District of Columbia Investment and Business Guide (Us Regional Investment & Business Library)

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District of Columbia Investment and Business Guide (Us Regional Investment & Business Library)

Manufacturer: Intl Business Pubns USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0739787616

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Washington, District of Columbia Investment and Business Guide (US Business and Investment Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739732110

Book Description

Ultimate investment and business guide for conducting business in the District. Business, investment and export-import opportunities. District economy, government structure, mineral resources, technology, government, political and business contacts and more...

Book Description

Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze, and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you.

The best guide to The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, packed with essentials
Great walks in Amsterdam, Brussels, and Antwerp
Holland's tulip heartland, Belgium's chateau country, the storybook towns of Flanders, and the Moselle vineyards
Flower shows, flea markets, historic festivals
Van Eyck to Van Gogh -- the great painters at home
The best buys and bargains, from diamonds to Delftware

Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget
Cozy inns, castle manors, and top-value city hotels
Lavish restaurants, neighborhood cafés, basic brasseries, and best bets for frites, herring, and local beers

Fresh, thorough, practical -- off and on the beaten path
Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands
All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents

32 pages of maps, 12 vacation Itineraries, and more
Important contacts, smart travel tips
Fodor's Choice
What's Where
Pleasures & Pastimes
Festivals
Helpful vocabularies
Complete index

Customer Reviews:

Not too complete.......2002-06-17

I wasn't too impressed with this guide.
Now that I have bought it I don't think it's a good idea to put together three countries as small as they can be. I have been living in Belgium for a year now and can tell that there is a lot more to see and do that the book says. This guide only goes for the main things but it would be nice for once to have some off the tracks hints and do something different. There are so many little towns in Belgium that are by far more interesting than some of the larger cities. The guide has a few good information to it. Especially for Liege, but frankly I would have likes to know more about some other towns. I also like guides that have a bit more history.

Fantastic book!!!!.......2001-06-22

This is a great book, it points out some really great sites to see, and also tells a little about the history of the countries also. This is a good book for those who are going to these countries for the first time!

Luxembourg At last.......2001-01-05

You can't imagine my surprise and delight to find a book that had every concievable information I needed on Luxembourg. I am planning to go for the summer and had been going crazy trying to find information and Fodor's The Netherlands,Belgium,Luxembourg has given me every information I need to have an enjoyable trip.It gave me not only the hotels in the city but in the countryside as well. It gives the points of interest in each town or village.The resturants and their prices and the hotels. I am extremely happy. I especially found the 'smart travel tips' to be important for me because I will be traveling alone and independently. The book will be going with me. I like that Fodor gives me a short description of the hotels and resturants and what to expect if I stay in a hotel or eat in a resturant. I was apprehensive when I could not find information on Lux but now I feel like I know the place. Biggest helpful hint. It told me where I could find places to change my money to the local currency and Luxembourg A to Z explains what will happen when I arrive and depart. Very good book.

stick to the plan.......2000-11-22

I used this book extensively on a recent trip to Brussels, north to Gent, over to Brughes, up to Antwerp and into Holland via Amsterdam. With the exception of one night, all hotels were booked using their referals. Exceedingly helpful in all respects.

Helpful travel companion........2000-04-10

I spent a few weeks in the Netherlands last fall, and found this book to be quite helpful in my travels. Holland is a country filled with quaint little cities and towns, and this guide seemed to capture many of the highlights. It has many good maps, and the information on the Dutch culture and customs is also appreciated. The Fodor's guides are very helpful when travelling in areas one has not visited before. The information in the guide is also up to date and accurate.

Book Description

This exciting introduction arms readers with a practical set of tools and the confidence they need to use those tools effectively in making business decisions. It begins with a macro view of accounting information by presenting real financial statements. The authors clearly establish how a financial statement communicates the financing, operating, and investing activities of a business.

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Unauothorized usually means vilified but this book is still riveting

SHE was running our country?

Catty Kelley tells all and then some

Do you love Gossip?

Go Kitty Go

Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography (G.K. Hall Large Print Book Series)
Kitty Kelley
Manufacturer: G K Hall & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Large Print | Formats | Books | Biographies & Memoirs | Children's Books | Health, Mind & Body | History | Literature & Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers | Nonfiction | Philosophy | Poetry & Short Stories | Reference | Religion & Spirituality | Romance | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Alternative Reading Formats
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His Way: An Unauthorized Biography Of Frank Sinatra

The Royals (not for sale in the UK)

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The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty

The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty

ASIN: 0816153353

Customer Reviews:

Unauothorized usually means vilified but this book is still riveting.......2007-05-06

Whenever I see a biography that is unauthorized, that usually means two things...the subject had aboslutely no input into it and thus cannot refute or put into perspective on tidbits given to the writers by (usually) disgruntle sources, and the book itself is going to trash the subject (Madonna Unauthorized by Christopher Andersen comes to mind).

In any case, I do have to admit the Kitty Kelley did her research into Nancy Reagan. Straight from the mouths of her children, step-children, relatives, colleauges, fellow Hollywood starlets (and from Nancy herself, thanks to her own gossipy book "My Turn"), Kelley chronicled Mrs. Reagan's beginnings as a Hollywood starlet to her tenure as America's first unofficial "petticoat president".

The tone of Kelley's approach was cast when the book began with Kelley claiming she ran into a wall of silence while researching the book (well, she still did find plenty of people to open their trap), and the book opens with how everything on Nancy's birth certificate was manufactured other than her race and gender.

Yes, you can tell by now, that Mrs. Reagan's dirty laundry is going to be exposed to the world. I particularly take interest on the chapter dealing with Nancy's years in Hollywood, where it is chronicled that she got parts in movies by ingratiating herself with the higher-ups; as if everybody else in Hollywood was not ambitious as well.

In all, Nancy Reagan is portrayed as an ambitious woman who placed her career and place in society by sacrificing her relationship with her family and children; like men hasn't been doing that for years. It is again, a case where a woman who has sights for higher heights is put down for her ambitions (not to say that tact and diplomacy are not virtues, something Mrs. Reagan, according to the book, seems to lack).

There is a Notes section at the rear of the book that detailed all the sources Kelley compiled from that make up each chapter, and almost every one included a little expose on Nancy that otherwise didn't quite fit in the book proper (yes when you thought there isn't more to read!).

One more observation, the book also tell of Nancy's agressive pursuit of Ronald Reagan. Given his recent passing and Mrs. Reagan emotionally farewell to her husband, I can only say she really loved that man.

SHE was running our country?.......2006-01-11

I think this is fair to say that Reagan was so far-gone most of his second term that I'm sympathetic for Mrs. Reagan! And probably grateful now.. better Mrs. Reagan telling the president what to say than Carl Rove and V Pres Cheney!

When I read this when it first came out, it was a bit upsetting, but now as I look back those days were a lot more pleasant than now. Though I would never have voted for Reagan under any circumstance, I am a LOT more appreciative now!

READ it.. but forgive their foibles.

Catty Kelley tells all and then some.......2005-12-06

I avoided reading Kitty Kelly's books for many years, not because I felt they might not be interesting but because I considered it unseemly to go rummaging around in the closets of other people's pasts. I finally broke down, however, and read this one. As a matter of fact I made it all the way through. I wonder if anyone else has ever been able to do that. Thank Heaven it was only 528 pages. Half that number would have been sufficient and surely would have buried Nancy Reagan at least up to her ears.

The book, although probably correct in many particulars, perhaps most or even all, and quite interesting at times is simply too long and very much too one-sided. Early on, I grew weary of the constant piling on, but I soldiered on and actually finished it. Others don't have to make that choice. But, if you hold Nancy Reagan in low esteem and would like to know her every fault, this is the book for you. If you feel otherwise about Nancy, you would be well advised to confine yourself to page 358.

Do you love Gossip?.......2004-11-25

If you love gossip, you will love this book. Kitty Kelley does a great job of telling all the dirt she can dig up on Nancy Reagan and our former president, Ronald. Now, how much can you take to heart and accept as truth? That would be difficult to tell. Kelley gives great references, but the problem is that she has found people who have an axe to grind and she lets them grind away! I am certain that the former first family were not perfect. Some of the things we read about are likely true, but overall, they did a fantastic job. We really don't need to know all of their dirty laundry. When I read about the family struggles that were experienced between the Reagan's and their kids, I was disappointed. But, I never expected them to be perfect parents. I was very disappointed in the actions of the children as well. I read about Nancy's great desire for wealth, expensive clothes, etc. She and Ronald Reagan were criticized for gaining much wealth after the presidency by "using" their position. I could not help but laugh and think about how Kitty Kelley makes her wealth. Writing Gossip is real honorable. She certainly cashed in on Reagan's presidency, but she criticises Ronnie and Nancy for accepting speaking engagements, book offers, gifts, etc. Kelley was totally negative, taking most of her quotes from people who were angry with the Reagans. Why did she not spend more time interviewing the people who were close to the Reagans. She talked about, "the Girls," but failed to include what they thought of Nancy. Instead of digging up the gossip, she should try giving a balanced report of things in the future. There are many who loved this first family greatly and many of them were very close to the true situation. I guess Kitty is afraid that the truth would not sell. If all of this is really true about Nancy, I deeply piti her. Kitty has certainly only given us one side of the story.

Go Kitty Go.......2002-04-22

You just have to love Kitty Kelly, if a subject of any of her books was ever short with a staff member, cut someone off in traffic, or returned a movie late Kitty will find out and make a chapter out of it. This book is really no different, it is the standard, made for tabloid mini series book from her, but that is probably why you buy it. Whenever a person gets to a high profile public job they are always going to have issues that the rest of us what to read about and authors tend to make a little more scandalous then they actualy were. This case is no exception with a person that was first a successful actress and then the First Lady of one of the biggest states and then the country. There are any numbers of toes that have been stepped on and Kitty found them all.

The most interesting bits I found were the years in the White House and her hatchet jobs of staff members of her husbands that she did not like, the odd calls to her San Francisco psychic to plan major events, and the wonderful warm relationship she had with her kids (sarcasm in high gear). Overall this is a fun and gossipy kind of book that you would expect from the author. At times there is a bit much detail, but some judicious page skipping will correct that issue. The book is a good representation of all the bad days Nancy had and is worth reading for no other reason to understand the closest advisor Ron had.

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Nancy Reagan The Unauthorized Biography
Kitty Kelley
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GR1588

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Nancy Reagan - The Unauthorized Biography

Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HNNT1C

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Nancy Reagan :The Unauthorized Biography
Kitty Kelley
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0593024508

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Nancy Reagan The Unauthorized Biography
Keller
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JF831O

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The Female President?

NANCY REAGAN, THE UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000FKPV04

Customer Reviews:

The Female President?.......2006-07-21

After reading this book, it's a shame that Nancy did not get equal billing with Ronnie while he was president. After all she took a hen peck shell of the man all the way to the presidency. Making him look presidential at times. Especially when cue cards were into play. In fact, here role in the White House is strangely similar to that of Dick Cheney's current work in White House.
And Kelly revelation of affair between Mrs. Reagan and Frank Sinatra does not speak badly for the former first lady. Ronnie was well past his prime.

Nancy Reagan, The Unauthorized Biography

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Nancy Reagan, The Unauthorized Biography
Kitty Kelley
Manufacturer: Simon & Shuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NOVQCE

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Nancy Reagan, The Unauthorized Biography
Kitty Kelley
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster, NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O61D0Q

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NANCY REAGAN: THE UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY

Manufacturer: POCKET
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000I8R9EE

Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography large Print

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Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography large Print
Kitty Kelley
Manufacturer: G K Hall & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W956DA

Book Description

For full description, see ISBN 0192682539. For system requirements, see Oxford Business Shelf, ISBN 0192680919.

Customer Reviews:

Killer Angel.......2007-07-04

This is an excellent primer and succinct summary of the truth about the origins of "Planned Parenthood." Anyone who wants to know the truth about America's disgraceful abortion mills, should begin with this book. You can trust Grant to tell you the truth, in contrast to the communist propaganda we usually get fed! Thank you George!

Not much here.......2007-02-23

There's no original research here; as is clear from the footnotes, the author has just taken material from standard biographies of Sanger and used it to present her in the most negative light possible. Sanger did favor eugenics (as did most people in her era), and she was a socialist, and she had a rather unorthodox family life. There isn't much argument about the facts. But to use these facts to portray her as a monster of iniquity (and a worse murderer than Stalin or Hitler) is just silly, unless you regard a blastocyst as the moral equivalent of a human being.

Margaret Sanger the monster.......2006-11-02

Her views were just as monstrous as Hitler's, because they came from the same philosophical genetic line of thinking. Her own words condemn her. She indeed targeted the poor and down-trodden of society with the same views as the Third Reich. She saw the black community as hitler saw the disabled of Germany "useless eaters." Read this book to find out what she really believed. Don't just listen to the emotional-laden lies of Planned Parenthood and their misinformed rabble,[..]

I've never seen pro abortionists deal with the real facts concerning Margaret Sanger. The facts are presented in books like "Killer Angel," but they can't "handle" the facts. All they can do is appeal to the emotions-- "Oh the starving children..." etc. So... their solution is that the children are better off dead, than starving! Good argument!? No. Stupid argument -- just an appeal to the emotions. "Starving Children?" "Abused Children?" Why change the argument? No one said that anti-abortionists were pro starvation or pro abuse. What greater abuse can you have than the killing of innocent children? What you actually have is a promoting and philosophical acceptance of, and practice of genocide for convenience-sake. Shame on anyone who would try to defend what Margaret Sanger said and lived for. You may as well try to defend Hitler himself!

I load of crap.......2006-05-05

This author has no clue what he is taking about. He is continuing to spread a lie that is only confusing people. Margaret Sanger was a great woman who fought for other women to have the right to have control over their own body.
His rant on birth control is mind numbing. Birth control prevents abortions and Planned Parenthood wants to prevent abortions. Yes they provide abortions, but they also provide health services to uninsured women, fight for women to have a say to what happens to their bodies, and educates all on proper sex education. Margaret Sanger would be proud of what Planned Parenthood has become. There are much better and truthful books on Margaret then this one. I only gave this one star because it was the only way I could sumbit the review!

Just A Balance To Those Planned Parenthood Nitwits.......2003-04-09

Margaret Sanger's own words should sink the ship of Planned Parenthood. I'm glad that Grant wrote such a book. His writings are needed to balance out the Planned Parenthood [material] being rammed down the throat of society. Although I do agree with the...reviewer's notes who gave the book 4 stars out of 5, I thought that my review of 5 out of 5 is more fitting...

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Marguerite Bourgeoys and Montreal, 1640-1665
Patricia Simpson
Manufacturer: McGill-Queen's University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000T7KO78

Product Description

Trade paperback 1997 McGill-Queen's University Press 247 pages ISBN 0773516417

Marguerite Bourgeoys and Montreal, 1640-1665 (Mcgill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

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Marguerite Bourgeoys and Montreal, 1640-1665 (Mcgill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)
Sr. Patricia Simpson
Manufacturer: McGill-Queen's University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Marguerite Bourgeoys Et Montreal, 1640-1665 (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

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Marguerite Bourgeoys Et Montreal, 1640-1665 (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)
Patricia Simpson
Manufacturer: McGill-Queen's University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0773520082

Marguerite Bourgeoys and Montreal, 1640-1665.: An article from: Historical Studies

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Marguerite Bourgeoys and Montreal, 1640-1665.: An article from: Historical Studies

Manufacturer: The Canadian Catholic Historical Assn.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Historical Studies, published by The Canadian Catholic Historical Assn. on January 1, 1998. The length of the article is 749 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Marguerite Bourgeoys and Montreal, 1640-1665.
Publication: Historical Studies (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1998
Publisher: The Canadian Catholic Historical Assn.
Volume: 64 Page: 116-7 (sup)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Amazon.com

Alanna Nash's biography of Colonel Tom Parker uncovers a life story even more complicated, dark, and entertaining than that of the promoter's greatest talent, Elvis Presley. Nash had unique access to the Colonel and many of those closely connected to him in assembling the facts that underlie her narrative, and the book reads like a mystery as it probes the origins of Parker's power.

Ultimately, Parker was protecting himself in his manipulation of Elvis, Nash argues. Though her evidence is not conclusive, she suggests that Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk) feared deportation his entire life, but, more importantly, he may have fled his native Holland in 1929 after committing murder. In America Andreas transformed himself into Tom Parker while immersing himself in the worlds of the carnival and circus. This work led him to the promotion of musical acts and, eventually, the creation of his greatest mass entertainment and merchandising bonanza, Elvis. Elvis would become a shield against the demons of Parker's past and resource to fuel his insatiable appetites.

Parker's life remains shrouded to a large degree, despite Nash's efforts. The narrative is at times sensational in its attempts to dramatize the malign aspects of Parker's character, and those coming for a definitive answer as to the cause of Elvis's self-destruction will find new light, but no final answers. Yet, Nash's biography will likely remain the best picture we will ever have of the mysterious Tom Parker, and fans of Elvis will appreciate this insider's view into their hero's rise and fall. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

A meticulously researched biography, this story profiles "The Colonel" Tom Parker, the man behind Elvis Presley, in a compelling new light. Filled with startling material found in never-before-seen documents, including Parker's army records, psychiatric evaluations, and police reports, this investigation challenges even the most familiar aspects of the Presley saga. Parker, who handled every aspect of Elvis Presley's career and much in his personal life, is revealed as an overwhelmingly selfish man who sought to hide his own illegal alien status rather than further the art of a great musician. Astonishing and impeccably written, this entertaining book proves that the only figure in American popular culture as fascinating as Elvis Presley is Colonel Tom Parker, the man who shaped Elvis, and in turn shaped music history.

Customer Reviews:

The best rock management biography ever written.......2005-01-29

The title including the word "Extraordinary" is fully justified. I thought this book would be a "dishing the dirt" epic on Parker but it turns out to be a very well researched lifetime biography of the Colonel's life and not just his involvement with Elvis.

The well told story is of a man who from poor beginnings in Holland was involved in a murder there and forced to flee to the USA at an early age. He then spent his life as an illegal immigrant with that dark secret.

His early struggles with poverty in the 1930s and 1940s including being discharged from the army with mental illness, sets the scene for a man who revitalised his childhood fascination with fairs and carnivals, which were a major circus in the Americas of that period. All the man's later business cunning and marketing skills were learnt in that "carny" environment of deceit, overstatement, advance promotion and getting the cash in any deal as soon as possible to survive. He clearly retained a soft spot for this teaching ground all his life.

His first major music involvement came with country star Eddy Arnold who he fell out with when Arnold found him doing personal side deals. With no real appreciation of music ever, he became aware of the early Elvis and the storm he was creating in the South and took control under an initial contract that fully reflected Parker's approach all his time in managing Elvis of keeping it simple and balanced in his favour.

The view established by the book is that while the Colonel (a title obtained by politial hucksterism and not from his army days) always looked after Number One and was continually doing side deals that personally benefitted him not his client, the usual Elvis fan's view of the Colonel being a parasite is certainly challenged-

- the fan mania developed across 1956 and subsequent years including manipulation of the RCA label and TV was unprecedented and owed a lot to the flair of Parker to do things differently in the face of others historic approach to how to promote pop stars;

- Elvis's enlisting into army service and his "protected" life in Germany plus a controlled keeping in the public eye across those years may owe more to the manipulation of Parker;

- the much derided series of Elvis movies in the 1960s together with their hit singles and dross LPs may in retrospect have actually protected Elvis from live performance and a decline in popularity esp. with the advent of the Beatles plus given his lifelong poor approach to financial matters kept him earning a steady stream of income in that period;

- the return to live performance while driven by Elvis was taken to a new level by Parkers' approach to concert promotion, both in Las Vegas and across the USA.

However, the book does not flinch from the downsides of the man's personality and approach to business, especially his endless paranioa, bullying and control by fear over all those who worked with him; his ensuring limited access and opportunities being shown to Elvis by others (notably his failing to allow his development as an actor in serious roles); his Las Vegas deals fuelled by his increasing addiction to gambling and not Elvis's best interests at the hands of the casinos, and due to his illegal immigrant status his unwillingness to ever allow foreign tours by Elvis which in the later years could have been major revenue earners for him.

The sad conclusion is that Parker given his personality always saw himself as the person in charge and Elvis his instrument and that Elvis's success and earnings were down to the Colonel's skills and negotiations not Elvis's talents. The reality demonstrated endlessly is that Elvis and his family (especially his father) were never going to challenge Parker, given their lack of financial acumen and extravangant spending laid them open to continual manipulation. Parker in turn given his personality was unable to help as Elvis's deline under drugs gathered pace and the inevitable happened.

The post Elvis years show a man who was still driven by the self benefitting deal and his manipulation of the Elvis estate, with the sad endgame as he gambled ceaslessly of a man who earned an estimated $100 million plus from his relationship with Elvis but at death had less than a million dollars in assets.

This is by far the best rock management biography that I have ever read.

A FASCINATING STORY OF A VERY FASCINATING MAN.......2004-08-26

If you're interested in Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker, this is THE book for you. This story took years and many man-hours of exhaustive research to bring to fruition. By now, most Elvis fans are well aware that Parker was an illegal Dutch immigrant by the name of Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk. But until now, relatively little was known of his life in the 'old country.' We learn that a woman was brutally murdered in Parker's hometown in Holland on the very day of his disappearance. Did he commit the dastardly deed and abscond to America? Of course, we'll never know, but it's an interesting theory, nonetheless. It appears that the old boy may have been asexual. If so, this might explain his aversion to being touched. Though Parker earned mega-millions during his lifetime, he left behind a relatively modest estate. Of course, the same can be said of Elvis. Parker's addiction was gambling, while Elvis simply overspent on virtually everything.They were both masters at profligate spending. The Colonel seemed to possess a "Jekyll/Hyde" personality, displaying acts of kindness and generosity to loyalists and cruelty to others. The Eddy Arnold years are very interesting indeed. Parker and Eddy were opposites, and Parker's taste for ostentation sometimes clashed with Eddy's more conservative tastes. The story of Parker moving in with the Arnolds is hilarious. Alanna Nash is a very gifted writer and unless I'm mistaken, this is her third Elvis-related book. "Revelations" is still the best Elvis book I've ever read. I've never had the pleasure of reading the Alan Fortas book, which I believe she ghost-authored, though I hear it's excellent. Her latest book is an intriguing read which I finished in one day. I simply couldn't put it down. The phrasing, the meticulous research and the fascinating enigma that was Tom Parker all come together quite nicely. Buy this book. I promise you'll like it.

A must read for any Elvis fan!!.......2003-12-11

I read this book a few days after receiving it. It was excellent. Nash has a very special gift. Having read just about everything about Elvis I could get my hands on over the years, I thought I knew it all. It seems most of the books I have read are saying the same stuff. THE COLONEL is full of thorough research and info I had never read before. I loved it. I knew Parker was different, but I had no idea how different. He sounds a bit twisted. He also sounds very misunderstood. And not very happy. Nash should should be very proud of what she's accomplished with the book. I
suspect she has enough material about her actual conversations with him for
another book. I hope she writes it.

A bit far-fetched, but an interesting read.............2003-12-03

A biography on such a secretative person as Colonel Parker is interesting in and of itself. I found the first chapters of this book highly speculative, however, and not at all persuasive regarding the evil lurking in Col. Parker's past. However, the info within the book does shed some light on the Colonel's personality, his personal make-up and his mastery of promotion. I learned a lot about his approach, his philosophy and his perceptions of Elvis as he directed one of the most talented people ever. Anyone interested in Elvis would find this book entertaining, though troublesome, as the Colonel's practices are uncovered. The Colonel was always there pulling his magical strings and I now better understand how he played his part. Some of the information is disturbing and pretty cold hearted. At the same time, look at the great success he made of his client. One has to wonder what Elvis would have been without the Colonel .........after reading this I felt I was reading a Shakespearian tragedy.......as the main players self-destructed.........still I can make a little more sense of it all from reading this book. Elvis fans, beware, after reading this book I felt sad for him and not quite as sympathetic for the Colonel............

A True Depiction of Andreas' Heart.......2003-12-01

In all of my Elvis journeys I have been waiting for a long time for a book that depicts the true hidden world of Colonel Parker (aka Andreas) and his relationship with Elvis. The research and conclusions of Alanna regarding his inner secrets are extraordinarily accurate. As a professional singer myself I must admit I would give anything to have had such a dedicated and talented manager like Col. Parker; but, without having to pay the price that Elvis did. I'm certain that if Elvis had read this book he would have agreed with its conclusions. And in my opinion, Col. Parker would probably have never made a name for himself without Elvis Presley.

This book would also be a great read for those in power in the music industry, and the wannabees that litter the entertainment landscape.

Book Description

Elvis is one of the most successful performers ever. It is also widely known that Colonel Tom Parker was the brains behind the success. But the full truth about Elvis and the Colonel has never before been told, until this book. My Boy Elvis: The Colonel Tom Parker Story details the Colonel's dirty dealings and greedy negotiations.

This book reveals the many sides of an illegal immigrant (Colonel Tom Parker) who became the manager of the most famous entertainer of all time. While reading this biography of the Colonel, even the most devoted Elvis fan will learn previously unrevealed facts about "The King," his meteoric rise to fame, and the subsequent demise of his estate.

Sean O'Neal has written: Elvis Inc.: The Fall and Rise of the Presley Empire and Elvis, The Lost Photographs. Mr. O'Neal's work has also appeared in national publications.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing an Elvis Fan Hasn't Already Heard.......1998-12-03

This book is a poorly edited, mediocre attempt at describing the Colonel and his relationship to Elvis. While the book presents many interesting facts about the Colonel, it fails to put any perspective on the relationship between the most infamous manager and an American icon. Somewhere there is an interesting book to be written about the pull mediocre management has on great artists (ask the Beatles, Willie Nelson, and Billy Joel, among others). This ain't it.

Colonel Tom Parker: The Curious Life of Elvis Presley's Eccentric Manager

Average customer rating:

I've read it all before
A fascinating insight into The Colonel & into Elvis' career
A waste of time.
What the experts have to say!
An Unfair Portrait of Elvis Presley's Manager

Colonel Tom Parker: The Curious Life of Elvis Presley's Eccentric Manager
James L. Dickerson
Manufacturer: Cooper Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0815412673

Book Description

Based on precedented research and interviews, this authoritative biography of Colonel Tom Parker includes revelations and insights into rock music's most renowned and notorious manager.

Customer Reviews:

I've read it all before.......2004-07-04

This book is a compolation of every story we've ever heard. The fans have a tendency to blame everyone for Elvis' downfalls and the Colonel is villified for letting Elvis be a drug addict as if he or anyone had any say. The nature of their relationship was established right off. Elvis had the million dollars worth of talent and the Colonel had the ability to cash it in. Elvis went from making $18 a night on the Louisiana Hayride to making $100,000.00 for TV appearances in less than a year. He got Elvis a big money movie contract with an unheard of backend royalty. Elvis had the talent to pull it off; Parker couldn't have done it with Hank Snow. But Elvis was just as talented when he met Parker and was scraping along in the lower strata of middle class. In this book once again the chatracters are stick figures; they're one dimensional in their interaction and the story is worn.

A fascinating insight into The Colonel & into Elvis' career.......2002-09-05

I like to learn about Elvis from the inside out. This is unquestionably one of the best and most interesting books I have ever read about Elvis' career. It is a fascinating and enlightening insight into Colonel Parker and thus into Elvis and his career also. Dickerson's approach takes you down a road I don't believe has been explored before. He has done remarkable research into (i) what influenced and shaped The Colonel and enabled him to emerge as a revolutionary and unique manager and (ii) into the underlying cultural and political forces of the time that greatly influenced the course of this particular piece of history. If you are serious about learning about Elvis and The Colonel, Dickerson's writing makes you think; it opens doors and suddenly so much becomes clear. The first half of the book is, perhaps, kinder to The Colonel than the second half; but, above all, if you want new and interesting information and great insight into these two gentlemen (Elvis and The Colonel), this book is brilliant. This book is well worth your time and money.

A waste of time........2002-04-30

I don't care to write too much about this book, because it just wastes more time.

Too much effort was put into this book and it was all futile.
Not enough "real hard evidence" supports anything reported in this "tabloid" type of book.
I felt like I was reading the National Enquirer (hardback version) than a book about Elvis and his manager.

This man obviously used a lot of other people's material, from other books, and added his opinion: which doesn't amount to much.

I like Scotty Moore and what he did for Elvis, but he was always kept in the dark about Elvis' business. So his comment about how much this book was an eye-opener is expected.

This was a waste of my money, but even moreso my time.
I would rather read something more substantial.

What the experts have to say!.......2002-03-12

FROM THE BOOKJACKET:

"James Dickerson's research has confirmed more than I ever suspected"--Scotty Moore, Elvis's guitarist and first manager

"An indendiary, powerful investigative account . . . an explanation, finally, of the twisted, corrupt relationship between Elvis and Colonel Parker"--Joe Eszterhas, best-selling author, screenwriter and former writer for Rolling Stone magazine

"This jaw-dropping biography of Tom Parker confirms what I felt for years--that the Colonel was a far more fascinating rascal than Elvis ever became. This is a model of research assembled with crafty objectivity and humor"--Hal Kanter, director of the Elvis film "Loving You"

"Here is the whole sad and amazing story of 'the most accomplished con man since Barnum.' In swift, deft strokes Dickerson has sketched the greed, compulsion, and lies that drove every decision in the making of undoing of rock and roll's greatest talent. This is the book our study of popular culture's most glittering icon has lacked"--Lewis Nordan, author of "The Sharpshooter Blues"

"This riveting biography shines a hard light on the inscrutable Colonel . . . Dickerson has made it easy to understand that if rock and roll will never die, it owes its life to how Parker wrote the rules of the game"--Mark Ribowsky, author of "He's a Rebel"

An Unfair Portrait of Elvis Presley's Manager.......2002-03-06

Colonel Tom Parker was Elvis Presley's manager for virtually Elvis' entire career. Parker began his career working for carnivals and when he became a successful music manager, first for country singer Eddy Arnold and later for Elvis, Parker maintained his image as a carnival man. In negotiations he played the role of the unpolished but sharp dealing operator who took his adversary by surprise and got a great deal for his client and himself. Parker seemed to enjoy and possibly profit from his mysterious and unsavory reputation.

That mysterious and unsavory reputation draws suspicion to Colonel Parker when Elvis Presley's career is considered. Alot of bad and weird things happened to Elvis as his career went on. He made terrible movies, indifferent records and suffered weight and drug problems. Why did this happen? Colonel Parker is a convenient scape goat, but how much was Colonel Parker really to blame for Elvis' misery?

The answer may never be known. There are many rumors about Colonel Parker. He was an illegal alien so Elvis never toured Europe. (That makes no sense to me. Colonel Parker wouldn't have to leave the country for Elvis to tour Europe. After all, Elvis was stationed in Germany while Parker managed him.) Another rumor is that Elvis was a great and exciting singer until Colonel Parker corrupted him into a cheesy money making parody of himself. The 1968 "Comeback TV Special" was rumored to be one of the few times that Elvis defied the Colonel and showed the public the "real" Elvis. But if Elvis was unhappy with the Colonel, why didn't he fire him? If Elvis didn't like the direction is career was taking why didn't he try to change it? There are many unanswered questions.

Unfortunately this book doesn't provide many answers. Instead it just adds more unsubstantiated rumors. For example, it has been rumored that Parker was born in Breda, Holland and was originally named Andreas van Kujik. The author believes that Parker was born to jewish parents in Russia and only lived with the van Kujik family when he was in his teens. It's frustrating that the author offers no facts in support of this theory.

Another rumor is that Parker was involved with organized crime. Probate court records after Elvis' death show that Parker was losing one million dollars a year gambling in Las Vegas by the early 1960's. Certainly a man with heavy gambling debts would be vulnerable to collection pressures. It's plausible that Colonel Parker was unduly influenced in his managment decisions by his need to raise cash, but that doesn't mean that Parker is neccessarily guilty. The author suggests that Parker was involved with organized crime, but does not offer any proof to convict him. The author even speculates that Parker was close to surrendering his managent contract on Elvis to satisfy gambling debts. No facts are offered to support these rumors. All that is known for sure is that Colonel Parker was a heavy gambler.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent biography of the Colonel.......2003-02-01

To the degree possible, the author has reconstructed the life of Colonel Tom Parker, probably the most notorious personal manager in show business history. Beginning with his childhood in Holland, the factors that shaped the Colonel's character are unfolded in a plausible, well presented manner - no easy task on a man who could suddenly disappear without leaving a forwarding address.

A listing of Elvis's recording sessions from 1954 through 1977 is provided at the end of the book. An index is also provided.

A great biography about Colonel Tom Parker's life with Elvis.......1999-03-21

You get a pretty good idea of what Tom Parker's life was like, because Vellenga interviewed so many people that knew Parker & Elvis.

I was very curious because I manage an Elvis Tribute Band, of how they worked together and I learned alot from their mistakes. I don't think the author liked the Colonel too much but you can tell he put alot of research into it & I'm glad he wrote the book.

You also get alot of insight into show business.

Before I read the book I thought the Colonel was maybe someone special or a superb businessman to have been so successful, but after reading it, it showed me he wasn't all that great of a manager, not keeping Elvis's best interests at heart. One example of this is he made songwriters share their profits with him thus eliminating alot of very good songwriters. "Suspicious Minds" was an exception to this. Elvis could have had alot more great songs if the Colonel hadn't been so greedy.

But their were some good things he did too, the concerts & especially Aloha from Hawaii, which was videotaped & similcast. I also liked the documentary movie "That's the Way it is" about Elvis & the NBC Special.

Average customer rating:
Square One - A Memoir by Arnold Forster
Arnold Forster
Manufacturer: New York : D.I. Fine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000R2FOIO

Average customer rating:
Square one : a memoir / by Arnold Forster ; foreword by Elie Wiesel
Arnold Forster
Manufacturer: New York : D.I. Fine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P1VE8G

Average customer rating:
Square One: The Memoirs of a True Freedom Fighter's Life-long Struggle Against Anti-Semitism, Domestic and Foreign
Arnold Forster
Manufacturer: Donald I. Fine, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0H3VA

Average customer rating:
Square One: A Memoir
Arnold Forster
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1556111045

Average customer rating:
SQUARE ONE: A MEMOIR BY ARNOLD FORSTER. (Foreword by Elie Wiesel).
Arnold. Forster
Manufacturer: NY, Fine, 1988. 423 pp., illus. Fine copy of first edition in dust jacket.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UE0236

Average customer rating:
Square One: The Memoirs of a True Freedom Fighter's Life-long Struggle
Arnold FORSTER
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MXIWDM

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