5 comments about The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963.

1. I read The Kennedy Women a few years ago and found it to be one of the most impressive biographical works that I had ever encountered. I was most impressed with Leamer's ability to fully chart the lives of so many diverdse characters.

   I eagerly awaited the Kennedy Men. If I had not read his previous work, this probably would have seemed better. I felt that the Kennedy Women had a broader scope dealing with a longer (and earlier!) time frame and more individuals. This started, really with Joe Kennedy and didn't focus on too many others. A very minor complaint, is that the Kennedy women had a comrehensive time line in the beginning. It would have been useful to include one here as well.

   Otherwise, this is an extaordinarily well rearched volume. What I enjoyed most was the conversational approach taken by Leamer. It is a pleasure to read. I wish that the final chapter "Requiem for a President" was slightly more detailed, but this was a chance to learn not about invididuals, but about complex family relationships and bonds.

   I am glad that I read it and look forward to volume 2!




2. I've read 64 biographys and it's one of the worse.
   There are a few photos.
   some informations are odd, because the author invents them.
   buy not this book, but buy better book like a common good, the thirteen days, the kennedys and the fitzgerald, robert kennedy and his time...



3. In the years since John F Kennedy was elected President two kinds of "Kennedy Myths" have developed. The positive one portrays John, Robert and Ted Kennedy as liberal "saints" committed to a progressive revolution in America. The negative one shows the Kennedys to be rapacious libertines who throw off all social conventions in their personal and political lives. Leamer's book transcends these over-simplistic views and covers the lives of patriarch Joseph P Kennedy and his four sons, bringing out the complexity of this unique group of people.

   Those who hold a negative view of the Kennedys will find much material to confirm their beliefs. In truth, Joe Kennedy seems to be a man with almost no redeeming virtues, a virulent anti-Semite and pro-Nazi, greedy and miserly, manipulative man. The second generation of Kennedys learned not to ask where the family's money came from. Yet Joe Kennedy went on to implement needed reforms in the Security and Exchange commission to which he was appointed, supported the progressive FDR and became the most powerful Catholic in the US.

   Similarly, JFK went on to be an incredibly reckless philanderer who possibly compromised the very security of the US with liasons with women involved with organized crime and possibly even East German intelligence, but at the same time, he inspired young people to volunteer for the Peace Corps and set American on course to landing on the Moon. RFK goes to work for family friend Senator Joe McCarthy and works with the Mafia in order to destablize Castro's regime in Cuba, but then also works vigorously against the same Mafia and institutionalized racial discrimination (and somehow escapes the taint of his association with McCarthy).

   Leamer show that JFK and RFK were definitely not "soft liberals". JFK was the best friend the "military-industrial complex" ever had, pouring unprecedented amounts of money into defense and space projects. They supported a very tough anti-Communist policy in Cuba and Vietnam which almost led to nuclear war and did lead to the quagmire in Southeast Asia. One important point about the book is that Leamer does not demonize various "bad guys" from the positive Kennedy Myth, such as General Curtis Lemay and other military men from the Cuban Missile Crisis, FBI Director J Edgar Hoover who was friendly for many years with Joe Kennedy and showed great forebearance with the many indiscretions of his sons and had good reason to be concerned with JFK's behavior and finally Lyndon Johnson who loyally served the Kennedy Administration and yet was treated with contempt by RFK and many of JFK's advisors (although not by JFK himself).

   Finally, the author has come to the same conclusion that other investigators have arrived at regarding JFK's assassination, namely, that it is very likely that the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald was motivated, either with or without the knowledge of agents of Fidel Castro, to kill Kennedy in revenge for the Kennedys' attempt to kill him.

   It is not easy to cover the lives of five different men in a singel book, and much had to be left out, but as an introduction to this remarkable tribe of American aristocracy, this book is indispensable.




4. I give this book a borderline 3 - 4 stars. It isn't bad - it explored all of the Kennedy men adequately but none very extensively. Leamer does do a great job of explaining the relationships among the Kennedy men, especially the complicated relationship that Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. had with all of his children.

   The author offers up stunning and excruciating details about Joe Kennedy Jr's. death, as well as Kathleen's death. These instances were painful to read, but very insightful about the patriarch's emotions.

   I feel Leamer did concentrate a bit too much on JFK's sexual trysts, but that is a topic that no book on the Kennedys will neglect, so it's not really a complaint.

   It would have been nice had the book ended in 1968 and not 1963. Another 100 pages would have given the reader much more great reading on RFK following the president's death and also his run for the presidency in 1968.

   All in all, this is a good book for diehard Kennedy aficionados.




5. Didn't like it. Basically refers to President Kennedy and his time in office. Too boring.

5 comments about If I Only Knew Then...: Learning from Our Mistakes.

1. If you can admit that you are not perfect (yet), and want an instruction book for life, this it it. Buy it. Read it. Learn from it.



2. Yawn. A few of the chapters were interesting, otherwise not a great read. Glad to hear proceeds go to charity.



3. Charles Grodin has assembled eclectic information from many interesting people - much of which is valuable - and gives his proceeds to a very worthy cause. Great gift item.



4. This was an enjoyable book and a quick read. It was interesting to read what notable people felt were learning experiences for them and why they thought so.



5. Everyone can look back on their life and describe a significant mistake they've made and the lesson they learned from it. But how many of you would be willing to write it down and have the world read about it?
   
   Charles Grodin found over eighty people to contribute to his collection of essays in If I Only Knew Then..., and the net profits from book sales go to HELP USA, a not-for-profit organization. HELP USA's mission is to empower the homeless and others in need to become self-reliant, an excellent cause in this reader's book.
   
   Many of the contributors are celebrities such as Alan Alda, Carol Burnett and Ben Stiller. Others are accomplished and well-known people in the industries of politics, business and Hollywood.
   
   Sally Kellerman (Hot Lips from the movie M*A*S*H) learned what happens when you play hard-to-get with Marlon Brando. Judge Judy got a lesson in how to gain respect as a woman. Senator Orrin Hatch regrets voting against the Martin Luther King holiday.
   
   Some of the essays are entertaining, the lessons poignant and universal. Others seemed to have missed the point, or were turned in like last-minute homework assignments, perhaps out of guilt or obligation to Grodin.
   
   One lost lesson in particular comes from Leonard Nimoy, who still bristles over the memory of inappropriately naming his book I Am Not Spock. He declares that he is still unconvinced he was wrong. He writes, "Live and learn," but did he?
   
   This book feels like it was put together more for the sake of HELP USA than for the readers. If I Only Knew Then... hits and misses. The "hits" are moving and, at times, heartbreaking. If you do decide to purchase this book and read selectively, do not miss the stories by Barbara Feldon (from TV's Get Smart) or Sheldon Schultz. Their lessons anchor the book, providing meat and meaning.
   
   The misses, however, are a tad boring and blowhardy. It's like when you're mingling at a party and some clueless guy sidles up and chimes in within seconds as if he's with the program already and rather misses the point, contributing little, while you make excuses to escape what was, just a minute ago, a lively conversation.
   
   Maybe we're not meant to take anything substantive away from some of these stories. Or maybe, if the authors are neither famous nor literary pros, we aren't that interested. If the little boy next door is selling magazine subscriptions to buy uniforms for the school band, should you subscribe to three or four periodicals, including Tedious Times and Pointless Monthly in order to support a good cause because you also get Entertainment Weekly out of it? Well, that's up to you.
   
   
   Reviewed by Margaret Andrews for Curled Up With A Good Book

2 comments about Kingdom: The Story of the Hunt Family of Texas.

1. I had little knowledge of the Hunt Family, but I was able to relate to the times and events the book covered. It intermingled many events in our past and supported some theories about Kennedy's death. I felt it made me question the material goals we set for ourselves. I also realized no matter what we achieve materially the greatest needs or wishes in life cannot be corrected.



2. A rags to riches story about one of the more powerful families in Texas. Arizona Slim was originally from Illinois. He hopped around the country trying his hand at various things (including college). One thing he was good at was gambling and speculation. He speculated in land and then oil leases. His gambling contributed and funded the speculations in land and oil leases. His spectatular success in the oil fields of Texas and Arkansas led to his becoming the richest man in the world. He was also married to two women at the same time. His political beliefs were far right and based on the amount of money a man owned (cashocracy). His son blew a large portion of his inheritance on trying to corner the silver market. Last I heard, he was in bankruptcy.
   
   This is a great story about a rich family. I was surprised at the story of this family. Tuccille writes his book as if it were a novel, but it is all true. This is a very nice read.

5 comments about No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel.

1. So, I am a fan of crazy-gorgeous-extreme model types, because they are so much the opposite of me.
   
   Take Janice Dickinson, for instance. Janice walks in a room, and everyone knows it. Maybe they smell her heady melange of booze, perfume, and cigarettes. It could be the obnoxiously loud string of foulness that always enters before she does. And perhaps it's because she's gorgeous and has those crazy -- as in substantially unstable -- eyes that demand attention in a Charlie Manson kind of way. I don't know. Whatever it is, I want it, as do millions of young ladies.
   
   So I really wanted to like this book and experience a lot of "Oh no she di'int" admiration, but mostly, I was stumbling over the lackluster, disconnected writing. Does anyone believe celebrities of her caliber -- low, that is -- really write their own material? I suppose her "writing partner" is partially to blame for the poor quality, but having seen Dickinson in action (critiquing ANTM contestants and manipulating her way through the D-list dumpster that is The Surreal Life), I don't doubt for a second that she'd have creative control and final say on the content and style.
   
   Janice does deliver some juicy bits. For example, way back when Sly Stallone was her man, Janice was regularly given mystery "vitamins" by the Rocky that, in light of recent events, may've been an early iteration of HGH. Hm. Plus there's tons of drugs and boyfriends (and girlfriends), although I could've done without the explicit descriptions of sex ham-fistedly sandwiched into random spots. (It's like she forgot she wasn't writing a Harlequin for a couple of pages.)
   
   As in other memoirs by people who shouldn't necessarily be writing any, there's the usual childhood drama blown out of proportion. Being abused is drama enough -- why add the Lifetime Movie of the Week fanfare? It feels a little... exploitative.
   
   But I suppose that's the point. Dickinson made her career out of exploitation -- of her body, the camera, other people's bodies... you name it. I appreciate the candor she shows, and no-holds-barred "outing" of celeb secrets is balanced by kind words for others (for instance, Christie Brinkley is -- or at least was -- a saint). This could've been an excellent book if only she'd taken an intensive in English composition and pulled out a thesaurus. (At least it wasn't as bad as Iceberg Slim!)



2. I must say that I truly enjoyed reading this book. There is one thing about the author that I like best and it is the fact that she is real; she tells it like it is. She has guts! This by itself makes the book worth it! I honestly believe that she shares honest and truthful tales about the modeling bussiness and her personal life. I give this book a 10.



3. This memoir delivers! Laugh out loud funny, and full of juicy show biz gossip. Janice rats out everyone in here. I like that her voice comes through 100%--it's like you are sitting with her listening to her stories over drinks, one on one. There is more to Janice's story--a darker side with a totally messed up childhood that shaped who she became. Think what you will of her, but she is never boring. A great read.



4. This book was AMAZING!!! SOOO good i thought it was fiction. A fantastic read.



5. Janice got down, dirty, and honest with this book in her tough journey to fame. However, she is an amazing woman who has survived much in life, while doing her best to thrive.
   
   Kudos Janice! Thank you for sharing a part of you with us all!
   
   A MUST read for everyone!
   
   Merna Throne
   
   Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!

5 comments about Greek Fire: The Story of Maria Callas and Aristole Onassis.

1. I loved this book. I am the type of person who cannot seem to finish a book unless it totally captures my interest but this book from the beginning to end poured information about both Callas and Onassis that were so interesting. Although I felt the detailed day-to-day schedule on the voyage of Christina when Callas was on it was a bit boring due to too much details but it was still facinating. Mr. Gage, just seems really committed to relating facts, which is above all most important when writing biographies. Thank you for the wonderful book, Mr. Gage. Bravo! on a wonderful job.



2. I read this when it first came out in paperback and cannot recommend it enough. This book sizzles! Anything and everything you have ever wanted to know about Callas and Onassis. This is a book that is difficult to put down. I read this in one sitting.



3. This is a trashy book and the reader can only feel disgust at the indignities heaped upon this great artist. There are numerous inconsistencies and fabrications which defy reason and are not consistent with known facts, as follows:
   
   If Maria Callas had been pregnant the world would have known about it because her condition would have become increasingly visible with each passing month. Gage states on pg 201 that after december 1959 "she would not appear in public for the next several months," ie. until March 1960 when according to him, she gave birth to a son.
   
   This is a ludicrous claim as there are many photographs taken in February 1960 of Maria Callas in public, where she is as slim as ever and wearing dresses tightly fitted at the waist. One example is with Antonio Ghiringhelli at the première of Fellini's La dolce vita on 5 February 1960, in the Teatro Capitol in Milan and in the 2nd week of February in Paris she was photographed with famous coiffeur Alexandre and her agent Michel Glotz at the Théâtre des Champs Elysée, among others. The photographs prove that it is not possible by any stretch of the imagination to claim that in February 1960 Callas was 7 months pregnant.
   
   According to Gage, on pg. 204 Maria said in an interview with France-soir on 13th Feb 1960 "«I don't want to sing anymore. I want to live, just like a normal woman, with children, a home, a dog..." If Callas no longer wanted to sing, what about her famous performances later in the same year, of Norma at the Epidaurus theatre in Greece, negotiations for which began in Jan/Feb 1960? It should be noted that Maria officially denied that this supposed interview with France-soir ever took place! Her denial was reported in the Greek press on 19th Feb 1960.
   
   Another ridiculous claim in the book is that Maria Callas wanted to deliver the child early, at 8 months, and that "the clinic was not equipped to deal with the crisis", etc.
   In the 60's cesarians would only be performed if severe medical abnormaliies were detected. In Italy (largely catholic) physicians were forbidden from assisting patients in either the prevention or termination of pregnancy. At that time over 50% of babies born before 37 weeks died, and physicians were well aware of the dangers to both mother and baby. No physician would have allowed themselves to be pressured into taking such a risk, especially with somebody of the stature of Maria Callas.
   
   Finally, the 'documentary evidence'for the birth and death of the supposed baby son are not evidence at all. Nowhere does it state the names of the baby's parents or the date and time of death which would be the case in official records. The issue date on these 'documents' is 23/10/1998 and 22/10/1998 (can be seen near bottom left in the poor reproducions) these documents were therefore not found in Maria Callas' private papers at the time of her death, as Gage states on pg 207. There is no concrete evidence linking these papers to Maria Callas at all.
   
   It also seems too convenient that Maria's maid Bruna Lupoli who has always refused to speak to anyone about Callas, waited 40 years before revealing to Gage (a complete stranger, whom she has never met!!) this sensational secret of a baby son. This is surely stretching credibility.
   
   The reason why this book seems believable and has perhaps fooled so many people is that Nicholas Gage is a skilled journalist and therefore able to successfully fabricate a story and make it sound credible, no matter how false or ridulous the individual 'facts'.
   
   I would advise anybody who appreciates the great art of Maria Callas not to touch this book, as it is demeaning to her as an artist and a woman.
   
   The story of this supposed baby born to Maria Callas is a complete fabrication and should be refuted wherever possible for the sake of historical truth.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   



4. I bought this book at a Supermarket Charity book sale, and I liked it. It told of the relationship between Ari and Maria as well as Jackie. I couldn't put it down, and it is a great summertime reading book.



5. I started reading this story fews days ago and I just couldn't put it down.A good book,good photos inserted and it's the full saga ever told about the Onassis's dynasty,though many events aren't evidently true.

5 comments about The DD Group: An Online Investigation Into the Death of Marilyn Monroe.

1. David Marshall's "The DD Group: An Online Investigation Into the Death of Marilyn Monroe" is a must-read for anyone interested in learning the truth about the premature demise of Hollywood's most enduring star. The book examines all aspects of Miss Monroe's death by carefully reconstructing her final hours and analyzing the facts in a logical, detailed, and organized manner. Medical and forensics evidence is carefully dissected, and the possible agendas and questionable credibility of several key associates of Miss Monroe's {as well as a number of contemporary biographers} is presented for consideration. The book contains numerous startling new facts never revealed in any other Monroe biography, information which is compelling, ground-breaking and startling in the extreme. The intense research conducted by the participants of the group is impressive and unprecedented, and Mr. Marshall did an admirable job condensing what must have been an intimidatingly vast amount of information into a concise, well-written and thoroughly gripping investigative report. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for the truth about what happened to Marilyn Monroe on the night she died. Fact and fantasy will become very easy to discern, and readers will arrive at a possible conclusion which is credible, realistic, and devoid of sensationalism. This book is a tremendous accomplishment, and you will never look at the death of Marilyn Monroe the same way again.



2. I liked the format of this book, researcher sharing comments and formulating their opinions. Perhaps a better way of looking at what happened than individual writers have done. Worth a look see.



3. 
   Just finished the book this morning. Couldn't put it down since I purchased it a couple of days ago! I believe it has demystified so much here about Marilyn that it has to be very close to the last word on the subject. I took an interest in MM a few years ago and read many books on her. I was so impressed with her life that I wrote a three-act play called "Bye Bye Baby" about her last thee days. It hasn't been staged yet but one lives in hope! It was heavily biased by the Slatzer, Wolfe angle [murder] but since I read this book I'll have to re-write it removing this bias. After I read it I immediately went to Matthew Smith's Last Words to see if the DD Group's versions matched in any way. I believe, with a little bit of editing, it has second-guessed the Marilyn's tapes which weren't published at the time! It all makes sense now!!! However, although I really believed all along that she had been murdered, I now believe she did kill herself and that she made her mind up after RFK'S visit. It would seem that her whole world caved in then. When she asked Dr. Greenson "Did you take my Nembutal?" I think she was calling his bluff. She probably told him earlier that she only had one or two left and hid the 24 or 25. He may well have given her a shot of a small, controlled amount of Nembutal, with this knowledge in mind, when he returned, advising her to go to bed immediately. [I think most psychiatrists can and do give shots]. Remember that her total well-being depended almost entirely the esteem in which the Kennedys held her. If that was lost irretrievably, MM was lost. And it looked pretty final at 4.00 that Saturday. Dr. Greenson alone couldn't keep her from ending her life, even though he was indispensable to her in many ways. She was too intelligent for them all but must have made up her mind that afternoon.
   MM must have felt lonelier that evening than any other time in her life and in that lonely bed in Brentwood she must have sobbed herself into that deep, deep sleep. I do believe now that she did say "Say goodbye to Jack..." to Peter Lawford. It's so, so tragic.
   This book is a wonderful, intelligent and compassionate insight!!! I am forever in their debt.
   
   
   Seoirse O Dochartaigh, Donegal, Ireland



4. This book made me re-examine my opinion as to the death of the great Marilyn Monroe. The book was so well researched (by so many), debated and documented. I actually changed my opinion as to the mode of her tragic demise because of it...I still don't believe that MM intended to commit suicide, which correlates to BOTH of the author's final speculations as to how she died, but I am swayed by the opinion that others were (innocently) responsible for her death, due to gross negligence. This negligence made it absolutely necessary to hide the real way MM died. (it saved careers)...Her Dr.'s. had an unknowing hand in her death, and even Mrs. Murray, which would fit in to why she said, "Why, oh why, after all these years, do I have to keep hiding this..." Marilyn did not intentionally commit suicide...That is my opinion after reading this excellent book. Your opinion may be different...That is what is so great about this novel...It leaves room for the reader to formulate their own opinion based upon the facts presented...Read and enjoy!



5. Great book. If you are interested in theories and thoughts of other Marilyn fans, this is the book to read.

5 comments about Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach.

1. When I sit down with a biography, this is exactly the kind of book I look for. A fabulous story, well told. Everyone read in the magazines about Brooke Astor. This book doesn't tell you the kind of person she was, it SHOWS you. There is a maxim for creative writing students, "Don't tell, show." This author knows how to do it. What I liked was that she never came out with judgements. She let you judge for yourself. She provided you with loads and loads of information so you could have an informed opinion. For instance, she never says anything indicating Brooke Astor wasn't much of a mother or grandmother. But there are countless times throughout the book when staff and friends tell of her son being left out of her parties. At one big event, she did all the seating charts, and she had him next to the kitchen door, while she and her friends sat up front. At her 90th birthday party, her twin grandsons roamed around the room restlessly, because they didn't know anybody and no one knew them, because she had never made them part of her life. She had never included them in any parties or balls or charities. She had not been a grandmother they could come see. They knew nothing about her. People felt sorry for them. All of a sudden, in the last decade of her life, Brooke Astor decides she loves her grandsons. It's sad that they were eager to become part of their famous grandmother's world. They should have been part of it all along.
   
   And the way she hated her son's wives -- she let jealousy reign in her heart. The author provides many glimpses into Brooke Astor's life that you won't learn unless you talked to her staff and friends. This woman really didn't have any family. She turned her back on the few family members she had, but was a big deal to the rest of the world. And that's the way she liked it. This book is fascinating! I kept it by my bed and gobbled some each night.



2. Mrs. Astor Regrets is focused on Brook Astor's last years with her life story interspersed. Like many people, I read the tabloid headlines of elder abuse and the misuse of Astor's money at the hands of her son, Anthony Marshall. The obvious question is why. Why would a son neglect and steal from his own mother? There never will be a cut and dry answer but this book does an excellent job of attempting to offer an explanation while giving compassion and respect to both sides.
   
   Like all good stories, Mrs. Astor Regrets has villains the reader will love to hate. A soap opera writer couldn't invent the story of this family: A widowed Brook Astor as the fiercely independent and stubborn matriarch who is the antithesis of motherly; Anthony Marshall as the man living in the shadow of his famous mother, struggling to overcome a childhood spent with nannies or in boarding schools; his wife, Charlene, as the cold, calculating daughter-in-law from hell who frets over her share of the inheritance; and Brook's grandson, Phillip, the caring whistle-blower and perhaps the only character whose intentions seem genuine. Of course there are many other players who had a very important role in Astor's last years; names like de la Renta, Rockefeller, Walters, and a legion of loyal, kind staff.
   
   But more than just a biography of the last of Astor's years, this book offers a glimpse into old New York society with all its customs, characters, and rituals. That aspect of Meryl Gordon's work in itself is fascinating. It is also a look into the societal problem of elder abuse (or at least `misuse' in this case) that seems to plague America. What happens when a loved one who was once sharp, witty, and highly intelligent decays into a shadow of their former self? In the case of Brook Astor, as Alzheimer's took her mind, very few of her family and friends gave her the respect and dignity she deserved. In fact, the criminal case against Tony Marshall alleges that he knew of his mother's deteriorating mental state and used that to his advantage; changing wills, stealing from her estate, and writing large checks out to him and Charlene's organizations. The case has yet to go to trial. But you can read the book and judge for yourself.



3. With our nation on the verge of an economic catastrophe, the story of Mrs. Astor, her family, and her lifestyle, evokes the greed and avarice that obsesses Wall Street and that has driven us to our economic crisis. Mrs. Astor Regrets is a tale of dysfunction permeating generations of a family. It has all the hallmarks of a Greek tragedy in a modern day setting. There are no happy endings.
   
   While she was well-known for her philanthropy, her generosity masked her means for attaining social position and power. She was gracious to strangers and close friends, but she was not a "nice" woman. Astor was married to someone else when she snagged him. She was a terrible mother who seemed to hate her only child, Tony Marshall, because in some way he reminded her of his father, her first husband, who was a wife-beating alcoholic. He spent a traumatized childhood, apparently bonding only with his maternal grandfather. When Brooke married Vincent Astor, he was further isolated because Astor did not like him. It helps to understand the emotional triggers of Tony Marshall's childhood to better grasp how anyone could have allegedly abused an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer's.
   
   In this saga of equating money with love, while Brooke was married to her second husband, before Astor, both Tony's parents bombarded him for financial support from a trust fund that they had established in his name. Pathetically trying to please them both, he apparently provided that support. Yet, when Brooke inherited the Astor millions, she was unbelievably tight-fisted with him and her grandchildren. While giving away millions to public charities, all designed to enhance her public image, Mrs. Astor limited her support of her own kin. Her grandchildren and great grand children, lived ordinary, if not struggling, middle class lives, seemingly devoid of luxuries, while she wallowed in wealth. She constantly taunted Tony about money and what he should expect to inherit, then rewrote and changed her wills. Though Tony was Brooke's son, he was not an Astor. It is hard to understand how a mother could have insisted on this distinction, barely sharing her wealth with her only child and kin.
   
   The Astor scandal hit the Press when Brooke's grandson, Phillip Marshall, a Buddhist and professor of the esoteric art of matching paint chips to landmarks to identify the original colors for restoration, filed suit to remove his father and third wife, Charlene, from guardianship of Brooke. By then Brooke was incapable of taking care of herself, mentally incompetent and surrounded by nurses. Phillip accused his father of elder abuse and financial mismanagement. There are numerous tales of how Brooke despised Charlene and used every opportunity to embarrass her. Yet Tony and Charlene seemed to be soulmates, and he seemed to be genuinely happy in this marriage. Brooke so detested Charlene, her Will was written to exclude Charlene from inheriting anything if Tony (who is about 20 years older with poor health) died before her.
   
   This may have been the cause that ignited what became a criminal investigation into how Tony managed his mother's finances. Indeed, the criminal case against him is still being prosecuted. On another front, Mrs. Astor's last Will (and what contitutes that last Will) is also being contested, but its' resolution must await the outcome of the crimminal case against Tony. Charlene's jealousy and mutual hatred of Brooke is suggested as the cause of what Tony did, as well as a way for him to provide financially for her. And here the greed question raises its ugly head again: when is enough money, enough?
   
   What stands out is the innumerable lawyers, accountants, PR Firms, public institutions, medical personnel, house staff, etc. involved as witneses or petitioners. The cultural icons of New York, the Metropolitan Museum, the New York Public Library etc. seem even greedier than Wall Street, as they jockey to get their hands on her money. One wonders, what if anything will be left of the famed Astor millions when the final bills and costs of the legal battles, are calculated. Tony is now in his mid-eighties, and he and Charlene are social pariahs, disgraced and shunned by his mother's social circles. Tony and his own two sons, Phillip (who filed the suit) and Alec,his twin brother (who tried to remain neutral), are alienated. The lives of several paragons of New York Society, such as Brooke's best friends Annette de la Renta and David Rockefeller, have been consumed in this fight against Tony and Charlene Marshall. No one is unscathed. The final denouement is yet to be decided in courts. Will Tony, former ambassador and scion of New York's most privileged family, end up in jail? Will he even survive all the pressure and financial burdens now upon him? Will he ever reconcile with his children? Stay tuned.
   
   The author has done thorough research, and gives a balanced perspective on the warring factions. She provides excruciating details of life a la Brooke. No matter how much Mrs. Astor has given to charities, at heart she remains a shallow narcissist. One can only admire the charitable giving of the Warren Buffets and Bill Gates of the world all the more.



4. Actually, I'm having a difficult time determining my feelings about this book. I seem to be having a difficult time discerning whether it is the book I didn't care for or just the families and people. There were times when I felt the author just cut and pasted numerous maganzine articles on the last years of Ms. Astor's life--and other times I felt she did a fairly admirable job of researching and relating the dysfunctional elements in the Astor/Marshall households that led to the newspaper headlines when the legal problems erupted. The bottom line is that no one wins here-no one is portrated sympathetically (other than Ms. Astor's staff). Rightfully or not, Ms. Astor is depicted as a very narcissitic individual who virtually slept her way up the proverbial food/pedigree chain. I have a feeling had Vincent Astor not been in precarious health throughout most of their relationship, she would not have stayed in the marriage--and understandably. Her dead husband, according to this book, was a jerk and Brooke was not at all happy in the marriage. She was, however, enamored of the Astor name, pedigree, and fortune. One does not at all get the impression that her "philanthropy" had any altruistic intent but only to define and embellish her own legacy.
   
   That being said, Ms. Astor comes off a saint compared to her avaricious son and daughter in law, Tony and Charlene. He is depicted as a self aborbed and pitying only child/misanthrope who allows his 2nd wife, Charlene, to ruin any kind of relationship mother and son had--all in the name of greed. Alec and Phillip, Tony's sons and Brooke's only grandchildren, to me, don't come off one way or the other. It is Phillip who got the authorities involved when he suspected his father was taking financial advantage of Brooke (and her diminished capacity) in her final years.
   
   Do I recommend this book? That depends upon one's level of curiosity about Brooke Astor's final years and your desire to see the rich and famous lose their luster. Personally, I would just as soon have read an article in VANITY FAIR rather than investing in a whole book. The book is very readable, however. Speaking of which, can Dominick Dunne be far behind with his fictional account?



5. Over the years I've come across the name Brooke Astor many times, usually in a newspaper story about high society or philanthropy. I knew vaguely that she was an extremely wealthy widow whose Astor Foundation was responsible for innumerable good works. When the news broke that her grandson had filed suit against his father, Brooke's only son, charging him with neglect and embezzlement, I was saddened by the reports of her sad declining years and later by the news of her death, the indictment of her son, and the all too visible airing of enormous amounts of dirty laundry.
   
   Meryl Gordon usually writes for New York Magazine, and this book has the hallmarks of an expanded magazine article. A major emphasis seems to be name dropping, as if Gordon were trying to work as many famous and near famous names in as possible to encourage them to buy the book. Some people, like Annette de la Renta, get long biographies, while others only get a mention now and then. Buried in the name dropping is Brooke Astor's own story. She was a much nicer person than most of the people she associated with during her very long life, and I found her willingness to put in a lot of hard, thankless work overseeing the Astor Foundation really creditable. Her last years were a sad reminder of the final illness and death of my own mother, who was just as tough and strong willed as Brooke, though far less well off. The rest of the people in the story seem to be mediocrities who are living proof that being listed in the Social Register does not require that one have social skills. Indeed, its fortunate that these people inherited wealth, because otherwise its difficult to see how they could support themselves.
   
   The legal proceedings stemming from the lawsuit at the center of this book will probably take years to unravel. This book is a fairly good summation of the events leading up to the suit and its early unfolding. I don't have much interest in who wins the lawsuit or what happens to Brooke's son and grandson, but I would like to know more about Brooke herself. She was the only one in her family whose worth didn't begin and end with her bank account.

5 comments about Goldwyn: A Biography.

1. Great book! I enjoyed reading about a man who literally came from poverty to be on of Hollywood's pioneer filmmakers. He was a rough man to work with no doubt, but knew what worked and lasted in an industry that is hard to last in! A. Scott Berg did a wonderful job of writing a respectful book about this man!



2. What a story! A remarkably easy to read account of Sam Goldwyn's rags-to-riches life. Did you know "Goldwyn" was not his real name? Did you know he was thrown out of the MGM company after a few years?! Goldwyn worked at some stage or other with just about every famous name in the business, and also fell out with just about everybody he ever met. A cantankerous and perverse character who loved contradicting people. When people quit because he made their lives intolerable, he sometimes felt personally attacked and betrayed. The book is full of colourful characters, and Scott Berg has done a wonderful job of using quotations and dialogues to really bring these people alive: Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Lillian Hellman, William Wyler, Billy Wilder, and the remarkable Hilda Berl. It reads like a movie! By tracing Goldwyn's history, the book also covers the story of many of the other famous movie companies that are still famous today: United Artists, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, RKO and of course MGM. Goldwyn also came across many young actors and actresses before they were stars: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, etc. And of course the famous Goldwyn malapropisms are here, though limited to the ones actually traceable (as far as possible) to Goldwyn himself: "Anyone who sees a psychiatrist should have their head examined! Include me out! A verbal agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on," to pick just a few.

   A remarkably well-written and well-researched biography that brings this vigorous, infuriating, yet oddly attractive ugly duckling to vibrant life. This must rank amongst the best biographies, up there with Ron Chernow's book about the Morgans. Anyone at all interested in movies and movie history will enjoy this.




3. I picked this book up at the library not knowing what to expect and was amazed! Although it is indeed a biography of Sam Goldwyn, it is also a very well told piece about the studio system and Hollywood in the first half of the century (with an emphasis on the 20's) Not only insightful but entertaining; it makes for a read more gossipy than the trashiest celeb autobiography while maintaining class and style.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone the least bit interested in the classic hollywood days. It is the best book I've read thus far on the era, and it will get you down to the video store hunting down old movies just to see the actors and actresses you've read about.



4. Berg does a great job, and the subject is absolutely a fascinating one.



5. A. Scott Berg does an excellent job in capturing the life of one of the American cinema's first industry moguls. From his tough beginning as an immigrant to his phenomenal success as an independent producer, this entertaining and fascinating biography delves deeply into the man with the "Goldwyn touch." Berg also effectively captures the spirit of early cinema and its rapid rise in American culture. Along the way, we also learn about many of Hollywood's colorful personalites, including Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. This book is a must for any fan of early American motion pictures.

No comments about The Celebrity Culture Reader.

5 comments about Marilyn: Her Life in Her Own Words : Marilyn Monroe's Revealing Last Words and Photographs.

1. This was indeed a touching tribute. I felt very connected to Marilyn while reading her stories. The photos were just as gorgeous. I could have gone without George Barris' interjections as they usually just repeated what Marilyn said. But it was his book and she was apparently his friend, so I suppose he deserves some spotlight too.
   
   Add this to your Monroe collections! It's a definite keeper.



2. I have to say that it is just amazing how after 44 years Marilyn Monroe is still considerd one of the most beautiful women to ever live. After seeing the photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken by Mr. Barris in this book I am not suprised that people are still captivated with the beauty of Marilyn Monroe. The pictures of Marilyn in this book are amazing and beautiful. Marilyn shows her true character in the most natural looking pictures I have ever seen of her. Each picture tells a story and shows you the woman Marilyn really was. Marilyn truely was a naturally beautiful woman and it shows in this book. This great book also lets you read and learn about the real person Marilyn Monroe was in her own words. Marilyn tells her life story in this book, taking you through her young years as Norma Jean to her Hollywood life as Marilyn Monroe. When you are reading this book it is very interesting to hear Marilyn talk about her life in her own words. Marilyn takes you along her life journey through the pages in this book. The only sad thing is when you are reading this book you wish Marilyn's life story would continue past the inevitable days of Marilyn's death on August 4-5,1962. I alreadly knew Marilyn was going to die before reading but it really made me sad because after reading this book it makes you feel like you actually knew Marilyn personally. That just goes to show how well written this book is. I have to say Mr. Barris you have done a great job writing this excellant book. Marilyn would truely have been happy with this book. Whether you are a Marilyn Monroe fan or you are just curious about this iconic Hollywood actress this book will definitely be intresting to read. Before I read this book I thought Marilyn Monroe was all Hollywood glitz and glamour. After reading this book however I found that Marilyn was a sweet down to earth woman who just wanted to be loved. I only hope Marilyn made it into heaven, because in her life most of the people that said they loved her and called themselves her friend only used and betrayed Marilyn. I hope that one day Marilyn's death will finally be proven as murder and this case of wrong doing can be closed so Marilyn can finally rest in peace.



3. This book is unique in that it comes from George Barris's last days spent with her. I love the photos because they are candid not posed. This bok also includes the last photo ever taken of her. I'm on my way to own almost every Marilyn book and Im am pleased with this one.



4. I was surprised at this book in Marilyn's own words. This interview was only a few weeks before her death. The pictures were amazing and beautiful. She did not seem at all depressed and was looking forward to the future. Makes you wonder if she was murdered. Surely seems that way after I read the book and looked at those pictures. It almost seems to say "see I want to live" and little did she know that her life was in danger! Poor Marilyn. I hope wherever she is, she knows that some people believe that she did not kill herself. And I hope she is at peace.



5. This was one of the first Marilyn books I owned and I have to say it still stands out as one of my very favorites because it is so intimate, and the pictures show a very down to earth Marilyn that you feel like you could reach out and touch. George Barris was actually a long time photographer of Monroe, he had the pleasure of catching some of her most iconic moments on camera such as the famous shirt blowing scene from THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH and many more. These are by far his best of her though and I personally favor pics from Marilyn's later years (60's). I love the stories that Barris tells and I am getting ready to reread this book as it has been a few years, I think it is the type of book one can read over and over anyhow. As I have said all the pics are amazing especially the ones of Marilyn on the beach. These however are not the very last pics taken of Marilyn, just the last photo session. The very last shots of her can be found in the book "Mr. S.: The Last Word on Frank Sinatra" when she was on a yacht with Sinatra and at the Cal-Neva Lodge & Casino shortly before her death. Over all though this book is HIGHLY recommended and is essential for any Marilyn fan!