Kingdom of Fear : Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century

Amazon.com

Kingdom of Fear is billed as a memoir, but in essence, all of Hunter S. Thompson's books could fit into this category since his life and work have always been tightly bound together by a mythology largely of his own making. (After all, this is the man who, before earning a single dollar as a writer, began meticulously saving a copy of every letter he ever sent.) Still, this is certainly an unconventional memoir, but then what would you expect from the father of gonzo journalism? In these pages Thompson manages to dig deep and reveal a few "loathsome secrets" without offering the kind of personal details he has always avoided. His childhood, for instance, is basically summed up in a sentence: "I look back on my youth with great fondness, but I would not recommend it as a working model to others." He does, however, reflect upon his considerable legacy, including his well-known, and admittedly exaggerated, use of controlled substances ("The brutal reality of politics alone would probably be intolerable without drugs"), as well as offer assessments of his own work, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ("It's as good as The Great Gatsby and better than The Sun Also Rises").

In this collection of twisted parables and outlaw adventures, Thompson writes about his early run-ins with agents of authority and the lessons learned; his stint in the Air Force and the beginning of his journalism career; his unsuccessful, though illuminating, bid for Sheriff of Aspen, Colorado in 1970 as the Freak Power candidate; the casualties and unintended consequences thus far in the War on Terror; and numerous examples of present-day injustice and hypocrisy--all with his characteristic mix of brutal frankness laced with humor. He also offers his own take on state of the Union: "The prevailing quality of life in America--by any accepted methods of measuring--was inarguably freer and more politically open under Nixon than it is today in this evil year of Our Lord 2002." Thompson continues to make even the most deadly serious subject matter endlessly entertaining. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

Brilliant, provocative, outrageous, and brazen, Hunter S. Thompson's infamous rule breaking -- in his journalism, in his life, and under the law -- changed the shape of American letters, and the face of American icons. Kingdom of Fear traces the course of Thompson's life as a rebel -- from a smart-mouthed Kentucky kid flaunting all authority to a convention-defying journalist who came to personify a wild fusion of fact, fiction, and mind-altering substances.

Call it the evolution of an outlaw. Here are the formative experiences that comprise Thompson's legendary trajectory alongside the weird and the ugly. Whether detailing his exploits as a foreign correspondent in Rio, his job as night manager of the notorious O'Farrell Theatre in San Francisco, his epic run for sheriff of Aspen on the Freak Power ticket, or the sensational legal maneuvering that led to his full acquittal in the famous 99 Days trial, Thompson is at the peak of his narrative powers in Kingdom of Fear. And this boisterous, blistering ride illuminates as never before the professional and ideological risk taking of a literary genius and transgressive icon.

Customer Reviews:

Not his best.......2007-03-18

Mr Thompsons autobiography is somewhat lacking compared to his other works. It seems, that he in his later years didn't have that much new to say, and this volume shows it very clearly. It deals with the legend of HST, not the man Hunter Stockton Thompson, and only plays the same tune that we've been hearing since F&L in Las Vegas, only in a strongly diluded form.

A great drawback is that he recycles a lot of stuff from his earlier work, which if you're a fan/reader of his you can't help but feel a bit cheated about. The book isn't that long as it is, but when half the material already has been printed before, and therefore probably, for fans at least, is on your shelf already, it gives the feeling of the good Mr Thompson not really making an effort writing this volume.

It's not all bad though. There are highlights in the book. His description of his childhood is enjoyable and very biographical. The last chapter is also very enjoyable, although not that good as biographical material, it does for a good reading.

It starts out legitimate enough, but quickly turns to his rambling and at times incoherent style of writing. Worth reading if you're a completist. I would recommend the compilations of his letters "The Proud Highway" and "F&L in America" as biography instead. They are much better.

Significantly Better Than "Hey Rube".......2007-03-16

This book (2003) and "Hey Rube" (2004) appear to be the last of HST's books. While "Hey Rube" contains lengthy discussions of gambling on professional football and basketball (including "March Madness"), this book is more far-ranging, containing everything from Thompson's reminiscences of his youth to his (highly negative) thoughts on George W. Bush. There's even a chapter from "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972," one of the finest political books ever written.

The quality of the writing on the recent pieces is not quite up to that of his best from the past, but is still infinitely better than the mindless slop produced by other contemporary "writers." The man was an artist.

As always, one of the disturbing things about Thompson is his ability to assess politics correctly in real time. Reading back, you think "Why didn't people take this man seriously at the time?"

"Indeed," as Doc would say.

The best collection.......2007-01-19

It's true, there are lots of parts of this book that can be found in other books, but this is still the best HST book I've read. It's sort of like a greatest hits. The new parts however, are the best part of this book.

Some of his best work ever!.......2007-01-13

By far simply one of his best collections. It seems the good doctor saw what was on the horizon and unforunately he was right. The world is a lesser place without him and we should all cherish every word. His insight was frightening an accurate. BUY THIS BOOK!

Just what you would expect from a drunkard.......2006-12-04

Paranoid drivel is the best I can come up with ZZZZZZZZZZ.

I Am a Star: Child of the Holocaust (A Puffin Book)

Average customer rating:

Good book for WWII history
Survival of a little star
Child Survives the Holocaust
I am a Star: Child of the Holocaust
deeply moving

I Am a Star: Child of the Holocaust (A Puffin Book)
Inge Auerbacher
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140364013

Customer Reviews:

Good book for WWII history.......2007-08-30

of the Holocaust. The poems in this short biography are so inspiring. I read this as part of a unit study for the Holocaust and we enjoyed the message the author brought through her life experience and poems.

Survival of a little star.......2007-05-31

Inge Auerbacher was only three years old,in 1938, when the massive pogrom called Kristallnacht, or the Night of the Broken Glass took place.

At the age of seven she was sent to Terezin concentration camp in Czechoslovakia.

In this incredible little book, Auerbacher tells of her experiences of being a little girl in Terezin concentration camp, one of the few young children who survived the death camps.

As she recounts:

"Of fifteen thousand children imprisoned in the Terezin concentration camps in Czechoslovakia, between 1941 and 1945, about one hundred survived. I am one of them. At least one and a half children were killed in the Nazi Holocaust. The reason most of these children died is that they were Jewish".

Auerbacher takes the horror of these years, and imparts a message of hope. She has created an account for young readers of her experiences, in a book filled with moving poetry and with the aid of haunting illustrations by Israel Bernbaum. There are also several photographs of her home town and of Inge as a child and her family life.

Auerbacher explains that the silent voices of the innocent children who died in the holocaust must be heard, and that is why felt compelled to trace the historical events that made this great evil possible and to tell her own story.

The author talks about her home town, Kippenheim, a village in southern Germany, where she was born in 1934.

She recounts the iddylic existance of her family and community in Kippenheim, until the horrific events of Kristallnacht.

She traces the roots of anti-Semitism for young readers, and summarizes the rise of Hitler, and the holocaust, before talking about her own story.

"We still feel the pain and we weep.

This nightmare will not let us sleep.

A page in history; one must learn.

Yesterday us, and tommorow your turn?"

She talks of her experiences of being forced to wear the yellow star at the age of six years old, the harsh circumstances of deportation, and the horrific conditions for children in Terezin in crowded and filthy cells infested with rats, mice, fleas and bedbugs, and of the other children who she befriended in the camp, such as Ada, a German Jewish child who longed to go to the Land of Israel, as did so many hundreds of thousands of Jews trapped in the Nazi inferno.

Ada taught her a song about the Holy Land, and promised Inge that they would soon go to there, "Just hold on a little longer" she used to say.

Ada's dream never came true-she died at the age of nine in Auschwitz.

Another friend was Ruth, a beautiful blond little girl of mixed Jewish and Gentile blood, who was brought up as a Christian, and who loved to draw. Ruth died in Terezin because her Jewish heritage, even though she never considered herself Jewish.

The final two chapters are about Inge's liberation from Auschwitz, and her hopes and afterthoughts:

She closes with a wonderful poem about the horrors and deaths and the hopes and dreams of those who survived and their descendants entitled NEVER AGAIN:

"Minds were dulled by bombs of hate,

Only the hero cared about our fate,

We saw the truth, it began to unfold,

You may kill the body but never the soul.

Here we are with honour and pride,

a new generation at our side,

the silent voices join us today,

Never, never again we hope and pray".

Child Survives the Holocaust.......2007-03-22

Inge is just a child living in a small village in Germany when Hitler rises to power. Like so many other Jewish families, her family did not escape from Germany soon enough to be safe. By the time they think to get out, it is too late. They are sent from place to place until they are finally deported to Terezin, a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Conditions there are horrible, and people live in constant fear of being shipped off to Auschwitz, where the gas chambers are.

Because Inge's father is a disabled war veteran, shot in the shoulder in World War I while fighting for Germany, the family has special priveleges in Terezin. Inge is able to stay with her mother and father, instead of being separated. However, the family is still fighting for survival, just like every other family in the camp.

Miraculously, Inge and her parents survive the Holocaust in Terezin. They live to be liberated and to start a new life in the United States after the war. This is one of few stories about the Holocaust with a relatively happy ending.

I liked that there was so much history included in this story. It isn't only Inge's story, but the story of the Holocaust in general. She tells of Hitler's rise to power and the other things that were going on right before she was sent to the concentration camp. I didn't like the inclusion of the poetry in the book. I felt like it broke up the flow of the story, because it often was in the middle of a page where the narrative was.

I am a Star: Child of the Holocaust.......2007-03-21

This book is a neccesity if you would like to get background on the Holocaust while reading a young girl's journey through it.

deeply moving.......2004-05-27

"deeply moving and true...i cannot think of any book on this topic which i could recommend for this age group as i do this book." -Bruno Bettelheim

Shirley Temple: A Pictorial History of the World's Greatest Child Star

Average customer rating:

A GREAT BOOK
The BEST Shirley Temple book!!!
A beautiful book!
A Little Slice of Heaven
Gorgeous Book

Shirley Temple: A Pictorial History of the World's Greatest Child Star
Rita Dubas
Manufacturer: Applause Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1557836728

Book Description

Shirley Temple was a phenomenon, a child star whose talent and personality earned her a permanent place in Hollywood history. The extraordinary six-year-old entertainer struck a chord with audiences all over the globe. Her career sparked a marketing sensation, spurring the production of anything and everything bearing her image-from dolls to tin whistles-in all corners of the globe, both authorized and unauthorized. Despite the decades-long interest in everything Temple, never before has there been a lavishly illustrated art book examining the phenomenon that was Shirley Temple as a child star in the 1930s. Many of the rare and unusual Shirley Temple collectibles have never been featured in print. Along with an informal, concise history of the childhood career of Ms. Temple (featuring film stills, many never-before-seen photographs, and personal snapshots of Shirley as well as several taken by her), this book is a visual treat befitting the magic of the most famous child star of all time, as well as the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Customer Reviews:

A GREAT BOOK .......2007-08-25

This book couldn't be better! The pictures of Shirley Temple are absolutely gorgeous and they are all throughout the book in both color and black and white from the time she was a baby until her later teen years. If you want pictures of the best child star ever, this is the book to have.

The BEST Shirley Temple book!!!.......2007-02-11

An EXCELLENT book about Shirley Temple full of FANTASTIC photos and history of the greatest child star! Kudos to Rita for a fantastic job!

A beautiful book!.......2007-01-16

This book is a must for anyone who is a Shirley Temple fan. Those not familiar with her work might find it interesting as well. Rita Dubas has done a wonderful job here. The layout is beautiful, showcasing many photos of Shirley (some of which I'd never seen before!) along with oodles of photos of Shirley Temple memorabilia from all over the world.

It's a fascinating glimpse into the world of yesteryear, when a sweet little girl was the most popular star in Hollywood.

A Little Slice of Heaven.......2007-01-10

Representing all the children of the world, Shirley Temple gave us the Silver Screen View of the Divine Child, the closest thing to Heaven. She spoke for us who became aware of her as children, felt our child like feelings and made us feel that no matter the circumstance, Love would conquer all. And we loved her for it. How could anything be wrong when you looked at that Angelic face, with her sparkling eyes and precious dimples. How can you not smile at all those bouncing joyous curls.

She was not just a face on the screen but our friend, our secret playmate. Besides that Shirley grew into a beautiful woman, skipping anything wild or rebellious, always full of grace. She opened her heart to the welfare and humanity of all peoples. Her whole entire life has been about enriching this wonderful world we live in. The ideal child became the ideal role model. However rare that is, her light still shines through, warming every heart, young or old, benefiting every new generation.

This book honors Shirley like no other. Adorable photo after photo, exquisitely designed and written. Rita Dubas treats us with her vast knowledge and love of this tiny star. Rita shares rare collections of past memorabilia, not usually seen in the typical collector books. She displays them, so that your eyes dance over them and you feel lost in a wonderland, not unsimular to the way Shirley makes you feel when watching her movies. All your troubles dissapear for the moments paging though this book . . . . . this tribute. Bravo Rita! Bravo Shirley!

Connie Marshall, Artist

Gorgeous Book.......2006-11-30

This is a gorgeous book by designer/collector Rita Dubas. Breathtaking images presented in such a beautiful fashion. This book does the little legend proud. This is one for your library. Bravo!

Shirley Temple: Child Stars (Blue Banner Biographies)

Average customer rating:

Shirley Temple: Child Stars
A rare biography of the child actress geared to grades 3-4

Shirley Temple: Child Stars (Blue Banner Biographies)
John Bankston
Manufacturer: Mitchell Lane Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1584151722

Book Description

One of the most beloved child actresses of all time, Shirley Temple continues to delight fans of all ages with her timeless classic films. Shirley made her movie debut at the age of three and became a star in the 1934 film Stand Up and Cheer. Her ability to draw an audience to her films some seventy years after they were made speaks volumes for this child star.

Customer Reviews:

Shirley Temple: Child Stars.......2006-02-21

Great book. My 2nd grade daughter used it for her book report and loved it. Great information. An easy read.

A rare biography of the child actress geared to grades 3-4.......2005-01-03

John Bankston's Shirley Temple appeared some time ago but deserves ongoing mention as a rare biography of the child actress geared to grades 3-4. Plenty of books on Shirley reach adult audiences: this 32-page title is a delight for kids who want to read about a notable successful child star. There could be more illustrations, but the value here is the information which is suitable for a report.

Average customer rating:

behind the scenes
Candid and thought provoking
I thought I knew Shirley Temple
only half a biography
Just like me

Child Star: An Autobiography
Shirley Temple Black
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0070055327

Customer Reviews:

behind the scenes.......2007-08-17

This book provides a rare and fascinating look behind the scenes of the Hollywood motion picture industry, including the haphazard way in which "discoveries" were made, the almost ludicrous way decisions were made, etc. Shirley also relates how she was grossly cheated by Twentieth Century Fox by being nailed down to a five-year contract at $150.00 a week when a few weeks later Paramount offered to borrow her from Fox at a salary of $1000.00 per week. She goes on to quote dollars-and-cents amounts to demonstrate how she (or her mother) was repeatedly cheated, how false announcements were issued to the press as to her salary. The careful detail she goes into indicates that she (or some assistant) has done considerable "homework."

Shirley cycles from intra- and inter-studio political maneuvering to financial dealings, to candid details of other stars, to her schooling and her home life, thus keeping the story interesting and appealing to a number of different tastes. Among these are extraordinary events like two assassination attempts, visits to the White House, the governor of Massachusetts carelessly slamming a car door on her hand, etc.

The story gets more horrendous during her adolescent career. While her contract negotiations were going on at MGM, the fourteen-year-old Shirley was treated to sexual advances by the producer of "Wizard of Oz" with promises of stardom if she put out and threats of being washed up if she didn't. Her mother, meanwhile, was being subjected to the same treatment by Louis B. Mayer, the studio boss. Four years later, David O. Selznick pulled the same carrot-and-stick ploy during contract negations with his studio and on another occasion locked his office door and literally chased her around his office. Shirley relates in detail how she escaped from each of these sexual harassments with one glaring exception: a train ride to location shooting of one of her "grown-up" movies. In this case, the producer of "Wizard," now employed by Selznick, tried to r*pe her. This coy ducking of the incident is infuriating. If the r*pe didn't succeed, why does she not recount in detail how she got out of it, the way she does with all the other incidents? He tried to r*pe her again at his home some weeks later and she describes what she did to him to get out of that one.

She recounts how her own father ignored the court order under the Coogan Act and did not deposit any of her earnings in her trust account during her adolescent years (the pictures she made between age 14 and age 20). He had also kept all her childhood earnings (before the Coogan Act). Her father was uneducated but fancied himself a financier and lost all Shirley's money in one way or another. Consequently, out of over three million dollars earned in 19 years of stardom, Shirley Temple was left with only eighty thousand.

At twenty and married for the second time, she relates how she was induced to have a Caesarian at Bethesda Naval Hospital with promises of especially good medical care, how the surgeon botched the operation, then did not call in other physicians for consultation but kept trying to treat the consequences of one mistake after another in order to cover up his mistakes. Shirley almost died. Fortunately, other physicians intervened in time to save her life. On another occasion, a physician misdiagnosed a stomach ache for appendicitis and performed surgery, removing a perfectly healthy appendix.

Candid and thought provoking.......2007-01-19

I borrowed this book from the library because I was reaserching Shirley Temple's background in tap dance. By the time I finished it I had to purchase it and add it to my private research library. There is just so much more in this biography than I ever expected. I guess it's obvious if you think about it, Shirley Temple is a very intelligent person. Part of her talent as a child came from the fact that she has a very high IQ. So the writing in the book displays humor, wisdom, and candor I just had not anticipated. Her ability to memorize lines and deliver them correctly in one take was legendary when she was a child. What maybe less well known is that she is on every top ten list of great tap dancers and she gave the practice up, at least publicly, when she was 20, a time when most dancers are just getting started. I found this autobiography unusual on several fronts: Mrs. Black is very introspective about her parents and grand parents and their relationship to who she became. This is common in biographies, but much less so in autobiographies. She is also candid about unorthodox techniques used to direct her in her early movies, and her likes and dislikes of her various directors and co-stars. As a child she had an unusual capacity for concentration which she brings to bear on her work as a writer and the details of what she recalls. Any child growing up under similar circumstances would find their egos hardboiled. Mrs. Black turns acute perception on the problems of her personality and her use of her own power that are not always complimentary. This is a true expose of what becomes of someone who is both manipulated and praised beyond their own self image. I can only think that it was her unique intelligence that got her through. The National Enquirer is filled with similar stories of the less intelligent. I'm very much looking forward to part II of these chronicles.

I thought I knew Shirley Temple.......2006-02-22

Like many of us, I grew up watching Shirley Temple movies, mostly on television -- no longer in theaters, they were classics in the 50s and early sixties.

I found Ms. Black to be a good writer, clear and concise, and as classy as I expected her to be. No "Mommie Dearest" here, although toward the end she is honest, but not bitter, about how the money she earned for the many, many movies (far more movies than I realized) had never made it to her adulthood as they were legally supposed to. Rather than add bitterness to an already difficult situation, though, she chose to let it go, and move on. Way to go, Shirley. Not sure I could have been so considerate -- but then again, ever the optimist and considering everyone's feelings, she had a family she was not willing to lose, and children who needed their grandparents, and uncles. Nothing was done with malice, at least not by her family. Any greed by the studio and/or government is also allowed to slide as water under the bridge. She worked her heart out, and she loved it, she considered that payment enough. At the time she was able to take that approach, she was in a good place in her life, and felt rich beyond words. Good for her, she earned the right to move forward.

I was appalled at how studio executives treated her as she moved forward in her adult career, as a woman in general, and indeed, as who she was -- an American icon! Sometimes I think there is no level low enough that some men won't stoop to... Again, she mentions it as an annoyance, but "part of the business" she had to learn to deal with. No sexual harassment claims for her -- though she certainly would have been justified!

And how sad I was to read the story of her first marriage, and how she is also able to rise above that without the recriminations of so many others who have lived with the nightmares she describes. Angelic is the only way to describe her.

But the accomplishments! I can't wait to read the second part of this autobiography, that I see listed in amazon.com's catalog. I had no idea what an accomplished woman Shirley Temple Black is -- probably the most accomplished woman in American history! The "About the Author" piece in the back of the book just blew me away! And in all my years of feminist study, nobody mentions Shirley Temple Black...I wonder why? Because she was a movie star (with a filmography that apologizes to no one!)? Because she took her husband's name? Because she loved being a homemaker and taking care of her children? Fal-de-ral and fiddle-dee-dee!

Yes, she was appointed as Ambassador to Ghana by President Gerald R. Ford in 1974, and many people know that; but among many, many other accomplishments in this arena she was later appointed Ambassador and U.S. Chief of Protocol, the first woman in U.S. history to hold this position. Where is her work? I want to read her work!

I am astounded at our ignorance about this woman who traveled the journey from the depression through Word War II and beyond spreading grace, charm and joy everywhere she went. I wish she had said more about the war, and her take on the holocaust and the Nazis, but I'm not surprised she didn't bring it up. It's not in her nature to focus on the negative. Leave that to women like me.

Shirley Temple, I salute you!

only half a biography.......2004-06-09

I read this book because I was interested in learning about Shirley's political and ambasodorial roles. I read the entire book only to find the story finishing in 1954. The notes at the end said that shirley was working on the second instalment of her biography, and seeing as that was in 1988, I can only guess that she would have completed it by now - but it appears never have made it to publication. I was very disappointed that the biography only covered her life as a childhood star and then as a wife and mother. So I would hesitate to recommend the book as it is only half a biography, and would suit fans of the silver screen only.

Just like me.......2003-03-20

When I first read the book from our local library I thought it was going to be another boring life story like all the others I have read, little did I know that this one was going to be something special.
After I read it, I sank back on my bed and said out loud "THIS IS JUST LIKE MY LIFE".
I was also a younge star on stage as a child and then one moment it was taken away from me because I was no longer cute or babyish.
This is why I had buy the book to remind me of who I am and never give up.
Thank you Shirley Temple Black for a real outlook on life.

They Still Call Me Junior: Autobiography of a Child Star; With a Filmography

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They Still Call Me Junior: Autobiography of a Child Star; With a Filmography
Frank Coghlan
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 089950762X

Book Description

Once called the "perfect example of a homeless waif" by director Cecil B. DeMille, Junior Coghlan has been acting in movies for over 70 years. Perhaps best remembered for his role as Billy Batson in the Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel, he has worked with many of the legends of Hollywood, such as Charlie Chaplin, Mickey Rooney, Jackie Cooper, and Shirley Temple. Also included are the stories of Coghlan's 23-year naval service, where he enlisted as an aviator during World War II and eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Included are the stories of his eight years as the naval liaison on such films as The Caine Mutiny and Mr. Roberts. A filmography traces his career.

Average customer rating:

"Book Sets Facts Straight"
It was ok
I've read it twice
Child Star my Favorite book
To long , but over all , she had a very amazing life .

Child Star
Shirley Temple Black
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446357928

Customer Reviews:

"Book Sets Facts Straight".......2007-09-16

This fine, well written book by Ms.Black sets the facts of her life straight, and reveals the truth of her life as it was lived by her. For example, other books state that her mother tried and tried to get her into the "Little Rascals/Our Gang" comedy shorts produced at the Hal Roach Studios. Shirley states that she recalls no such ploy on her mother's part. Usually, the best books about famous folk, especially movie stars, are those written either by the star themselves ("Child Star", by Shirley Temple Black, "Shelly", and "Shelly 2" by Shelly Winters)or by members of that person's family, such as the books on Sinatra written his daughters Tina and Nancy (I'm still waiting for one by Frank Jr.) for, they're penned by those who lived the life being written about, or by those who lived with the one who's story they're writing.

It was ok.......2007-01-25

I thought this book would be an interesting read, and I was a little disappointed.
The writing style was only mediocre - readable but not fabulous.
Plus for a famous person she had no controversy so that made it a little dull - there were some interesting bits, for example, when she suspected another famous personality of leaking her opinions of her movies to the press. Plus a few others including her difficult times at school and financial abuse by her father...but

This book was another skillful dodge of controversy by Shirley Temple Black, I think this book would've been better if she had written from the heart and given her opinions instead of just reciting events chronologically. You know - the dirt, maybe the book she is currently working on will have more of that sort of stuff ;)

I've read it twice.......2000-02-19

I've always loved and admired Shirley Temple. Her life is fascinating and I especially enjoyed reading about her days as a child in the studio. This is a must-read book for Shirley Temple fans.

Child Star my Favorite book.......2000-02-02

I think this was a wonderful book, it is great for Shirley Temple fans and for those who know nothing about her! It is filled with facinating stories that will be interesting to all! Some say it is long and, yes I guess thats true but, after reading it most people still want to know more!

To long , but over all , she had a very amazing life ........1999-10-09

I am now reading this book for a report , and some horrible things have happened to her , but I thought her life was very interesting . But then again I admire Shirley Temple Black for everything she has done .

Average customer rating:

Child Star-An Autobiography

Manufacturer: McGraw Hillq
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HZ4HJ8

What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star

Average customer rating:

Fascinating
Supreme Child Star of Silent Screen Writes Her Own Story

What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star
Diana Serra Cary
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Hollywood's Children: An Inside Account of the Child Star Era

ASIN: 0312147600

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating.......2001-10-24

This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. Diana Serra Cary was well known in the 1920's as Baby Peggy.This is her story. Beginning with her discovery while visiting a movie studio with her Mother and older sister, this book shows how a child not yet 2 years old becomes the family bread winner. It also lends insight into the unscrupulous abuse of children and animals in the motion picture industry. This book will move you to tears as you follow along this child stars life until she comes full circle to find the childhood that was once destroyed in show business.

Supreme Child Star of Silent Screen Writes Her Own Story.......1999-10-14

This book was a big surprise, probably the best and most intimate story of an ex-child star. Baby Peggy was indisputably the top child actress in movie during the 1920's, the Shirley Temple of the silent screen (Shirley even remade some of her films.) Her stardom was naturally short-lived and Miss Cary quickly went from everybody's darling to "who?" Her lack of bitterness is remarkable and her outstanding writer's instincts give us a clearer picture of the life of a fallen ex-child star than we have ever had before. She writes beautifully (also the author of two other notable books) and deserves credit for bringing her often painful personal story to light. Most eyeopening for me was a rare look at how some of the powerful of Hollywood treat "nobodies" (which included the post-teenage Baby Peggy.) John Ford, Cecil B. DeMille, Hal Roach, Adela Rogers St. John - all written about in admirable prose by most journalists; here we get a new view when the press is away and the mighty abuse their power or either show a complete lack of concern for the extras and others who are viewed as of no more value than "a used Dixie cup" as Ms. Cary puts it. She also notes the struggles of other ex-child stars including Spanky McFarland and Darla Hood. Happily, after years of personal struggle Ms. Cary found happiness in a second marriage and a career as a writer. This is a book every person who ever thought of making a couple of bucks getting their kids into show business should read first.

$Searching For Friday\'s Child$
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Touching and True
Sister searches for brother
A family's quest to ascertain the status of a WWII POW
Riverting and sentimental
Riverting and sentimental

Searching For Friday\'s Child
Marjorie Irish Randell
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1553694953
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Product Description

"Searching for Friday\'s Child" chronicles the life of a young heroic soldier, his early life, duty in the Philippine Islands, on Bataan, Corregidor, and life as a Japanese POW during World War II, as told by letters, telegrams, the words of his close friends and those of his sister, the author.

Customer Reviews:

Touching and True.......2007-02-10

Howard "Jack" Irish was born to Michigan farm life. His family was close, his friends were true. He was a 4H lad, strong and faithful. He went to college, joined the ROTC and was drafted after he graduated in May of 1941. He was commissioned a lieutenant after training and sent to the Philippines. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December and all of a sudden Jack's sweet duty in the tropics evaporated like steam on hot pavement.

Jack saw action on Corrigador before he was captured by the Japanese. He endured life as a POW as well as anybody could, but sadly he lost his life in September of 1944, while being transported along with 749 other prisoners of war on the Japanese freighter Shinyo Maru. The Shinyo Maru was torpedoed by the USS Paddle. The sub's commander had no way of knowing the POWs were on board.

It all happened so long ago, but Marjorie makes it seem like only yesterday, so timeless is her writing. Jack was her brother and she lovingly tells this story through the numerous letters written by Jack to his family and friends before the war, the all to brief correspondence between Jack and his family after his family discovers he has been taken prisoner and the volume of letters between Jack's mother and different officials as she relentlessly sought to find out what happened to her son.

This book is so well crafted that at times it seemed as if I was reading a novel as I read the night away. I should have read the book long ago and I'm ashamed to say that that I did not, for you see, Marjorie's Uncle Ray was my grandfather. So many of the characters in her book have passed away, as has my father, Jack's cousin, who fortunately survived the war. Soon all the people from that time will have passed this mortal coil, but thanks to people like Marjorie Randall, who can tell a story without making it seem like dry history, there will be those of us left behind who remember.

Sister searches for brother.......2003-06-08

I just finished reading Searching for Friday's Child for the second time. Each time I couldn't put it down until I finished.
Searching for Friday's Child is more than a portrait of an intelligent sensitive young man, it is a book about warm human relationships. Although Jack, a prisoner of war being transported from one Philippine Island to another or perhaps to Japan by the Japanese aboard the Shinyu Maru, died in his early twenties (a result of the torpedoing of the Shinyu Maru by an American submarine toward the end of Second World War), he lives in this book! It is clear from his letters to his family, his girlfriend and to his friends that we all lost a person who had much to offer to those he loved and cared about and to society.
Jack's words, through his letters, show us that he had a gift for writing and storytelling, as does the author, his younger sister. Searching for Friday's Child tells us of the author's emotional journey to find her brother, to discover things about him she hadn't known before, on an intimate level that I haven't found in any other memoir, autobiography or biography about the courageous soldiers of World War II. I highly recommend this book.
Nancy Sampson, Woodbridge, VA

A family's quest to ascertain the status of a WWII POW.......2003-03-29

I read this book in the past few days, only days after the beginning of America's 3/03 war with Iraq, which may be a partial explanation of why I found "Searching for Friday's Child" such a compelling read.

The book begins with the author's recollection of growing up on a Michigan farm, with her parents, and her brother, "Jack", four years her senior. We are then provided with copies of her brother's letters to home, and to his girlfriend, while he attends Michigan State College, when he is called into the Army Air Corps, from bootcamp, then when he is sent to the Philippines only months prior to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 and Japan's simultaneous attack on the Philippines.

As of 12/7/41, the letters from Jack stop, and we are treated with reply letters to Jack's family from U.S. military, the Red Cross, etc., as the family is desparately trying to find out what's happened to Jack, with the advent of the US/Japanese war. Subsequently, the family learns Jack is a POW in the Philippines, but they cannot find out how he is, whether he is alive, healthy, or been a victim of the myriad of attrocities committed by the Japanese solders in the Philippines upon our servicemen, as well as the Filipinos.

Jack's family is advised of the POW camp within which Jack is held, and advised they should continue to write Jack as he may receive their letters. They do continue to write, but have no way of ascertaining if Jack is receiving any of their letters. After several months, they receive the first of about four "postcards" from Jack, from the POW camp, but these tell little of Jack, as little can be said due to censorship by his captors.

Ultimately, the family is informed that Jack was aboard a Japanese ship, one of 750 POWs being transported in September 1944 by the Japanese to another island, or perhaps Japan, that on September 7, 1944, that ship is torpedoed by the US during which 83 POW's swim to shore and are rescued by Filipinos, and ultimately returned to the US. Unfortunately, Jack was not one of the lucky ones. Thereafter, he is listed as Missing In Action(MIA), and again the family has no way of knowing if Jack is alive or dead, whether he drowned, was shot by the Japanese, who were murdering all visible POWs after the torpedo struck, or whether he somehow survived.

We are then treated to many letters from several surviving POWs, some who knew Jack, were his friends at the POW camp.

This is a wonderful historical account of a family's desparate, yet compassionate, attempts to try to find out about Jack's well-being, his life during those years, anything to fill the gaps. It begins primarily with the efforts of Jack's mother, but is continued with those of the author, his younger sister, efforts which continued all the way up the late 1990's, over fifty years after WWII.

We are treated to the insights of several POW's, their own accounts of life in a Japanese POW camp, their accounts of life with Jack, Jack's excellent accomplishments in the Army Air Corps, his unique skills with operating anti-aircraft artillery, his command's success is shooting down 15 Japanese aircraft, which as I recall, was a record during the war.

By the time one completes Searching for Friday's Child, one feels one knows Jack Irish, his mother, father, and certainly his sister, the author, she who joined the U.S. Marines Reserves during WWII. One is certainly treated to a wonderful account of a close-knit family's quest during unimaginable times of the tragedies of war.

This is a wonderful read. I highly recommend it.

Regards,

Frank Rankin
Sacramento, CA

Riverting and sentimental.......2003-01-12

Marjorie Randell's recollection of her life growing up in a close-knit family on a Michigan farm, and her subsequent heartbreak of losing her brother and the search for meaning in his death is both sentimental and memorable. She captures the innocence of the mid-West that was torn apart as her brother, and other small town boys, were thrust into the horrors of war. The story shifts with her brothers letters - both from his service days, and then more harrowing,when he was a POW. Through his letters, we see a boy turn into a man, and at age 23, we see how his death aboard a Japanese war ship at the hands of American bombers brought agony and questions to a family back home. Sweet recollections of an innocent time lost, and the loyalty of a sister that looks for answers, even 60 years later.

Riverting and sentimental.......2003-01-12

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