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Kevin Spacey is considered one of the most talented thespians of his generation. Voted "Greatest Actor of the Nineties" by Empire Magazine, placed third in a 2001 FilmFour poll of the hundred greatest-ever movie stars, he is a double Oscar winner and has been equally successful on the stage, being appointed Artistic Director of London's Old Vic Theatre in 2003. Yet like his most famous screen character, Keyser Söze, he has remained a shadowy and mysterious figure,notoriously protective of his private relationships and giving few intimate interviews.

Looking Closer, the first published biography of Spacey, explores the background and career of this enigmatic man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very interesting!
I am a big Kevin Spacey so I enjoy anything he does or is written about him. I enjoyed this very much and found it interesting. He is an awesome actor and person. ... Read more

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This is nonfiction commentary.Chapters: Beyond the Sea, Albino Alligator. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 21. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Beyond the Sea is a 2004 biographical film loosely based on the life of singer/actor Bobby Darin. Kevin Spacey, who stars in the lead role and used his own singing voice for the musical numbers, co-wrote, directed, and co-produced the film, which takes its title from the Darin song of the same name. Beyond the Sea depicts Darin's rise to teen idol success in both the music and film industry during the 1950s and 60s, as well as his marriage to Sandra Dee, portrayed by Kate Bosworth. As early as 1986, Barry Levinson intended to direct a film based on the life of Darin, and he began pre-production on the project in early 1997. When he eventually vacated the director's position, Spacey, along with Darin's son Dodd, acquired the film rights. Beyond the Sea was released in December 2004 to mixed reviews from critics and bombed at the box office. However, Dodd Darin, Sandra Dee and former Darin manager Steve Blauner responded with enthusiastic feedback to Spacey's work on the film. Despite the mixed reviews, some critics praised Spacey's performance, largely due to his decision to use his own singing voice. He also received a Golden Globe nomination. Rather than providing a straightforward biography, the film weaves fantasy sequences with scenes containing somewhat fictionalized accounts of events in Darin's life, and throughout it, the adult singer interacts with his younger self. It chronicles his determination to rise from his working class Italian-American roots as Walden Robert Cassotto, a frail Bronx boy plagued by multiple bouts of rheumatic fever, and become a singer more famous than Frank Sinatra. To achieve that goal, he forms a band and stru...http://booksllc.net/?id=932407 ... Read more

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Chapters: Juilliard School Alumni, Juilliard School Faculty, Robin Williams, Kevin Spacey, Val Kilmer, Christopher Reeve, Luciano Berio, Thelonious Monk, Mandy Patinkin, Kelsey Grammer, Tim Blake Nelson, Milton Babbitt, Itzhak Perlman, Christopher Durang, William Hurt, Elliott Carter, James Marsters, John Houseman, Tony Kushner, Vincent Persichetti, Laura Linney, Patti Lupone, Teo Macero, Kevin Kline, List of Juilliard School People, Alan Shulman, Lillian Fuchs, Kevin Conroy, Rose Bampton, Alan Tudyk, Marcia Cross, Ving Rhames, Kathleen Parlow, Karen Tuttle, William Schuman, Gregory Jbara, Eugene List, Henry Brant, Andrew Russo, Elizabeth Reaser, Elizabeth Mcgovern, Orlando Digirolamo, Indrani Rahman, John Mctiernan, Ryan Mcadams, David Ogden Stiers, Edie Adams, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelly Mcgillis, Sharon Isbin, Bradley Whitford, Megan Dodds, Michael Urie, David Hammond, Lee Pace, Anthony Mackie, Fred Herko, Homer Mensch, Robert Ward, Morena Baccarin, Robert Duncan Mcneill, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Marian Seldes, Bessie Schonberg, Luke Macfarlane, Herschel Burke Gilbert, Pina Bausch, Glenn Dicterow, Felix Salmond, Carrie Preston, Steven Lubin, Richard Cross, Gillian Jacobs, Samuel Witwer, Rutina Wesley, Joel Krosnick, Joseph Alessi, Robert Beaser, Edouard Dethier, Andre Braugher, Ivan Galamian, Mark Snow, Jeffrey Carlson, Tracie Thoms, Michael Arden, Samuel Adler, James Depreist, Jennifer Carpenter, Eric Ewazen, Marsha Norman, Frances Conroy, Moshe Cotel, Michael Wincott, Robert Folk, Andrew Thomas, Tim Cobb, György Sándor, Alfredo Silipigni, Dorothy Delay, Jane Adams, David Denman, Joann Falletta, Paul Doktor, Robert Mann, Emanuel Ax, Sixten Ehrling, Jeffrey Milarsky, Giora Schmidt, Israel Horowitz, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Franklyn Seales, Christopher Rouse, Wladimir Jan Kochanski, Olga Samaroff, John Mack, Teddy Wilson, Rosemary Glyde, Gerre Hancock, Matthew Sklar, Monica Huggett, Martha Hill, Jake Weber, Paul Jacobs, Regan Ryzuk, Glenn Ho...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=73626 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Thomson Gale on February 23, 2003. The length of the article is 658 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: En el pabellon de la muerte. (En Proyeccion).(produccion de la pelicula sobre la pena capital The Life of David Gale)(participacion del actor Kevin Spacey )
Author: Sindy M. Ortega
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 23, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 9Issue: 521Page: 32(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film, directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a middle-aged office worker who has a midlife crisis after becoming infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend. The film co-stars Annette Bening and Thora Birch as Lester's wife and daughter respectively. Mena Suvari, Wes Bentley and Chris Cooper also feature. American Beauty marked acclaimed theater director Mendes' film directorial debut; it was also Ball's first produced film screenplay. The film was financed by DreamWorks, which bought Ball's spec script for a six-figure sum in 1998. Spacey was Mendes' first choice for the role of Lester Burnham, though DreamWorks had urged the director to consider better-known actors; similarly, the studio suggested several actors for the role of Carolyn?Lester's wife?until Mendes cast Bening without DreamWorks' knowledge. Principal photography took place between December 1998 and February 1999 on soundstages at the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, California and on location in Los Angeles. The film underwent several changes during editing that affected its tone and eliminated expository bookend scenes. ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Frank Sinatra, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Kevin Spacey, Jon Corzine, Jim Mcgreevey, Bob Menendez, Cory Booker, Frank Lautenberg, William J. Brennan, Jr., Rob Andrews, Richard Codey, John Adler, Loretta Weinberg, Brian P. Stack, Rush D. Holt, Jr., Linda R. Greenstein, Stephen M. Sweeney, Bill Pascrell, Linda Stender, Donald M. Payne, Bob Levy, Steve Rothman, Frank Pallone, Wayne Deangelo, Nia Gill, Albio Sires, Jerramiah Healy, Damon Lindelof, Paul Sarlo, Sharpe James, Dawn Zimmer, Anthony Chiappone, Robert Torricelli, Paul Moriarty, L. Harvey Smith, Valerie Huttle, Joseph Vas, Katharine Elkus White, Robert C. Janiszewski, Leon Abbett, Joseph J. Roberts, Raj Mukherji, Kenneth A. Gibson, Upendra J. Chivukula, Nelson Albano, John Girgenti, Joan M. Quigley, Ronald Rice, John S. Wisniewski, Elease Evans, Jeff Van Drew, Frank X. Graves, Jr., Clay Constantinou, William Cowper Alexander, Sandra Bolden Cunningham, James Beach, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Barbara Buono, Anthony Impreveduto, Edward Parke Custis Lewis, Dennis Elwell, Reed Gusciora, Sheila Y. Oliver, Pamela Rosen Lampitt, Bob Smith, Fred H. Madden, Gordon M. Johnson, Joseph Vitale, Nicholas Sacco, Shirley Turner, Francis L. Bodine, William Wright, William F. Hyland, Jim Whelan, Thomas P. Giblin, Joan Voss, Joseph Cryan, George M. La Monte, Gary Schaer, Theodore Runyon, Ralph R. Caputo, Raymond Lesniak, Augusto Amador, Arthur Pryor, Robert M. Gordon, John Wesley Wescott, Cleopatra Tucker, Fred C. Galda, Michael Murphy, Ruben J. Ramos, Herb Conaway, Nicholas Scutari, Dana Redd, Joshua M. Zeitz, Jerry Green, Angel Fuentes, Donald Norcross, Hutchins F. Inge, Joseph T. Crowell, Connie Wagner, Bernard J. Dwyer, Robert A. Roe, Joseph Coniglio, Annette Quijano, Timothy "Tim" Dougherty, Donald Cresitello, John F. Mckeon, William Hug... ... Read more

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Chapters: Grover Cleveland, Buzz Aldrin, Kevin Spacey, Janis Ian, Richard Wilbur, Lauryn Hill, Christopher Durang, Joe Piscopo, Stephen Colbert, Scott Levy, Phil Rizzuto, Samuel Alito, Anne Hathaway, Roger Y. Tsien, Wyclef Jean, Christina Ricci, Zach Braff, Roxana Saberi, Jozy Altidore, Justin Gimelstob, John C. Mcginley, Robert Sheckley, Claudio Reyna, David Chase, C. Edward Mcvaney, Tony Meola, Jamie Langenbrunner, Gerard Way, Michael Uslan, Tommy Page, Amanda Lepore, Fred Hill, Chelsea Handler, Stuart Rabner, William Thomas Pecora, R. Stevie Moore, Liam O'brien, Franklin E. Sigler, Jon Brion, Elisabeth Shue, Sterling Hayden, Michael J. Doherty, David Tepper, Jian Li, Nia Gill, Chris Daggett, Lake Underwood, Niobia Bryant, James W. Treffinger, Anthony Fasano, Robert Deleo, Lucien Nocelli, Henry Selick, Edward Page Mitchell, Mark Rudd, Patti Stanger, Randolph Bourne, Herbert G. Hopwood, James J. Howard, Carl Schurtz, Outlawz, David Burrick, Kevin J. O'toole, Brevin Knight, Dulé Hill, James Ricalton, Camryn Manheim, Butch Van Breda Kolff, Robert E. Mulcahy Iii, Jemima Condict, David Tyree, Alex Wujciak, Joel Silver, Alaa Abdelnaby, Cullen Jones, Peter Parros, Lorenzo Borghese, Rachel Zoe, Michelle Thomas, Fritz Buehning, David Newsom, Carolyn Gold Heilbrun, Scott Graham, Kristofer Hill, Dan Kellner, Ken Kurson, Asher Brown Durand, Dean Faiello, Tutti Camarata, Gabrielle Stanton, Don Van Natta, Jr., Larry Fast, Clara Maass, Bruce Feirstein, Kelly Sweet, Hank Borowy, William S. Stevens, Howard Krongard, Dave Melillo, Christine Ebersole, Jeff Van Note, Kelly Bishop, Andrew Shue, Blanche Noyes, Jonathan Alter, Brandin Knight, David Levithan, Leigh Page, Robert de Grasse, Peter W. Rodino, Lennie Friedman, Alison Stewart, Ralph Sazio, Alta Cohen, James C. Fletcher, Gerardo Catena, Sam Lapides, Stacey Kent, Jennifer Granick, David Brancaccio, Nicole Leach, Kelly Tripucka, Mike Loynd, Charles Kushner, Bob Both, Marty Liquori, Tamir B...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=12495 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Completely bogus
This series, by Books LLC", is completely bogus. They don't have permission to use my name, and their listings appear to be just away to get you to join their club. I can't believe Amazon and Books-A-Million are still allowing these listings! Please don't put your hard-earned dollars here... ... Read more

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Chapters: Kevin Spacey. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 53. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Kevin Spacey (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television. He gained critical acclaim in the early 1990s, culminating in his first Academy Award for The Usual Suspects (Best Supporting Actor), followed by a Best Actor Academy Award win for American Beauty (1999). His other starring roles in Hollywood include Seven, L.A. Confidential, Pay It Forward, and Superman Returns in a career which has eventually earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Since 2003, he has been artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London. He was born Kevin Spacey Fowler in South Orange, New Jersey to Kathleen A. Spacey (December 5, 1931 March 19, 2003), a secretary, and Thomas Geoffrey Fowler (June 4, 1924 December 24, 1992), a technical writer. He has two older siblings: a sister, Julie, and a brother, Randy. He attended Northridge Military Academy from which he was expelled, Canoga Park High School (in tenth and eleventh grades), and then Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, California, where he graduated valedictorian of his class. At Chatsworth High, he starred in the school's senior production of The Sound of Music, playing the part of Captain Georg von Trapp, opposite Mare Winningham's character, Maria. While in high school, he took his mother's maiden name, "Spacey", originally a Welsh name, belonging to his great-great-grandfather (spelled "Spacy"), as his acting surname. Several reports have incorrectly suggested that he took his name in tribute to actor Spencer Tracy, combining Tracy's first and last names. He h...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=16768 ... Read more

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Chapters: Francis Ford Coppola, Kevin Spacey, Norman Jewison, Maximilian Schell, Mickey Rourke, Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford, Shekhar Kapur, Hanna Schygulla, Metin Erksan, Ömer Lütfi Akad. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 97. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Dame Helen Mirren, DBE (born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards during her career. Mirren was born Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov in a corridor of the maternity wing of Queen Charlotte's Hospital, Chiswick in West London. Her father, Vasiliy Petrovich Mironov (19131980), was of Russian origin, and her mother, Kathleen Alexandrina Eva Matilda (née Rogers; 19091996), was English. Mirren's paternal grandfather, Pyotr Vassilievich Mironov, a Russian nobleman, tsarist colonel and diplomat, was negotiating an arms deal in Britain and was stranded there, along with his family, during the Russian Revolution. Her father called himself Basil and changed the family name to Mirren in the 1950s. He played the viola with the London Philharmonic before World War II and later drove a cab and was a driving-test examiner, before becoming a civil servant with the Ministry of Transport. Mirren's mother was from West Ham, London and was the thirteenth of fourteen children born to a butcher whose father had been the butcher to Queen Victoria. Mirren considers her upbringing to have been "very anti-monarchist". The first house she remembers living in was in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, when she was two or three years old, after the birth of her younger brother, who was named Peter Basil after his grandfather and great-great-grandfather. Mirren was the second of three children, born two years after her older sister Katherine ("Kate"). Mirren attended a Catholi...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=230698 ... Read more

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Kevin Spacey (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor,director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew upin California, and began his career as a stage actor duringthe 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in filmand television. He gained critical acclaim in the early1990s, culminating in his first Academy Award for The UsualSuspects (Best Supporting Actor), followed by a Best ActorAcademy Award win for American Beauty (1999). His otherstarring roles in Hollywood include Seven, L.A.Confidential, Pay It Forward, and Superman Returns in acareer which has eventually earned him Emmy and GoldenGlobe nominations. Since 2003, he has been artisticdirector of the Old Vic theatre in London. ... Read more

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26-page "Playbill"-type theatre program for special performance of "A Moon for the Misbegotten"Full color photos and text ... Read more

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Jack Lemmon was one of our most beloved movie stars. A two-time Academy Award winner, he appeared in dozens of memorable films, including such classics as Some Like It Hot, Mister Roberts, The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men, Missing, The Apartment, and The China Syndrome. On-screen, he came across as a kind of "everyman"—audiences loved him because they felt they knew him, because he was on of them.

In A Twist of Lemmon, Chris Lemmon shares family tales, intimate father-son conversations, and anecdotes from and about his dad. The result is a vivid and enchanting portrait of a less-than-perfect father who in some ways assumed a greater reality for his fans than he did for his son. Chris writes about the difficulty of growing up in a broken home, the treasured time spent with his father, and the friendship that evolved as they came to share their passions for both music and golf. This very personal portrait provides new insight into a man who charmed millions with his rascal's smile and his very human vulnerability.

When Jack Lemmon died in 2001, the world lost one of its favorite actors, but Chris Lemmon lost the man he had admired above all others. A Twist of Lemmon is his warm and moving and often very funny celebration of his larger-than-life father.

Joining Chris in his tribute are a number of the people who worked with Jack Lemmon over thy years, including actor Kevin Spacey. In his foreword, Spacey writes, "He was a credit to his profession because he was a man whose humanity was bigger than his talent. And when you think for a moment about the size and depth of that talent, then you begin to understand how seriously he took his role as a human being."

In this first book of its kind written about Jack Lemmon, that "human being" comes fully alive—as an actor, a father, and a best friend. It is a heartwarming and discerninglook at a true American legend. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Simply the best!
Anyone who is a Jack Lemmon fan will just adore this book. It is simply a great book for anyone looking to read into some wonderful tales of Jack Lemmon. His son Chris tells of his extraordinary memories of his life with his father. From his younger years, to the last moments of Jack's life are in this book. He really makes you feel like you are right there with them on their journeys together. I could actually envision so much of this book and the expressions that were probably on Jack's face throughout each memorable moment. This is not a book by someone who casually knew Jack Lemmon, but by someone who knew and loved him deeply. The book is intriguing, funny and very emotional all at the same time. Chris Lemmon did a wonderful job telling the world about the Jack Lemmon he knew. He opened up his memories, photo album and his heart to share his awesome memories. I absolutely recommend this book to those who love Jack and to those who may just simply know of him. You will not be disappointed, it really leaves you wanting more!

You can hear his father's voice
When writing about Jack Lemmon's failed aspirations on the celebrity golf classic Chris Lemmon declared that he could clearly imagine his "Pop" winning with his traditional hearty "Isn't that a bit of terrific!" Every time I read that I could hear Jack Lemmon's voice in my head. That's the juice of this story. Jack's voice singing through his son's words.

This is the view of the gifted, charming, incredibly likeable Jack Lemmon through the eyes of his gifted, talented, and seemingly honest son Chris. He is a bit heavy handed on the "beloved father" and "cherished sister" phrases which, although refreshing in a celebrity biography (very un-Mommy Dearest), such affectations were completely superfluous because his adoration of his Pop came through in every word.

It took a bit of getting used to hearing of squeaky clean Jack Lemmon swearing and drinking so much. But he swore in such a funny, enthusiastic, unique way that I ended up adoring that about him. And the drinking? He fixed it. The hero came through in the end.

Some of the players didn't come off as well. I was appalled at the pettiness of Lemmon's wife who had her knickers in a twist over some fight with Walter Matthau's wife and made Jack and Walter's friendship difficult. Chris said of the depth of his father's relationship with Walter "I think if Uncle Waltz had taken up golf, Pop would have married him." But that was not the only time Lemmon's widow got into fights with people. She fought with Jack and nearly killed him in a drunken rage when she threw a heavy glass ashtray at Lemmon's head. That particular drunken brawl was the end of drinking for Jack, but not for his wife. Chris alludes that he and his stepmother were never on good terms and it's admirable that he didn't stoop to airing any of their dirty laundry in this book. Though dirty it certainly would be.

The book takes us on fishing trips to Alaska, sound stages in Hollywood, and on the golf course. Chris' references to the "Lemmon curse" is amusing and so well told that it played in my imagination as clear as a movie. What a great sense of humour Jack had, and how delightfully it was passed down to Chris.

I had such a crush on Jack Lemmon, and still do even now he's gone. I wish he had enjoyed a happier marriage and had taken more time to be a father. But he was true to himself, and did remarkable things. I would imagine being his son to be the most wonderful thing in the world and one of the hardest. What an act to follow!

This was a fascinating tribute to the father, not the actor or the person. Chris Lemmon is a really gifted writer. I hope he continues to write. I will eagerly buy whatever he puts his name to after reading this charming book. I hope he reads these reviews because there is something I'd like to say to him. "Hello Ramhead, go F yourself!" (He said he missed hearing that.)

A Twist of Lemmon and a Touch of Class
CL pays the ultimate tribute to his father in this classy portrayal of the supremely gifted father and the somewhat lonely but not lost son trying to sort out a complicated relationship made more complex amidst the mixed fortunes born of fame and celebrity and the tensions and heartaches that always come with divorce. This is a wonderful read that confirms much of the positive image that most people hold of the elder Lemmon while affirming the deep love that father and son were able to share in an environment that has split so many other families apart. Jack Lemmon was without doubt driven in terms of his career, but the measure of the man is that he reserved a part of himself for his son that was theirs and theirs alone.

both tart and sweet, it's Lemmonade
Recommended: A Twist of Lemmon: a Tribute to My Father, by Chris Lemmon

Chris Lemmon writes as though chatting with a friend, about the father he loved. I was drawn in by the humanity of the man and the honesty of his son, the author. According to Chris, Jack Lemmon was like an ornery little boy, a little like my own father. Both father and son were aware of Jack's strengths and shortcomings (drinking, a temper, over-dedication to his career).I think Jack Lemmon is probably recognizable in some person in everyone's life. STAR is not the picture drawn here.

There is some language that a few sensitive folks may find offensive; I did say he was ornery didn't I? However,I believe if those folks read on, they will be glad they did. There's nothing really vulgar, but some humor is pretty worldly. Chris says that one of his father's favorite lines to the nurses, even near the end, was "Wanna take a peek at Stiffy?"Alternating from hospital room to scenes from Jack's life Chris Lemmon creates a complete picture of the man without ever going Hollywood neon.

A character actor pays homage to his famous movie star father
Actor Chris Lemmon,not as famous as his late movie star father Jack pays homage to the elder Lemmon in this book. The elder Lemmon has done quite a few films throughout his career with his late longtime friend Walter Matthau. Chris' mother divorced Jack when Chris was a toddler. Chris became a cast member of one of Fox's first sitcoms,Duet,which ran from April 1987 to August 1989. Duet was then spun off as Open House which ran for nearly a year. Chris' character Richard Phillips and his wife Linda,played by Alison LaPlaca, were respectively,a patio furniture salesman and an executive film producer. Richard quit the retail business and became a cocktail lounge pianist. On the spin-off Linda went into real estate. Post-Duet-OH,Chris has had a series of guest roles on various shows. Hundreds of people,including Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones,attended memorial services for Jack in 2001. Jack was 75 years old when he passed away. I dedicate this book to Jack's memory. ... Read more

Product Description
This celebration of the English countryside does not only focus on the rolling green landscapes and magnificent monuments that set England apart from the rest of the world. Many of the contributors bring their own special touch, presenting a refreshingly eclectic variety of personal icons, from pub signs to seaside piers, from cattle grids to canal boats, and from village cricket to nimbies. First published as a lavish colour coffeetable book, this new expanded paperback edition has double the original number of contributions from many celebrities including Bill Bryson, Michael Palin, Eric Clapton, Bryan Ferry, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Adie, Kevin Spacey, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Richard Mabey , Simon Jenkins, John Sergeant, Benjamin Zephaniah, Joan Bakewell, Antony Beevor, Libby Purves, Jonathan Dimbleby, and many more: and a new preface by HRH Prince Charles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not Bill's Best Work
I'm a huge fan of Bill Bryson and must have read everything he's written at least twice. I bought "Icons of England" purely because it has his name on the cover (and yes, I know it is edited by, rather than written by Bill). Unfortunately it is disappointing - the articles are short on fact and long on reminiscing about the past. As such I suggest they are perhaps only really of interest to their writers.The articles' only saving grace is that each is very short, allowing the reader to quickly skip through each one and on to the next in the increasingly forlorn hope that one of them might be amusing or of interest. This didn't happen though and I got to the end of the book very quickly and with a certain sense of gullibility, based on the fact that this is one book that I erroneously judged by its cover! Sorry Bill, but I expect more from something with your name on it.

Not actually BY Bill Bryson ...
OK, OK.I know it says "Edited by Bill Bryson".Apparently, I just looked at the big name on the cover and made some assumptions.I love reading Bill Bryson.Everything he writes makes me laugh.I wanted to read Bill Bryson humour about icons of England.This book contains short (1-3 page) essays about icons of England, which are lovely and thoughtful and illuminating, but NOT written by Bryson.The best part of the book for me was the short introductory passage written by Bill Bryson, which was only 6 pages.I was disappointed, but you may not be, if you clearly understand what you are buying.

Icons of Englad
This book will make you laugh cry and THINK.Short articles describing places and things in England that are important in ways you would never imaginge.I enjoyed it so much that I immediately bought a paper back version for my grandson who had gone to university in York, England.I think I may put it back in my Kindle and read it again.Enjoy. Joan Fowler, Rochester, NH

Could use more Bryson
Wonderful, nostalgic depiction of some things that make Britain, well, British.Some pieces too short and it could have benefited from more comment by Bryson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An OK thriller
Synopsis: There have been a series of violent murders involving women with no known connection having their throats slashed with a some kind of weapon that the NY City coroners have never seen before. A special task force is set up to catch the mysterious killer and Lt. John Vinda, a tainted cop is placed in charge of the investigation (partially because he's that good and partially because he will be easy to pin the blame on since he is already damaged goods)

This was an enjoyable read, but it was kind of like eating a handful of candy - it was fun while it was going down but there wasn't much to it. There was an interesting twist to the manhunt in that the cop and the serial killer have both suffered similar losses. It is interesting to see how the serial killer has warped himself into a monster while Vinda has buried himself in his job to avoid his pain. In reality, he's not dealing with his loss that much better than the killer.

Caunitz is a retired NYPD detective so the language and scenes ring true and it is fun to watch the chase unfold.I dropped the rating for this book a bit for a couple of the more contrived scenes.

A Fine Police-Procedural Novel
This is author Caunitz's shortest book and that is my only complaint. He does not write "mysteries" in the classic sense; he writes police-procedural novels. You get the salty cop dialogue, an authentic inside look at what a cop's life is like, and all of the political, criminal, and hectic details - since the author is a former NYPD lieutenant. If you want a read "with the bark off" and enjoy hearing what a cop's life is REALLY like, you will enjoy this book immensely. If you are looking for something clever and Sherlockian, this isn't it. I love Caunitz's stories and reread them every once in a while.

A weak Police Novel!
"Exceptional Clearence" is a book with no outstandings qualities. There's no great detective work or a gripping and interesting mystery to solve. The characters are poorly developed and I remember Ed McBain's 87 Precint novels as a good example of how to built a convincing andweel structured police novel. Caunitz has too much to learn in this waybefore reaches a respectable position among the great police writers, likeMc Bain, Chandler and others.

Your Typical "Bad Cop Solves The Crime" Novel
I enjoyed the tactics used by these cops to solve their case, but I never really felt any sense of mystery or suspense.It's easy to read, it passes the time, and it's not bad... but it's not that exciting either. ... Read more

Product Description

In his search for the North Pole at the turn of the twentieth century, the renowned Robert E. Peary, long celebrated as an icon of modern exploration, used the Eskimos of northwestern Greenland as the human resources for his expeditions. Sailing aboard a ship called Hope in 1897, Peary entered New York harbor with six Eskimos as his cargo. Depositing them with the American Museum of Natural History as live "specimens" to be poked, measured, and observed by the paying public, Peary abruptly abandoned any responsibility for their care. Four of the Eskimos died within a year. One managed to gain passage back to Greenland. Only the sixth, a boy of six or seven with a precociously solemn smile, remained, orphaned and adrift in a bewildering metropolis. His name was Minik. Here, a century after the fact, is his story.

A searing true tale of extraordinary darkness told with intensity and vigilance, Give Me My Father's Body is Kenn Harper's absorbing, intricately documented account of ruthless imperialism in the name of science, of cruel deceptions and false burials, and of the short, strange, and tragic life of the boy known as the New York Eskimo.Amazon.com Review
At last returning to print, Give Me My Father's Body is the thought-provoking tale of Minik, a young Inuit boy brought to New York by Robert Peary around the turn of the 20th century. Told simply and interspersed with personal letters and newspaper clippings, the book examines Minik's life both as a cross-cultural meeting place and a deeply personal search for a place to call "home." Photographs throughout of Minik give a glimpse into the incredible differences between the multiple worlds he inhabited, and how impossible it must have been to live in these worlds successfully. The title derives from one of Minik's more harrowing experiences--finding his father's bones displayed in a natural-history museum as a "curiosity"--and his attempts to retrieve the bones for a more respectful burial. Author Kenn Harper, while including many facts and articles about Arctic exploration, refrains from sharing opinions about the various explorers or their methods, choosing to share this story--and his years of research--plainly. From the death of Minik's birth father to the financial ruin of his American foster family, the events of Minik's childhood seem like one disaster after another, and his adulthood--the successful return to Greenland, followed by disappointment and a subsequent return to New York--is an unhappy struggle to find some kind of personal fulfillment. Questions of racial and cultural differences make an inescapable larger framework for Minik's life, and the emotions brought forward in answering those questions make reading this book a powerful experience. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Minik Of The North
Poor Minik, captured by white traders and brought to Manhattan to be a freak!It was the age of freaks, when everyone who was different was first taken away from their home, and then put on display.Minik found out that his beloved father had been stuffed and mounted for all to jeer at the New York Museum of Natural History.

Author Harper has been through the files of the Museum and what he has come up with will convince even people who love the Museum, that reparations are in order.Eskimo people are not the only ones outraged at the long ago disposition of native relics.It is still worthy of outrage.What puzzles me is actor Kevin Spacey's interest in this affair.His preface to the book is well-written, not that I believe he actually put pen to paper to write it up, but clearly he has an emotional investment in this material and, from what I understand, he is planning to play Minik himself once his duties as Lex Luthor are finished in the new Superman movie.But why not let a native actor play the part?My in-laws who know Kenn Harper by reputation, and who have seen him speak in public, say that Spacey is part Inuit and hgas had a long interest in Peary's expeditions.

Peary himself emerges from Harper's well-researched book as a bit of a mixed bag.On the one hand he showed true courage in surmounting obstacles and sub zero temperatures.On the other hand he was not particular gifted in solving human personnel difficulties, and seems to have grown impatient if his will was crossed by others (or by the hand of God).We have all known men like Peary--impetuous, self-assured, and gifted.But few of us have known the crushing tragedy of Minik of Qaanaaq, of Greenland's icy shores.

Minik
This book is a must-read.The reader must come into it ready to make his or her own conclusions about the material, though, as it is written to persuade a certain viewpoint.With no other viewpoints offered to compare this one to, it is difficult to say for certain if this one is correct.The story is one that anyone interested in humanity, globalization, anthropology or just an interesting story should read.

Slight annoyances didn't ruin the book
Kenn Harper's Give Me My Father's Body is undeniably and superbly researched; easily the book's crowning achievement. Occasionally though, I was annoyed with the "what if" scenarios. At least twice in the book Harper says what would have happened if things had gone another way. In one instance, the book describes Minik's plan to return to the Greenland and to lead a group of Inuit to the North Pole. He hoped to attain international honour for his people. Harper made the declaration that even had Minik tried, there was no way that he would have been successful. He further added that Minik's desire to prove the superiority of his race was an ethnocentric idea no doubt learned from the white people of New York, that the Greenland Inuit would balk at such ideas and that, with nothing to gain but glory for their people, they would surely refuse to help Minik. Even if Harper's learned ethnocentrism theory is correct, Harper has no way of ever knowing what Minik could have accomplished had he tried. If Minik had learned such ideas from white people, who's to say the Greenland Inuit wouldn't in turn learn such ideas from Minik? The point is, no one knows what would have happened and it is futile to guess (even for the well-informed). Also, the edition of the book that I have, has included discussion questions at the end for readers groups. These are very laughable. To paraphrase a typical question, "Kenn Harper lives among the people that he writes about and is therefore the greatest historian and writer to ever write about Northern peoples. Discuss how his portrayal of Eskimos is the most accurate description ever to be put on paper." But despite the embarrassing readers club guide at the end and the occasional subjective statement from Harper, the book is eye-opening about the victims of science and was a pleasurable read.

Intriguing...... sad
Kenn Harper has managed to bring together an amazing story through detailed research.Minik, the Polar Eskimo child, was brought to the US by Robert Peary and essentially placed on display.The story of his disconnected life is full of pathos and sorrow.Yet Harper weaves the story with life.

Peary's behaviors were simply egotistic and reprehensible.He treated the Eskimos as his property.He placed their lives in harms' way by bringing them to a culture and location that assaulted their senses and immune systems.Minik was the price paid for that deed.

I did get bogged down in names from time to time, especially as Harper recounted the financial misdealings of Wallace, who had taken responsibility for Minik.But overall, the story is entertaining and enlightening.It speaks to the ethnocentrism of Peary's generation and to the isolation of the Polar Eskimos.It took me a long time to read and absorb this book but it was rewarding in the end... to see and feel a culture so far away.

I've read much better
Storyline is very intriguing, but the writing is a bit droll. It is also longer than necessary. ... Read more