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The late Otto Friedrich enlivened the pages of many newspapers and magazines with his vigorous prose. His journalistic ability to convey complex material in a vivid, accessible manner is evident in City of Nets, a mordant portrait of Hollywood in the 1940s. (Originally published in 1986, it's the middle volume in a trilogy of superb urban histories that also includes Before the Deluge: A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920s and Olympia: Paris in the Age of Manet.) Friedrich drew on his voluminous reading of everything from celebrity bios to trade-union history to create a unique synthesis that, for a change, depicts Tinseltown not as a dreamland floating above American reality, but as a city subject, like any other, to economic and political forces. Friedrich mingles enjoyable gossip with hardheaded analysis of Hollywood's often unsavory industrial underpinnings, including studio heads' willingness to rely on gun-wielding gangsters to solve their labor problems. There's no other movie book quite like it; Rita Hayworth's divorce proceedings against Orson Welles follow hard on the heels of a gruesomely detailed description of Bugsy Siegel's execution. The '40s were the decade of Hollywood's decline: a blacklist prompted by anticommunist hysteria shut out some of its best talent, while a 1948 antitrust consent decree ended many of the business practices that made the studio system so profitable. Friedrich's brilliantly selective use of colorful anecdotes and revealing details perfectly captures a decaying, but still glamorous, culture. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
This dazzling story of Hollywood during the decade of its greatest success is a social and cultural history of the movie capital's golden age. Its cast includes actors, writers, musicians and composers, producers and directors, racketeers and labor leaders, journalists and politicians in the turbulent decade from World War II to Korea.
Customer Reviews:
Mostly Superficial Tour of Hollywood Personalities of the 1940s. .......2006-03-22
More than a "portrait of Hollywood in the 1940s, "City of Nets" is a whirlwind tour of the American movie industry during its most tumultuous -and artistically successful- decade. In his forward, author Otto Friedrich describes Hollywood's golden decade as beginning in prosperity and ending with the studio system falling to anti-trust laws, audiences flocking to television, and much of the film industry's artistic talent blacklisted as the Red Scare swept the nation. And yet, during the intervening years, Hollywood produced its smartest and most iconic films ever in the greatest numbers ever. "City of Nets" covers the years 1939-1950. Unfortunately, the book says very little about the city of Hollywood, the economics of the film industry, or the social customs of its population. This is a book about Hollywood personalities of the 1940s -actors, producers, directors, writers, and composers.
I was disappointed by "City of Nets". I had hoped for more information about the city, about different strata of people in the film industry, about the realities of Hollywood social life -in other words, something I didn't already know. What I got was a book about prominent Hollywood personalities that tries to cover so much ground that it is superficial. Most of the stories lack depth or analysis. Readers already knowledgeable on the subjects will spot some inaccuracies and misleading omissions. "City of Nets" is best taken as an overview of the most notable Hollywood celebrities of the 1940s, their films, marriages, divorces, and legal problems. Among them are: Producers David O. Selznick, Howard Hughes, Jack Warner, Darryl Zanuck, and Louis B. Mayer. Actors Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Charlie Chaplin, and Rita Hayworth. Directors Orson Welles, Fritz Lang, Otto Preminger, Preston Sturges, Howard Hawks, and Billy Wilder. Writers James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler, William Faulkner, and Bertolt Brecht. Composers Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg.
I'm giving "City of Nets" four stars because Otto Friedrich becomes more analytical in the book's final chapters, as the decade nears its close and the House Un-American Activities Committee spawns the Hollywood black list, turning an already bizarre culture of make-believe into a "nebulous world where nothing could be proved or disproved because nothing has been officially charged." "City of Nets" is also a good introduction to the personalities of 1940s cinema and how the European émigrés, the War, and partisan politics shaped the films. There is nothing here for film noir fans, as the author does not address issues of film technology, renewed interest in Freudian psychology, or the social environment that might have made audiences hungry for cynical, introverted, uneasy films. Granted, 1940s Hollywood is a subject of more breadth and depth than can be managed in one volume, but "City of Nets" isn't a social, economic, or an urban history. It's a lot of industry anecdotes strung together.
The Last Word on 1940's Hollywood.......2005-12-21
There was a land of cavaliers and studios called the 'Old Hollywood.' Here, in this pretty world, gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of knights and their ladies fair, of Studio Moguls and actors. Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, a civilization gone with the wind."
A Snapshot of a Fascinating Decade.......2001-12-28
This book is one of the reasons why I became a devoted reader of Otto Friedrich's work. Two others were his excellent series in Time about Berlin in the rise of Hitler along with "Going Crazy," a brilliant study of psychoanalysis with analyses of some interesting case histories of individuals who were treated for psychiatric difficulties. "City of Nets" explores the fabled city of lights and dreams during one of its most memorable decades. In addition to receiving all kinds of interesting tidbits about Rita Hayworth's tempestuous marriage to Orson Welles and Robert Mitchum's time spent in a California honor farm on a marijuana possession charge that would ultimately be expunged, Friedrich also provides the broader picture of a town thrown into turmoil and confusion during the period following the war.
Friedrich gives a brilliant account of the tragic blacklist period. As one who has studied this period closely as a historian, I was impressed by the breadth of the author's scope as a researcher. German playwright Bertolt Brecht is colorfully displayed. His offbeat intelligence and unconventional demeanor completely astounded House Un-American Activities Committee members as they sought to interrogate him. Long after the author of "Mother Courage", "Galileo" and many other plays had returned to his native East Germany, committee members and others were still trying to figure him out. Friedrich relates the incident when Charles Laughton threw a wild tantrum at the Coronet Theater as he was rehearsing for the Los Angeles premiere of Brecht's "Galileo." Another interesting character sketch provided by Friedrich is that of Austrian emigre Billy Wilder, who fled Hitler's Germany and became a major figure in films, first as a writer, then as a director-writer.
The anecdotes and richness of the character portraits transpose the reader back to Hollywood in the forties. As revealed, it was a truly fascinating, wildly unpredictable place during a pivotal period of American history.
The best book on Hollywood in the 40's.......2001-12-05
Of the books I've read about the golden age of Hollywood, this is easily the best. Friedrich combines brief biographies of the great directors, actors, and producers of the period along with lesser known stars to give a thorough picture of the film culture of the period. What is especially interesting is his analysis of the role refugees from Nazi oppression played in creating and not creating some of the great films of the 40's.
Hollywood Never Had a Better Historian.......2001-02-20
Otto Friedrich's City of Nets (A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940's) is as evocative a portrait of a time and place as one could hope for. The book travels through more than film history (much, much more) as the reader explores, dragged by the wonderful writing of the author, crime, unions, politics, communism, war, racisim and a host of other isms. This book is about the parts of America that float to the surface of the pool of churning, boiling water that is Hollywood and it is not always a pretty grouping of flotsam and jetsam. The author captures the personality of the characters in this soapy drama with beautiful ease and, often, humour. It was a joy from beginning to end and deserves far more than five stars. A book about Hollywood for those who care about history and do not see a light shining on some very gloomy corners of history.
Average customer rating:
- Not your ordinary Blues history book
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The Bluesman: The Musical Heritage of Black Men and Women in the Americas
Julio Finn , and
Willa Woolston
Manufacturer: Quartet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Instruments & Performers
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
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General
| Music
| Entertainment
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General
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
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African-American Studies
| Special Groups
| Social Sciences
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General
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General
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ASIN: 0704325233 |
Customer Reviews:
Not your ordinary Blues history book.......2002-01-19
This Book takes you all the way back to the beginning; the real roots of the blues that is in the african culture which later became known as the"hoodoo" culture in America. This book explains the development of the Blues style,including related african instruments,vocal styles & songwriting. Also explains the connection between early blues music & the black church: A detailed,but fascinating read!!!
Average customer rating:
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America's Black Musical Heritage
T. Brooks
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Religious & Sacred Music
| Musical Genres
| Music
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General
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Music
| Judaism
| Religion & Spirituality
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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Entertainment
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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Religion & Spirituality
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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Similar Items:
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The Music of Black Americans: A History
ASIN: 0130243078 |
Book Description
Skillfully written in an easily understandable style, this comprehensive study of Black music examines a constantly changing art form and its continued influence on today's American music. The Black musician in American society from slavery to present is studied against the background of the social, political, economic, and religious influences on each period. Each Black music genre is discussed separately, allowing flexability of use. In addition, selected Black composers and a representative composition of each are discussed and analyzed. Numerous photographs and musical excerpts help the reader identify with individual artists and their recordings.
Book Description
All puzzle solutions
In-depth maps of every world
Unique moves and abilities for all 5 characters
Mini-game strategies
Locations of every banana and coin
Tactics for defeating every boss
DK Quick Reference Guide
Includes a centerfold with level maps and a Golden Banana quick reference guide!
Customer Reviews:
Only a donkey wouldn't buy this book!.......2002-05-12
If you're confused this is the book to come to! In just a few months I went from 3% to 87%!
Many Valuable Tips Inside!!.......2002-04-06
This is one of two strategy guides I used to play this game. Initially, I was a little lost trying to match the information in the first chapter of the "Walkthrough Section" of the book to the game I saw in front of me. It leads you to believe that the "DK Isles" area is the first area to tackle but much of this area is inaccessible to you until much later in the game. If you skip that section and begin with the "Jungle Japes" section you'll be starting where the game begins and the information is very helpful from there.
This guide is especially helpful with the two "arcade" style games that you will encounter during the adventure. Winning these games will give you two unique coins that are vital to gaining access to the final area of the game. Details of how each of these games look and what must be accomplished will help anyone not familiar with these original 1980's games. My huge disadvantage from having never played either of these games was lessened by these instructions.
The other guide I used was "Donkey Kong 64 Official Strategy Guide" by Bradygames. It's definitely worth taking a look at too. Both books were invaluable to me for different reasons. Together, they helped make my game experience much more enjoyable by clarifying details I would have missed on my own.
Best Book Out There.......2000-12-22
Prima has out done itself this time. With all the maps as to where each Golden Banana is or where each Banana Fairy may be hiding, this book clearly tells all you need to know. With detailed guides and maps for each of the characters, this book is one of the most helpful that I have ever used.
Prima's Official Strategy Guide for Donkey Kong64.......2000-02-23
It is the BEST STRATEGY GUIDE YOU CAN GET FOR DONKEY KONG!It has the most pages then any other Donkey Kong Strategy Guide!It has all the information you want about the game!This is the ULTIMATE STRATEGY GUIDE for this game! Trust me.Buy it yourself and one will find that it is THE GREATEST GUIDE FOR THE GAME!
If you are confused about all the bad ratings, read this!.......2000-01-09
Ok, All prima guides are a little hard to understand. these facts are: undetailed maps (what are we, 5 year olds? if you can read the maps, go for it.) Information sometimes typoed and unorganized. (In the Jet Force Gemini guide, it looks like is is messed up, look for the white lines, as for typos, people like these critics can report it, and Prima will change it.) See? this guide is also intended for slightly advanced readers. if you do not like this book, look at the Nintendo version of the strategy guide.
Average customer rating:
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Donkey Kong 64
Manufacturer: Prima Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
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Video & Electronic Games
| Puzzles & Games
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Video Games
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ASIN: 0761523936 |
Average customer rating:
- Donkey Kong 64 book not that good.
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Donkey Kong 64 Pathways to Adventure
Jason R. Rich
Manufacturer: Sybex Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Entertainment & Games
| Computers
| Children's Books
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General
| Puzzles & Games
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Video & Electronic Games
| Puzzles & Games
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Video Games
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ASIN: 0782127231 |
Customer Reviews:
Donkey Kong 64 book not that good........2001-07-25
This was a pretty cool book for someone who likes donkey kong like I do, but I found the players guide a lot more informative for this game. The details weren't directly based around the game. The illustrations were good but that's only because they were taken from the game. You should only buy this if you love seeing DK's mug and info about the story of Donkey Kong 64.
Average customer rating:
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Donkey Kong 64 w/Poster for Blockbuster
Prima
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Video & Electronic Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Video Games
| Games & Strategy Guides
| Computers & Internet
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ASIN: 0761527249
Release Date: 1999-11-25 |
Average customer rating:
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Donkey Kong 64 W/Poster for Musicland
Prima
Manufacturer: Prima Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Video & Electronic Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Video Games
| Games & Strategy Guides
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0761527273 |
Average customer rating:
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Donkey Kong 64 W/Special Cover for Eb
Prima
Manufacturer: Prima Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Video & Electronic Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Video Games
| Games & Strategy Guides
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0761523952 |
Book Description
"As an asset protection lawyer, I think Mandell and Jarvis brilliantly explain the most effective wealth protection strategies. A must-read for advisors and clients alike."
-Arnold S. Goldstein, PhD, LLM, JD
author, Asset Protection Secrets
"I really appreciate the `Risk Factor Analysis.' It is a unique tool for diagnosing-and then solving-some of the toughest problems in maintaining and protecting your wealth."
-Gordon Klein, JD, CPA, lecturer, UCLA's Anderson Graduate
School of Management, frequent CNBC Commentator
"Chris and David's concept of a `Personal Economy' should be heeded by every individual investor. If you want to grow and shield what's yours, this book is a great start."
-Jonathan Guryan, PhD, Asst. Professor of Economics
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
The interest in protecting one's wealth is universal. Wealth Protection: Build and Preserve Your Financial Fortress serves as the ultimate handbook for readers who want to build their family's financial fortress and shield it from potential risks.
Customer Reviews:
Good overview of a large number of topics.......2006-04-25
This book covers a lot of ground. As other reviews have pointed out, one consequence of this is that there is not very much detail on the implementation of most strategies. If you decide that you are interested in implementing a particular specific strategy you will likely need to look elsewhere for full details about that strategy.
pro:
* Good overview of a large number of topics including some very important ones like IRD (Income in Respect of a Decedent).
* In my experience, the authors are responsive to email inquiries.
con:
* The book refers to the website for details on a number of topics (mostly for state-specific information). The website, unfortunately, does not have this information on it (as of April 2006),
* Although most examples in the book were fairly good, I found the one for the Charitable Remainder Trust (p326) to be missing too much detail and to be outright misleading. This example compares the average payment over 40 years from two strategies and concludes that one is greater than the other because (in part) it has a higher average payment. The example should have compared the present value of the two cash flows rather than their average over 40 years.
A sales pitch that lacks any in-depth info........2006-02-28
The book is poorly written and largely a superficial analysis of the issues. It was not until after the first 150 pages that I first learned something. This is clearly writen as a marketing piece for the authors. And, when you do go to the website where various additional promised information is supposed to be, it is not there.
That is not to say that I did not learn anything, I did. But on those subjects, I still need to turn to other materials to learn anything that can be put into action.
A Must Buy and A Must Read.......2006-01-29
I am a 49 year old executive and have been doing retirement planning in earnest for at least a decade. I have read many books on retirement, wealth, and other personal financial topics. Most of those have either been overly general, too mathematical, or have been far too narrow in scope. This book is written in clear, concise language and is a treasure of knowledge...including the pitfalls in our tax and legal system and how to avoid those pitfalls. There are great ideas in here and some eye-opening revelations for those unfamiliar with some estate and tax issues. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking to structure their will, trusts, and overall personal financial structure so that after-tax and after-death returns are maximized for you and your loved ones.
Clear and easy read book.......2004-03-28
I could not believe how easy it was to read and understand some of the complex issues in this book. The authors not only really know their stuff, but they can explain in a clear fashion. It's excellent!
Nice Outline But VERY LIGHT On Detail!!!!.......2003-05-01
This book will be good if you want to review the components that might make up your wealth protection strategy. However, the book comes up short on the detail needed to understand those components well or to structure a comprehensive plan for yourself.
To get a feel for the lack of detail take a look at the Table of Contents, note that it seems very comprehensive but when you look a little closer you will see that most of the chapters are LESS THAN 5 PAGES! The subtopics in each chapter usually make up a single paragraph with a large font bold heading that takes up a lot of the page.
In short, if you want to get an overview of the components you might ask your advisor to explain to you, this would be a valuable purchase. If you want to understand these things yourself, you will be disappointed.
Books:
- Classic Hollywood, Classic Whiteness
- Cliffhanger : A Pictorial History of the Motion Picture Serial
- Crime Scenes: Movie Poster Art of the Film Noir : The Classic Period : 1941-1959
- Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir
- Dark Horizons: Science Fiction and the Dystopian Imagination
- Deleuze and Horror Film
- Doctors in the Movies: Boil the Water and Just Say Aah
- Enfant Terrible!: Jerry Lewis in American Film
- Enterprise Zones: Critical Positions on Star Trek (Film Studies (Boulder, Colo.).)
- European Film Theory and Cinema: A Critical Introduction
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