelry.
she certainly has a lot of knowledge about rhinestone jewelry and hopefully I'll find a book of hers in color.
A very good source for identifying makers & benchmark prices.......1999-03-16
I have found this book to invaluable in my research for preparing my information for publication.I am an avid collector and dealer of costume,vintage and antique jewelry and have used both previous and current editions of this book.I find this publication to be accurate - both in historical content and valuation - and use it extensively for my own research.It is a definative benchmark for identificaton and market information,especially when used in conjunction with the previous edition.I recommend this book to any serious collector and dealer.
The encyclopedia of collectable rhinestone & colored jewelry.......1999-02-23
400 pages of information of great value to rhinestone jewelry collectors. Features a complete history of the collectables and detailed data about the manufacturers, the process, care and keeping of rhinestones, sets and accessories. An interesting feature is the more than 700 manufacturer trademarks pictured, along with the dates they were first used. The jewelry with estimated values is shown in sharp black and white photos, with a few in color. An interesting brief history of each major manufacturer is included. This is the 4th edition of the popular volume. Highly recommended.
Book Description
This unique collection of fables and legends from around the world contains over 70 magical cross stitch designs by nine talented artists.
Stitchers will be thrilled by the amazingly detailed Chinese dragon, good fortune emblems and signs of the zodiac. They'll also find cherubs, angels, and--from the world of myth--Merlin and an enchanting unicorn.
Each project includes easy-to-follow instructions and full-color cross stitch charts, perfect for both beginning and experienced stitchers.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best books..........2006-09-20
To be honest, I had my doubts about buying a book of patterns without any examples whatsoever. However, I do not regret it, because this is one of the most beautiful and fantastic books on cross stitch I have ever owned. Each pattern consists of 3 or more colors and are clearly charted in color. There are different themes on each chapter (fantasy, oriental, magic etc.). Some of them are quite hard to do, but there are plenty of smaller projects which I am thankful for. I do have to add that a lot of the patterns use quarter stitching, which can get on my nerves after a while. Either way, I think it is a high quality five star book.
Nice Book.......2005-03-29
This is a nice book. I like Teresa Wentzler designs and decided to get this on a whim. I'm not disappointed. The designs are not too bad. The dragons are beautiful. I'm not thrilled with the mermaids and the nautical themes, but the rest of the book is nice.
A fantastic book for your cross-stitch library.......2003-01-10
This is a fantastic book for cross-stitch addicts! The book is full of charts for everything from wizards and unicorns to oriental dragons and zodiac motifs.
The charts are divided into 6 main categories: Myth & Magic, Winter Enchantment, Oriental Fantasy, Angelic Messengers, The Mystic Deep and Celestial Heaven. Within these categories there are charts for complex, intricate, time-consuming masterpieces, as well as for smaller motifs. While the complex charts are more suited to an experienced stitcher, many of the motifs are very easily done by the beginner stitcher.
The directions for working the charts are clear and concise. The charts themselves are in color, which some stitchers may not like. However, the designs themselves make-up for whatever lack this may cause. They also give the name of the designers of the charts, which is an added bonus in case you find yourself wishing to do more charts by that designer.
This is one book that I will buy and treasure for a long time to come!
Book Description
This unique collection of fables and legends from around the world contains over 70 magical cross stitch designs by nine talented artists. Stitchers will be thrilled by the amazingly detailed Chinese dragon, good fortune emblems and signs of the zodiac. They'll also find cherubs, angels, and, from the world of myth, Merlin and an enchanting unicorn. Each project includes easy-to-follow instructions and full-color cross stitch charts, perfect for both beginning and experienced stitchers.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful fantasy designs.......2007-01-31
I got this book so I could stitch the wizard, but really appreciate the smaller designs and ideas extracted from the large designs. This book shows how embroiderers can exploit and re-use design motifs to decorate functional items. The coloured stitch patterns are clear and easy to use.
A lovely collection.......2007-01-26
What I appreciate most about the patterns in this book is the variety. Although there is a preponderance of the concepts prevalent in the West, there's also a nice section of Asian images (Indian, Chinese), as well as a few that could be termed "pagan" (the Frost Fairy design, a striking pattern in whitish threads on a blue background). It would have been nice to have a few other mythologies represented, though, to round things out - maybe Native American, Pacific Islander, Inuit, etc. The charts are all in color, another plus.
Average customer rating:
|
Cozy Atmospheres and Interiors (Cozy)
Jessica Lawson
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Remodeling & Renovation
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Decorating
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 8496099555 |
Book Description
Full of images of enchanted atmospheres, this book celebrates homes that make people feel comfortable from the moment they enter them. Profiled are places where one feels at ease, suddenly able to breathe deeper and invaded with the sensation of something familiar or long desired. The basic elements to help individuals decorate interiors with warmth and personality are included throughout this guide.
Jessica Lawson is an interior designer with her own agency. She is the editor of the Cozy series.
Book Description
Vegetation is a major graphic element that artists needs to master for landscape art, nature illustration, and as background for paintings of many other kinds. This book instructs on achieving natural effects, and shows how plants and vegetation have been rendered in many famous artworks. Serving as both reference sources and instruction guides, the pocketsize Art Handbooks are fine companions for students, artists, and art hobbyists. Barron's Art Handbooks come in four different color-coded categories, each devoted to a different aspect of the graphic arts--genres, techniques, art equipment, and art history. All books have full-color illustrations throughout.
Average customer rating:
- This is a wonderful book
- A disappointment
|
Meredith Willson: The Unsinkable Music Man
John C. Skipper
Manufacturer: Savas Woodbury Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Entertainers
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Theatre
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Meredith Willson - America's Music Man
-
The Music Man (Special Edition)
ASIN: 1882810783 |
Book Description
20 photos and illustrations 6 x 9 Meredith Willson marched into the hearts of American music lovers with productions such as the "The Music Man" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," and unforgettable show tunes like "76 Trombones." It is the amazing story of how a youngster with talent and tenacity, possessed with what he would later call a streak of "Iowa stubborn", rose to become one of America's most famous musicians. It is the story of a remarkable career in which Willson: helped scientist Lee deForest in experiments that developed sound for motion pictures, wrote the music for Charlie Chaplin's first "talkie," wrote a song recorded by the Beatles, and won the first Grammy award ever presented. John C. Skipper is a newspaper journalist whose 35-year career has produced thousands of newspaper columns and five books. John and his wife, Sandi, live in Mason City, Iowa, just a stone's throw from Willson's famous footbridge. They have three grown daughters and one grandchild.
Customer Reviews:
This is a wonderful book.......2004-01-08
Frankly, I do not understand the 2 star review of this book. I could not put it down.
The author, a veteran reporter from Willson's hometown, spent a long while digging into manuscript material, interviewing people who knew Willson, and writing what is to me one compelling book. There is so much about his early years (what a weird childhood!), his difficult days in NY trying to carve out a career, strained relations with his siblings, and even the controversy about whether he or his sister Dixie had the idea for "The Music Man." His three wives, later years, and sad decline are all here. I am not ashamed to say I was crying when I put the book down. My wife gave me the book for Xmas, and also just finished reading it. She loved it as well. Now my sister is reading it.
If you like the hit musical and Merideth Willson (yes, that is Willson with 2 "ls"), you will enjoy this book immensely. I did see a few typos, but big deal. The obvious depth of research and quality of the author's writing make it clear this is a serious book. I cannot recommend it enough.
A disappointment.......2001-10-29
A musician of Willson's considerable talent and achievements deserves a better book than this one, but unfortunately there is no other. This is really a chamber of commerce puff piece about the favorite son of Mason City, Iowa. There is no serious, detailed analysis of Willson's work. The style is that of newspaper Sunday supplements, repetitious and superficial. It is also sprinkled with errors. Some of them may be the result of careless proofreading, but others are clearly the author's mistakes. For example, Frank Morgan played the wizard not the tin man in "The Wizard of Oz"; Suppe's overture is "Light Cavalry" not "Light Calvary"; WACs were not in the Women's Air Corps, but Women's Army Corps; the famous "Command Performance" of "Dick Tracy in B-flat" was 60 minutes long, not 90, and bits of the dialogue are inaccurately quoted; and tape recording did not come to the US until after World War II. With this many easily spotted mistakes, one has to wonder about the accuracy of the entire book.
Books:
- Secrets of the Tsil Café
- Signs and Wonders: A Harmony Novel
- Sleepwalking Land
- Slice of Life: Contemporary Writers on Food
- Something Lyrical for the Night
- Songs of the Kisaeng : Courtesan Poetry of the Last Korean Dynasty (New American Translations, No 10)
- Soul Clap Its Hands and Sing
- Spilling Clarence: A Novel
- Sweetness in the Belly: A Novel
- The Abruzzo Trilogy: Fontamara, Bread and Wine, The Seed Beneath the Snow
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Logic Book
- The China Dream: The Quest for the Last Great Untapped Market on Earth
- Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe
- Nonlinear Dynamics and Particle Acceleration
- Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook
- Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses
- Step-By-Step Book About Chinchillas
- Ghastly Terror!: The Horrible Story of the Horror Comics
- Master Planning for Architecture: Theory and Practice of Designing Building Complexes as Development
- She Walks These Hills
