3 comments about Happy Trails: Our Life Story.

1. This is a wonderful, warm and personal look into the lives of Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys and Dale Evans Rogers, the Queen of the West. This book gives the stories of Roy's life from his humble beginnings in Duck Run, Ohio and Dale's start in Uvalde, Texas to their present lives in Apple Valley, California. The stories of their joys and hardships are very touching. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is fan of Roy or Dale as well as anyone who wants to read an inspiring story about the Hollywood couple who are heros in real life just as they were in the movies. The only suggestion I would have for the next edition of this book is that it needs an index. The stories are so wonderful you'll be wanting to see more photos and hear more of Roy and Dales personal stories



2. This book is a MUST for anyone who is a fan of Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Trigger of course! Only three things could make this book better; An index would be a nice addition, MORE of Roy and Dale's own stories about their lives and lots more pictures



3. This is a wonderful, warm and personal look into the lives of Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys and Dale Evans Rogers, the Queen of the West. This book gives the stories of Roy's life from his humble beginnings in Duck Run, Ohio and Dale's start in Uvalde, Texas to their present lives in Apple Valley, California. The stories of their joys and hardships are very touching. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is fan of Roy or Dale as well as anyone who wants to read an inspiring story about the Hollywood couple who are heros in real life just as they were in the movies

No comments about A Life on the Fiddle (Charnwood Library).

5 comments about Diana: Story of a Princess.

1. 
   She was born into a wealthy aristocratic family, grew up in a privileged society, and at the young age of 20, married the Prince of Wales. Her magnetic personality and good looks attracted much attention from the media. She became an instant celebrity and a massive target for tabloid gossip. A few controversies surrounded her, but after her death in 1997, she became a public icon to many people.
   
   But what makes the story of Diana Spencer so special? Is it her rebellious attitude towards the "establishment"? Her committed volunteer work for various charities? Her tragic death in Paris? My answer is: all of the above... and then some. Yet, as the authors point out, Princess Diana played a significant role in society. Aside from being a pretty face who lived lavishly, she was also an admirable spokesperson for humanity, a philanthropist, and a loving mother to her children. At a time when most people (from all levels of society) feared having any contact with AIDS patients, Diana openly embraced them for the world to see, showing what compassion is all about. Such simple gestures had a profound impact on society, as many people began changing their opinions on AIDS patients.
   
   Diana's frequent visits to hospitals and shelter homes combined with her amicable personality easily made her a fan favorite. Her involvement with the Red Cross, and especially her efforts in bringing awareness about landmines, proved to be a huge success. However, Diana - just like everyone else - had her flaws; she had her good days and bad days. During bad days, according to the authors, she was insecure, emotionally unstable, sometimes manipulative, and often a jealous wife. The latter, was mostly due to her husband's affair with his "friend" Camilla Parker Bowles. Speaking of Charles, he too receives a fair amount of attention in this book. Diana's rollercoaster marriage to the prince is closely examined. The authors also write about Diana's own relationships and affairs with other men, most notably, her relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed.
   
   While it would be all too easy to for the authors to choose sides, they seem to be fairly neutral throughout the book. They stick to the facts and minimize any personal feelings they may have for Diana. Their treatment of the paparazzi also seems well balanced. They write about how reporters constantly chased the Princess and invaded her privacy by snapping pictures of her. However, they do not "bash" the media. As a matter of fact, many reporters are quoted in this book. The authors also explain how the media cold-heartedly "used" Diana to their advantage, and how Diana herself "used" the media to her advantage. It was an odd relationship. They also write about the paparazzi's role in her fatal car crash: are they to be blamed for it? Did they cross the line? What really happened on that night in Paris? This book will give you some answers.
   
   This is an insightful book, well-researched and balanced. If you want to know who Princess Diana was, this book will do just fine. I recommend it.



2. As autobiographies go this was a rather interesting effort. I must say the authors treated all sides fairly when addressing the various complex issued that made up this woman's world.
   
   This book opens with her childhood and stops on various parts of her life which helped to create the woman she later became. With care and compassion the life of this woman is explained--giving insight to a world few enter or understand. Not every situation puts Diana in a glowing position which is fair as she was at time tempestuous, sassy, sad, and manipulative. In any event this is an entertaining read regarding one of the world's most beloved people. This is truly a book worth reading.



3. I've read lots about Princess Diana. This book like so many others paints Diana as a shrew and Charles as a victim. What no one seems to care about is that Charles entered his marriage with a girlfriend on his arm. Camilla did not appear "sometime after the marriage broke down".
   Too many times before the wedding and on the honeymoon Charles failed to reassure Diana regarding his real relationship with Camilla.
   He never gave Camilla up.
   That alone accounts for 99% of the problems that faced the Wales.
   Another sour point in the book is the Tiggy situation. I thought royal nannies stayed in the background. But not Tiggy. Tiggy was everywhere to be seen. Most books support Tiggy as "great" and Diana is horrible. I'm confused as to the Christmas Party where Diana sidles up to Tiggy and whispers "sorry to here about the baby".
   Everyone(and I mean everyone in the whole room heard the whispered comment. That seems strange to me. Also I've had people "hit me between the eyes" with an off-the-wall statement like that. And all I say is "beg pardon".
   I don't have to be helped from the room nor consult a lawyer.
   Seems way over played to me.
   The authors seem to dismiss Diana's good deeds as play acting for good press.
   If you are a Diana fan. Look elsewhere for a book to read about the princess.



4. I have never read any of the Diana biographies ~~ but I happened to see a copy of this book on the clearance rack at a bookstore and thought, why not? I was mesmerized from the first page.
   
   I was 11 when Princess Diana exploded on the scene. I watched the wedding that day ~~ and sighed over the fairytale of it all. I was 27 when she died ~~ and watched her funeral. So maybe I wasn't as keen on Diana as some of the others were, but she was an icon of my youth.
   
   This book is a fair book describing her life before she married Charles and after her divorce. It showed a side to their marriage that brought understanding on their marriage (she was too young, I thought to be married into the Royal family, who I feel is removed from the realities of their country) and how it disintegrated into the public mess that I remember reading about in college. The authors took pains not to point fingers at either one of them in the blame for their marriage's failure ~~ they reminded us that their marriage is just like any other marriage ~~ set out with high hopes and expectations, only neither was equipped to deal with the other or how to fix their problems.
   
   Then reading about how Diana manipulated the media to her advantage as well as to the advantages of her causes ~~ shows a savvy business woman who does understand the consquences of good media coverages. It was an interesting read on that account.
   
   To paint Diana in a black and white picture is not fair to her because this woman, according to the authors, was a paradox. She showed many facets of her personality that kept her interesting to all that knew her, whether they liked her or not. She was portrayed as a caring mother, a compassionate charity worker, a high-strung wife, and so on. In my opinion, she's a refreshing change from the stiff-lipped royalty in England. This book shows her growing up in the 16 years of limelight and it's a fascinating read.
   
   2-1-05



5. Tireless humanitarian and inspirationally anti-establishment figure? Or beautiful but shallow woman who loved nothing more than a good photo-op and seeing her soap-operaish life grab headlines? Most of us lean heavily toward one of the above perspectives of Princess Diana. Unfortunately, it seems that books dealing with the late princess also tend to be written in this black-and-white way.

   Yet in "Diana: Story of a Princess," authors Craig and Clayton offer material that paints a refreshingly different portrait of Diana. It certainly isn't black-and-white; instead, it emphasizes the complex and elusive character of this eternally puzzling person.

   The biography begins with Diana's childhood, and although it may initially seem a slightly dry chronicle of Spencer family history and aristocratic titles, it quickly beomces much more compelling. It is obvious that the authors have put a tremendous amount of research into the book-this research translates into well-detailed account of every pivotal moment in her life. "Diana, Story of a Princess" is, if nothing else, a complete "life portrait" that Diana fans won't want to be without.

   In my mind, however, this bio is much more than a simple chronicle of events because of the widely varying views and accounts presented about the princess. Everyone knows how Diana was a victim of the Charles-Camilla relationship, but does anyone know the disadvantages Charles faced as he entered the marriage? We all have heard of what a selfless charity worker Diana was, but did we ever know of her supposedly "darker" side during this sort of work? This book explores both "sides" of these issues and others. Through facts, first-person accounts, and their own intelligent, interesting, and balanced commentary, the authors attempt not to trash Diana or transform her into a saint, but simply to raise and explore questions about her true character.

   Overall, this biography is certainly a success. It manages to be generally informative and intriguing-while avoiding the pitfalls of being too one-sided or sensational.

No comments about There's Trouble in the Tea-Leaves.

No comments about Noel Coward (Transaction Large Print Books).

No comments about Grace Livingston Hill.

5 comments about John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography By The Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best.

1. This book is mostly balanced, but strongly accuses Kerry of being an elite oppertunist. What person with political ambition isn't? You kind of have to be. But they go overboard.
   Other than that, this book is a highly informative read. The prose is a bit dry, borrowed from their newspaper chronicles largely, and can be laborious to get through. It is the content that makes it worth while, even if they try to steer you at times.
   
   The fairest attempt to portray the great John Kerry.



2. John Kerry has had some real accomplishments, and the book lists those. He's not perfect -- if nothing else, he's long focussed on the presidency as an end goal, not a means to an end -- and the book reports on that, too.



3. As with other readers at Amazon.com I wanted a quick introduction to Kerry. I knew essentially nothing about him other than what is in the news. So I bought the Douglas Brinkley book "Tour of Duty" about Kerry in Vietnam and the present book. When I got the two books, it seemed that the current book is a little less biased and shorter 400 pages versus 500 pages for the Vietnam book, so I read it first. I have still not read the other book as of today. I just read "Tony Blair' by Philip Stephens and in many ways that is quite a different story and unusual story. Kerry has had a stronger relationship with the military because of his experiences in Vietnam and later working in the US Senate. Few politicians can claim live fire combat as can Kerry. That seems to have set a certain tone in his life.
   
   In any case this is definitely a well researched and written biography by three reporters from his home state - reporters from the Boston Globe. They claim to have double and triple checker their sources. According to the preface, the story started off as a series of seven installments in the Globe in the summer of 2003. The paper, being located in Kerry's home state, wanted to publish a comprehensive series of stories on Kerry. According to Martin Baron, the Editor of the Boston Globe who has written the preface, the stories were immediately attacked by the Kerry Campaign. Later the campaign acknowledged that it was largely an accurate portrayal. That series has been expanded by the three writers into this present book. All three had covered Kerry (Mooney since 1977) and had previously written detailed stories on the candidate even back to the time when he was an assistant DA in Middlesex County. So by any reasonable standard the authors are well qualified and it shows in the book. Kerry did not help with the writing of the book and declined recent interviews. Overall I would call the book neutral in tone - just good reporting and writing. In addition to the roughly 400 pages of text there are 30 pages of notes.
   
   As a book I found it to be engrossing and I was able to quickly run through the 400 pages. My attention was continually held. It is a page turner but not strongly so.
   
   Kerry comes from an interesting background where his father's side of the family is second generation from Austria while his mother is related to the Forbes and Winthrops, the latter having a history dating back to almost the start of the Massachusetts colony (John Forbes Kerry). There is a family tree in the book going back three generations. His father was in the foreign service and has in fact acted as a sort of consultant to John Kerry; he did not pass away until 2000. Because of various foreign service postings such as Berlin, Norway, etc. by his father, Kerry traveled around Europe as a child and attended a school in Switzerland. There he was exposed to more European languages and culture than the average young American boy. But other than that he seemed to live a relatively normal youth including playing in a rock band. He did not inherit large amounts of money or a large trust. In fact one relative paid for his tuition at St.Paul's prep school near Boston.
   
   The book covers his youth, education at Yale, his marriages (not much time spent on his personal life), the swift boats in Vietnam, his medals in Vietnam, and then his career back in the US after Vietnam. From there we follow his race for Lieutenant Governor, Senator, his fight for re-election against Governor Weld in 1996. The latter was a very difficult campaign that Kerry managed to win only by 7% riding on the coattails of Bill Clinton, but he did win against a very tough opponent.
   
   Without trying to show bias one way or the other, Kerry comes across as a strong individual that has faced death many times serving his country with honor in Vietnam, a war that killed some of his friends. In politics he made many strong political alliances in the past to win elections - such as with Mayor Flynn of Boston. In the senate he took on unpopular issues such as Nicaragua and was partially responsible for directing investigators to look into the illegal activities of Ollie North and others. For that he was vilified as being somehow weak or soft on communism in the press, but eventually he was proven to be correct. Kerry does not come across in the book as an elitist or someone with a personality problem. He is ambitious and has been interested in politics since his youth - but I think that would be expected from a US Senator. In any case this book gives a lot of information on Kerry in an entertaining and a compelling read. You will not be disappointed.
   
   Excellent book that is well researched and written. Five stars.



4. This book attempts to accurately portray the life of John Kerry, which it does wonderfully.



5. I enjoyed this book. I agree with other reviewers that it was a bit dry in places and seemed to sail along at a fairly quick pace. It gives a broad view of Kerry's childhood, education at Yale University, service in Vietnam, and then goes into quite a bit of detail about his Senate Career and then race for the White House. A great book for any student of Political Science or just anyone interested in learning about a person who has led an amazing life.

3 comments about Here and Nowhere Else: Late Seasons of a Farm and Its Family.

1. What a gem, this short book contains the author's musings through a season on the family farm. The author struggles with aging parents and family conflicts while appreciating the land and it's history. The writing is just beautiful--leaves you wanting more. I highly recommend this one.



2. I am a city person, and the closest I have been to a small farm is buying apples in the autumn at a roadside stand. I have no idea how I chose to buy this book and Jane's two other ones, but I did buy it and fell in love with it. The poetry is deep; she tells the story of her aging father who in his eighties tries to keep his beloved farm going, her brother who has stayed to help but is angry and sometimes dysfunctional, her mother, and her own return after many years. These are wound around and blended with tales of seasons of growth -- of apples, berries, all sorts of corn and the customers who show up decade after decade to buy what they loved last year. It is truly a spiritual book, and gives this city girl a sense of the enduring earth and its gifts and the people who are closest to it.



3. Here and Nowhere Else captures with its perfect language the timeless undulations of rural living. It is not so much like reading a book as it is like walking the land with someone who respects both the comfort and the pain it can give. A truthful recording of enormous loss and a lyric epitaph for a family farm.

No comments about What a Go!: The Life of Alfred Munnings (Charnwood Large Print Library Series).

5 comments about Journey: A Personal Odyssey.

1. I was disappointed by this memoir. While Mason comes off like a nice lady, and I'm sure she is, the writing and structure are all over the place. She frequently refers to these different personalities of hers that all have different names and speak to her throughout, and keeping up with that is very confusing. I was especially disappointed that she barely even touches on all of her film work. There's a fair amount about Neil Simon, though, but the total lack of structure and timeline make the whole thing very hard to follow. Also, very full of new age-y stuff, which is irritating, but I still like her and think she is a talented and classy lady.



2. Poor Marsha. She won't let the director direct, she won't let the other actors act, and she doesn't understand how she came to be labeled as "difficult"?
   I love actor biographies like "Shelley" or "My Side-Ruth Gordon", and this one was no exception, it was a fun, quick read and very interesting. But it is also a bit exasperating to read about someone going through life in constant "therapy". There seems to be a lot of "blame" in her psyche, she's just looking EVERYWHERE for help, but doesn't seem to offer much help to anyone in return. How can she not even remember the name of a cutie like Kirk Calloway, her co-star in "Cinderella Liberty"? Too busy whining to even do a little research for the book? Geesh, talk about misguided emotion!
   
   Poor Marsha. She barely speaks of her sister, too busy working on herself I guess. She spends a lot of time telling us what was wrong with her parents, while she herself just seems to be longing for that "something" that her parents shared together that she hasn't been able to find in her own lifetime. Marsha has had such a blessed life in so many ways, it's too bad that she can't enjoy it all more. She's spending too much time looking for something else.



3. I knew Marsha when we were teenagers and have followed her career as best I could. I can honestly say that, while we suspected she would go far as an actress, we did not know how far or, particularly, why. We never knew, but defintely suspected, that she was playing a character in her life, not a person who was dealt a bad hand. That's where her talent comes from, trying to be someone other than she really was. None of us knew in those years that she could write so well, so poetically. I now live in the same town, far from our modest neighborhood in St. Louis County. I have tried to contact her but have failed. I wanted to praise her for her courage and talent, particulary the former. We both knew Mary Frann of "Newhart," who died tragically in her sleep, before her time, in 1998. I especially was inspired by Mary, and I suspect Marsha was also. Jack Crane, Santa Fe



4. A sweetness and a sadness cling to Marsha Mason like the ghosts of Christmases Past and Yet To Come. Unlike Scrooge, she seems generous to others. Yet her book shows she has uncovered a Scroogelike harshness towards herself. She speaks about learning to be more compassionate regarding her self-growth, any naivete.

   Regarding format, early on, Marsha alerts us that her book is uniquely structured. Good warning. Her past-, future-, as well as her present moment-thoughts whirl about, bombard us. It's as if the reader becomes a passenger in Marsha's racing car. Just when you're enjoying a stretch of intriguing scenery -- a descriptive passage about her childhood or one of her marriages -- she shifts gears, swerves, and swiftly tears along a different pathway of thought. I grew to like this choppy, unpredictable quality. It's different, refreshing; just ride with it, and you'll probably enjoy the kaleidoscopic text-patterns, and her multi-voice, inner characters.

   Marsha's anecdotes are heart-felt and discreet. Sometimes it seems that her racing stream-of-consciousness technique was created as protective buffer, screening the author from readers, sustaining privacy -- never dwelling too long on detailing the causes or effects. Still, Martha wonderfully reveals an abundance of material per her spiritual awakenings.

   A book, The Play Goes On, by her ex-husband, playwright Neil Simon, exploring his version of their marriage, complements Marsha's work. I'd hoped Marsha would someday publicize her experiences, including per Siddha Yoga (my ex-path). Marsha entitles one chapter, "Be Careful What You Ask For." I'd say, "be grateful for what you wish." I'm glad I've been given her insights into life, her owning of her perception and experiences of spirituality, linked to creative-expression, marriage, etc.

   Yet it was odd that she writes of the oppressive nature, the authoritarian, punitive aspects, in her eyes, of her Catholic upbringing, and of her father -- and yet sees no possible parallels to her ongoing guru connection. I also wondered about the gaps: Marsha states she was away from her guru lineage for nine years. Why? And what brought her back?

   As she mentions, Marsha was one of many well-known people who flowed to Baba, the "guru to the stars." I remember how, as an impressionable young girl, star-struck, being new to the monastery in India, I spent my early months leaping up like Lucy Ricardo inside the Brown Derby. Marsha seemed non-elitist, warm, down-to-earth, while doing "seva" (working). In India or America, she appeared unattached to the jockeying for position. While she sometimes attracted perks (close seat to the throne; private guru discourse, the staff later publicized; some glamorous, high-profile, rainproof work-assignments, etc) she radiated humility unshown by various meditators with ambitious plans -- The participants in CBS' first "Survivor" series (Marsha = Jenna plus Sonja) would have fit right in! (I'd love to produce a t.v. reality-based series called "Ashram!"). This journal seems truly to reflect Marsha's camaraderie and genuineness.

   The bulk of the book explores her acceptance of the concept of "surrender." I appreciated her poignant mention of a mutual friend, the late writer Paul Zweig. Yet here, Marsha seems to have missed what Paul was beginning to contemplate. She praises him as a "devotee" in an effort to highlight Siddha Yoga. Yet per my memory, Paul Zweig had reappraised Siddhahood. Before his illness prevented him from doing so, Paul would travel to the countryside, and give lectures to a small group of us creative artists, who gathered regularly. In his quiet kitchen-chats with a few of us after each session, I remember how intensely blunt he'd become, his illness emboldening him to question Siddha Yoga's desire-denying code, usefulness, where meditation worked, where it didn't, and however it failed to comfort, heal. I don't know if or how he ultimately resolved these doubts. I only know his self-inquiry was instrumental in my growing up, and away, from the guru-disciple framework, to which Marsha evidently still adheres. His insights led to my desire to rationalize no longer the unsavory behind-the-scenes organizational atmosphere, the silencing of backtalk-questions per rumours of impropriety; the concentric alliances of power-play, per the guru; then between the twin-appointed guru successors (siblings: sister vanquished brother); and among member-levels. It was time to re-evaluate repressive aspects to Eastern philosophy in general. Thus, to leave, forego the top prize of enlightenment. So it's natural to wonder why Marsha omitted these aspects, and if she might not be in denial, and how this particular "unowned" yogi-voice will ultimately affect her.

   So the book-ending evokes a theme, the mystery about Marsha: Is she truly happy now? Healed? Is she setting herself up for further spiritual claustrophobia? I wish her well. What wonderful blessings she has received now -- to work with plants, being immersed in the beauty of nature, befriending animals. For most readers, spiritually inclined or not, this book would be a worthwhile read. The author seems determined to find her way, somehow, to what a philosopher I like, Paul Ricoeur, terms, "second naivete:" innocence within matured wisdom.




5. Typical readers of theatrical autobiographies will not find what they are looking for in Marsha Mason's JOURNEY. They will not find the exposes, the invasions of privacy, the "lurid" details that spice most works of this genre. Marsha's most outstanding atribute continues to be "kindness" and here she treats everyone she writes about with that virtue, plus the love and understanding that have inwardly grown with her on her odyssey through life. The dark sides of her childhood and adolescence and of her marriage to Neil Simon and subsequent divorce are not avoided but she chooses not to address the cruelty, selfishness and just plain meanness with which she was treated after that marriage ended. The false glitter of the inner world of Hollywood and what happens when it turn against one of its own is a story she has wisely chosen not to write - one that Gary Dale says needs to be told, "but by someone else." Marsha knows about bad karma.

   Framed within the physical journey of her move from Hollywood to her new digs in New Mexico, these series of flashbacks are just that - brief glimpses of parts of a life that have touched many people. Almost thirty years after her star first began to rise and twenty years after it set, she is still not only remembered but deeply loved by everyone who saw in her performances a beauty, an emotional honesty and a courage that few actresses have revealed. She was and is equally adept in comedy and drama, in period and in contemporary pieces. She is an artist first and foremost. She also has never stopped working. We continue to see her in television roles and in theatrical offerings, which she interweaves with her work on the medicinal herb farm she runs with Gary Dale.

   The key words in this work are courage and honesty. In the first chapter she matter of factly reveals her multiple personalities, introduces us as it were to the cast of characters that populate her inner life. This is courageous. This is saying, "Here I am. Take me or leave me." She is also brutally honest in taking responsibility for what she considers her mistakes. The little girl is ever present in the mature woman - the vulnerable, innocent, young hopeful - entering a tiger's den known as Hollywood.

   When Marsha, the Garys and I all lived in a block long W.72 St NYC apartment building in the early 70s, you could expect to see Marsha, about to leave for the coast, newly married and newly nominated for an Oscar, picking out a variety of cat food in the supermarket so that her critters would be well cared for in her absence. With about a dozen dogs surrounding her early morning walks on the N.M. estate, she still surrounds herself with the animals she has always loved and nurtured and will break dinner dates with the rich and famous if one of her brood is ailing. She knows who her friends really are.

   This is a marvelous memoir, written with insight, self-awareness, and humor. Her style is breezy and conversational. It was fun for me to learn about the "missing pieces" - they help round out her character and they explain a great deal about her personality.

   BUY THIS BOOK - there, I've said it.

   Now, a few words about Gary Dale. Gary Dale Campbell is not only Marsha's "prince" but a good and loyal friend. He is the sun her planet revolves around. Before "angels" became trivialized by modern writers, I considered him to be a true one. Those whose lives he's touched feel the same, I'm sure. Balancing a kindness equal to her own with a common sense and practicality that anchor both Marsha and his life partner, Gary Dontzig, Gary Dale emanates warmth, love, compassion and understanding. His kindness and gentleness provide a rock of healing, a touchstone whose personal loyalty assures his constant presence. He deserves a book of his own.

   Enough said. Marsha Mason is in the final analysis, like Blume's farewell line in her second feature, BLUME IN LOVE, "a nice lady." We maybe don't deserve her, but I'm glad she's here.