Reach For The Ground: The Downhill Struggle of Jeffrey Bernard (Duckbacks) (Duckbacks)

Book Description

An irresistible collection of the best of Jeffrey Bernard’s celebrated Low Life contributions to the Spectator. The column was once described as ‘a suicide note in weekly instalments’ and became a national institution whose passing was noted with great sorrow. Peter O’Toole’s affectionate introduction recalls a forty-year-old friendship, and three sparkling autobiographical essays encapsulate the defining experiences of Bernard’s life.

Customer Reviews:

Great writing as always.......2007-01-12

As asways you get hooked when you read the smaltalks of the dayly life of the great Jeffrey Bernard.

Book Description

Spectacular, never-before seen photographs pay tribute to the "The Intimidator" and his race-winning 23-year career. This beautifully illustrated photo history traces the illustrious career of the most talented driver in the history of NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing. Al Pearce, a NASCAR writer who chronicled Earnhardt throughout his entire career, puts the races of this legendary figure in pole position. Nigel Kinrades stunning color photographs, along with Don Hunters notable archival images, pay a fitting homage to this legendary driver. Filled cover-to-cover with never-before-published photographs of Dale at the track, in the pits, and relaxing with his family at home. The fresh storytelling qualities of Jonathan Ingram reveal an inside look into the life of NASCARs legendary seven-time Winston Cup champion.

Customer Reviews:

Dale Earnhardt was the man!.......2004-12-22

Once again, Scott Stout shows his intelligence. Probably another book he hasn't read. Folks are growing tired of your negative reviews. (SS, WMD)

Questionable Data.......2004-05-23

I didn't buy this book, I just looked at a few pages available using the Amazon 'Search Inside' capability. The first page of the first chapter, Pink Ford, had two factual errors. It called the pink Ford a 1955 model (It was a 1956) and said it had a V6 engine (it had a straight six). If someone is interested in historical accuracy, it might be better to look for another book.

Unseen Earnhardt the Man Behind the Mask

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Unseen Earnhardt the Man Behind the Mask
Lee Klancher
Manufacturer: MOTORBOOKS INTERNATIONAL+
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N670GI

Book Description

Music in North India is one of several case-study volumes that can be used along with Thinking Musically, the core book in the Global Music Series. Thinking Musically incorporates music from many diverse cultures and establishes the framework for exploring the practice of music around the world. It sets the stage for an array of case-study volumes, each of which focuses on a single area of the world. Each case study uses the contemporary musical situation as a point of departure, covering historical information and traditions as they relate to the present. Visit www.oup.com/us/globalmusic for a list of case studies in the Global Music Series. The website also includes instructional materials to accompany each study. North India is home to a wealth of musical traditions composed of many different styles, genres, and practices. Music in North India provides a representative overview of this music, discussing rhythm and drumming traditions, song composition and performance styles, and melodic and rhythmic instruments. Drawing on his experience as a sarod player, vocalist, and music teacher, author George Ruckert incorporates numerous musical exercises to demonstrate important concepts. The book ranges from the chants of the ancient Vedas to modern devotional singing and from the serious and meditative rendering of raga to the concert-hall excitement of the modern sitar, sarod, and tabla. It is framed around three major topics: the devotional component of North Indian music, the idea of fixity and spontaneity in the various styles of Indian music, and the importance of the verbal syllable to the expression of the musical aesthetic in North India. Featuring vivid eyewitness accounts of performances and descriptions of interviews with performers, Music in North India examines the form, structure, and expression of North Indian music while also illuminating its profound religious and cultural significance. A 70-minute CD containing examples of the music discussed in the text is packaged with the book.

Music in North India : Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (Global Music Series)

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Music in North India : Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (Global Music Series)
George E. Ruckert
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKKWWW

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Music in North India: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture
George E. Ruckert
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKJ5WU

Book Description

What better way is there to spend a half-hour than by curling up with a creative and challenging crossword? You’re sure to enjoy many hours of brain-stretching fun with these lively and engaging puzzlers. Each of the more than 70 examples has been designed to be completed in just 30 minutes-but don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re easy. You’ll have to work quickly and correctly if you’re to complete them in the allotted time. This outstanding collection includes such engaging themes as “On the Q.T.,” “DJ Culture,” “Spaghetti Western,” “Fill in the Blanks,” and “To the Shores of Triple-E.” The answers for each are included, just in case you get stuck.

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Not very useful.

Good cover and paperback, but everything in between is disappointing...

skip this one

Levine = Sandra Bullock Of Literary World?

Not A Good Book

Guerrilla PR Wired : Waging a Successful Publicity Campaign Online, Offline, and Everywhere In Between
Michael Levine
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Public Relations | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Guerrilla P.R.: How You Can Wage an Effective Publicity Campaign...Without Going Broke

Guerrilla Publicity: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars

The Publicity Handbook, New Edition : The Inside Scoop from More than 100 Journalists and PR Pros on How to Get Great Publicity Coverage

Writing Effective News Releases...: How to Get Free Publicity for Yourself, Your Business, or Your Organization

Complete Publicity Plans: How to Create Publicity That Will Spark Media Exposure and Excitement (Adams Streetwise Series)

ASIN: 0071382321

Book Description

"Excellent advice."--Public Relations Quarterly

Nearly a decade after it first hit bookstands, Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR remains one of the industry's bestselling, best-reviewed, and most valuable how-tos for garnering low-or no-cost publicity. Now, Guerrilla PR Wired updates Levine's attention-getting strategies for today's globally wired environment.

Customer Reviews:

Not very useful........2007-09-13

I think this is the first book about business and finance that I actually thought was not really worth my time in reading it. Maybe I normally just make good choices about which books look interesting and educational. This book was certainly not either of those.

Guerrilla PR Wired tries to capitalize on the Guerrilla name (as in Guerrilla Marketing and Guerilla Marketing for the Home-Based Business by Jay Conrad Levinson), but it is completely unrelated. The only thing "guerrilla" about it is Levine calling people with small businesses "guerrillas", just as Levinson does. When I read "guerrilla", I assumed it was part of THE guerrilla franchise and was fooled into reading it.

This book is very outdated and too simple to really be much use in public relations or online marketing. It's expected that a book on online marketing will go out of date within a few years after its printing, but I learned things about the ancient version of the internet that I had no idea existed. Additionally, its simplified view of public relations doesn't give the reader with much information to actually put together a PR campaign and execute one.

Although, as a person who had no idea what public relations were and what they intended to accomplish, I figure this book at least gave me the jist of the idea. One of the most useful things I learned was to pitch your news releases to local weekly publications. Then, larger publications can become interested in the story and then they might publish it....hence, big follows small.

So overall, there are probably better books to get you started in PR online and offline. Let me know if you have any suggested ones for me to read!

--
Cat Cromar
www.astartuplife.com/category/book-reviews

Good cover and paperback, but everything in between is disappointing..........2005-09-30

I could take out a handful of (minor) good ideas out of this book. Consider the time I invested in reading it, I would say not worth it.
I am pretty much a newbie to P.R., and I think most of the ideas inside this book will come quicker to you if you use common sense.
Some rought guidelines who to interact with the press (DON'T SEND MAILS WITH SUBJECT LINE ALL IN CAPITALS; be persistent when pitching but accept an no for an answere; journalists and producers are busy people, so contact them only if it is newsworthy, never lie to journalists, try to figure out the schedule of the person you're contacting, because if you call at "rush hour", you will not be able to make your pitch; find out how people like to be approached before you do your pitch (some like email, some fax, some snailmail, some phonecalls, etc.)

skip this one.......2005-07-09

Adding 'guerilla' to the title does not a good book make. There's nothing unique about the advice given here that you can't find in any other book on the subject. Save your money.

Levine = Sandra Bullock Of Literary World?.......2005-04-08

Just as Miss Congeniality 2 is a really stupid sequel to a really stupid movie that shouldn't have been made in the first place, so too is Guerrilla PR Wired a really stupid follow up to a really stupid book that shouldn't have been written in the first place. The author should have seen that Jay Conrad Levinson already had the topic covered and left it at that.

Michael Levine's book reads like a college freshman who is doing a report on Jay Conrad Levinson's Guerrilla Publicity. Don't let the similarity in title fool you--Levinson's is the real deal while Levine's is a very poor rip-off.

Not A Good Book.......2005-02-19

I have been planning to run an online business for a while now. To gain some better insight I thought I would seek out a few helpful books that may put me a little bit ahead in the game.

Unfortunately this book was a complete waste of time and money. And as anybody who has ever run their own business knows, both of those elements are crucial. But at least as bad investments go, a poorly written book won't set you back too far.

I can't speak for the rest of the population, but for the entrepreneurial type, you would be wise to skip this book at all costs (unless you are one of my competitors--then by all means buy this book and follow every example it teaches!).

-John Wilkins

Guerrilla PR Wired : Waging a Successful Publicity Campaign Online, Offline, and Everywhere In Between

Average customer rating:

Guerrilla PR Wired : Waging a Successful Publicity Campaign Online, Offline, and Everywhere In Between
Michael Levine
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG86BU

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Book

North side chicago vs the NYC mob classic

The Genuine Article: Rose Keefe Delivers 100 Proof Goods

Well-researched and a fun, fast read

O'Banion, Chicago's Premier Florist Gangster

Guns and Roses: The Untold Story of Dean O'Banion, Chicago's Big Shot before Al Capone
Rose Keefe
Manufacturer: Cumberland House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Illinois | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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The Man Who Got Away: The Bugs Moran Story--A Biography

St. Valentine's Day Massacre: The Untold Story of the Gangland Bloodbath That Brought Down Al Capone

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Gangster City: The History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935

Mr. Capone

ASIN: 1581823789

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book.......2007-06-12

This is about the people who nearly beat the Capone Mob for control of the Chicago boot-legging business. They were led by a florist and included a war hero, a cowboy, a bigamist and a practical joker who starred in an early stag film in the middle of a gang war. The wild Northside Gang is today best remembered for being the victims in the St Valentine's Massacre but in the twenties they were household names. This and Rose Keefe's book about Bugs Moran are both fascinating. A must read!

North side chicago vs the NYC mob classic.......2007-01-23

A great bio on the Chicago gangster gunned down in his flower shop during the "Roaring Twenties". The book focuses on the rivalry between the Northside Chicago mob and the Southside Torrio-Capone mob.Obanion and his cohorts are literally devoured by the inter-city "big time" mobs with connections to New York city.From reading this book I don't believe Obanion knew what he was up against,he was a small town boy who moved to the city of Chicago, yet he tried to run his crime empire like a small business. Cavorting around a flower shop by day,shaking hands,(without an enemy in the world?),with little to no protection,meanwhile engaging in criminal activity that would include murder.That's just asking for it,and Torrio's mob,later inherited by Capone,was only too happy to oblige. It seems Torrio's mob when they arrived in Chicago was already an experienced hard core criminal transplant from NYC and cites thereof.How could Obanion honestly think that when the control of rackets,gambling,bottlegging,and the millions of dollars at stake, there was a "moral" line that shouldn't be crossed?Especially when dealing with the mob and seeing as the mob eliminated its own so what could a rival gang expect.Capone listed his profession as furniture dealer but I doubt you would see him lifting furniture into trucks.His furniture business was a fort.The short baby faced Obanion never had a chance in dealing with the NYC mob. this book really brought this out as I read it.An excellent work on crime history but it sort of makes Obanion look like a "farmer".

The Genuine Article: Rose Keefe Delivers 100 Proof Goods.......2006-07-11

This is the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched biography of Dean O'Banion and it has been justly recognized as definitive. Rose Keefe's greatest accomplishment is that her meticulous research has refuted dozens of journalistic half truths, embellishments and canards that have become commonly accepted as the truth simply because of constant repetition over eight decades. The actual Dean O'Banion is a far more complex and interesting character than his newspaper stereotype.

Many sources have characterized the Prohibition battles between the Northside Gang and the Capone/Torrio mob as simply a territorial battle between the Irish and those damned Dagoes. Keefe correctly points out that the Northsiders were, in fact, an exceedingly diverse group comprised of Irish, Italian, German, Jewish and Polish hoodlums. The reality was more complicated than the widely accepted conventional wisdom.

Although O'Banion could act in an utterly ruthless manner if circumstances warranted, more often than not he relied upon his quick wits. He possessed superior intelligence and had an engaging personality that inspired great loyalty from his comrades even long after his death.

Despite his humble origins, O'Banion had the ability to put people from various walks of life at perfect ease and to form lasting friendships that allowed him to move easily in political and social circles despite his criminal background. O'Banion was a contradiction: he was a devoted son and husband. One could envision the industrious O'Banion succeeding in almost any field of endeavor that he tried. The loss of his beloved mother to tuberculosis and a childhood accident that left O'Banion partially crippled with a permanent limp were traumatic episodes, but rather than contenting himself to be sidelined by his handicap or to endure a life of economic hardship and privation, O'Banion chose not to be pushed around as he hit back hard with both fists in order to survive in the rough and tumble, dog eat dog environment that was Chicago in the early years of the past century.

If you are living from hand to mouth, it always pays to be ambidextrous and O'Banion was, figuratively and literally: his custom tailored suits contained multiple pistol pockets which allowed O'Banion to draw concealed revolvers using either his right or left hand or both hands simultaneously. The same hands that O'Banion could and did use to fire pistols, crack safes, stuff ballot boxes or slug out rival newspaper hawkers would also cut flowers into lovely arrangements for weddings and funerals. As a bootlegger, O'Banion prided himself on selling quality products as opposed to the rot gut handled by his rivals.

Keefe relates the many occasions on which O'Banion performed acts of charity. Some of these kindly acts were calculated, however, since O'Banion was also interested in reaping votes come election time. By performing good deeds, he could call in favors when ballots were being cast by his neighbors. Unlike Al Capone who coupled brutality and with openly lewd and lecherous behavior (Scarface allegedly gained his trademark after making crude remarks about a woman's shapely posterior in the presence of her protective and knife wielding older brother), O'Banion was noted for behaving in a courteous and oftentimes chivalrous manner.

Keefe's writing is factual and entertaining. The O'Banion who she describes in such great depth proves to be such a charming and larger than life personality that it is entirely possible to imagine his immortal soul awaiting forgiveness and redemption in Purgatory. I was reminded of the Warner Brothers crime melodrama "Angels with Dirty Faces" in which a priest played by Pat O'Brien called upon a group of juvenile delinquents to "pray for a boy that who couldn't run as fast as I could" after his childhood friend who failed to escape the corrupting influence of the mean streets died at an early age as a result of embarking upon a criminal career. If this sounds like a mere Hollywood screenwriting cliche, consider the fact that a Roman Catholic priest was disciplined and transferred for leading graveside prayers for Dean O'Banion despite orders from the Cardinal to deny Christian burial rites to known gangsters.

The only serious fault that I found with "Guns and Roses" is that the book lacks proper footnotes. There is a bibliography, but Keefe ought to have provided footnote attributions to the excerpted materials that were previously published elsewhere. There are also some minor geographical, historical and typographical errors that Chicagoans may catch in the text, usually on minor details, but the book is otherwise solid. Despite these shortcomings, this book is nevertheless a significant addition to the true crime history of Chicago during the Prohibition Era.

Well-researched and a fun, fast read.......2006-07-06

I'm so glad to see some really well-researched books coming out these days about the legendary figures of organized crime. Dean (not Dion) O'Banion was one guy I never expected to see a full-blown biography on, yet here it is. Rose O'Keefe must have done a lot of digging to come up with all of this material, and virtually none of it can be found in any other book; certainly none that I've ever heard of. She scores well as a writer, too, telling O'Banion's story in a way that will keep you turning those pages, eager to see what's coming next. There's a lot of context here about the various gangs of 1910s-1920s Chicago, and O'Banion's place in that jungle, which is helpful. If I had to name one small criticism, I'd have to say that the author's tone betrays a tiny lack of objectivity about her subject. He just seems like a vicious thug to me, though a fascinating one, but the book empathizes more with O'Banion than with his victims. But overall this is a must-have book for anyone interested in the history of organized crime in America. You'll be so entertained in reading it that you won't mind the education you're getting!

O'Banion, Chicago's Premier Florist Gangster.......2006-06-02

"Guns & Roses: The Untold Story of Dean O'Banion, Chicago's Big Shot Before Al Capone" by Rose Keefe is a long overdue crime book. This biography of Chicago's first celebrity gangster (he was a popular florist) is excellent and has numerous unpublished photographs. Dean's death started a five year run of killings and bloodshed. Keefe's writing style is very good and easy to read. I agreed with previous reviewers who have encouraged others to purchase this book.

Mike Koch, Author of "The Kimes Gang."

Customer Reviews:

Southern view of history.......2006-02-19

This looks to be just another look at the Northern re-write of history after the war. I would not recommend this to anyone wanting anything different than the standard Post-war Nothern view. If that "New York" view of southern history is what you are looking for then this is probably something for you. Otherwise I would recommend a much better and more informative and well researched book by Paul R. Peterson on the topic which includes 500 pages of well done research from several points of view. It is not boaring and offers a refreshing alternative to the politically correct and "parrotted" version that we often see re-published every few years.

Solid account of Quantrill and his Raiders.......2005-12-16

William Clarke Quantrill entered the ranks of the infamous for sure on August 21, 1863, when he led a band of 450 men into Lawrence, Kansas, and committed what is probably the worst atrocity of the Civil War: the killing of 150 inhabitants and the burning of the town. Other massacres perpetrated by Quantrill occurred, but none was as devastating as what happened in Lawrence. To the Union he was an outlaw, and a price was put on his head. He was feared and hated during his day, and his reputation long outlived him (Castell believes he's one of the most widely known men connected with the Civil War).

He was born in Ohio in 1837, taught school for a while, and then went out west where he was a professional gambler around Salt Lake City. When the war broke out he was living in Kansas, and already had the notoriety of a desperado. His sympathies were with the South, and in 1861 formed a guerrilla band that attacked and destroyed Union property and murdered Union sympathizers in the border states. He helped the Confederates capture Independence, MO, and after the Lawrence atrocity, defeated Union forces at Baxter Springs, KS. His band by this time had become so unruly that not even Quantrill could reign them in, and it split into smaller factions. He was wounded in an ambush in Kentucky in May 1865 (rumor had it, though impossible to prove, that Quantrill at the time was heading for Washington to assassinate Lincoln) and died in a Union prison hospital on June 6, 1865. Whether anyone collected the reward money history doesn't say.

Castel's biography is popular in nature, though backed up with solid scholarship. Invented dialogue is sprinkled throughout the text, but it is not obtrusive and doesn't lower the book's high standards. Castel also recounts some of the legends that cropped up soon after Quantrill's death, some of them having to do with Quantrill's grave sight (desecrated) and his skull.

To some in the South he was a the bravest of the brave, while to most in the North he was a degenerate monster. Castel thinks he was courageous and a strong leader, but also cruel and without scruples. Every year until 1929 there was a Quantrill's Raiders reunion held near Blue Springs, KS. One legacy that evolved from Quantrill's band was that of Jesse and Frank James and the Dalton gang, all who got their start with Quantrill's Raiders. Castel tells the story of this nefarious man with skill and keeps our interest throughout.

The real Quantrill - not the legend........2000-10-16

My interest in the Civil War is a bit unusual - the impact of the war on the non-combatants in the western border states, specifically Arkansas and Missouri and to a lesser extent, Kansas and the Indian Territory that would eventually become Oklahoma. This book will definitely be a valued part of my research library.

"William Quantrill - His Life and Times" is a balanced look at a young man, unsatisfied with what he had accomplished in life and caught up in the complexities of the pre-war strife in Kansas and Missouri. A gifted teacher originally from Ohio "raised as an abolitionist," Quantrill becomes a thief and scoundrel, Border Ruffian (pro-slavery) and jayhawker (anti-slavery), exploiting the conflict on the border to benefit himself. After the war begins, he goes on to fame..., and his destiny, a heroic legend to many and a barbaric devil to others.

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William Clarke Quantrill: His Life and Times
Albert Castel
Manufacturer: GENERAL'S BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O5TKI4

Book Description

A comprehensive guide to the world body’s institutions, procedures, policies, specialized agencies, historic personalities, initiatives, and involvement in world affairs, The New United Nations is organized thematically, blending both topical and chronological explanations making reference to current terms and theories. The first book of its kind on the market, it presents the UN in its evolving role in this new era since the Cold War and shows its responsibilities for meeting challenges to the global community. Written in a clear, narrative style, The New United Nations discusses such topics as human rights, the new judicial diplomacy, peacekeeping, state-building, peacemaking, women’s issues, sustainable development, non-governmental actors in the UN process, the environment, disease (particularly HIV/AIDS), the role of world conferences, the global compact, and smart sanctions . An excellent reference and handbook for anyone involved in international relations.

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