Book Description
She was the most outlandish, outrageous, in-your-face symbol of the age - and suddenly, shockingly, she was gone. In life her antics, adventures and behavior kept a nation riveted; in death she stunned a world gripped by the surprise and swiftness of her unexpected passing. The woman was, of course, Anna Nicole Smith. This is the story of the little girl from west of nowhere, born into a broken, dysfunctional, dirt-poor family, told by the one woman who knew her best - her sister. Her fierce resolve, pluck, luck and determination allowed her to claw her way to celebrity status, becoming a tabloid staple, and to reach the potential of unimaginable wealth. And then, in a moment, she was gone, not yet 40 years old. A Horatio Alger story with a bitter ending, TRAIN WRECK- The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith, is the definitive story of the rise and swift fall of one of the most compelling characters to blaze across the American sky.
Customer Reviews:
Uhhh what?.......2007-09-28
Luckily I didn't spend money on this book because it gave me a headache just trying to get through the first chapter. The writing is SO BAD. I can't believe she collaborated with someone and this is the best they could do. It jumps around so much and alot of the book has nothing to do with Anna at all. I figure the reason for that is Donna's writing what she knows and she DOESN'T KNOW ANNA. It's all old news and assumptions. I could have written all the "secrets" that are in this book. Most of the photos are of Donna's family which sure they're partially related, but these people don't know Anna.
If you *have* to read this book, do what I did, and go to the library.
grave-robbing at its best... .......2007-09-22
one word: trash. i bought this book because i felt, well, that no one could probably tell us the personality of this strong woman (and anyone who has gone through what anna nicole smith went through is definitely strong). i figured her sister would clue me in about the culture that brought this young woman to a tragic end. i must say, it is not there. this book would probably amount to "gossip" and nothing else. if you want to read everything you have already heard in the media, it is an okay read. if you are curious about anna nicole's life, this book won't offer you much.
Train Wreck.......2007-09-12
I thought this book was very interesting. I have never been a fan of Anna but found this book to be a good read.I now understand Anna a little better and see that she really had a very sad life. If you are a fan or not this is a good book.
Love you Anna!!!!.......2007-09-09
Good book, I ordered it the second it came out. Very nice cover and image, beautiful packaging. Donna Hogan is a decent writer. I think she might have been false on a few things but over all it was good and worthwhile for Die-hard Anna fans like myself. I LOVE ANNA NICOLE!!!!!!! Been her biggest fan since she came out. She is the most beautiful creature to have ever graced this planet and it is a shame she is gone. Rest is Peace Beautiful and keep the books comin!!!!!
"User-Loser".......2007-09-08
Donna Hogan is just exactly what Anna said she was a "user-loser". She is trying to get her 15 minutes by trashing her half sister who she obviously really knows nothing about. Everything she claims to know comes from the media. She is the epitome of "trailer trash" and too ignorant to realize it. She thinks that her own sleeping with married men and whoever else will have her makes her worldly and sofisticated and that her use of Anna's name to further her causes is ok, yet she trashes her half sister who doesn't appear to have done anything worse than she herself has done. I wish I hadn't purchased this book because I hate to think of her succeeding in making money from trashing her dead sister. She is disgusting.
Book Description
Former New York Daily News gossip columnist and bestselling author Mitchell Fink made his livelihood reporting on celebrities lives. Now, he reports on their deaths. John Lennon, Ted Williams, Lucille Ball, John Ritter, Warren Zevon: these are just a few of the fifteen larger-than-life celebrities whose final days are detailed here. No one is better qualified than Fink to tell these stories. Working with an extraordinary level of access -- and the cooperation of the stars families and friends, all on the record -- he has unearthed exclusive and moving material. He portrays here the broad range of emotions these very sympathetic icons experienced. Our cultural obsession with celebrities verges on the macabre. Now Fink answers that obsession literally, telling of his subjects physical, emotional, and spiritual journeys to the end of life. He talked to Yoko Ono about the optimism of John Lennons final week; Dan Aykroyd and Judy Belushi about the frenzy of John Belushis debauched ending; David Blooms NBC colleagues about the acceptance, even peace, he found in the chaos of war in the desert. Describing John Ritters last few days on the set of his hit television show, Fink focuses on the camaraderie and warmth that Ritter created -- as remembered by pals Henry Winkler and Peter Bogdanovich, who happened to be guest stars that week. Finks tender profile of Warren Zevon chronicles the bittersweet year during which the musician faced his mortality in his iconoclastic fashion, embracing a sex-drugs-rock--roll attitude, before greeting his death completely on his own terms. Mitchell Fink has captured the intimate moments and sets the record straight on these very human, very vulnerable public figures.
Customer Reviews:
Thoughtfully Written.......2007-03-19
If you're into this sort of reading, this is not a bad way to spend an afternoon. The author has apparently done a great deal of interviewing and research to write these stories, and they are well and thoughtfully written. I, personally, wasn't interested in everyone in the book, but the stories of the last days of the people in which I was interested made me realize afresh that we are all, celebrity and non-celeb alike, common in our humanity, and are all traveling the same road to the same destination.
Dead Celebrities.......2007-01-16
This book tries to sell itself as a Hollywood Babylon, slezy stories, dead celeb type of book - but open it and find a dreary book indeed. It's got no real information in it, in the case of Orson Welles, the author simply transcribes his last intervew. It's a dull book that tries to sell itself as something different. Don't buy it.
Couldn't put it down.......2006-11-25
I was away for a convention for four days and this book consumed all my airplane time to and from the destination city. I finished it and gave it to my mother when I got home, and now she can't put it down. What surprised me were the sensitive, first hand accounts of these celebrities from people who were with them in their final days or knew them. But mostly those who were there. It was very first person as a read, as opposed to third person, from the outside of their world looking in.
And it reminded me how real these celebrities are. They do dumb things, or great things, but have normal moments or occasional hissy fits and then die. I know the topic is rather grim and someone voyeuristic, but I highly recommend this book.
Written with grace, style and tact.......2006-09-12
If you fear this is going to be a morbid book, think again. The focus here isn't so much on how celebrities ranging from Arthur Ashe to John Lennon died but on how they LIVED their lives. Mitchell Fink seems to recognize that there is actually inspiration to be found and steers clear of a sleezy tell-all. He treats each celebrity with a modicum of respect, while also putting in the details that readers want to know.
There were many part of this book which I found moving, from John Ritter's attempts to comfort those around him by saying "I'll be fine" (or words to that effect) in the midst of agonizing physical pain to the courage Arthur Ashe diplayed even after a tactless reporter decided to reveal he had AIDS.
The author relies heaviy on actual quotes from people who knew the subjects of this book well and that adds special power and vividness to this book.
Mediocre treatment of geniuses.......2006-08-21
The selection of celebrities is terrific, but the treatment the author gives them is fairly blah. Most of the Orson Welles chapter is merely a paraphrase of Welles' appearance on the Milton Berle show the night before his death. The author's writing style is not strong or engaging, so the subject matter has to pull its weight alone. The author also assumes that readers know everything else about the celebrities, and gives little background on their lives. I was disappointed.
Average customer rating:
- Hamish Meets a Friendly Detective Chief Inspector from Inverness and Attracts Two New Admirers
- Another Great Hamish!
- A great book
- Another fine effort by Beaton
- A fine whodunnit in the heather for the highland's finest...
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Death of a Celebrity (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Death of a Dustman
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Death of a Village
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Death of a Poison Pen (Hamish Macbeth Mystery)
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Death of a Scriptwriter (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)
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Death of an Addict (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)
ASIN: 0446612049 |
Book Description
Blonde, glamorous BBC reporter Crystal French has blown into Lochdubh with Highland Life, a hard-hitting TV show that has more than just the heather shaking. Roaring into town in her bright yellow Porsche, her arrival is heralded by a speeding ticket from Constable Hamish Macbeth, in spite of her attempts at bribery and seduction. Out of revenge, her show first bumps off Felicity Pearson's Countryside program, then insults the shopkeepers to the outrage of the entire village, and finally targets Hamish Macbeth for public humiliation. But when Crystal turns up dead, an apparent suicide that turns out to be murder, the entire village becomes suspect.
Customer Reviews:
Hamish Meets a Friendly Detective Chief Inspector from Inverness and Attracts Two New Admirers.......2007-05-30
Death of a Celebrity is a nice change of pace for the Hamish Macbeth series. Instead of constantly battling with Detective Chief Inspector Blair over access to evidence and suspects and ultimately over credit for solving cases, Hamish receives what are mostly encouragement and help from Detective Chief Inspector Carson of Inverness while Blair is away. M. C. Beaton does one of her best jobs ever of portraying the differences between the ugliness of Strathbane and the beauty of Lochdubh.
Scandal, scandal, everywhere, and not an apology is heard: That could be the epigram for this story. Muckrakers from Strathbane television (who have their own bad deeds to hide) decide to make a splash to gain ratings by exposing every peccadillo they can find among the Highland communities. Even false accusations are dug up to be repeated on air.
And the presenter of this nasty show is the beautiful, unscrupulous, and unpleasant Crystal French (who doesn't understand that her sleeping around has been hurting her television career). Elspeth Grant, who writes the horoscopes in the Highlands, is sure someone is going to kill Crystal. That's not the last of Elspeth's prediction that will turn out to be true. Once Crystal is dead, Hamish quickly spots that her apparent suicide has been faked. But with few clues, Hamish must sort through those who hated Crystal (pretty much anyone who ever met her). In the process of checking on alibis and motives, Hamish keeps turning up more and more possible reasons and opportunities for mayhem.
Hamish has sworn off women, but this attitude has helped attract women to him in record numbers for an M. C. Beaton novel. You'll be roaring with laughter as you read the horoscopes that Elspeth puts out to try to influence Hamish to pay attention to her.
The humor is needed because the backdrop of human greed, abuse, and misery would otherwise make this book pretty much of a downer. Ms. Beaton must not be much a television fan because she couldn't portray the television characters as much darker than she does.
Fans of Hamish Macbeth will love this story. If you haven't read any of the other books in the series, you could read this one and it would make perfectly good sense. But you'll find the story darker than if you have read the earlier books.
Another Great Hamish!.......2004-04-12
This is honestly one of my very favourite series, and each book is just as enjoyable as the last. I'm only sad that I'm getting to the end of the series, and hope that M.C. Beaton continues to write for a good long while yet. Hamish is a wonderful character and the eccentric people in his little village of Lochdubh are so real, that it seems they are actually real people. In this book we meet two new characters that I hope to see more of - Elspeth, who seems to be a wonderful romantic interest for the died-in-the-wool Bachelor, Hamish and Inspector Carson who takes the place of the odious Blair when murder of famous television celebrities occurs in and around Lochdubh. Again Hamish is thrown into a murder investigation in his quiet little village, and before he, Elspeth and Carson can solve it a few more deaths occur. For anyone who likes their mysteries cozy, with a definite wicked comic appeal, you cannot go wrong with Hamish Macbeth.
A great book.......2003-06-17
This is the eighteenth in a series of mysteries featuring the detective work of small town, Highland Scottish detective Hamish Macbeth, P.C. When a television star attempts to make a career by exposing all of the secrets hidden in the quiet Highlands, she quickly becomes the most hated woman around. And when she turns up murdered, it's up to Hamish Macbeth to find who the murderer is. But, this is no simple case; suspects abound, and Hamish finds that he is getting the unwanted help of the local newspaper's astrologer! Can Hamish unravel this particularly tough knot? You bet!
I now consider myself something of a Hamish fan (thanks to my loving wife), and I must say that I deeply enjoyed this book. As with all of the other Hamish Macbeth books, I enjoyed the stories, the setting and the interesting characters. I wasn't totally thrilled with the inclusion of a psychic character, but it didn't ruin the story for me. Overall, I thought that this is a great book, and I highly recommend it to you.
Another fine effort by Beaton.......2003-04-11
M.C. Beaton's recent Hamish MacBeth mysteries have paled next to those in the Agatha Raisin series. This book puts Hamish squarely back on solid ground and gets the series back on track after a few less than stellar entries (like Death of an Addict). Death of a Celebrity is a pretty quick read (one day will do if you are a fairly fast reader) but eminently enjoyable, well-written and well-plotted. I just wish Beaton would make her books a little longer, if only to extend my reading pleasure.
A fine whodunnit in the heather for the highland's finest..........2003-01-19
Death descends into the quiet highland village of Lochdubh once again when a muckraking t.v. presenter is found dead in her car just outside of town. It looks like a suicide but police constable Hamish Macbeth thinks differently and sets off to prove otherwise. Nothing comes easy in the highlands, though, and the more he digs into the crime, the more he discovers that many people had motive to murder....
This book is the quintessential Hamish Macbeth: sharp, witty, brooding, and oh-so-unlucky at love. Beaton offers up the most well-rounded Macbeth mystery ever, propelling her quirky (but nicely defined) characters along a briskly paced plot that's as warm as a wee dram o' whiskey.
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- JFKs Children
- The Tragic End of an American Era and an American Family
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The Day John Died
Christopher Andersen
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
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The Other Man: John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette, and Me
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What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love
ASIN: 0688172032
Release Date: 2000-07-11 |
Amazon.com
It's interesting that Jackie Kennedy had premonitions of JFK Jr.'s plane-crash death, that he almost hit an American Airlines jet, and that, to prevent those last shrieking 15 seconds when G-forces distorted his face prior to impact, all he had to do was punch two buttons and the Piper Saratoga would've landed safely on autopilot.
The Day John Died is a misleading title, because it's mostly about his life: his family dynamics, romances, dreams, and achievements. Christopher Andersen, a former Time and People editor, gives a surprisingly well rounded account of John's character--along with 73 eloquent photos and lots of the dishy details inquiring minds want to know. The book is both trashy and classy. Though some of the inside stuff is tough to know for sure (was Carolyn Bessette really a manic druggie who denied John sex for a year?), Andersen knows more than most, having spent years researching Jack and Jackie and Jackie After Jack. We feel Jackie's power over her unstudious, scatterbrained, yet rather smart son, and Andersen plausibly sketches her brilliant job of shielding him from the worst influences of the Kennedy clan, her withering effect on his acting career, her revulsion over his stint as Madonna's boy toy, and much more. Andersen's expertise about the family makes us less skeptical of, say, his account of Bessette's wily seduction technique (she used an expertly timed cold shoulder and a hunky model-actor from Baywatch to make John jealous), or their spat over Sharon Stone.
There's gobs of drama besides the finale: John the child saved from death in a fiery Hawaiian luau pit (by the same father-figure Secret Service man who saved his mom from drowning), John repeatedly risking death by flying his ultralight into the ocean and power lines, John twice saving pals from drowning, once while diving for a pirate ship. Andersen omits no dirt (yes, JFK Jr. snorted coke from a JFK ashtray in college), yet he's fair (JFK Jr. had no real drug problem, while his dad was a chronic speed-needle freak). All in all, John comes off as a hell of a nice guy--almost the opposite of his Machiavellian father. He was about one-thousandth as promiscuous as he could've been, and all his exes remained his friends, even Daryl Hannah (the only girl he could've married for her money), who went down on one knee to propose, but was opposed by Jackie and Caroline.
Mostly, it's a poignant book. When told that JFK had gone to heaven, JFK Jr. asked his nanny, "Did Daddy take his big plane with him?" The nanny said, "Yes." --Tim Appelo
Book Description
"It's hard for me to talk about a
legacy or a mystique. It's my family--
my mother, my sister, my father.
We're a family like any other."
Where were You the day John died? Like his father's assassination and the death of Princess Diana, the tragic death of JFK Jr. on July 16, 1999, is one of those defining moments -- an event that moved us so deeply, we will never forget where we were when we heard the news.
A full year after the plane crash that took the lives of John, his wife, Carolyn, and Carolyn's sister Lauren, millions remain in shock. With good reason. No other American had lived his entire life in the spotlight -- from his rambunctious toddlerhood in the Kennedy White House and heartbreaking salute to his father's coffin to his daredevil Sexiest Man Alive bachelor days and his final years as a devoted husband and respected magazine publisher poised on the brink of fatherhood and a brilliant political career.
Now, in the manner of his headline-making #1 New York Times bestseller The Day Diana Died and his two bestselling books about John's parents, Jack and Jackie and Jackie After Jack, Christopher Andersen draws on important sources -- many talking here for the first time -- to re-create in vivid and startling detail the events leading up to that fateful night off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. Among the revelations:How false weather reports from the FAA led to the crash that killed John, Carolyn, and Lauren. Never-before-known details about John's complex relationship with his mother, his intense bond with his sister, Caroline, and his dealings with his star-crossed Kennedy cousins. The state of his stormy marriage to the glamorous and headstrong Carolyn Bessette and where it was headed. The other harrowing moments when John nearly lost his life. The truth about John's wild younger years, including his affairs with Madonna and Daryl Hannah. How JFK Jr. came to view his father and his family's political legacy -- and his feelings about a political career of his own.An inspiring, sympathetic, and compelling look at one of the most remarkable young men of our time, The Day John Died is more than just the definitive biography of JFK Jr. It is a bittersweet saga of triumph, love, loss, fate -- and promise unfulfilled. It is the story of America's son.
Customer Reviews:
JFKs Children.......2003-09-11
John Jr. was known as the "Master of Disaster" to his friends because of his willingness to accept physical challenges and daredevil nature.
Chapter 1 focuses on the day John died giving his, his wife's and her sister's itineraries then proceeds to takeoff followed by a fictionalized account of what probably went wrong during their flight. Andersen interviewed other pilots who'd flown that day and some who knew John's abilities in order to put that part together. The scene is so gripping that I felt was flying with them!
Chapters 2 opens in 1960 chronicling Jackie's first pregnancy, which ended in a miscarriage and goes through John's early life. Chapter 3 begins in 1963 with the assassination and gives a lot of background at what was happening to the children at this time. It's a very poignant chapter guaranteed to move the reader to tears. Chapter 4 deals with RFK's assassination and Jackie's fear for his children's safety. She always believed that they were primary targets.
Chapter 5 discusses Jackie's marriage to Aristotle Onasis and the world's reaction to the destruction of the Camelot mystique. It seemed that people believed that the love between Jack and Jackie was perfect and they felt Jackie should remain America's dowager queen. Jackie was a compulsive shopper, which irritated Ari to the point where he cut her allowance. After his only son Alexander died in a plane crash, Ari made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the Kennedys. He referred to her as "The Widow"and his friends and family referred to her as "The Black Widow" blaming the Kennedy Curse for all Ari's misfortunes. When Onasis died, Jackie had to battle his daughter Christina to get her inheritance.
Jackie overshadowed John controlling much of his life and tried to force him into politics to carry on his father's legacy. Consequently, John held a series of different positions before starting George Magazine. In an interview with Fidel Castro, Fidel disclosed that he admired John's father and apologized for not giving Lee Harvey Oswald an entry visa in October 1963.
John's relationship with Carolyn was stormy but it would seem that there was true passion behind it. John was not forced to marry Carolyn, as his father had been to marry his mother purely for political expediency so he had the option to get a divorce but never sought one out. A lot of their troubles were caused by the constant intrusion into their private life by the media and the public. Carolyn simply was not used to this; but John took it in stride since he'd grown up with it.
The text takes John's life from Chapter 2 onward right up to Chapter 9, which covers the search and recovery effort for his plane.
A great companion book to this is by All Too Human The Love Story of Jack and Jackie by Edward Klein, which focuses on Jack and Jackie's relationship. I simply could not put either book down!
The Tragic End of an American Era and an American Family.......2003-02-08
Christopher Andersen, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller "The Day Diana Died" tells the story of American's son, John F. Kennedy, Jr. It's the bittersweet tale of the American Icon and sadly the unfulfilled fate of his tragic death.
If anyone would hear the name of John Kennedy, Jr. knew he was destined for greatness. He once quoted of himself saying: "People keep telling me I can be a great man. I'd rather be a good one." On the day John died that July 16, 1999 it seemed known only to God of his father's assassination and the death of Princess Diana was the most distinct moment to affect our lives. The world would never be the same. On the day President John Kennedy died, I was a little girl of 5 years. On the morning of Nov. 22, 1963, I walked into the living room. My mom sat on the couch motionless in front of the TV in tears. I asked her what was the matter. She said, "They assassinated President Kennedy." From that day, thirty some years later since little John, Jr. saluted his father's casket in that famous snapshot to the present time in 1999. It is something that we all live with for the rest of our lives. Where were you on July 16, 1999? When a nation's grief would be buried in the ocean along with John, Jr., his wife, Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren where they died and where they are at rest.
Andersen writes in detailed form the beginnings of the Kennedy legacy and the legend that John, Jr. would live with. It was a time not far in the past that two lives paralleled between Britain's Princess Di and America's John Kennedy, Jr.. Both of their persona of power and elegance inspired the dreams of their generation. Whatever these two did in their lives whether it was weaknesses and failures they were more loved by the public. The public follows John's life as he failed his bar exam twice, his romances with Christina Haag, Madonna and long time love Daryl Hannah, dodging the paparazzi, the famous fight in the park with his future wife, his struggle to find his own career path in the shadow of his legendary parents and the unveiling of his magazine, GEORGE.
In the coming few years up to the time of his fated future. John enjoyed time flying. It was the only chance he could get away from the demands of his busy life and the paparazzi. It was such a shame that on the day of his tragic end. It had to go so quickly. As one would put it 'Gone Too Soon.' The lives John, Jr. touched while he was here with his remarkable legacy of a family that endured both triumph and heartbreaking tragedy. His sister Caroline stands alone. The only sole survivor of America's American family. Everyone took solace along with her in her sorrow. In this life that John Kennedy, Jr. lived he never follow in the footsteps of his father's career. Never did he write a book, do any great heroics or discover anything. Just because simply he existed. Everyone knew him. He belonged to all of us. From that beginning John Kennedy, Jr. was America's son. You'll have to read the book to know what I mean.
NOTE: The book includes photographs that chronographs his life from his youth to his death with sources, chapter notes and selected bibliography.
Fluff and Gossip.......2002-05-11
This book is not a detailed account of the plane crash that took JFK JR's life, the book is an attempt at a biography of his life. If you have looked at the book then you know that this is a bio that is going to fall more in the Kitty Kelly area then a deep historical work. I was looking for more of an account of the forces within his life pushing into politics and his thoughts that lead him away from politics. We did get a little of these types of details, but the main focus of the book was to get the more tabloid type facts to the front of the chapters - sell more books. The author does give us some of the highlights of the Kennedy family history, but he does not connect how the events may have affected JFK JR's thoughts on a public life.
I was interested in some of the insight on Jackie relationship with him. It did seem like she held a bit of power over his life, but that could have been the author tying to sell more books. There are also lots of details about how many incidents he got into growing up that could have been physically dangerous. As I said we do get a broad overview of the Kennedy family over the past 100 years but it almost came off as filler, like there may not have been enough on JFK JR. for the full book.
This is a light, gossipy book that touches the surface of his and his family's life. If that is what you are looking for then this book is a good one. The writing is good; easy to read and fast paced. Overall, I felt that this book was just too light.
Don't waste your money, get the library copy.......2002-04-08
Maybe I am not in enough awe of the son of a dead president, but then I don't understand where the glamor of being hired by the American people makes a person glamorous or even smart.
JFK, Jr. died, and killed 2 women with him.
It's worth maybe an hour's reading, since it's mostly invented dialogue and gossip, this is literally a page turner.
Erroneous Title.......2002-02-10
Christopher Andersen has written a book that is symbolic of taking a walk down memory lane. The title is misleading, as this writing is a recount highlighting the Kennedy family history.
Andersen paints a believable story of John, and one that sees him in a much more human light than in most writings. It is refreshing to note that as a child, John did get into his fair share of mischievous adventures. As a young man, these adventures became more daring and life threatening. Andersen writes of accounts of John experimenting with drugs, and makes it clear that John did not have a drug problem. However, Andersen sketches Jack as one that became hungry for speed. Strangely, John is described here as scatterbrained, and unstudious, yet rather smart. John seemed to have the knack of keeping friends and family happy, and also maintaining happiness for him at the same time. For Jackie, John's escapades had to be unnerving and her power over her son wavered. Andersen's writing of Jackie, depicts a much stronger woman than the media portrayed in the 60's. Jackie protected John from the worst Kennedy family influences; squashed John's ideas of an acting career and was most powerful in decisions John had in the romance arena. Jackie and Caroline were opposed to relationships he had with several women, and John seemed to abide by his mother's and sister's wishes, to end less-than-suitable relationships. Even though John may have broken the hearts of many young women, his classy reputation stands untarnished, as all of his ex's still maintained friendships with America's son.
John's marriage to Carolyn Bessette , and their happiness will always remain a mystery for us. We can speculate, but John tried to keep his personal life out of the spotlight, as he demonstrated with their secret wedding.
Uncanny as it may seem, Jackie had premonitions of John's plane-crash death. She begged her son not to pursue his love of flying. But this time, John only postponed his lessons for a short while, then continued the lessons without Jackie's stamp of approval.
At the end of this book, John is viewed as less of a celebrity figure and more of a friend, who touched the hearts of so many. He will be sorely missed.
Average customer rating:
- Famous Last Words
- Inspiring Prose
- Living life to its fullest
- I learned so much...
- Wonderful Indeed!
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A Wonderful Life: 50 Eulogies to Lift the Spirit
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
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Similar Items:
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Farewell, Godspeed: The Greatest Eulogies of Our Time
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The Book Of Eulogies
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A Labor of Love: How to Write a Eulogy
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Can You Say a Few Words?: How to Prepare and Deliver Award Presentations, Dedications, Eulogies and Prayers, Introductions, Retirements and Farewells, ... Birthday, Anniversary Toasts, and More.
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In Memoriam: A Guide to Modern Funeral and Memorial Services (2nd Edition)
ASIN: 1565125118 |
Book Description
The lives of the world’s greatest contributors to arts, politics, sports, and letters are celebrated with wit, humor, and reverence by their equally famous friends,
relatives, and peers.
Here are fifty eulogies, fond remembrances of the twentieth century’s best and brightest:
World Pioneers: Martin Luther King Jr. honored by Robert Kennedy, Mahatma Gandhi by Jawaharlal Nehru
Movie Stars: Joan Crawford remembered by director George Cukor, Orson Welles by Charlton Heston
Media Titans: Katharine Graham celebrated by Ben Bradlee, Edward R.Murrow by Charles Kuralt
Entertainers: John Belushi by Dan Aykroyd, Bob Hope by Larry Gelbart
Composers and Singers: Jerry Garcia by Robert Hunter, Leonard Bernstein by Ned Rorem
Athletes: Mickey Mantle by Bob Costas, Arthur Ashe by Douglas Wilder
In these moving and personal tributes, we see the true personalities of these fifty remarkable people, shadings of character usually hidden from the spotlight.
Customer Reviews:
Famous Last Words.......2006-08-08
I expected this book to move me -- after all, saying goodbye to 50 people who shaped our world for the better, cracking their lives open at the last minute by someone who knew them well enough to speak personally -- that's heady stuff. And eulogies aren't exactly fluffy fare. What surprised me was how much this book succeeds by its subtitle, not just lifting the spirit, but throwing down the gauntlet and making death into a celebration of life.
More, a celebration of 50 icons who shaped our world. (And throw in a few truly moving tributes to parents -- read the one Pat Conroy delivered for his father, The Great Santini, for an example of how to say goodbye to a difficult man. Brilliant. Honest. And resplendent with the kind of love that only comes from family, which is to say unconditional in the face of flaws.) Reading about Marilyn, Murrow, and everyone from Bette Davis to Mickey Mantle, one is flooded with a genuine sense of relief that they've been here to make our world a more colorful place. These eulogies are fairly intimate, drawing aside the curtain of celebrity and offfering a final look at the humanity of our icons.
Great eulogies don't drip with sentiment, and Copeland has combed through the great goodbyes from the las century or so to come up with a shiny handful of gems -- some funny, some irreverent, some heartrending, all poignant. Standouts include Father Mychal Judge, Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Mantle, FDNY Captain Callahan, Katharine Graham, Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Garcia, Martin Luther King, and Elisabeth Kubler Ross.
The book has a lovely feel to it, and makes for either a quick coffee read -- 5 minutes at a time, including fascinating timelines for each icon -- or a primer in how to eulogize, or else a wonderful gift for someone who's just lost someone dear and could use a reminder: Death heightens the beauty of life.
Inspiring Prose.......2006-08-03
These portraits of notable people are exceptionally interesting and moving, but, above all, I came away from the book inspired. Feeling dispirited in these troubled times? Pick up this volume and regain your optimism as you get an inside look at overcoming adversity, taking on great challenges and making one's life count.
Living life to its fullest .......2006-08-03
This is the second volume of eulogies compiled by Copeland and I was inspired equally by both books. I experienced the eulogies as mini-biographies, as wonderful tributes, as lessons in life. As might be expected, some of the eulogies are more powerful than others. I especially enjoyed the eulogies of MLK, Ghandi, Leonard Bernstein, Ed Murrow and Mychal Judge. Reading the eulogies as a whole helped me to reflect on the ways people live their lives, define relationships, decide what is important and engage themselves. At the end, I walked away more inspired to live life to its fullest and celebrate my time in this world!
I learned so much..........2006-08-01
about each person eulogized in this book...
I loved this book - simple, to the point, uplifting and inspirational. But what really struck me most was that you don't read this book with a heavy heart but rather with a desire to gain insight into people that we either knew much about or very little. One of my favorites was the eulogy written for Father Mychal Judge who died in the World Trade Towers on 9/11. Tugged at the heart, yes, but I was enlightened to learn more about what kind of person he truly was - right to the end.
You might not sit and read this book straight through...although it's hard to put down once you get started. I found it to be a great 'cup of coffee read' time and time again.
Wonderful Indeed!.......2006-06-01
This is a book of eulogies to people who made their lives count, from Bette Davis to Rosa Parks to an achingly poignant chapter on the heroes of 9/11. Reading this book, I expected to be saddened but instead found it strangely uplifing.
Be sure to check out the chapter devoted to parents, which includes my favorite eulogy: Pat Conroy's remembrance of his father, aka the Great Santini.
Other great eulogies: Marilyn Monroe, Greogory Peck, Edward R. Murrow, Mickey Mantle, Jerry Garcia, Coretta Scott King, Bob Hope, Princess Diana, Judy Garland, and Mister Rogers!
Warning: Reading this book will make you re-evaluate your own life....
Customer Reviews:
very creepy, interesting.......2005-01-31
I found this book in my dad's old books collection not too long ago, and its a good work to read. It introduced me to such personalities such as Primmie Niven, Carole Lombard and Huey Long (hey, I'm 23 they were way before my time). Forbes gives great detail and he makes death look interesting, not something to be look forward to. I can tell he had fun writing and researching this book and if Malcolm were alive today I'm sure someone would write a sequel to this book. Perhaps the sequel would have Princess Di (another monarchy figure), Kurt Cobain (Jimi and Jim of the 90s), Dr. Atkins (the so-called revolutionary diet hero dies from a fall) and maybe Malcolm himself. I always read at least one or two biographies in the book before I go to bed.
Intriguing and Interesting Book.......2002-07-26
This book by the late publishing mogul Malcolm Forbes offers a number of intriguing biographical sketches of famous people in history from all walks of life and basically tells how they died. A history professor introduced me to this book sometime ago and I've found it very intriguing... There are a lot of surprises and moments where even the ardent history buff will say "Hey I didn't know that!" It's one of those books that is easy to pick up and read on one of those rainy days.
Different.......2001-06-22
They Went That A-Way is a collection of over 150 1-2 page sketches of famous personalities, mostly from the 19th and 20th centuries. Each sketch contains a short summary of the person's life and accomplishments, then a description of how they met their end. The book is well done, however I found it a little depressing, as the majority of the personalities were dysfunctional, dying from alcoholism, drugs, or suicide.
Great book - perhaps a misunderstood title.......2000-11-07
I passed by this book 1000's of times, but finally took it off the shelf and saw the very fine print of the subtitle "How the famous, the infamous and the great died". Not the topic I had expected. I love trivia, so my interest was peaked.
From the dust-jacket flap: "Here, for your entrancement and enlightenment, are exits made by 175 people famous during the past 3,000 years". The book covers people from John Jacob Astor IV to 'Mama' Cass Elliot and Ivan the Terrible to Virginia Woolf. Don't know who the person was? He does briefly discuss what made the person famous (or infamous) and sometimes adds in some deliciously odd twists that occurred during the person's life. He then, of course, goes into their often bizarre or ironic deaths.
Forbes speaks in language that is colorful and keeps you so interested that you want to read it from front to back, even though the set-up allows you to pick the book up, turn to any page and learn something that you didn't know before. I enjoyed it immensely.
Average customer rating:
- very good book, ESPECIALLY for the JFK limo chapter
- Out of Control !!!!
- Brilliant Cultural Analysis
- Good
- general thoughts
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Car Crash Culture
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Vintage Car Wrecks: Motoring Mishaps 1950-1979
ASIN: 0312240384 |
Book Description
This book explores the grim underside of America's cult of the automobile and the frequently conspiratorial speculations that arise whenever people die in cars. Looking at fatal celebrity car accidents and other examples of death by automobile through personal memoir and forensic reports, cultural critics ponder people's fascination with car crashes. They explore car crash conspiracy theories, the automobile as a site of murder, car crash films, and the notion of the "accident." The book features original essays by such underground icons as Kenneth Anger and Adam Parfrey. Essays cover the deaths of Albert Camus, Jackson Pollock, James Dean, Jayne Mansfield, Princess Diana, Princess Grace, and Mary Jo Kopechine, amongst others.
Customer Reviews:
very good book, ESPECIALLY for the JFK limo chapter.......2005-12-27
I highly recommend this book for the chapter on JFK's fatal limousine authored by Pamela McElwain-Brown. The rest of the book is good but not great. See what you think.
Vince Palamara-JFK/ Secret Service expert (History Channel, author of two books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.)
Pittsburgh, PA
BEST JFK ASSASSINATION BOOK: ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
BEST JFK SECRET SERVICE BOOK: SURVIVOR'S GUILT BY YOURS TRULY :)
Out of Control !!!!.......2004-07-02
I love this book. It's interesting, scary, disturbing, weird, crazy, and fun. I agree that some of the chapters are heavy, especially the film section, but the others are amazing, the ones in the first section especially. The Kenneth Anger chapter is bitchy-hilarious! The intro is good, too, but my favorite chapter is the one about passengers who've been in accidents. One of the best books I bought this year. Recommended for everybody who drives a car.
Brilliant Cultural Analysis.......2004-01-30
This is a book that is an accessible read, but at the same time seriously engages issues of death, sex, and the fetishization of violence in American culture. An amazing array of top scholars in the field of film and cultural studies, including Kenneth Anger, contribute to this landmark anthology, which is truly the best single volume source on this important series of issues. Recommended for the general public, and also as a source for scholarly researchers. A brilliant anthology.
Good.......2002-09-20
A good book. Fun. Some parts better than others. Other reviews good at pointing of what's best and worst. Recommended.
general thoughts.......2002-06-05
I bought this book because of Julian Darius's essay, "Car Crash Crucifixion Culture", which I'd heard about online on message boards. I thought it was great, and that the book was good overall, though I agree that it was inconsistent.
Book Description
Between the covers of this book are testimonies from Christian role models from the worlds of film, sports, and music. The stories are real and powerful, and are presented in a way that believers and seekers alike will find compelling.
Customer Reviews:
Review: How Do You Know He's Real?.......2007-06-14
In the book, How Do You Know He's Real, you'll get an inside look into the spiritual lives of 34 celebrities. Hagberg has compiled testimonies ranging from Kirk Cameron to Rudy Sarzo (former bass player for Ozzy Osbourne). Each story is remarkably different and it's amazing to read how God has worked in the lives of each of these well-known people.
Celebrities Share Their Christian Faith.......2007-05-31
The author has collected very readable stories telling how celebrities have become Christians, and they share their low points and their joys here. This is a welcome peek into the lives of well known people who typically are more secretive.
Ricky Skaggs, Kirk Cameron, Gloria Gaynor, Bethel Johnson (34 people in all) tell about their struggles and their early days as new Christians.
Billy Ray Cyrus tells of singing in his grandpa's Pentecostal church when he was 4, and includes the touching lyrics to the song he wrote "The other side."
Jackie (Jacklyn) Zeman, star of General Hospital, advises that when you are at a crossroads "cry out to God and ask for His guidance."
Al Kasha's story resonated with me; this Academy Award winning songwriter overcame agoraphobia, and talks about how Hollywood is a tough place for a Jew who came to Christ, and how he started a Hollywood Bible study group.
There are stories here for anyone to enjoy and find spirit lifting.
Celebrities talk about God in their life.......2007-04-27
(Hagberg has written a companion book with the same title, subtitled God Unplugged)
How Do You Know He's Real? is a collection of celebrity essays about God acting in their lives. The contributors include athletes, musicians, and actors. Their stories often follow a familiar pattern of fame leading to drugs and alcohol before hitting bottom and being turned around by an encounter with God. That's not to say the accounts are all stock and cliched, but rather that God meets each person in their need--and for celebrities that need will be similar. And many of the tales include growing up in stable Christian homes, but still needing to make personal decisions about God and Christ and how that decision impacted their careers.
The stories are collected alphabetically but Hagberg has provided a topic finder so a reader battling discouragement or frustration can find offerings from Billy Ray Cyrus, Nancy Stafford, Zorro, Gary Burghoff or John Schneider.
Each essay begins with a picture and short biography of the contributor, listing their accomplishments. Following the selection is God's Road Map, a few sentences about the issues raised by the author, with Bible verses for teaching and encouragement.
The essays themselves are as varied as the contributors. Some of them read as if they were written to be given as speeches. Several sound like the writer could be sitting at your kitchen table, chatting over the coffee pot. All of them are honest and share from their heart how God has acted in their life and how they know He's real.
Reading the accounts of God acting in both miraculous and mundane ways reminds us that no matter what a person does for a living, each of us are created beings who need a loving Savior and merciful God.
Armchair Interviews says: Up close and personal stories from celebrities.
COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!! Terrific Read!.......2006-05-18
I received this book as a gift and once I started, I couldn't put it down. Ms Hagberg has captured the beliefs of these well known and respected celebrities, sports figures, and musicians. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and can't wait to give copies of this one to all my friends. Order 2!
The book of a lifetime!.......2006-04-18
This is a book that you will no doubt want to share with everyone you know! (I certainly am!) It was so hard to put the book down - but worth it - just to extend the time and joy of reading it! GREAT content! GREAT author! I can't wait to read the next books in the series!
Product Description
For the first time, Doris Duke's personal astrologer and shaman tells what life was really like with the country's most eccentric and reclusive billionaire.
Customer Reviews:
Doris Duke.......2004-08-16
An insight into the personal life of Doris Duke from her astrologer and friend, Nischintya Dasa. I finished the book feeling as though I had gotten to know Doris the person. I really enjoyed this book, except of course, for the sad ending. Wish you were still here Doris Duke.
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