Judy Garland
Judy Garland

Author: Scott Schechter

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 446

ISBN-13: 1589793005

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This day-by-day account of the legend's life--the first of its kind--succeeds in the daunting task of tracking Judy's myriad professional pursuits, the personal crises she triumphed over, and her many accomplishments. Lavishly illustrated with eighty rare photos, this volume contains new information to enthrall even the most knowledgeable Garland fan. For those just encountering Judy, this book provides the perfect introduction, an engrossing narrative bursting with information: her performance dates, concert set lists, and recording session schedules; the evolving critical reception to her work; the many celebrities that came into contact with and adored Judy, from the Beatles to Elvis to Sinatra; her filming itineraries and guest appearances; excerpts from rare interviews and press conferences; and much more. Here is Judy Garland as never viewed before, in a way that allows readers to see her whole life on a daily basis and come to their own conclusion about what her life was really about. They will encounter a survivor, parent, friend, and one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever known, who overcame one obstacle after another in order to devote forty-five of her forty-seven years to delighting her fans. From her debut performance as a Gumm Sister at age two to her final day, Judy Garland is the definitive chronicle of this remarkable icon.

Willie Mays
Willie Mays

Author: James S. Hirsch

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2010-04-03

Total Pages: 658

ISBN-13: 1439171653

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The New York Times bestselling, authorized, “enormously entertaining and wide-ranging” (The Seattle Times) biography of the late, great Willie Mays. Willie Mays (1931–2024) was arguably the greatest player in baseball history, revered for the passion he brought to the game. He began as a teenager in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was the headliner in Major League Baseball’s bold expansion to California. He was a blend of power, speed, and stylistic bravado that enraptured fans for more than two decades. Author James Hirsch reveals the man behind the player. Mays was a transcendent figure who received standing ovations in enemy stadiums and who, during the turbulent civil rights era, urged understanding and reconciliation. More than his records, his legacy is defined by the pure joy that he brought to fans and the loving memories that have been passed to future generations so they might know the magic and beauty of the game. With meticulous research and drawing on interviews with Mays himself as well as with close friends, family, and teammates, Hirsch presents a brilliant portrait of one of America’s most significant cultural icons.

The Legend of James Dean
The Legend of James Dean

Author: Derek Reeves

Publisher: Archway Publishing

Published: 2024-09-17

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 1665761970

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Legend of James Dean: Demonic Heroes Have Villainous Virtues challenges previously conceived notions about the actor James Dean. Author Derek Reeves argues that Dean was not a rebel against the establishment, and that class conflict, the need to redefine his public image, and a desire to attack Christianity prompted the men who ran the motion picture industry in the 1950s to portray the actor as a rebel against conformity of any kind. Members of the postwar generation embraced Dean as a symbol of rage and rebelliousness because they believed that the thuggish characters he played reflected his essential persona. Dean’s characterization of the tough teenager gave a sense of belonging to misdirected young people, whose adolescent rebellion stemmed from their inability to cope with societal demands during the Eisenhower era. The author’s analysis of Dean’s legend provides rare insight into the actor’s life, viewed from a historical perspective. If you’ve ever wondered what Dean did to earn a star on Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame,” you’ll want to read this book, which shines a spotlight on an American legend who was posthumously nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1956 and 1957.

Stars, Fans, and Consumption in the 1950s
Stars, Fans, and Consumption in the 1950s

Author: Sumiko Higashi

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-12-17

Total Pages: 478

ISBN-13: 113743189X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

As the leading fan magazine in the postwar era, Photoplay constructed female stars as social types who embodied a romantic and leisured California lifestyle. Addressing working- and lower-middle-class readers who were prospering in the first mass consumption society, the magazine published not only publicity stories but also beauty secrets, fashion layouts, interior design tips, recipes, advice columns, and vacation guides. Postwar femininity was constructed in terms of access to commodities in suburban houses as the site of family togetherness. As the decade progressed, however, changing social mores regarding female identity and behavior eroded the relationship between idolized stars and worshipful fans. When the magazine adopted tabloid conventions to report sex scandals like the Debbie-Eddie-Liz affair, stars were demystified and fans became scandalmongers. But the construction of female identity based on goods and performance that resulted in unstable, fragmented selves remains a legacy evident in postmodern culture today.

Chase's Calendar of Events 2017
Chase's Calendar of Events 2017

Author: Editors of Chase's

Publisher: Bernan Press

Published: 2016-09-23

Total Pages: 753

ISBN-13: 1598888595

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Find out what's going on any day of the year, anywhere across the globe! The world’s datebook, Chase's is the definitive day-by-day resource of what America and the wider world are celebrating and commemorating. Founded in 1957 on a reputation for accuracy and comprehensiveness, this annual publication has become the must-have reference used by experts and professionals for more than fifty years. From celebrity birthdays to historical anniversaries, from astronomical phenomena to national awareness days, from award ceremonies and sporting events to religious festivals and carnivals, Chase's is the one-stop shop for everything that is happening now or is worth remembering from the past. The 2017 Edition of Chase's Calendar of Events brings you information about: The 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses The 150th anniversary of the Dominion of Canada The 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution The 100th anniversary of splitting the atom The 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love Frank Lloyd Wright's 150th birth anniversary and much more!

Twelve Feet Tall
Twelve Feet Tall

Author: Tony Ward

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2015-11-19

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1471153576

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Tony Ward's story is a tragedy of a sporting career unfulfilled. Hailed by the Irish media as the new George Best of rugby following his pivotal performance in Munster's stunning 12-0 win over the mighty touring All-Blacks - which in itself is one of the all-time greatest Irish sporting successes - Ward became a giant of Irish sport. His surge to fame portrayed him as Ireland's next glamour boy; twelve feet tall and adored by the public. But this dazzling beginning culminating in winning his first international cap for Ireland, would then be subsequently blighted by internal feuds with the powers that be in the IRFU and lasted right up until his retirement. Now, for the first time, Ward reveals in depth (including official correspondence with the IRFU) the shocking events that took place. The nature of the game at the time allowed certain elements within the ruling body to have a negative impact upon his burgeoning career. A career which ended with just nineteen caps but which rugby people across the world admitted should have been far in excess of that. His beautiful articulacy and insights, which have made him one of the foremost journalists writing about rugby today, also come to the fore in this riveting memoir of his career. But it is his revelations which will leave you shaking your head and wondering just how this could have happened. In telling his story fully for the first time, Tony Ward dearly hopes that his experience will serve as a warning to all sporting authorities everywhere that the natural skill, talent and potential of developing young sports stars will never again be mismanaged or confidence submerged in such a callous and uncaring way. This is his story.

Diem's Final Failure
Diem's Final Failure

Author: Philip E. Catton

Publisher:

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Catton treats the Diem government on its own terms rather than as an appendage of American policy. Focusing on the decade from Dien Bien Phu to Diem's assassination in 1963, he examines the Vietnamese leader's nation-building and reform efforts - particularly his Strategic Hamlet Program, which sought to separate guerrilla insurgents from the peasantry and build grassroots support for his regime. Catton's evaluation of the collapse of that program offers fresh insights into both Diem's limitations as a leader and the ideological and organizational weaknesses of his government, while his assessment of the evolution of Washington's relations with Saigon provides new insight into America's growing involvement in the Vietnamese civil war.".

A Rocket in My Pocket
A Rocket in My Pocket

Author: Max Décharné

Publisher: Profile Books

Published: 2010-12-09

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 1847652417

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Rockabilly had its roots in country, blues, folk, hillbilly, R&B, boogie-woogie and most other indigenous Deep South forms of popular song that you could strum three chords along to or howl down a cheap microphone. It was young people's music, made almost entirely by the first wave of teenagers, despised by adults in general and the country music establishment in particular. Its pioneer exponent, Elvis, eventually become respectable in the eyes of straight society but he was the exception. 1950s rockabilly was a spontaneous outburst of spirited three-chord songs, tiny record labels, primitive studios, fiercely partisan audiences and wild-eyed, driven performers who weren't even sure that their musical careers would last the week. The book charts the rise (and fall) of the original 50s wave of rockabillies. It will also follow the progress of the music, in clubs, on radio, TV and film, pinpointing the key record labels and important regional centres, showing how fashions eventually changed and left rockabilly high and dry, far too wild and primitive in an era of smoother sounds. Décharné traces the music to its Memphis roots.

The Penguin Jazz Guide
The Penguin Jazz Guide

Author: Brian Morton

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2010-11-04

Total Pages: 1113

ISBN-13: 0141959002

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings is firmly established as the world's leading guide to recorded jazz, a mine of fascinating information and a source of insightful - often wittily trenchant - criticism. This is something rather different: Brian Morton (who taught American history at UEA) has picked out the 1000 best recordings that all jazz fans should have and shows how they tell the history of the music and with it the history of the twentieth century. He has completely revised his and Richard Cook's entries and reassessed each artist's entry for this book. The result is an endlessly browsable companion that will prove required reading for aficionados and jazz novices alike. 'It's the kind of book that you'll yank off the shelf to look up a quick fact and still be reading two hours later' Fortune 'Part jazz history, part jazz Karma Sutra with Cook and Morton as the knowledgeable, urbane, wise and witty guides ... This is one of the great books of recorded jazz; the other guides don't come close' Irish Times