Book Description
This is absolutely the best fighter pilot memoir of World War II. Pierre Closterman was a Free French fighter ace and his account of the air war over Britain and France has justly become famous. It contains everything one could wish for: wonderfully observed descriptions of wartime Britain, frighteningly evocative stories of in-the-cockpit action, an amazing cast of characters, and all the drama and bravery of a man fighting a desperate war thousands of feet above the ground. An undeniable classic and a true page-turner.
Customer Reviews:
You will smell the cordite.......2007-07-10
Clostermann's account of the air war in Europe is one of the best I've ever read -- almost as good as Wellum's "First Light." Clostermann's writing is vibrant, the level of detail is astounding, and his ability to put you "in the cockpit" during those harrowing days is really unparalleled. Highly recommended.
My only complaint, and what robbed the book of a fifth star in my humble opinion, is that Clostermann's transparent anti-American agenda is pursued at every turn, without any perspective or sense of balance. For example (a) his (arguably fair) criticism of French civilian deaths at the hands of American bombers is devoid of any similar reference to Bomber Command's exploits in the intentional area bombing of German civilians; (b) friendly fire events actually appear at every turn in his narrative, but the Americans are singled out for special criticism on that point, for no apparent reason other than bias; and (c) Clostermann claims at one point, without any evidentiary basis whatsoever, that a directive about "proper" targets in the theater was ignored only by the Americans.
Indeed, at times one detects Clostermann's generic distaste even for some of the Brits in the RAF! I was left wondering whether Clostermann was "projecting" in an effort to avoid discussion of the frankly shameful conduct of so many Frenchmen during the war.
But all that is, in the end, a small bone to pick. Certainly Clostermann himself was not among the group of disgraced Frenchmen. His devotion to duty, skill, and courage -- characteristics shared by many of the Free French pilots -- can't be doubted. Moreover, his frank discussions of his own fear, and the effects on his flying, give this narrative an authentic feel. This is a very good book.
Just buy this book.......2006-09-24
Along with Heinz Knocke's 'I Flew for the Fuhrer' an absolutely outstanding aviation read. Like others here the original edition I had inherited was almost worn thin. I was delighted to read the 'extra bits' as I could probably almost recite the old one! Particularly poignant were the comments regarding Tempests being attacked by US fighters and the description of the 262's arriving to surrender on Clostermann's airfield in 1945. This book simply cannot be recommended enough.
PS:I would suggest along with 'I Flew for the Fuhrer' that an excellent companion read is Eric Brown's 'Wings of the Luftwaffe' - an RAF technical pilot who offers unbiased opinions on Luftwaffe aircraft.
PPS: Regarding the -D9/Ta152 comments above. I believe old Clo-Clo is technically correct!
Still Riveting After All These Years.......2006-04-15
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Pierre Closterman died on March 22, 2006. News of his death prompted me to go back to my father's bookcase and pull out 'The Big Show'. It was just as exhilarating a read as I remmeber as a kid in the 70's
Closterman uses wondefully evocative language in decscribing events in the air over Europe in WWII. Full of action and a 'vital elan' that was unfortunately in short supply among Frenchmen in the 30's and 40's. Some drawbacks to the book are an uneccessary snobbish attitude towards the Americans and Brits as well as minimizing of some of his own failures (the most critical being the lack of air discipline that led him to fail to support his wingman, Mouchette, that led to his companion's death). But such is the nature of autobiographies.
But well worth the hours spent to read this gripping account of one man's war.
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The finest fighter pilot narrative of World War Two.......2005-10-17
What a pleasure to have a new edition of this marvelously evocative book available! This is the first time that it has been presented in its entirety and the additions only increase the book's value as a window into the world of the combat aviator.
The book was originally written shortly after the war and as a result there is an immediacy about it that is, at times, electrifying. It was an international best seller and deservedly so, highlighting the career of a fighter pilot who started flying combat on Spitfires and ended up in Tempests. For many years it was the only book that dealt with combat action in the Tempest, a beautiful and powerful warplane introduced late in the war to combat the V1 and the new German jets. The original edition has some minor errors in it, but the descriptions of the missions were just outstanding! The swirl of the dogfights, the dives into flak, dealing with zero visibility weather, the victories recounted in detail, the losses of friends recalled with a warrior's stoicism, this fine book set a standard that has only been approached by other works.
As V. M. Yeates WINGED VICTORY was the finest First World War fighter pilot book, THE BIG SHOW is the second war's. Yeates told his story as a novel based on his experiences as a Sopwith Camel pilot on the Western Front, but the latter book, while reading like a novel, has the extra advantage of being true.
Pierre Clostermann wrote two other books, but his first book was his finest and cannot be recommended highly enough. To read it is to find in its pages what it was like for young men to fly and fight in the hostile skies of Europe in what has come to be known as "the good war."
Marvellous written, but full of strange "facts"..........2004-11-13
This book is a page turner. It's amazingly exciting and you will feel like you're into the cockpit of Spitfires and, later, Tempests. But some strong issues arise...
First of all, the number of victories by Clostermann. He says he had 33. RAF official claims put him wuth "only" eleven! A great, very GREAT discrepancy;
Second, a lot of facts are simply untrue. He says, about Walter Nowotny's death, that the German ace was a long foe of him. Goosh, ALL of Nowotny's victories were obtained on the Eastern Front, save on or two pairs, while he was flying an experimental Me-262 unit in Western Europe!
Anyway, it's very good book.
Amazon.com
ESPN, the network that revolutionized the way we watch sports, has long been associated with terrific sports reporting. And no hour on ESPN is more popular than SportsCenter, a.k.a. "The Big Show." With their typical wise-guy flair, the celebrated tandem of cohosts, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, offer a comedic, behind-the-scenes look at what makes SportsCenter tick. Chapters titled "Bill Buckner--What Happened?," "How to Be a Sportscaster When You Grow Up," and "Put Your Baseball Cards in Your Bicycle Spokes, Now!" are widely regarded as the three most compelling and astutely researched chapters in the sportswriting canon. Learn the true origins of the expressions "en fuego," "Niedermeyer: Dead!," and "Detlef Schrempf!" in the glossary of terms, find out who makes their "Twenty-One Top Ten Athletes" list, and discover the real reason why Patrick held Bill Murray's hand at the ESPYs.--D.G. McDonald
Customer Reviews:
hilarious.......2001-11-27
A book about the show that revolutionized the sports tv show by the two guys who were the stars of the show. Funniest section is where they talk about those little catch-phrases everyone gets stuck in their head. You know like, "from way downtown...bang!!" and "he put the biscuit in the basket". Hilarious!!
En Fuego Doesn't Start With 'N'.......2000-06-03
You'll have to read the book to truly appreciate the title of my review. Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman were incredibly great together on air, and they continue this trend with The Big Show.
Not only is this book hilariously funny (two different fonts was pure genius), but it gives you an incredibly in-depth look at the behind-the-scenes making of the greatest sports' news show on television. Yes, today most of topics in the book are outdated, but you can still relate to the athletes they discuss.
The authors also share their totally different stories of their respective rises to the top, as well as discussing larger sports' stories that have been well documented in the news. In doing so, they use easy-flowing descriptive language, intertwined with their vast knowledge of sports on the whole. This funny and insightful book is a must read for all sports fans.
The best thing since sliced bread.......1999-11-10
Keith Olberman and Dan Patrick truly speak from the heart and give their inside approach to what they think of the sports industry. I've already recomended it to some of my friends and they love it also so BUY THIS NOW!
This audio-book is simply "en fuego".......1998-10-21
I bought the audio version of Keith and Dan's book in addition to the printed version. While the book contains a lot more material than the tapes, it's great to listen to Keith and Dan banter back and forth for three hours. Take this one in the car with you on long trips--it will definitely make the trip more interesting. This ia a must-have for any true Olbermaniac (like myself.)
An entertaining look at 2 of the best sportscasters on tv........1998-07-08
This is one of those books that, becuase of Dan and Keith's style of delivery, is better heard than read. Both were very accurate in their rebuke of the baseball hall of fame selection process. The 3rd top 10 list was a little boring. Overall the book is very entertaiing.
Average customer rating:
- A lot more varied than you might guess
|
Frank Sinatra and Friends : 60 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows
Radio Spirits
Manufacturer: Radio Spirits
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
 Music
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Vocal Jazz General
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ASIN: 1570192030
Release Date: 2000-07-11 |
Book Description
Frank Sinatra is widely acclaimed as "the Voice of the Century". Though he later conquered recordings, films and television, it was radio that first made "ol'Blue Eyes" a susperstar. Radio Spirits proudly presents the classic radio shows that introduced the world to "the greatest male vocalist in the history of popular music".
Customer Reviews:
A lot more varied than you might guess.......2000-08-16
<60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows Starring Frank Sinatra and Friends> is a monumental memorial to a showbiz phenomenon. Radio Spirits has issued this collection in two formats: 20 audio cassettes each holding 90 minutes of material (usually 3 half-hour shows) and 30 CDs each holding 60 minutes. This last is an improvement over other tape/CD issues in which the latter had to be abridged to fit in the shows what the corresponding tape could easily hold without cuts.
Some of the shows here have only a fleeting visit by Sinatra, others have him in short sketches, still others as co-star, and a few as the star himself. For example, he plays a major role when guesting on a Burns &Allen Show but is the star of his own series, "Rocky Fortune," of which this collection offers four episodes. These episodes, by the way, are a good example of Sinatra in his bad years after MGM fired him because of an unfortunate remark he made about the studio head's mistress. They work very well as light comedy mysteries but certainly do not call for any great acting skills. At his nadir, he substituted for Bill Stern in the Sports Newsreel series and did a very good job as narrator.
He is heard in several dramatic roles in "Suspense" and "Lux Radio Theater," and a good deal of jokes are made about his possibly receiving and later his actually receiving an Academy Award for his role in "From Here to Eternity." Included in his many comic guest spots with Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, Joan Davis, and Martin & Lewis are endless "skinny" jokes, none of which seem to be repeated except possibly the one about being buried in the back yard by the family dog.
Naturally, you will hear a good deal of his vocalizing, once even with Lou Costello, and that is pretty much the raison d'etre of this collection. And if you have to listen to "Nancy With the Laughing Face" three times, well that is what fathers are for.
The question is whether to purchase the tapes or CDs. I have both. I heard all the tapes in my car and will use the CDs for my classes because of the direct access feature. However the CDs are packaged in such a way that you must touch the surfaces in removing them from their plastic envelopes--and drivers should take note that you need two hands to do so.
As a postscript, I should add that you don't have to be a particular fan of Sinatra to enjoy this collection. You get "A Date With Judy," "Command Performance," "Life With Luigi," a "Savings Bond Show," and so many other radio gems that still linger in the memories of us older crowd--and some that would be totally forgotten were it not for such Radio Spirit compilations as this one.
Customer Reviews:
Radke's Promtion book is a must read for authors!.......2004-08-18
I am so glad I read your book. You explained things I needed to know and corrected things I thought I knew. Most important, your book helped me develop and refine the marketing plan that I am now implementing for my newest book.
I have been authoring materials and involved in media (producing and hosting radio & TV) for more than 20 years. After reading your outstanding resource for small publishers, I am changing the way I do things. Thank you for taking the time to compile your book and make these materials available to help others. My work will be more effective because of your work.
Highly Recommended.......2000-12-21
As an author, I recognize the importance of publicity and promotion; a high priority! Linda is the self-publisher's "Maze Maven." Have a book to promote? You must follow her lead!
Super Step By Step Guide To Promoting Your Book !!.......2000-12-14
If you've just published a book and want to know the ins and outs of promoting it, this 192 page brand new book (2000) can really give you the insight. Writing the work is most demanding, but promoting it properly will spell your success or failure. It's a very fast read with highlighted topics for ready reference. Topics range from: Nuts and Bolts of Publicity, Signings, Publicity and Marketing, Getting Free Publicity, Book Reviews, Television Promotion, Radio Talk Shows, Web Promotion, and much more. A wealth of information to help you get started. Its completely indexed. The emphasis of the work is successful promotion on a small budget. Provides you with the tips of the trade. Worth reading.
solid information, but geared to book authors.......2000-11-07
As a firm believer in truth in marketing, I had mixed feelings about this book. The information it contains is excellent and helpful for authors looking to promote a book, but at the bottom of the front cover it says: "A step-by-step guide to promoting anything from books to businesses." Sorry, that's not accurate. 75% of the book has to do with book promotion only. If you've got another kind of business, choose another book.
Heavy Loaded Book.......2000-10-24
The book stands out as a very good guide for the first time entrepreneur or the self-publisher. Linda Radke both as author and editor presents all the know-how you will need to properly advertise your book or business.
"Promote Like A Pro" consists of two parts. The first one shows how to prepare an excellent marketing plan for your book. And in the second part of the book, contributing experts share their knowledge on marketing and publicity. Publishing experts uncovers us their tips and secrets how to market books.
"Promote Like A Pro" is a must read for anyone wishing to begin a self-publishing promotion. It is very exciting and has many good pointers. Definitely recommended as a way to help successfully promote yourself, your business or your book.
The self-promotion ideas in the Linda Radke's book look quite new and fresh for reader in Russia. I think, nobody in Moscow knows the tips how to promote a book. And I'll try this secret weapon with my next book. Thanks for sharing, Linda!
Amazon.com
When it comes to the Academy Awards®, movie buffs usually have two settings: Oscar fever, and Oscar fatigue. Journalist Steve Pond's book, The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards, is a triumph in that it manages to feed the former while keeping the latter at bay. Pond, a writer for Premiere magazine, was granted unfettered access to the creation and behind-the-curtain world of a decade's worth of Oscar ceremonies (years 1994 to 2004). Until some brilliant reality show producer manages to sneak a camera into the green room, this is as close to an all-access backstage pass as most of us are going to get.
So getting down to brass tacks: the gossip is sort of juicy, though not particularly surprising. Russell Crowe is kind of grumpy. Madonna, told of a last minute change to her musical number, shows that a good diva never takes bad news lying down. Hoop Dreams was robbed (seriously). And ironically, a ceremony that is considered Hollywood's premiere occasion for self-aggrandizement has also tripped up certain careers. (The Uma, Oprah fallout may still be haunting Letterman.) Most of all, The Big Show is a model of efficiency; it summarizes 10 ceremonies in the time it usually takes you to sit through one. --Leah Weathersby
Book Description
An unprecedented look at the machinations behind everyone's favorite Hollywood circus and what it reveals about the business of moviemaking.
Oscar parties. Oscar pools. Oscar style. Oscar predictions. The Oscars breed their own peculiar mania and a billion people worldwide are alleged to watch the broadcast every year. While that figure may be the Academy's big white lie, the Oscars draw a viewership well into the hundreds of millions--a tremendous audience for what is essentially a television program. But this is no ordinary show. Love it or loathe it, the Oscars are an irresistible spectacle: a gloriously gaudy, glitzy, momentous, and foolish window into the unholy alliance of art and commerce that is the film industry. The Oscar statuette is a totem of such potency that millions are spent and careers laid on the line in the reckless pursuit of an eight-pound chunk of gold-plated britannium.
The Big Show is a chronicle of the past fifteen years of the Academy Awards, the most tumultuous decade in Oscar's seventy-six year history. Written by the only journalist ever given carte blanche access to the planning, production, and backstage intrigue of the Oscars, it offers an unguarded, behind-the-scenes glimpse of this singular event, along with remarkable insight into how the Oscars reflect the high-stakes politics of Hollywood, our obsession with celebrities (not to mention celebrities' obsession with themselves), and the cinematic state of the union.
Customer Reviews:
Tension and Ego.......2006-08-14
"The Big Show" is a great read for movie (I am) and/or Academy Award (I am not) buffs. Pond provides a detailed backstage look at the "modern Oscars" over one decade, an era that began with the 66th Academy Awards in 1994.
Pond spares no punches as he reports on the show's complexity, the tension between the broadcast network and the Academy, the Academy and the show's producer, the show's producer and the show's public host, and the various talent guilds.
Stories of the people, not only behind the scenes, but also those with public faces (producers, directors, and stars), make the best reading. Readers will be treated to snippets that will certainly reshape their opinion of celebrity and Hollywood.
This most certainly was a "must read" in the movie industry after its publication.
Interesting, but slipshod.......2006-03-26
I would've enjoyed this book more if it had been fact checked a little more diligently. It claims 'Billy Elliot' was nominated for a single award, when it actually received three nominations, and says the last time a sweep occured before 'LOTR: Return of the King' was 'Gigi' in 1958, when in fact it was 1987's 'The Last Emperor'.
If it can get details like this wrong, it's easy to believe that other, less checkable, stories might be false as well.
Entertaining light read..........2006-03-16
Depressed about just how bad the Oscars were this year? I was, and this book has done its bit to cheer me right up. It's easy to forget just how often grandiose movies win Oscars over more artistically skilled ones. In this we get eleven years' worth of behind the scenes info, allowing a nice recreation of Oscar nights 1994-2004. Each chapter covers a year, starting first with a brief history of the Oscars, and then starting in full with the year "Schindler's List" won. It goes on, chapter by chapter, until the year "Lord of Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" swept in 2004.
It's full of moments like this: in 2000 Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston chat with Catharine Keener, who has just lost Best Supporting Actress to Angelina Jolie. Meanwhile, last year's Best Actress winner Gwyneth Paltrow is ducking out of the way to avoid seeing ex-boyfriend Pitt.
And, yet, this still feels like light journalism. I suspect there is much more to Oscar night than this. Annie Proux has recently written about the prevalence of a certain "soda pop" (wink, wink) that is no where mentioned here. And how about what people really think of certain winners? Pond may have a backstage pass, but he's not an insider in the true sense of the word. We get all the phony congratulations going back and forth, how about what the stars say when they think no one is listening?
Another warning: because this is a book about the Oscar show, there is a a lot of detail (too much, in my opinion) about rehearsals for musical numbers. A little of that goes a long way.
Overall, this is an entertaining light read perfect for those who can't get enough of Oscar info.
interesting material, interesting writing, short on fotos/ dish.......2005-08-10
I got what I expected, inside stories about the 90s Oscar shows (a period I was REALLY into movies). Also the inside hall & party workings, pretty good stuff.
For every fan of Oscar........2005-03-26
Steve Pond's "The Big Show" belongs on the bookshelf of everyone with any interest in the Academy Awards.
I've read pretty much all the books on the Oscars, and this is one that really doesn't compare to any other. Most of what I was reading here I was hearing for the first time. This books complements every other account of the show, because this is the first book to actually tell the story about the show itself, not the movies or stars.
Trust me when I say you have no idea how incredibly difficult it is to put this television show together. Unless, of course, you've been there.
It's surprisingly well written; it's a easy fast read.
It's gossipy, but pleasantly so, and often funnier than all get out.
My favorite Oscar book is still "Inside Oscar" (the first one...as the second is a bit more vitriolic and less, oh, affectionate...) but THAT book and THIS book are the only ones I will read more than once. "Inside Oscar" gives us an account of the year in film, and then goes through the telecast, followed by events that happened in the weeks to months after the show. Here, you get that crucial few days right before the show, and then all the fascinating details surrounding what you actually saw on TV. They're a perfect fit.
Each chapter is a year, covering the process of putting on the Oscar telecast: how are the seat-fillers handled; who makes those decisions for those horrible dance pieces; how much thought is put into set design (a lot, but not all the time...)...the stories behind the rehearsals I found to be the most interesting of all.
This period covers the switch from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion shows/Shrine shows to the Kodak Theater. Having a permanent "home" now seems like such an obvious idea, but it clearly wasn't.
I discovered things about certain stars that surprised me. I will leave you to discover them, but suffice to say, there's a story involving Celine Dion which made me respect her in ways I would have never imagined (although her music still makes me itch).
I loved the insight into each host...so many things are known about them, yet this book assumes that. It assumes that the reader already has a healthy knowledge about Hollywood and film, and gives you the stuff you probably don't know.
THAT'S why I love this book!
Average customer rating:
- A fun tale of bugs and hidden abilities
- Bugsapalooza!!
- Girly Girl Ends Up Liking Bugs!!!
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Big Bug Surprise
Julia Gran
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Fiction
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Sam's Winter Hat
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Green as a Bean
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The Snake Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series)
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Well Done, Worm!: Brand New Readers
ASIN: 0439676096 |
Book Description
Prunella loves bugs. She's always eager to share her bug knowledge, even if others don't always want to listen. So she's aflutter to shine the spotlight on one of her favorite bugs at show-and-tell. On the big day, though, Prunella's plan is squashed when a swarm of bees invades her classroom! Luckily, Prunella has an idea. And like a true queen, she leads the bees safely to a new hive. Her teacher is impressed! Her classmates cheer! But what does Prunella do? She shares more bug facts, of course, and her audience couldn't beeeee more delighted.
Customer Reviews:
A fun tale of bugs and hidden abilities.......2007-09-07
Julia Gran's BIG BUG SURPRISE tells of Prunella, who is eager to share her big bug surprise at show and tell. But a bigger bug surprise awaits the classroom and sends her teacher and classmates into a frenzy. Can Prunella's bug knowledge save the day? A fun tale of bugs and hidden abilities will delight young picturebook readers and libraries catering to them.
Bugsapalooza!!.......2007-03-04
Prunella, the protagonist of Julia Gran's compelling Big Bug Surprise is from her antennae like braids and big bug eyes down to her black and yellow bee's knees stockings, all bug. In case the reader missed the point, Gran gives us a look at her room which among other bug wonders contains an ant farm, a bee clock and mobile, a poster of a wasp ala da Vinci, and a grasshopper sculpture of The Thinker that would have made Rodin proud. The one fly in the ointment however is Prunella's total inability to interest the adult world in her bug universe. Neither her parents, the school bus driver, nor her teacher at school have any time for Prunella's passion. Her entreaties to peak their curiosity all end with the grown up intoning, " Not now, Prunella". She on the other hand persists and when it is "show and tell" day at school it is as predictable as ants at a picnic what life form she'll bring.
The members of the supporting cast in this small volume could each be the protagonist of her own book. Ms. Mantis the school teacher is all pointy elbows and nose to go along with her nettlesome personality. The bees in the story are always smiling and seem quite contented with their sweet centered existence. A wonderful spider who appears on each page is Prunella's trusty side kick much as Beaker is with his muppet pal Dr. Bunsen Honeydew.
The action virtually bounces off the pages of this fine tightly woven tale whose moral is the benefit of following one's own bliss. But don't expect me to reveal any more or what the big bug surprise might be. Go get your own copy but please, don't bug me.
Girly Girl Ends Up Liking Bugs!!!.......2007-01-01
This beautifully illustrated book about a little girl who saves the day with her extensive bug knowledge has a very special spread where all the kids in Prunella's classroom are gagging and eee-ewing at Prunella's show-and-tell story about the dung beetle. The response you'll get from little boys and girls when you turn to these pages and read the exclamations with zest is worth every penny you'll spend on this book. I have no doubt that Ms. Gran will become a favorite author of many a preschooler for years to come!
Amazon.com
If your goal is a Pulitzer, don't look here. But if your aspirations include wealth, bestsellerdom, and an appearance on Oprah®, You Can Make It Big Writing Books can help. The majority of the book comprises author and literary agent Jeff Herman's profiles of more than 60 topselling authors. While the profiles quickly begin to sound formulaic--the authors all seem to have been asked the exact same questions--there is a lot to learn from this group of confident, successful self-promoters: mainly that writing may be an art form, but, as says Carmen Renee Berry (Girlfriends for Life), "publishing is a business." Some of the best--and funniest--tips come from Ralph Roberts (Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman). Roberts recommends autographing books at every bookstore you can (it makes it more difficult for the store to return them to the publisher) and giving the pilot a copy of your book every time you fly. "It's awesome," says Roberts, "to hear the pilot announce: 'We have Ralph Roberts, the world's greatest salesperson, on board.'"
The final third of the book is devoted to promotional tips from Herman and other specialists. They advise that you write a query letter so good that an agent will feel compelled to call you immediately; make your radio appearances so engrossing that even ice cream in the trunk wouldn't make a listener turn off the car and go inside; and take advantage of America Online's 30-day free trial to promote your book to its members. Of course, divine intervention and that booking on Oprah® wouldn't hurt, either. --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
How would you like to become the next John Gray or Mark Victor Hansen? The enormously successful authors of the bestselling Mars and Venus and Chicken Soup for the Soul books weren't always so famous or prosperous. Just like you, they once only dreamed of making it to the top. How they—and 58 other bestselling writers—made it big is revealed inside, along with the tips you'll need to make it onto the bestseller lists. You'll learn the secrets to:
• Turning a good idea into a bestselling book
• Writing book proposals that will reel in the big advances
• Finding—and keeping—the right agent
• Discovering the best promotional possibilities for you and your book
• And much, much more!
"People always ask me for advice on how to get their books published successfully. Now I can refer them to
You Can Make It Big Writing Books—one of the best reference books on this subject."
—Nelson Demille, author of The General's Daughter
"Don't even think about writing a book until you read this.
Jeff Herman tells it like it is in today's publishing world."
—Arielle Ford, publicist and author
"Conveys what it takes to become a bestselling author: the discipline, the perseverance, the knowledge, and the passion."
—John Gray, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
About the Author
Jeff Herman is the owner of the Jeff Herman Literary Agency, one of New York's leading agencies for writers. He frequently speaks to writer's groups and conferences on the topic of getting published and can be reached at /www.jeffherman.com
Customer Reviews:
How to Make It Big 30 Years Ago.......2002-01-21
This book is a series of questionnaires filled out by successful authors. Many, if not most, have published 10, 20, or 30 bestsellers in the past 10, 20, or 30 years. Over and over the writers say that 30 years ago they did this or they had this bit of luck, which started their career. The Internet, self-publishing, print-on-demand, e-books, etc. are mentioned maybe once in passing, or not at all. What's repeatedly discussed is enduring reams of rejection letters from agents and publishers. I don't know any aspiring writers who worry about that. We're too busy finding ways to sell directly to readers to worry about agents and publishers. This book will give you great insights into what it took to "make it big" in publishing 30 years ago. Don't expect to learn much of use in the 21st century.
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Review by Thomas David Kehoe, author of "Hearts and Minds: How Our Brains Are Hardwired for Relationships"
Invaluable, as usual.......2001-09-02
I read Jeff Herman, Deborah Herman, and Julia DeViller's book voraciously, and following their advice allowed me to finish a proposal I had been stuck on for a long time. I now feel I have an excellent grasp of what I need to do to develop my nonfiction idea and make it as marketable as possible. All of Herman's books are essential for the aspiring writer, and "You Can Make It Big Writing Books" is no exception. I am confident that it will pay for itself a million times over in future book sales! Thanks Hermans and DeVillers!
Thumbs down.......2001-06-21
This book has a misleading title. It will not tell you how to write a best selling novel or even tell you what the editors are looking for. Jeff Herman [if that who is writing; throughout the book there are personal comments, but which of the three authors is making them is anyone's guess] disses fiction which he refers to as "high art" [sort of like "high episcopalian"?]because his agency doesn't sell fiction and never has. If you write non-fiction, then you will enjoy this book, and it will tell you what you have to do to publicize your book. There are any number of essays from various writers, many of them famous, but they are mostly "this is how I did it" stories and while some of them are inspirational, none will help you fashion a high-concept novel. You'll have to go to Albert Zuckerman's book, "Writing the Blockbuster Novel" to learn all about that [and that is one of the best three, the other two being Dwight Swain's "Techniques of the Selling Writer," and Chris Vogler's "The Writers Journey." This book, however, is parading under false pretenses.
Publishing is a Business.......2000-05-31
This book is wonderful. It combines the professional know-how of 60 celebrated American authors. The topselling American authors all seem to have been asked the same questions, and there is a lot to learn from this group of successful self-promoters in the first 220 pages of the book. And in the final third of the book is devoted to promotional tips from top literary agent Jeff Herman and his colleagues.
Every page of "You Can Make It Big Writing Books" has inspiration. But this book is not about writing fine literature. This is about taking a pretty good idea and positioning it for success. This book for those who wants to make big money writing books -- from the basics of drafting a great idea into a marketable book to the specifics of book publishing.
I recommend: don't even think about writing a book until you read "You Can Make It Big Writing Books". This is one of the best reference books on this subject, maybe the next after "How to Be Your Own Literary Agent: The Business of Getting a Book Published" by Richard Curtis. It is a must-have for anyone trying to break into the world of authorship.
THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT!.......2000-03-24
I bought this book after reading the great review from Midwest Book Review and I have to agree, this book is well worth the read. Whether you are an aspiring writer or someone who has already been published, this book seems to have something for everyone. I enjoyed reading about successful authors' experiences and about the inside secrets to geting a book published and then how to make it sell. INSPIRING, INSIGHTFUL, AND A FUN READ!
Book Description
From the revolutionary mind of television's legendary mad genius, a story of money, sex, greed, revenge, murder -- and reality TV
The year is 2012, and as the Most Famous Television Producer in the World is walking down a wintry New York City block, he's accosted by a homeless-looking cripple who, like everyone else, insists he has the formula for the greatest TV show of all time. As it turns out, he does: Contestants will compete for one hundred million dollars. If they win, they're rich. If they lose, they face immediate on-camera execution.
As the Producer begins scheming to steal the idea and revive his fading career, The Big Question introduces the extraordinary characters who will ultimately become the show's contestants -- a brilliantly rendered, Dickensian cast that includes the seventy-something Vera Bundle, with a taste for scotch and encyclopedias; Arthur Durch, a convicted sex offender-turned-relationship therapist; Retta Mae Wagons, a sixteen-year-old prostitute with an IQ of 170 and an ex-con-turned-Muslim fundamentalist boyfriend who doesn't appreciate her; Billy Constable, the Kentucky rube who gets off a bus in New York and promptly finds himself in trouble with the Mob; and Father Brady, the devout Catholic priest with a mortifying secret to hide at any cost. As the first episode is broadcast live in front of millions, the audience, the cast, and the crew behind the scenes do the unthinkable: they sit and watch, rapt and glassy-eyed, as the final contestant left on stage meets an unimaginable fate.
To say The Big Question is a novel of greed and immorality would be putting it lightly. But to read this book without laughing out loud at every page would be impossible. This is more than just a funny book, though. With uncanny precision and razor-sharp wit, the inimitable Chuck Barris reveals the inconceivable lengths to which people will go for those priceless fifteen minutes, the fascination we have with the little black box in our homes -- and the horrifying deeds done in the name of entertainment.
Customer Reviews:
Not about the game, about the contestants.......2007-07-23
The Big Question is a plot vehicle to tell the intertwined stories of about a dozen characters who are desperate, unhappy, or just screwed up enough to try out for a game show where they may be killed. Those that meet do so in the green room at the broadcast. None is particularly likeable but many of them have some decent depth written into them.
It's not about the game, it's about the characters from varying walks of life whose lives have little meaning to them. And the ending delivers.
Barris hits a Bull's Eye with this Sharp Satire .......2007-07-17
There is a lot outrageous humor and genuinely funny moments in Chuck Barris' THE BIG QUESTION, but don't mistake this satirical novel for lightweight entertainment. It is a dark view of American society and human nature using the game show as metaphor. And who better to explore that metaphor than Chuck Barris, one of the great innovators of the game show form. Barris not only knows television, but he also has a gift for creating vivid characters both sympathetic and reprehensible, and THE BIG QUESTION has a big cast. Barris is an author who both entertains and surprises the reader with his deftness in weaving comedy and tragedy together. I found the book to be a compelling page-turner which I could not put down during the final 40 pages as the story came to its shocking conclusion. I read THE BIG QUESTION while on a cruise, so I can highly recommend it as both well-done popular literature and a good vacation read.
Chuckie Babie.......2007-06-06
Chuck Barris is one of the best novelists in America today. I will buy every one of his books.
Fantastic read!.......2007-05-29
I love The Big Question! Mr. Barris has a true talent for story telling and making his characters come to life. There were times, while reading this book, that I laughed out loud.
Chuckie Baby's protest of today's reality TV.......2007-05-26
There's more communication of the book's main point in the Author's Note (which is really an epilogue) than there is in the book itself. Chuck Barris is protesting the vicious, meanspirited nature of today's reality game shows by taking things to the extreme in that gameshow contestants can die if they lose in the final round. The story itself really isn't a rehash of "The Running Man" as some of the reviews say; the concept of a killing gameshow has been around for a long time and usually it's a government sponsored event which this is not--contestants are there completely on their own accord. (For government sponsored death, dystopic books such as "Battle Royale" and short stories such as "The Long Walk" and "The Lottery" come to mind.)
Most of the book is character development told from switching characters' point-of-view per-section with the show itself taking place in the last chapter or two, however some characters do meet interesting and untimely deaths throughout the book. In some ways, this is reminiscent of the big money round in gameshows: the book leads up to the expected payoff which comes and goes extremely quickly with a host of lesser contestants/characters dying off without even a whimper or a care from the audience. Some readers will find this boring, others will "get it". Shakespeare it's not, but it's an entertaining read...well, provided you're not looking for nonstop action.
Book Description
From World Sports Headquarters in historic Bristol, Connecticut, comes the book that's more colorful than Dennis Rodman's hair. Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, the former tag-team partners of ESPN's award winning SportsCenter, mark for the ages their most unforgettable moments, which have transformed the art of sports broadcasting -- bringing what People magazine calls their "Letterman-like loopiness and Koppelesque smarts" to the printed page in THE BIG SHOW
Less expensive (and easier to read) than a big-leaguer's autograph, The Big Show gives you the honest, horrifying, yet always entertaining story of two men, three cameras, and highlights run amok, including:
- How Keith and Dan made The Big Show run slicker than Pat Riley's hair
- The origins of Dan and Keith's patented phrases
- Keith and Dan's on-air flubs -- errors that made Bill Buckner's blunder
seem minor
- Dan and Keith's pantheon of all-time greatest athletes (Okay, who picked Coach Reeves from The White Shadow?)
- And so much more we couldn't -- and wouldn't dare -- mention here!
Customer Reviews:
Great Read and Fun!.......2007-01-10
I got this book thinking that I would read it, but my wife got to it first and she LOVED it! She now understands why I love Sportscenter so much. Highly recommend it.
"Gone...".......2005-08-15
I just saw a Sport Center segment and I pulled this book out. This was the start of something special. All the sportcasters with irreverent comments and phrases...it began in earnest with these two. This was the golden era of Sport Center...
Great insight and I love the phrases. It does read like the stories that those two used to do. The Big Show...Sunday Nights...
...And surprisingly, it ended with grace...remembering Tom Meese.
If you are a fan in any way, shape or form of Sports Center, get this book!
One of the greatest books ever.......2005-03-09
This is easily one of the best books I've ever read. I first bought it back in the mid 90s, and I still pull it out at least once a year if not more to read it again and again. It has everything: It's extremely funny and very informative. I learn something new each time I read it. Olbermann is a baseball genius, his chapter on the 100 players not in the Hall of Fame is amazing. And the arguing between him and Patrick is hilarious. It helps if you are a sports fan, but even if you're not, you will enjoy this book. Great stories, great insight, great humor, great information. What else can you ask for?
More important than The Bible.......2004-09-11
Well, maybe that's stretching it a bit, but I just stumbled across this tome by Messers. Patrick and Olbermann, and I have to say it is a great read for any sports and ESPN buff. Plus, the naked pics of Dan are to die for (just kidding).
This book came out some seven years ago, when Olbermann was still allowed on the grounds at Bristol, but it resonates today because a lot of it holds true. Forget the somewhat dated references to the Macarena, and you'll enjoy it for what it is: two co-workers locked in deadly combat over whether the 1899 Cleveland Spiders deserve mention or not.
Patrick and Olbermann were the anchor for the good times at Sports Center, and they write with absolute candor about their time in bottom-feeding jobs across the country before they fulfilled their destinies as the premier wiseasses for a generation. The "how-to" chapter on becoming a potential sportscastor is rather intimidating, but they offer helpful hints on how to get started (and to have a back-up plan in case it doesn't work out).
But the real meat of the book is the estimation of atheletes over time. Olbermann and Patrick know their sports, and it shows in the lists they compile of "the greatest". Note to the fainthearted: Olbermann's arcane knowledge of nineteenth century baseball is mind-boggling, you may want to take a quick walk outside after poring over the lists.
Patrick and Olbermann may no longer be a team, but their book is a great relic of that time when Sports Center truely was "The Big Show". Pick it up today, and you'll never put it down.
The book about the most watch tag team.......2002-03-17
The Big Show is the favorite book of mine. It tells us about the tv show, how they got started, and their favorite games watched on tv. I like the baseball players who want to go into the Hall Of Fame. Orlando Cepeda is already in it. I like the book even better.
Customer Reviews:
Henry Reed's Big Show.......2002-02-25
This is the fourth book in the Henry Reed series.
In this book, Henry Reed returns to rural New Jersey for his third summer with his aunt and uncle. Each summer, Henry and his friend and partner-in-chicanery, Midge Glass, embark on a business scheme that results in humorous twists and moderately successful outcomes.
This summer, Henry and Midge want to produce some sort of entertainment show, but when a music festival and medieval tournament prove to have insurmountable obstacles, they settle on a rodeo. New Jersey being fresh out of stallions and bulls, they improvise and settle on sheep-roping and Sardinian donkey-riding. As always, there is an unexpected funny disaster, but a happy outcome.
Like the previous three books, Henry Reed's Big Show is entertaining and completely G-rated. The writing is compelling and through Henry, who lives overseas during the school year, the author passes along obscure facts about the world interesting to children and adults alike.
The downside, unfortunately, is these stories occur in a world that no longer exists. I grew up in an area of New Jersey close to the fictional Grovers Corner in which these books are based, and the rural idyll is long-gone, replaced by shopping malls and developments of McMansions. Similarly, it is hard to imagine today's young teens relating to the two characters whose activities, while hair-brained, are squeaky-clean and occuring without the presence of TV, the Internet, etc.
I highly recommend this and the other Henry Reed books in the series to children aged 10 and up. There is no objectionable material for a parent to be concerned about, but the cultural world in which the story is set may cause confusion.
Books:
- The Complete Book of Fly Fishing
- The Dark Descent
- The Dark Is Rising Sequence: Silver on the Tree; The Grey King; Greenwitch; The Dark Is Rising; and Over Sea, Under Stone
- The Goodenoughs Get in Sync: A Story for Kids about the Tough Day When Filibuster Grabbed Darwin's Rabbit's Foot and the Whole Family Ended Up in the Doghouse--An ... Introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder
- The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and and How All Men Can Help
- The Mental Edge
- The Oak Inside the Acorn
- The Official U.S. Mint 50 State Quarters: Complete 100 Hole Collector's Folder, Complete Collection 1999-2008
- The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide, Completely Revised and Updated with Over 400 New Color Photos and Illustrations (Orvis)
- The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (National Book Award for Young People's Literature (Awards))
Books Index
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Winged Victory
