Empresas Espa~nolas en los Mercados Internacionales

Book Description

A wonderfully dressed up and beautifully illustrated tour of America's most beloved bohemia: Greenwich Village. Jaunty and informative, this book includes four walking tours that illuminate the lives and times of some of America's most famous artists and writers. Each itinerary is illustrated with photographs, paintings, maps, quotes, and ephemera that bring to life different aspects of the Village, past and present. Beautifully packaged as a gift book, yet handy, practical, and inspiring, Greenwich Village is of equal interest to tourists, newcomers, native New Yorkers, or anyone captivated by the history and culture of New York. Author Judith Stonehill has composed an excellent, in-depth introduction to the culture and history of one of America's cultural treasures.

Customer Reviews:

A great guide to a great neighborhood........2004-06-30

Originally, Greenwich Village was settled by the rich and merchant class of lower Manhattan as an escape from the recurring ravages of yellow fever and cholera. For this reason Greenwich Village was, essentially, never really mapped out; never really settled in accordance to any public plan. Perhaps this haphazard beginning is what gave the area its combined refined yet anarchic flavor that exists until this day.

And this was also the reason for the area becoming attractive to free-thinkers and artists, which is the focus of the valuable book, "Greenwich Village: A Guide to America's Legendary Left Bank" by Judith Stonehill. Complete with maps, illustrations and a walking tour of the four sections which make up Greenwich Village, the guide reveals the extraordinary number of famous artists, writers, performers, etc who made the place their homes. Artist Edward Hopper, poet Walt Whitman, playwright Eugene O'Neill, and novelist Willa Cather, are just a few of the famous names who lived and created work here. But more important, as the subtitle to this guide suggests, they created something uniquely American.

"Greenwich Village: A Guide to America's Legendary Left Bank" is a great book for people who will visit the village, and is great for New Yorkers, themselves, to learn about this neighborhood that they thought they knew so well.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points

A Greenwich Village Classic.......2003-02-16

I couldn't stop reading this book! It's funny, smart, full of surprises and as beautiful as any book I've seen this year. It's like a box of candy -- almost impossible to put down, easy to pick up again, and delicious wherever your fingers happen to land.

Excellent book about my favorite part of New York.......2003-01-02

This book is a beautiful and well written guide to my favorite area of New York. An excellent read for anyone who enjoys the village.

Beautifully done........2002-12-03

Having planned a trip to NYC for the first time, I wanted to use a different guidebook that would give me a historical perspective with walking tours. I found it in this beautiful book. It made my trip to NYC a most memorable one. I highly recommend this book to anyone travelling to NY who wishes to learn more about this great city's history.

What an amazing journey.......2002-12-02

I am giving it to everyone I know as a Christmas present. Since I grew up in the village, it is a joy to be able to share the rich history of my hometown.

Book Description

Shoe Business, Inc. is a delightful company with plenty of financial problems. Sales actually decreased, but net income rose over 400%! It's up to students to find out what the company is doing wrong. This humorous practice set is, however, a serious learning experience, focusing on the frequent over-emphasis of bottom-line net income by investors. Attention is given to management's use of estimates and discretionary accounting methods to influence profitability.

Average customer rating:

JFK, Jr. and so much more

Spreading lies about JFK Jr. and his wife using anonymous so

Should have been the Sons and DAUGHTERS of Camelot

a good read

A tasty appeteaser

Sons of Camelot: The Fate of an American Dynasty
Laurence Leamer
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Kennedy, John F. | ( K ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Kennedy Women: The Saga of an American Family

The Men We Became : My Friendship with John F. Kennedy, Jr.

The Kennedy Men : 1901 - 1963

Symptoms of Withdrawal : A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption

The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings

ASIN: 006620965X
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Book Description

From the renowned biographer and national bestselling author of The Kennedy Women and The Kennedy Men comes the third volume in the epic multigenerational history of America's first family.

Sons of Camelot is the compelling story of the Kennedy sons and grandsons in the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It is the most intimate biography ever written about the Kennedys, with the cooperation of family and friends at a moment when they are ready to talk with insight and depth about their lives. Among the many stunning portraits in the book is the definitive account of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s life, including interviews with his ten closest friends, none of whom has ever talked to an author before.

Based on five years of rigorous research and unprecedented cooperation from the five surviving sons of Robert Kennedy, the four Shriver sons, Maria Shriver, and other Kennedys, Sons of Camelot is not only the most authoritative account, it is by far the most revealing book ever written about these lives. Falling far short of the great ambitions their patriarch, Joseph P. Kennedy, envisioned for his family, the lives of his youthful progeny are instead characterized by overwhelming drama full of exalted aspirations, notable achievements, and the most spectacular mishaps, excesses, and tragedies. Yet among them are those whose remarkable accomplishments have led to better lives for all Americans and for others around the world.

Heartbreaking and inspiring, Sons of Camelot is a spellbinding history of individuals and a family, a journey of character through time told by a brilliant, masterful writer.

Customer Reviews:

JFK, Jr. and so much more.......2005-03-26

This book has handsome JFK, Jr. on the cover and opens with young John-John saluting his father's coffin, and capturing our hearts. However this book is not devoted to President Kennedy's namesake. He's included here, but so are his equally fascinating -- if not as glamorous -- male cousins. Here are doomed Michael and David, ambitious Joe and a pair of gifted Bobbys (Kennedy and Shriver). There's Tim Shriver, trying to find his way within a powerful family. Ted Kennedy's sons have led particularly poignant lives, dealing with the legacy of Chappaquidick and their mother's alcoholism as well as their uncles' assasinations. I came away from this book with a renewed respect for Jackie and Eunice for their mothering skills, for their sons of Camelot were guided with surer, more attentive and imaginative hands than many of their cousins. While it was an interesting and educational read, I wish it had been longer and gone into more detail. So many of these young men were previously unknown to me and I wanted to know more. Still, I recommend it.

Spreading lies about JFK Jr. and his wife using anonymous so.......2004-11-11

Spreading lies about JFK Jr. and his wife using anonymous sources.
People that think that this was for selling better are in denial.
The reason is much more sinister. For some reason the goal of the book is to cover-up the circumstances of his death.
The other reason is to diffamate his memory. Does November 2, 2004 ring a bell ?

Should have been the Sons and DAUGHTERS of Camelot.......2004-11-06

Here is the next generation of the Kennedys, warts and all. If you idolize the Kennedys, you won't be happy and if you hate the Kennedys, you won't be happy. But if you want a fairly well rounded account of the younger generation of Kennedys, Laurence Leamer's book does a good job. The sordid (the liberal use of drugs among the next generation, death of David Kennedy, the scandalous life of Michael Kennedy, etc.) and the positive (JFK Jr.'s loyalty to his friends, RFK Jr.'s rehabilitation into a leading environmentalist, Tim Shriver's teaching career helping disadvantaged children, etc.) are both discussed here. It deals in scandal, of course, but all in all is pretty even handed.

However, Leamer does not discuss some of the outstanding female members of the next generation, including Kathleen Kennedy, Lt. Governor of Maryland, Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver. Joseph Kennedy promoted his sons in public life while virtually ignoring his daughters (even old Joe admitted that if daughter Eunice "had b*lls, she'd be president."), but several of the female members of the next generation have made their mark. It's too bad that Leamer brings his book down a notch by ignoring the Kennedy women -- they deserve some mention as well.

a good read.......2004-08-28

This is a comprehensive, non sensationalized account of the lives of the younger Kennedys. The book manages to be interesting without becoming tabloidish in tone (as some of the other books have). The author appears to have made an effort to be thorough and fair in his reporting of events.

A tasty appeteaser.......2004-05-04

Mr. Leamer has done a wonderful job of introducing the new generation of Kennedy sons. I just completed the book; and felt I wanted to learn even more. There are apparently too many Kennedy sons to focus on in one book. I had the feeling they all merited their own individual biographies.

While the author did offer up new information on the family; he sometimes held back in a very agonizing way. For example, he spends most of the book focusing on JFK, Jr. At the end of bk; as he describes John's last days -- he states that John had many complications in his life, espcially marriage, family and business. He briefly noted that John did not get along with Caroline Kennedy's husband, Mr. Schlossberg. He didn't give a hint of what was going on, yet many people are intrigued by Ms. Kennedy's mysterious Jewish husband. It left this reader wondering what was going on. The author knew, and he didn't care to share.

Since he did include Ted Kennedy in this volume; it would have been interesting to hear about how he and his second wife got married -- and how she interacts with the family.

The Lawford branch was given very short shift, and you can't tell me those kids don't have good stories to tell!

This book was long, but it was only an introduction. The Kennedy fans will enjoy it, but they will close the book hungry for more!

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Sons of Camelot: The Fate of an American Dynasty
Laurence Leamer
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OENDNS

Average customer rating:
The Captive of Nootka, Or, the Adventures of John R. Jweitt

Manufacturer: Ye Galleon Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Reference & Collections | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0877705798

Average customer rating:

Excellent Biography Of Saddam

Needs updating and better research

A "hands on " Stalin/Hitler -- Saddam himself did some of the dirty work (killing)

Mostly very good book that makes Saddam out to be the murderer he is

Dont waste your time

Saddam: King of Terror
Con Coughlin
Manufacturer: Ecco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

Saddam Hussein: A Political Biography

Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge

Out of the Ashes: The Resurrection of Saddam Hussein

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Iraq (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

Saddam Hussein: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)

ASIN: 0060505419
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Book Description

An unprecedented biography, drawn from the author's exclusive access to high-ranking defectors, intelligence officials, and even Saddam's own relatives -- fully illustrated with photos from his early life to the present

Two weeks before September 11, 2001, Saddam Hussein placed his troops on their highest military alert since the Gulf War. As al-Qaeda terrorists set their attacks on America in motion, the Iraqi dictator was prepared to go to war for a second time with the United States. How did an illegitimate child from Tikrit become the West's greatest adversary, and one of the most dangerous and murderous dictators of modem times?

Saddam: King of Terror is the most insightful and illuminating portrait of the Iraqi president to date-and a fascinating study of the making of a tyrant. Con Coughlin, executive editor of London's award-winning Sunday Telegraph, has covered the Middle East for decades -- on the front lines, narrowly escaping kidnapping and violence. He has cultivated exclusive contacts among the Western intelligence community and numerous defectors from Saddam's inner circles -- including former generals, political associates, and bodyguards as well as childhood friends. Coughlin knew immediately that American and British declarations of war against terrorism after the September 11th attacks would sooner rather than later encompass Saddam Hussein as well as Osama bin Laden. Coughlin shows that any operation against terrorism will be incomplete as long as Saddam remains in power -- that international policies will have to change from cautious tolerance to active intervention, a change that is already becoming a reality.

Coughlin also provides the first complete portrait of Saddam's childhood ever published, compiled from the author's inter-views with Saddam's contemporaries and relatives who have never before spoken publicly about him According to Coughlin, Saddam has a younger sister no one knew about, and he idolizes his mother, although his childhood was deeply marred by his shame about being fatherless. From his earliest years, he looked to his mother's brother as a father figure, and Coughlin tells how it was this uncle who first introduced Saddam to a life of crime and political rebellion. Saddam: King of Terror meticulously traces Saddam's bloody rise to power, from Saddam's first murder and his time in prison, to an eyewitness account of Saddam storming Iraqs presidential palace in a tank, to his almost feral ruthlessness in disposing of his opponents, even dose friends and relatives, to create his regime -- a complex mechanism in which family and tribe are central, held together by Saddam's carefully orchestrated reign of fear.

In Saddam: King of Terror, we see both the bizarre, almost pathological behavior of an international pariah and the unshakable power of a tyrant who has defied the world's censure and holds a nation in his grasp.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Biography Of Saddam.......2007-01-24

Some reviewers are judging this book based on their personal opinions about the Iraq War. But this book was originally written in 2002 and the Iraq War is only briefly discussed in a short epilogue. Of course, the situation there is even worse today, though Coughlin does mention the difficulties that lie ahead.

The fact is that this book is that not a political treatise. But is instead a well written biography that begins with Saddam's birth around 70 years ago in a small, poverty stricken village near Tikrit. He experienced what was apparently a horrific childhood with an abusive step-father. Around age 10 he was sent off to live with his Nazi sympathizer uncle, Tulfah Khairallah. As a young adult Saddam began to rise through the Baath Party ranks, considered an effective thug and hitman who was willing to do the party's "dirty work" against potential enemies. Eventually Saddam's ruthless brutality enabled him to become the dictator of Iraq. Of course, from there his atrocities only grew worse, including the gassing of the Kurds and over a million left dead during his bloody 8 year war against Iran. Meanwhile the United States, the Soviet Union, France and Germany all supported Iraq with military supplies and assistance during this time, apparently considering him the "lesser of two evils" compared to Iran.

Coughlin does an excellent job in presenting the psychological and cultural background that produced Saddam. Still it remains hard to fathom the type of mentality that could lead someone to order the horrific number of murders and torture cases that occurred during his reign. Saddam was a vicious tyrant. But this book also presents a realistically bleak portrait of Iraq's political environment that offers no easy solutions for a better future without him.

I think Bush and the neo-cons were incredibly naive going into this war believing that they could turn Iraq into a Western style democracy. As a result the situation there is a disaster. But regardless of your political opinions on the war, this is an excellent biography of Saddam that will increase the knowledge of anyone that reads it.

Needs updating and better research.......2006-10-12

Someone must be suffering from cold feet.

The Iraqi army has dissolved and disintegrated and regrouped into small widely separated divisions, up to now incapable of organized performances, least of all policing Baghdad.

The world ridiculed the idea that Saddam had amassed weapons of mass destruction (now ironically referred to as `had the potential capability of possessing WMD' - you see! the legend `potential' was simply added to give an evasive answer to the question `why has the UN decided to remove Saddam?'

Now we listen to bits and pieces of a so-called `Saddam's court martial', where Saddam has been exhausting the court but never exhausted, engaging everyone in heated arguments, until the judge was on the verge of losing his temper. Indeed he lost it and dismissed Saddam.
Saddam won the day!!!!
It was a great personal victory for Saddam.
Of course no one has any means of knowing who's really speaking the truth.
The coalition forces believed they had at last a revealing insight into the state of Saddam's mind after his dishonourable capture, but the way the ex-president is treated in court leaves a lot to be desired.

Many responsible officials after Saddam were about to commiserate on their heavy responsibilities despite the support they have been getting from the `strongest power on this planet'

I saw the look of dismay in the eyes of those who read this prematurely written book; perhaps the author thought that Saddam would be a dead corpse by the time this epistle had been published.
Who knows!
And Iraq, in the absence of as strong a government, is still in terrible predicament.
The battle for Saddam Hussein is virtually beginning.
To many laypersons in the Arab world, the `story' does not seem to be finishing soon, and the author will have to revisit the last four years brimful with additional important material for his readers.

A "hands on " Stalin/Hitler -- Saddam himself did some of the dirty work (killing).......2006-10-11

A good detailed account of how Saddam used brutal stalinist methods to take control of Iraq. His control of Iraq was so complete that it took a strong outside force to bring him down.

Mostly very good book that makes Saddam out to be the murderer he is.......2006-09-09

I love the way Saddam's dreaded Anfal Campaign where he murdered over 100,000 Iraqi Kurds in just one year in the 1980's is given depth by the author. As for why the US did not stop Saddam during this time; well the Cold War with the Soviet Union was still going on at this time and the US was still slightly paarlyzed by the pacifist movement of 1970.

Back to this book it would be 5 stars without the homosexual reference Coughlin put in.

Dont waste your time.......2005-12-20

I would have givin this book a 0 star but that option wasnt availabe.This author really needs to do his research all over again.For instace on page 7 he talks about the "7 pillars of islam"when actually there only is 5 PILLARs in Islam.This might not seem like a big deal but througout this book you find little lies here and there.And by the time you finish the book it turns into one big lie.The author mentions that Saddam gassed his people but FAILS to mention that it was our government of the USA that supplied it to him.He protrays Bush and his administration as heros bet he feels dumb now after we found no WMDs and that we screwed the whole nation up.For some truth read "forbidden truth".And also read the PNAC doctrine.Dont waste your time with this book.

Book Description

The 100th birthdays of George and Ira Gershwin (in 1898 and 1896, respectively) are being celebrated around the world. The centennials are the perfect occasion to reflect on the brothers' rich legacy to American theater music. "The Man I Love," "Fascinating Rhythm," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "A Foggy Day"--together they wrote 700 songs and dozens of shows that defined an age and revolutionized the musical theater. Essential to any consideration of their achievement is Deena Rosenberg's Fascinating Rhythm, the only book to closely examine the brothers'extraordinary collaboration.

First published in 1991, this pioneering work--which grew out of extensive interviews with Ira Gershwin and draws on much unpublished material from his archives--provides an interpretation and critical history of the Gershwin opus. Focusing on the major songs and shows and on the creative process that produced them, Rosenberg traces the development of the Gershwins' vocabulary, voice, subject, and viewpoint as they evolved from song to song. She illuminates how words and music work together in each song to create a small one-act play that encompasses a satisfying emotional and dramatic action.

Rosenberg also expertly places the Gershwins in their creative and social context, highlighting their innovations, their own growth as mature artists, and their relationship to their times. And she outlines Ira's productive career following the untimely death of his brother in 1937.

Filled with musical examples, Iyrics, and photographs, this rich portrait will fascinate any musical theater lover.

"Packed with terrific insights that will delight those who care about this music." --New York Times Book Review

Deena Rosenberg is the founding chair of the Musical Theatre Program, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. A cultural and music historian, she is coauthor of The Music Makers and has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, High Fidelity, and other publications.

Customer Reviews:

Stunningly beautiful, intelligent, fun, and engaging.......1999-12-10

When this book came out I was graduating from college with atheatre degree. A little lost, but in love with a recording of StrikeUp the Band, I bought this book. This beautiful book gripped me,delighted me and enchanted me. 7 years later, I'm writing my dissertation on musical theatre, with my first chapter (and my favorite) on the Gershwins. Deena Rosenburg's book is a model of what musical theatre biographies can be--history on the authors, the shows and the times. I won't wreck the ending for you, but it is one of the only non-fiction books I could say that about. I spent a week as spellbound as I was when reading The Lord of the Ring, and I will always hold this up as a fabulous book to introduce anyone to musical theatre and a joy. Bravo! END

Average customer rating:

4 1/2* Ira: The Wordsmith
Philip Furia is the Master of Songwriter Biographies...
S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous!
An informative, readable spotlight on Ira Gershwin.

Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist
Philip Furia
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0195115708

Book Description

To the perennial question "which comes first, the music or the words?" Ira Gershwin always responded, "the contract." The jest reveals both Ira's consummate professionalism and the self-effacing wit with which he ducked the spotlight whenever possible. Yet the ingeniously inventive melodies George Gershwin composed for such classic songs as "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Embraceable You," "Fascinating Rhythm," "It Ain't Necessarily So," and "Love is Here to Stay" live on in no small part because of the equally unforgettable lyrics of Ira Gershwin, lines crafted with a precision that earned him the sobriquet "The Jeweller" among his Broadway peers. In Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist, the older and less flamboyant of the Gershwin brothers at last steps out of the shadows to claim his due as one of American songwriting's most important and enduring innovators. Philip Furia traces the development of Ira Gershwin's lyrical art from his early love of light verse and Gilbert and Sullivan, through his apprentice work in Tin Pan Alley, to his emergence as a prominent writer for the Broadway musical theater in the 1920s. Furia illuminates his work in satirical operettas such as Of Thee I Sing and Strike Up the Band, the smart "little" revues of the 1930s, and his contributions to the opera Porgy and Bess. After describing the Gershwin brothers' brief but brilliant work in Hollywood before George's sudden death--work that produced such classics as "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"--Furia follows Ira's career through such triumphs as Lady in the Dark with Kurt Weill, Cover Girl with Jerome Kern, and A Star is Born, with Harold Arlen. Along the way, Furia provides much insight into the art of the lyricist and he captures the magic of a golden era when not only the Gershwins, but Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II, Gertrude Lawrence, Fred Astaire, and other luminaries made the lights of Broadway and the Hollywood screen shine brighter than ever before. From his first major success, the now-classic "The Man I Love" (1924) to his last great hit, "The Man That Got Away" (1954), Ira Gershwin wrote the words to some of America's most loved standards. In Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist, Philip Furia illuminates the craft behind this remarkable achievement to reveal how Gershwin took the everyday speech of ordinary Americans and made it sing.

Customer Reviews:

4 1/2* Ira: The Wordsmith.......2002-09-13

When "Girl Crazy," the musical that introduced such endurable songs as "I Got Rhythm," "Embraceable You," and "But Not for Me," opened in month, 1932, composer George presented lyricist Ira with a bracelet inscribed "George, the Music; Ira, the Words." The collaboration of the two brothers' collaboration produced some of the best standards and the starting point of much of the best jazz in years to come.

This book tells the musical history of Ira, Nicknamed "the Jeweler" because of his meticulous fitting of words to music, or as he put it, the construction of a music/word mosaic, the sometimes under-appreciated Gershwin wrote the clever, ironic, and always intelligent word to Gershwin tunes as well as collaborations with (Harburg, Kern, Arlen, Weill, Wodehouse, Bolton, and Duke).

As in his brilliant "Poets of Tin Pan Alley," Furia's masterfully dissects the lyricist's craft, explaining such techniques as pseudo rhymes, internal rhymes, alliteration and assonance, allusions and tone. He examines the importance of a song's "singability." Furia, as in `Poets' traces the history of the theatre song as a stand-alone number (a la Ziegfried Follies) to its height as an integral "character" that advances the show's plot (first accomplished in "Showboat" and "Oklahoma." Finally, he shows how Ira Gershwin's style (and often his skill) was different from other lyricists of the Golden Age.

The problem is that there is a dearth of original research, especially about Ira's latter non-writing years. I wonder why the author did not interview Michael Feinstein, who befriended Gershwin in the latter year, and here receives a one paragraph cite on the next to the last page. Most of the references on the latter years come from two books alone. Furthermore, while not the life of the party like George, we don't get much of a clue as Ira's personality or personal life. Some original research into Gershwin's personal life and post-writing years would have added greatly to the book. Finally, his use of phrases such as "saying I love you in 32 bars" and "singability" is so repetitive that it becomes grating.

Still, this is an excellent book for students of songwriting and Gershwin fans in particular. There are some excellent behind-the-scenes details about how songs are written (and sometimes ruined) and it's mostly an enjoyable read. For a better overview of the best lyricists of the era, I highly recommend his earlier "The Poets of Tin Pan Alley."

Philip Furia is the Master of Songwriter Biographies..........2002-05-10

I've not felt strongly enough about a book or author to submit a review before, but as a songwriter myself, I can not praise Mr. Furia's books enough. He follows the development of the lyrist or songwriter as an artist first, before their celebrity, etc. He shows how their styles changed with time and experience. I have read two of his books. I'm starting a third, and I've bought copies for my friends. I will endeavor to read every songwriter book he produces. He lets you look inside the art of the artist, yet it still reads like a story. I'd give all of his books ten stars. Thank you Mr. Furia, for a wonderful read.

S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous!.......2000-06-05

A wonderful look at a most talented man. Finally someone writes about Ira rather than George. The book is informative, well written and charming. I highly recommend it. I loved every word!

An informative, readable spotlight on Ira Gershwin........1998-02-03

Ira Gershwin, often seen as the non-dazzler of the remarkable Gershwin brothers, was called "the jeweller" by his peers because of his meticulously crafted lyrics. And this duality of the famed songwriter makes Philip Furia's book especially intriguing. How Ira wrote the songs, how he saw himself, and the famed body of music he created is fascinating reading. But right here, let's just look at one aspect -- the close, loving relationship between the two brothers, Ira and George, the successful collaboration that produced a series of sparkling, sophisticated hit songs for Broadway and Hollywood all throughout the 1920's and 1930's. Ira was the older brother, shy and modest. He idolized the more dashing and outgoing George, and like many others, recognized his musical genius. Once they permanently joined professional forces in 1924, they were unbeatable, but that came after Ira's early career writing light verse and then song lyrics under the name, Arthur Francis. From the first Ira-George hit, "The Man I Love," they meshed perfectly, George's touching and intricate melody married to Ira's deceptively simple and straightforward lyric, "Someday he'll come along..." Everyone recognized the spark the two ignited in their songs. Tunes as unusual and catchy as, Fascinating Rhythm" demanded a rhyme scheme that would place accents in the most effective points. Even when George joined DuBose Heyward to write "Porgy and Bess," Ira had a role in polishing some lyrics, and writing the straightforward, colloquial lyrics for the character of Sportin' Life, such as, "It Ain't Necessarily So." Ira occasionally collaborated with other composers, like Vernon Duke and "Yip" Harburg. But author Furia points out that in a ten-year period, except for the "Porgy and Bess" music with Heyward, all of George Gershwin's songs were with Ira Gershwin lyrics. In their last years, their music seemed particularly closely mated. When "They Can't Take That Away From Me," was nominated for an Academy Award, losing to "Sweet Leilani," Ira was especially disappointed, feeling George should have given more input in how the song was presented in the film, Shall We Dance, because it was evident that their song was superior to the winner. "Love Is Here To Stay" was their last song together for The Goldwyn Follies of 1938. George died before the song was completed. Ira was left to grieve and finish the film. He was distraught. He felt responsible for not noticing his brother's illness until it was too late. In time, Ira's wife. Leonore and their friends, songwriters like Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, and "Yip" Harburg, helped him accept the fact that he was not responsible for George's early death. In addition, Leonore convinced Ira that he was the remaining Gershwin, and it was up to him to continue the high standards the team had set. It wasn't easy. Ira was always the one who stepped back from the spotlight of his outgoing brother. Philip Furia places Ira Gershwin in the spotlight, and in a readable and informative treatment, gives due credit to one of our most beloved and respected contributors to the American songbook, a man who went on to write many more fine songs with other composers, yet somehow, those lyrics with George shine brightest with irreplaceable wit and sparkle.

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Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist
Philip Furia
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OK4NFY

Average customer rating:

Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist
Philip Furia
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OK8102

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