History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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The Night Club Era
Stanley Walker
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0801862914

Book Description

" The Night Club Era should rate as a Broadway Koran. Other books on the subject are unnecessary if they agree with it, wrong if they differ from it, and in either case should be burned." -- Alva Johnston, from the Introduction

Written in the aftermath of Prohibition, Stanley Walker's The Night Club Era is a lively and idiosyncratic account of the people and places that defined New York's night life during the era of "the great American madness." Here we meet murderers and millionaires, gangsters, bartenders, celebrities of the stage, screen, and society, and a host of other colorful characters who populated the city's diverse night clubs, from El Fey to the Cotton Club. Walker relives the "night of incredulous sadness" on which the Volstead Act went into effect, visits a classic speakeasy, discussing the owner's delicate arrangements with policemen, prohibition agents, and bootleggers, and details the frequently brutal swindles practiced in the city's numerous clip joints and the tactics of the era's crime organizations, explaining precisely what happens when one is "taken for a ride." Among the larger-than-life night club habitués Walker sketches are Owney Madden, the elder statesman of the city's rackets; Walter Winchell, America's most influential columnist and the "brash historian of our life and times"; Mayor James J. Walker, who typified the gaudiness, smartness, and insouciance of the city he ran, yet was never too refined to shoot dice on hotel room floors; and Texas Guinan, the beloved entertainer, hostess, and entrepreneur who greeted customers with her trademark phrase "Hello, sucker!" Vividly told, The Night Club Era offers a singular, serious -- though never sober -- history of New York City during Prohibition.

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey

Average customer rating:

Great History, Writing Talent Lacking
Thoroughly researched, well-written history of the dance/club DJ
Written With Passion
Read The Real History Of Disco
Must Read for DJ's, Dancers, Music Heads

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey
Bill Brewster , and Frank Broughton
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802136885

Book Description

From the first time a record was played over the airwaves in 1906, to a modern club economy that totals $3 billion annually in New York City alone, the DJ has been at the center of popular music. Starting as little more than a talking jukebox, the DJ is now a premier entertainer, producer, businessman, and musician in his own right. Superstar DJs, from Junior Vasquez to Sasha and Digweed, command worship and adoration from millions, flying around the globe to earn tens of thousands of dollars for one night's work. Increasingly, they are replacing live musicians as the central figures of the music industry. In Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, music journalists Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton have written the first comprehensive history of the mysterious and charismatic figure behind the turntables -- part obsessive record collector, part mad scientist, part intuitive psychologist of the party groove. From England's rabid Northern Soul scene to the birth of disco in New York, from the sound systems of Jamaica to the scratch wars of early hip-hop in the Bronx, from Chicago house to Detroit techno to London rave, DJs are responsible for most of the significant changes in music over the past forty years. Drawing on in-depth interviews with DJs, critics, musicians, record executives, and the revelers at some of the century's most legendary parties, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life is nothing less than the life story of dance music.

Customer Reviews:

Great History, Writing Talent Lacking.......2007-08-18

The only thing that kept me reading this book was that it contained information I didn't know. I found that skimming helped reduce the groaning and eye-rolling caused by poor organization of the material. Much of it was just fine, but parts of the book are difficult to read because the authors couldn't devise a smooth transition from one chapter to another. Other than that minor complaint, this is a great book!

Thoroughly researched, well-written history of the dance/club DJ.......2007-07-17

Written by two former editors of Mixmag (the magazine bible of club culture and dance music), this 400-page book provides a deep, well-researched history of the club DJ. It follows the evolution of the live performance DJ from a human record changer, to a macro mixer of individual platters, to a micro mixer of record segments and sounds, to a full-fledged music producer. In doing so the authors document the impact that DJs had on the music itself, first in selecting what they played, later in demanding what they needed, and lastly in creating what they wanted.

Although the book opens with a short chapter on radio DJs (all of twenty-one pages), this story is about the club DJ's rise to musicianship. The book charts the live DJ's beginnings as a record spinner in large halls, follows the DJ-fueled Northern Soul scene in the UK, threads in the revolutionary work of Jamaican DJ sound systems, and returns to the US for a lengthy exposition on disco, hip-hop, house and beyond.

The disco chapters, though at times devolving into discussion that's more of the music than the DJs, are among the book's most interesting. They explore the movement's organic New York roots, contrasting them sharply to the genre's publicly refuted commercial apogee. One might argue with their contention that the "disco sucks" backlash was a homophobic reaction (particularly when they do such a good job of describing the commercial overexposure that led to disco's mainstream repudiation), but their descriptions of the era's seminal underground clubs and DJs bring context to disco that was completely lost in its mainstream incarnation.

Two chapters on hip hop show both its evolutionary and revolutionary forward steps, with the DJ becoming a producer and musician. Fresh interviews with the major players are skillfully woven into a compelling narrative of the genre's birth and growth. Club music's transitions between house, techno, garage and other variants are layered with reporting on the stage-setting cultural environments and geographic movements of key players. These latter chapters read more as anthropological catalogs than the you-are-there accounts of disco, so while they're informative, they're a bit dry.

A good deal of the text devolves into a history of the music, leaving the DJs temporarily on the sideline. But given the intimate intertwining of DJs and music, and the reciprocal impact they had on each other, this is probably unavoidable. Unless you're an avid dance music fan, some of the authors' points, hinged upon references to specific songs, will fail to resonate.

The authors make a compelling argument for the DJ at the center of the vortex that created disco and morphed it into house, techno, acid house and more. Unlike music that was a product of artists, record companies and radio, dance music is a product of dancers, clubs, DJs and producers, with the latter two categories merging more and more over time. The added element of geographical isolation is shown to have had a major impact on numerous scenes (northern UK, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe) and the development of their respective musics, and the commercial needs for starless music created a vacuum into which DJs could step.

Though this is very well written, though there are nits to pick. Their anti-academic disclaimer is unnecessarily reactionary, and not even particularly true given the amount of original research they conducted. Their text on drug influences ignores numerous earlier drug/music interactions, such as in jazz and rock. Their lack of detail on radio DJs is a reasonable choice, but one not explained by the book's title or subhead. Their geography is UK/US-centric, and limited in the US mostly to New York, Chicago and Detroit. Whether or not those three cities were host to the only innovations worth reporting upon is questionable.

Structurally the book follows a linear timelines through the disco era, but later chapters have timelines that overlap. For the unschooled, it's difficult to really see how innovations in different places were influencing each other. The book's appendices include priceless club charts that provide useful guidance in assembling a soundtrack but it's unclear where these charts came from.

Quibbles aside, this is a great read for anyone who wants to learn about the DJ's critical role in the development of dance music. For disco, in particular, the DJ booth point provides an excellent view into the scene's true history. Brewster and Broughton write lively, engaging copy and have based it on thorough original research. Highly recommended! [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Written With Passion.......2007-05-16

Covering a subject as broad as this is difficult and most readers will take exception somewhere since the author deals with such a subjective subject. However, I enjoyed both the exhaustive research and obvious passion that went into this work. It's a must, not only for DJs, but for any fan of music made for the dancefloor.

Read The Real History Of Disco.......2006-10-25

This book is pure magic and brought back some happy memories.

Wannabe Club DJs please read this and understand how it all really started.

Mobile DJs? Give up and let iPod reign...

Must Read for DJ's, Dancers, Music Heads.......2006-04-05

It is pretty well know that this book is a must read for DJ's, Makers, and Fans of all forms of electronic and dance music.

Excelent histories of Dub, Hip Hop, Disco, House etc. While many of the adherents of these sub-cultures don't necessarily appreciate the others, the histories outlined in this book show how they are all inherently connected.

My only issue with this book is that the West Coast is totally ignored up until the turntablist revolution of the late 90's which the authors regard as mostly mastabatory as the writers' bias is toward DJs as providers of a dance environment.

No matter ...
There are vital histories here.

READ THIS BOOK!

Average customer rating:

Lots of info
Fun for film buffs
marni Nixon bio
Hollywood's most famous vocal "Ghost" appears in the shimmering flesh!
My Fair and Wonderful Lady

I Could Have Sung All Night: My Story
Marni Nixon , and Stephen Cole
Manufacturer: Billboard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0823083659
Release Date: 2006-09-01

Book Description

*The most celebrated "voice" in Hollywood speaks for herself!
* Beloved show-biz icon Nixon dubbed songs for Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn--now she tells her story for the first time
* Entertaining behind-the-scenes celebrity stories from six decades of performing

Everyone knows Marni Nixon...even if they think they don't. One of the best-known and best-loved singing voices in the world, Nixon dubbed songs for Natalie Wood in West Side Story, Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, and Deborah Kerr in The King and I. She was the voice of Hollywood's leading ladies, arriving in filmland after a debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at 17 and continuing her career with Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Stephen Sondheim, Rogers and Hammerstein, and many others. Her inspiring autobiography reveals Nixon as a singer, an actress, and a woman fighting for artistic recognition. Today, a survivor of breast cancer, she works on Broadway and television's Law & Order SVU, tours with her own stage show, and teaches master classes in voice. Marni Nixon: The Voice of Hollywood reveals the woman behind the screen is revealed, in a frank, funny biography that is as remarkable as the woman whose story it tells.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of info.......2007-10-03

I had long known about Ms. Nixon's film work, dubbing for Deborah Kerr, Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn, but this memoir filled in a lot of gaps. I really enjoyed it.

Fun for film buffs.......2007-01-13

If you have ever wondered who sang Kerr's songs in KING & I or Wood's in WEST SIDE STORY, then this is the book for you. Marnie Nixon was the dubbed voice of many non-singing stars'in some of their best roles. Here she tells her story and while at times it drags a bit, I found it very interesting and entertaining. The chapters about her work in film are espcially engaging.

marni Nixon bio.......2006-11-10

Enjoyed this book so much.It was fun to read about all the colleagues she had worked with during her career. A very pleasant read.

Hollywood's most famous vocal "Ghost" appears in the shimmering flesh!.......2006-10-19

Marni Nixon's was one of those famous people who fascinated me from the moment I heard her story of being the vocal "ghost" in three of Hollywood's most remarkable musicals. Her's is a story I was waiting to hear, and with this great book, it was worth the wait.

For anyone interested in musicals, Hollywood or performing, Ms. Nixon's wonderful book will be a boon. From her personal stories about Hollywood to her journey from singer to remarkable actress, the book is a wonderful read.

Her story would make one of the most fascinating movie musicals ever. Part "Singing in the Rain" and part Hollywood Grimm's fairy tale, I want to see this story made into a movie musical. Anyone out there listening?

Bravo to Ms. Nixon! Thank you for sharing your amazing story. I was completely enthralled as well as inspired.

My Fair and Wonderful Lady.......2006-10-12

"I Could Have Sung All Night" by Marni Nixon is a wonderful, enjoyable autobiography of her life. Marni Nixon has dubbed singers Audrey Hepburn (My Fair Lady), Deborah Kerr (The King and I), and to my surprise Natalie Wood (West Side Story). Growing up with these movie musicals I knew about Marni Nixon's dubbing in "My Fair Lady", but when reading the chapter on "West Side Story" regarding the dubbing for Natalie Wood, I was surprised. When watching West Side Story, I really thought it was Natalie Wood doing her own singing!
Marni Nixon tells wonderful stories about her travels in Israel with Liberace, her stint with Victor Borge, and many other anecdotes.
The book is a fun and entertaining read, and I could not put it down. Thank you Marni Nixon!

Average customer rating:

Perfect All Around!

Good Night
Jim Weiss
Manufacturer: Greathall Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1882513266

Customer Reviews:

Perfect All Around!.......2005-06-30

My son loves this and the companion book: Good Morning. My 18 mo. old son wants these ones read to him over and over again in the same sitting. First there is the plush cover which is just right when he is in that sleepy just waking up stage first thing in the morning or is yawning and quiet right before bed. The illustrations are gorgeous and I love the simple rhyming text that is as enjoyable to read as it is to listen to. I am so glad I found these books! I will have to get more books by Summer Durantz -- these were an unexpected find!

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Easy Race Relations
One of my favorites.............
Dave at Night
Excellent!
Dave at Night Book Review

Dave at Night
Gail Carson Levine
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064407470
Release Date: 2001-02-19

Amazon.com

"Gideon the Genius" and "Dave the Daredevil," their father called them: two Jewish boys growing up in 1920s New York, playing stickball and--in Dave's case--getting into trouble. But when their father dies, Dave finds himself separated from his older brother and thrust into the cold halls of the HHB, the Hebrew Home for Boys (which he later dubs the "Hopeless House of Beggars" and the "Hell Hole for Brats," among other things).

Eager to escape the strict rules, constant bullying, and tasteless gruel of the orphanage, the Daredevil hops the wall one night to explore the streets of Harlem. He hears what he thinks is someone--or something?--laughing, but traces the sound to a late-night trumpeter shuffling backward into a wild "rent party." And just as quickly as he'd found himself stuck in the HHB, Dave is immersed in yet another world--the swinging salons and speakeasies of the Harlem Renaissance. Cramped, crazy parties packed with the likes of Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen give Dave refuge from life at the orphanage and awaken his artistic bent. And Dave's new friends, among them a grandfatherly "gonif" ("somebody who fools people out of their money") and a young "colored" heiress who takes a shine to him, help turn things around for him at the HHB.

The skilled Gail Carson Levine, Newbery Medal-winning author of Ella Enchanted, clearly tells this tale from her heart, as the story is based on her own father's childhood spent in the real-life HOA (Hebrew Orphan Asylum). (Ages 8 to 12) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

If nobody wants him, that's fine.He'll just take care of himself.

When his father dies, Dave knows nothing will ever be thesame. And then it happens. Dave lands in an orphanage -- the cold and strict Hebrew Home for Boys in Harlem -- far from the life he knew on the Lower East Side. But he's not so worried. He knows he'll be okay. He always is. If it doesn't work out, he'll just leave, find a better place to stay. But it's not that simple.

Outside the gates of the orphanage, the nighttime streets of Harlem buzz with jazz musicians and swindlers; exclusive parties and mystifying strangers. Inside, another world unfolds, thick with rare friendships and bitter enemies. Perhaps somewhere, among it all, Dave can find a place that feels like home.

Customer Reviews:

Easy Race Relations.......2007-07-04

Dave is eleven when his father dies, leaving him with his brother and their stepmother. Their stepmother insists she can't handle raising the boys, so their uncle agrees to take Dave's quiet and smart older brother. Nobody steps forward to take Dave, though, so he is sent to live at the Hebrew Home for Boys, an orphanage.

Dave is devastated about being in the home, and things don't go smoothly for him there. A bully sits next to him at meals and eats half of his food. Instead of teaching, his teacher simply lectures about what a chore it is to try to teach orphans. And the headmaster of the school steals a carving done by Dave's father and then beats Dave when confronted about it.

One night shortly after arriving, Dave leaves the home after lights-out and explores the city. He stumbles upon an amazing party where he meets Solly, a strange fortune-telling man who tells everyone Dave is his grandson. Dave also meets Irma Lee, a beautiful black girl about his age. She seems as enthralled by him as he is by her.

As the weeks pass, Dave comes up with a plan to run away from the home. The only problem is that he is starting to like it there. He likes the boys his own age, who stick up for each other and are better than family. He likes his art teacher, who recognizes that he has real talent. And Dave even has a plan for taking care of the bullies at meals. Will he stay after all?

Solly's character was great; he had such interesting reactions to Dave and great interactions with the people at the parties. Dave's buddies at the home were also good characters. I liked that they were able to make a kind of new family and support system for themselves.

I don't know if it was realistic for whites and blacks during this time period to mix as easily as they did in this book. This story seemed to indicate that there was no animosity between the races and everyone would be accepted in Harlem. I found that hard to believe.

One of my favorites....................2007-03-26

This is one of my favorite books! I enjoyed it alot, to be compleetly honest with you at times it was a little boring but then the excitment would come and everything would show up.Like hey now that makes cense.This book is one that you can not belive that a story so big of greatness could be in a small book.Dave at night is not just a children's story it is for everyone.I got hurt when dave got hurt, when Dave cried i cried inside, when he fights i feel like punching the one he is fighting.Oh yes you are more into this book than tv shows that are just so good get you into their story.You are,almost Dave in Dave at night you are like his soul.This is an incredible story.
DAVE AT NIGHT

I am if woundering not Melanie Litzinger i am Carly Litzinger age:11!

Dave at Night.......2006-10-25

This book is about an orphane named Dave. His father had fallen of a roof and died. When he came home from school he was in dinile. His step-mom Ida had every one come to their house after the funeral. Well while they were all there she desided that she could care for Dave and his brother. But no one wanted to take Dave because he was to loud. The boys' uncle took Daves brother with him when he left. So Ida Deicide that DAve was going to live in an orphange. Before his brother left he gave Dave a carving that their father had made. But when he got to the room and looked in his suitcase it wasn't there. Well it turns out that the owner of the HHB,the Hebrew Home for Boys, took the carving.
Thats when dave deiced that when he got the carving back he was going to leave. The first night he was at the HHB he snuck out to a park and met Solly. They became friends and went to rent parties. So after the first party Dave went back to the HHB. And every night after that he stuck out and met up with Solly and his "girlfriend" Irma Lee. But he still wanted to get the carving before he laft so he went back to there every night till he can get the statue. If I tell anymore I'm going to ruin it so You'll have to read it and find out.

This was an awesome book I thought. If you like it you wont be able to put it down till tour done.

Excellent!.......2006-09-07

When Dave's father dies, he is sent to the cold, gritty orphanage 'The Harlem Home For Boys' (the HBB). Levine tells her tale with warmth and humor, and creates a memorable and well developed cast of characters. Dave is an engaging hero who will linger in the memory of the reader.

Dave at Night Book Review.......2006-03-08

DAVE AT NIGHT

Dave at night is about a young boy named Dave. He is living with his Dad, step mom and brother in an apartment in England. His Dad dies unexpectedly when he falls off of a ladder. His step mom can't support the family so Dave's brother had to live with his uncle and Dave has to go live at the Hebrew Home for Boys (HHB for short). There with a couple hundred other boys, he is given little food and a meager education. He is an orphan now but some of the other boy's parents visit sometimes and bring food to them. Dave brings a boat that was carved by his Dad with him to the HHB and Mr. Bloom of the HHB steals it. Dave sneaks out one night and meets a man by the name of Solly who takes Dave to a party. There he meets a young African American girl by the name of Irma Lee. They become instant friends and Irma invites Dave and Solly to her mom's party. Dave sneaks back into HHB and is caught. He is beat and sent to classes once more. Solly comes to HHB and says he is Dave's grandfather. They go to Irma's party and have a good time. When Dave gets back to the HHB, he and his buddies plan to steal the boat that Mr. Bloom stole. When Mr. Bloom leaves his office, Dave sneaks in and gets the boat. As he is leaving Mr. Bloom comes in and catches him. Dave is about to be in serious trouble when Irma Lee's mom, Mrs. Packard saves the day. She catches Mr. Name and gets him fired. The HHB gets better food, better teachers and a new furnace. In the end, Dave is happy.

Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies

Average customer rating:

Didnt even finish reading the book
I am a fan of Pam's and this book is pretty good
rock music muses, pam des barres
"I need you more then ever"
Hooray for Miss P.

Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies
Pamela Des Barres
Manufacturer: Chicago Review Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1556526687

Book Description

This intimate account of 24 legendary groupies reveals what went on behind the closed doors of rock stars from Elvis to Marilyn Manson. Consisting of Pamela Des Barres's revealing interviews with and profiles of other supergroupies, this book offers firsthand glimpses into the backstage world of rock stars and the women who loved them. The groupies—such as Miss Japan Beautiful, who taught Elvis how to dance; Cassandra Peterson (Mistress of the Dark), who tangled with Tom Jones in Sin City; Cynthia Plaster Caster, who redefined the art of Jimi Hendrix; and Miss B., who revealed Kurt Cobain’s penchant for lip gloss—tell tales that go well beyond an account of a one-night stand to become a part of music history.

Customer Reviews:

Didnt even finish reading the book.......2007-09-16

I read Pamelas first book and enjoyed it. This one is a different story. Alot of these so called women are nothing but pure trash and they call themselves muses? A few and I mean a few seemed to have some class about them and an intriguing story. The absolute worst was Connie, there are no words to describe this person, just a downright pig and very proud of it. I expected something a little different, a little more classy. Dont waste your money. There are real muses like Pattie Boyd (who's book was great), Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Linda McCartney, etc. This book was a joke.

I am a fan of Pam's and this book is pretty good.......2007-09-13

I prefer Pam's autobiographical stuff and her own sweet experiences but I enjoy her writing period so I'll give this a thumbs up. Some of the characters profiled were of interest but I found clearly there was a standard- and the book is set up so the older ( original groupies) are towards the front of the book. As we take the trip downward the reader starts to see the decline of the groupie, there simply is no naiivete or sweetness or joy that was part of Pamela's world,just grotesque hi -jinx and girls acting as prostitutes for free.kind of sad.Makes me nostalgic for "the good old days" of groupie-dom

rock music muses, pam des barres.......2007-07-30

This is the third book I've read by Ms Des Barres. Funny and bittersweet as the other two I've read. I would highly recommend this book if you are a fan of this genre. Heck, even if you're not it's highly entertaining and a good read. These gals have some interesting tales to tell!!

"I need you more then ever".......2007-07-23

Angelique XStacy wrote:

A fun read, as are all of her books which inspired me not not atually "be with the band" but to be the band. I only wish I drew the awesome and dedicated groupies this book expounds upon. These are the folks that make playing the music great . Not just the sexual aspects, but the energy they give back to the artist, regardless of how it is chosen between the artist and groupie: an inpirating relationship between artist and the muses that inpire them. Pamala De Barres is one such person for me. having read her first book at a tender age, I longed to experience a time before the Aids crisis, before the 80's music culture of rehash. When things were new and exciting.
Miss Pamala has an easy going style, very approachable. Who cares about the name dropping , we are reading to hear the stories that make musicians a little more human,a little more like us. What someone who was there see's and not what was fabricated about the stars. I especially appreciated the addition of a male groupie, someone so rare!
I have always enjoyed her work , as history and as a not so guilty pleasure, her optimism is catching, thank goodness as we all wait for the next band or muse that inpires us to FEEL.

Hooray for Miss P........2007-07-20

While reading Miss P.'s "I'm with the Band," I fell in love with the GTOs. I loved their brazen nutty bravado and performance art style. I silently wept as the tale unfolded and Miss Christine and Miss Mercy became mired in drug addiction. The GTOs seemed to epitomize a kind of proto-girl power in a far less commercial rock and roll world. I longed for their resurrection. I loved the humor and humanity of Miss P.'s recollections. So I was overjoyed when a good friend of mine sent me copy of "Let's spend the Night Together," autographed by none other than Miss P. herself. .

In terms of editorial decisions, I laud Miss Pam's inclusiveness. She has compiled tales of some very disparate characters. Some are tales of Girl meets Boy who happens to be rock star and the two fall in love. Others like Pleasant Gehman are wild scenesters. Others like Cassandra Peterson and Cynthia Plaster Caster are a clash of performance art meets rock meets more art. GTO fans will be pleased to note that Miss Mercy has been resurrected. Meanwhile, Bebe Buell strikes a note of dissonance with her dour, pious embrace of the word "muse." (Here the reader is forced to stick a finger down his or her throat.)

Of course, encounters with rock stars are the recurring "thread" that pulls this "groupie" narrative together. We get continuing snap shots of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Iggy Pop and David Bowie, most prominently among others. Jimmy Page professing faithfulness to the pitifully dwarfed Lori Mattix. Jimmy Page stone-faced. Jimmy Page tearing at Cassandra Peterson. Robert Plant professes love to all and many & etc. These men have many incarnations in this book.

One issue that I sometimes have with these narratives is the lack of context. In terms of social consciousness, you'd barely know whether it was the sixties, the seventies or the eighties, which is why I laud Miss P.'s decision to include figures other than Bebe Buell and rock wives. Only through Miss Mercy, do we understand that the civil rights movement was going on at that time (although she admits to being less than conscious of it, except when having to duck down while driving through Southern streets with her paramours.) Through Sweet, pathological Connie, we get a taste of the wingnuts' pitiful, sleazy crusade against Clinton.

But I could waxforever on Miss P. So here I must end my review and say, "all in all, beautiful work, Miss P.!"

This Is The Night: Suffering, Salvation, And The Liturgies Of Holy Week

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This Is The Night: Suffering, Salvation, And The Liturgies Of Holy Week
James W. Farwell
Manufacturer: T. & T. Clark Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lesser Feasts And Fasts 2006: The Proper for The, Together With the Fixed Holy Days : Conforming to General Convention 2006

ASIN: 0567027600

The Kiss Album Focus, Vol. 1: Kings of the Night Time World, 1972-82

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Five stars for the content, three for the editing
Really Comprehensive

The Kiss Album Focus, Vol. 1: Kings of the Night Time World, 1972-82
Julian Gill
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1413485472

Book Description

Originally debuting as a feature on the KISS Asylum website the "KISS Album Focus" work was compiled into book format and privately published in two editions in 2002. Delving into the history of the "Hottest Band In The Land," the work seeks to provide an objective biography supported by comments band members have made during the past 30+ years. Since initial publication the work has grown so large it has had to be split into three volumes. The work has been reviewed in numerous magazines and fanzines, and some sections of the work have been translated into Spanish and Russian.

Customer Reviews:

Five stars for the content, three for the editing.......2006-07-13

I read a lot of the passages in the KISS Album Focus when it was an online feature of the old KISS Asylum site. I loved the stuff then, I love it now. In terms of sheer volume of information, this is probably the most comprehensive KISS book on the market. The truths behind some well-known KISS myths are explored (debunking many in the process). Julian Gill, who put this together, is obviously a knowledgable and dedicated KISS fan. The amount of effort involved in compiling this must have been staggering.

It's just too bad that what is otherwise a very handy KISS reference is marred by awful (perhaps non-existant) copyediting. The spelling and grammatical errors, while numerous, can be overlooked. But what really hurts this book is the lack of organization and editing/trimming. For a book of more than 500 pages to have NO index is a crime. While having the chapters arranged in chronological order helps, it is still extremely difficult to quickly find information.

And as for the length - although this book seems impressive at 500 pages, it doesn't need to be that long. While the KISS Album Focus is definitely comprehensive, it can also be repetitive. A lot of information is repeated, sometimes in the course of a single page. This book, despite the title, could really have used more focus.

That being said, I still highly recommend this book to any true KISS fan who wants to dig deeper into the group's history than the usual Gene Simmons/Paul Stanley PR puffery. You find out who played on what songs; you get the stories behind all the albums from the original makeup era; you get a nice, detailed look at all the stuff the members did before KISS. In short, this book (along with KISS & Sell, Black Diamond, Behind the Mask, and KISS Alive Forever) is essential for any KISS Army recruit.

Really Comprehensive.......2006-03-10

Finally you get an overview of who played what on which songs! It may get some KISS fans mad that not all members play on every song, or in some instances, outside players were used (Dick Wagner, Anton Fig, Steve Ferris, Robin Ford, Bob Kulick) and so on... It's an ejoyable read for someone who is a major fan and gives insight into what was going on in the band at each phase. Nice bios on solo stuff by Ace & Peter, plus general bios on each member involved in the 1972-1982 timeframe. The author is abviously a huge fan, but doesn't sugarcoat the dirt!

Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub

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While Waiting for the Movie, read this book!
Seeing early Cuba through two women's eyes
A Movie Waiting To Be Made!
A Temple to the Goddesses of Flesh
Tropicana Nights

Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub
Rosa Lowinger , and Ofelia Fox
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0151012245

Book Description

It was to Havana what the Moulin Rouge was to Paris or the Blue Note to New York. The brightest jewel in 1950s Cuban nightlife, Tropicana was a "paradise under the stars" where you could gamble, hear the finest mambo and jazz musicians, and ogle the extravagantly risqué floorshows. Nat "King" Cole played Tropicana; so did Josephine Baker. Americans-celebrities and suburbanites both-were drawn to its kinetic sensuality and tropical setting. And Tropicana remained a uniquely Cuban institution; unlike most Havana nightclubs, it operated free from the American mob's control.

Journalist Rosa Lowinger and Ofelia Fox, widow of Tropicana's last owner, vividly portray the cultural richness and roiling social problems of pre-Revolutionary Cuba and take the reader on an intimate insider's tour of one of the world's most glamorous venues at its most brilliant moment.

Customer Reviews:

While Waiting for the Movie, read this book!.......2007-07-28

Tropicana Nights brings to life the second most famous nightclub of the 20th century, and the events of the Castro revolution. Rosa Lowinger weaves into the story just enough personal history to give context to all the larger events. Details are included when they are relevant to the story told, but the story is allowed to move along quickly, and this book is entertaining and illuminating. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get an idea of what pre-revolutionary Havana was like, whether or not they are interested in nightclubs. My parents, who often went to Tropicana, said that the book tells it like it was. The book also includes wonderful vintage photos.

Seeing early Cuba through two women's eyes.......2007-02-20

Tropicana Nights gives the reader a sense of what life was like in Havana during the 1940s and 1950s. The Tropicana nightclub embodied the creativity and glamour of that era.

Tropicana still exists in Havana today. In the 1940s and 50s, it was a nightclub, cabaret and casino. It hosted performers such as Nat "King" Cole, Ginger Rogers and Liberace. Its audience was composed of the rich and famous, politicians and people wanting a special night out. Tropicana consistently met and raised people's expectations. The shows were legendary due to the imaginative choreography, live animals and beautiful Tropicana models.

This book is a collaboration of two women who are brought together to tell Tropicana's story. Ofelia Fox is the widow of Martin Fox who owned the Tropicana from 1950-1962. Rosa Lowinger was born in Havana but raised in Miami. As they work together on the book, some issues are raised.

Rosa and Ofelia have different views on Cuban politics. Ofelia claims that both Batista and Castro are dictators. Rosa must be sensitive about what she writes about Castro or risk being denied entry back into Cuba.

Rosa is curious about the possible Mob involvement at Tropicana. Ofelia and Martin went to Trafficante's daughter's wedding and were personally entertained by Frankie Carbo (a hit man for Bugsy Siegel in the 1930s) when they visited New York. Ofelia maintains that this was just a good business relationship. but Rosa isn't so sure. It is up to the reader to decide who is right.

There are also questions about Ofelia's relationship with her roommate (Rosa Sanchez). They have been together for more than 30 years yet when asked, Ofelia states that Rosa is a close friend but they are not a couple.

Lowinger has written a book that reads like a juicy novel. She has a great writing style, I kept turning the pages to find out what happened next. After reading the personal anecdotes and seeing the photos, I felt like I knew the various characters (the showgirls, the dancers and roulette dealers). I also enjoyed finding out what happened to everyone in recent years.

Armchair Interviews says: Come spend some time at the Tropicana and find out why it was paradise under the stars.

A Movie Waiting To Be Made!.......2006-09-16

Rosita Lowinger brings Cuba in the '40s and '50s to vibrant life in this excellent book. Anybody interested in learning about the island of Cuba should read it, because it's chock-full of historical facts. In addition, you learn all about the politics, the music, the cabaret circuit, the culture, even the Mafia connections! Rosita is an excellent writer who puts lots of "sabor" in her prose. I hope she's working on the screeplay right now. You cannot put the damn book down! It's easily the best I've read all year.

A Temple to the Goddesses of Flesh.......2006-04-03

Lowinger, Rosa and Ofelia Fox 2005 Tropicana Nights. The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub. Harcourt, Orlando, New York, London ISBN 0151012245

This is a very exciting and interesting book, well worth reading. Personally I found this book, "Tropicana Nights", by chance and in it my distant cousin Leonela Gonzalez.

In my recall it is Cuba in the 1950. Leonela is six years older than I, Professor of Ballet, student of Alicia Alonzo and showgirl in La Tropicana; she sings professionally. She is all curves, raven black hair, smooth skin, full lips, high cheek bones, jet eyes. She is 5 foot four and less than 120 pounds, but towers over me in her high heels. I stutter but cannot speak, so drunk on her presence I cannot talk, unable to take her extended hand, I mere give a judo bow. She is one of the goddesses of flesh.

We are family, both of us great grandchildren of Leonela Enamorado Cabrera, that brave and graceful Taina woman who was consort of the great general Calixto Garcia at the time of the fullest power of his fiery warrior strength. Grandfather was child of Leonela Enamorado's passionate war time love match; Leonela Gonzalez is fruit of the descendents of a later formal marriage.

Thus I read this book intensely, trying to better understand things past. The authors have compiled oral history and compared it to the record of scholarly and popular writings on the matter. Lowinger and Fox have struggled, as all honest authors must on books about Cuba, to eliminate propaganda. What has come of this is a beautifully detailed, well written, hypnotically fascinating and engrossing book on the Havana Nightclub "La Tropicana."

The book presents the scene and the lives the actors of that place against a background of Cuban history. And it does that with remarkable accuracy, there are a few errors: as a University of Havana student, Castro did his first killings when he belonged to the "the trigger happy" Unin Insurreccional Revolucionaria (UIR) not Masferrer's Movimiento Socialista Revolucionario (MIR). The official Cuban Communist Party had very little to do with war against Batista until the last few months, quite the contrary it frequently supported that regime by providing information on resistance groups. The presence of Tano racial mix and culture, now clearly demonstrated by DNA studies, is glossed over yet both Batista and Leonela had such ethnic roots; the word Guajiro is taken from the original Taino word.

These authors of "Tropical Nights" explain that those who visit Cuba are not welcomed to return if they write the mildest criticism of the Government. They honestly point out such details as that the nomenklatura of the Castro government, took over and keep well painted the residences of the upper class, while the residences of most of the population are crowded and in disrepair.

As the Lowinger and Fox point out, contrary to official Cuban government propaganda in the Tropicana then these goddesses were not available to the clientele, for there were enough such places in Havana. The goddesses' loves of after hours which were then private matters are clearly presented. There were Mafia gangsters there, but they fearful of losing their comfortable residence in Cuba, limited their activities to providing gambling advice and were mere toothed minnows when compared to the far more numerous and lethal Batista goons. Don't keep on reading this, go buy this book!!!!!!!

Tropicana Nights.......2006-02-05

Tropicana Nights shows the views of two Cuban women from different generations who politically disagree, but are brought together by their love for Cuban culture, particularly the Tropicana Nightclub. This book provides an insider's view on the intrigue, gambling, music and dance of a place that holds an almost mythical place in the history of Cuba.

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