Product Description
Alice Denham's lusty memoir is a juicy tell-all about a time when male writers were gods and an aspiring and gorgeous female novelist tries to win respect—and sometimes more. Caught between the sheets are James Dean, Norman Mailer, Hugh Hefner, Philip Roth, and William Gaddis. The steam rises page by page as Denham—the only Playboy Playmate to have her fiction published in the same issue as her centerfold—chases her dream of writing as a young, oversexed beauty in the literary swirl of 1950s Greenwich Village, New York City. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Sex, Truth, and Books: The Apprenticeship of Alice Denham
SLEEPING WITH BAD BOYS is a provocative, titillating title, to be sure. Sex sells, and Alice Denham doesn't disappoint with this book. But the title doesn't tell the whole story, nor does it convey the book's abiding value. SLEEPING WITH BAD BOYS is nothing less than an eyewitness account of the unfolding of an era. Denham's personal memories of key writers frequently segue into keen literary criticism, while her travails as a woman author and model are firmly set against the burgeoning feminist movement of the 60s.

The cast list is jaw-dropping--James Dean, Marlon Brando, Hugh Hefner, James Jones, Philip Roth, Nelson Algren, Joseph Heller, William Gaddis, David Markson, and Norman Mailer, just for starters. No, Denham didn't have sex with (quite) all of them, and if your prurient curiosity is getting the best of you, you'll have to read the book. Suffice it to say that these vividly-drawn characters play illuminating parts in Denham's bildungsroman. BAD BOYS relates a writer's apprenticeship in those heady days when literature still mattered, when American readers waited with bated breath for the elusive "Great American Novel."

Then as now, writers learned to support themselves while pursuing their craft, but options for women were limited. Denham hated modeling, especially scantily clothed or not at all, but it seemed a less time-consuming way to pay the bills than, say, shorthand. In 1956, she became the first and only woman to appear as a playmate centerfold in PLAYBOY and publish a short story in the same issue.

It was a stunt, of course, calculated to attract publishers to Denham's work. In that male-dominated age, a woman writer had to think on her feet, for "it was conventional wisdom that no woman could write fiction with the scope of a man." And while Denham remembers her male literary pals with affection, she doesn't write about them with unqualified nostalgia.

To her, Mailer, Roth, Heller, Gaddis, and their ilk were flawed men and flawed artists. "Alienation was the height of male literary chic," she observes. "A refusal to reach out, disguised as inescapable human frailty. Each in his own cell, in solitary. I called it megalomania, suffocating self-love. Whereas ordinary men and women did manage to get close, to know and touch and relate. Even if they failed to make it last. What these hotsy male writers knew about love was NADA."

In Denham's eyes, Katherine Anne Porter rose above those self-imposed limitations. Denham relates her tentative but moving friendship with the then-fading but still effervescent Southern short-story writer. This passage sweetly captures the thrill a young artist feels when being treated as a peer by a genius.

Otherwise, Denham's literary heroes were usually separated from her by time or space. She adored the poetry of T.S. Eliot, responded eagerly to Bernard Shaw's Life Force worship, and especially idolized Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who "combined character, theme, action, and plot movement ALL IN ONE SENTENCE. How I yearned, ached, to be able to do that." Denham embraces Dostoyevsky's spirit best when ruthlessly analyzing her own motives and shortcomings.

Along those lines, much of Denham book relates the writing and publication of her novel MY DARLING FROM THE LIONS, first printed in 1967 and recently reissued by Authors Guild Backinprint.com. One editor offered to show Denham how to make the book more "commercial." Denham turned him down, angry and offended. "If a novel was considered commercial," she explains, "that meant it was NOT literary. We serious writers disdained bestseller writers as a low breed. They were hacks, we were artists."

That was a false dichotomy, of course: "Later I realized I had turned down an opportunity to LEARN through arrogant youthful stupidity. Turned down a bird in hand for an empty bush. . . . We in those days believed literature equals truth, commercial equals crap. We smartasses. Life changes."

Life changed, indeed, during the 1960s, with the rise of feminism, and Denham threw herself into the movement wholeheartedly. Her own experiences as a woman artist--and, yes, a sex object--convinced her of the imperative of advancing women's rights. She wept with joy at the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 ROE V. WADE decision overturning state antiabortion laws, for she had personally endured the trauma of illegal abortion.

Her searing description of one such abortion should be required reading for anyone who remains undecided on the issue of choice. "The first pain scraped raw through me beyond pain," she writes, "appalling my entire body, stretching its range of sensations to the unbearable.... I was my own human sacrifice, killing part of myself to free the rest."

Someday, the sex and gossip of SLEEPING WITH BAD BOYS will seem merely one facet in a rich and multi-faceted narrative, and Denham's book will be widely recognized as the important document it is. But don't wait till then to read it. Any college instructor teaching a survey course in 20th-century American literature (or, for that matter, 20th-century American culture in general) would be well advised to include it in the syllabus.

Boys and Girls Together
If you love the AMC TV series THE MAD MEN, with its highly stylized picture of Manhattan life circa 1960, you have to read this book!Alice Denham is a trip!"Manhattan was a river of men flowing past my door, and when I was thirsty I drank."I haven't read any of her novels, but she can certainly spin a juicy tale.You have to admire her chutzpah, setting off from Jacksonville to hit New York during an era in which women were seen as inferior, especially writing women, and in fact they were often "not seen" at all--Denham refers to herself and others as "invisible women," after Ralph Ellison's classic novel INVISIBLE MAN.In a sense they were invisible even to other women, taught that marriage is the ultimate act of love and that a woman's destiny is to become a supportive wife to her husband.Other women were competition.Alice Denham does, however, sketch a memorable portrait of one fellow woman writer, the much older Katherine Anne Porter, with whom she became drinking pals."She was my literary guru, powerful as the ancient Aztec goddess of earth and fire, Coatlicue."

She has a long memory and never forgets a slight, nor has she forgotten the equipment of any man she ever knew..Somehow, fresh from college, Denham managed to find herself involved with many of the movers and shakers of New York culture of the period (roughly 1953 through 1965), when living in New York, she claims, was like Paris in the 1920s.I must correct an earlier reviewer of Denham's book.It was not James Dean who had the small "apparatus," no, his was perfectly average and OK--you're thinking of James Jones whose tiny little thumblike thing certainly did not send Miss Denham from here to eternity.(Though Jones made up for it in other ways!)The one bad boy who appears most often is Norman Mailer, whom oddly enough Denham never did sleep with.She is utterly convincing as a portraitist, with a gift for the telling physical characteristic; among other things her book might be used to reconstruct the physical likenesses of all her leading figures, even if all photographs, paintings, and films of them were to vanish in an instant.Jones had "an abnormally long head front to back while, incomprehensibly, his features were bunched together in the squalling center of his face."Don't you love the touch of that "squalling"?She's a poet from top to toe."William Gaddis looked New England Gothic, slight, rail-thin with a highboned narrow face, bony hands, yet an insinuating air."Here it's the word "yet" that does all the work, gives us Gaddis to the life.Naked, he's "only slightly muscled, but sporting a fine centerpiece

Throughout all the bedroom hijinx (in what other modernist's memoir will you find out that the late film composer Leonard Rosenman had a fondness for--well, I can't even say it on this family based website?) she never loses her throughline, which is her heartfelt attempt to write a great novel and then to get it published.Again and again she gets the rebuff from nasty male editors who just want her to continue with her career as a Playmate and/or to become a "hostess."Finally she gets somebody to believe in her wild vision and MY DARLING FROM THE LIONS gets published.In the meantime the guys she resents are often enough the ones who are great in bed.Evan S. Connell Jr was the king stud, "tall, noble, with strong perfectly proportioned features and observant eyes, black as his hair.The royal bearing of an Indian chieftain.Was he descended from Sacajawea and Chabonneau?"

In her slightly ironic style, Denham is sometimes so anxious to avoid four letter words that she gets a little cryptic, and some of her touches are sort of odd."As he passed me, Philip Roth tried to tweak my mound by ramming his paw into my lap."But all in all SLEEPING WITH BAD BOYS is a masterpiece of wrath, tenderness, and compassion, and I predict it will someday outshine most of the "boy's books" that defined literature for Denham's generation.

Fantastic read!
An excellent retelling of her literary and sexual exploits during the 50s. Because she knew so many famous authors, it's also a fun look through a different angle of the beat generations history. The bits about James Dean and Norman Mailer are fun reads, as well as many others. Her writing is evocative and juicy, making the book a relatively quick read and a page-turner. It's all around a fun book to read, her life in the 50s was excellently publishable.

The way she writes about love and sex makes this book amazing and timeless, thanks to her friends and acquaintances, the literary heroes from the 50s, her interesting struggle to have her writing published, and her entertaining rift with Playboy. Not recommended for anyone looking for a literary history, but for any fan of the beat generation or looking for a good, fun read about past times.

Utterly absorbing from cover to cover and enthusiastically recommended.
Author Alice Denham, whose writings have appeared in "The New York Times", "New York" magazine, "Cosmopolitan", and "Playboy" (her fiction was published in the same issue as her centerfold) presents Sleeping With Bad Boys: A Juicy Tell-All of Literary New York in the Fifties and Sixties. Sleeping With Bad Boys lives up to its title and then some, offering lusty, sexy, between-the-sheets tell-alls about James Dean, Normain Mailer, Hugh Hefner, Philip Roth, and William Gaddis. Though sensual elements are definitely a highlight, Sleeping With Bad Boys isn't all sex, all the time; chapters also tell of the author's road to maturity, and pivotal events in her life, from private family emergencies to the assassination of JFK. Written in an anecdotal style of brief, discrete passages that lend themselves to being read a little bit at a time or all at once, Sleeping With Bad Boys is utterly absorbing from cover to cover and enthusiastically recommended.

Carl
Her struggle to succeed in publishing her writing is admirable, but the titillating bits of sexual exploits though interesting detract from the main story. ... Read more

Product Description
James Dean, The Epitome of Cool, The Man, The Legend!A unique look at the life and career of a superstar who lost his life at the top of his incredible career!An event that cemented his fame into history forever! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Its amazing!
I recently checked this book out at the library and I was glad I did!
It is amazing and moving and funny at times.
I wish I was born in the 50`s so I could have seen him. ... Read more

Product Description
James Dean is an unforgettable Hollywood personality who made an indelible impression on a generation of Americans. No American movie star has so profoundly captured the essence of rebeliousness and independence of American youth, and thanks to reruns, Dean has found a new generation of admirers. Here is a revealing portrait of hte man on and off the screen. Includes more than 180 rare photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great insight into Deans movie career
This is an outstanding book for both avid James Dean fans as well as classic movie buffs. It gives a lot of insight into this enigmatic man who has continued to inspire people and influence movie making, even long after his death. My only disapointment was the fact that the book only shows his three "big" movies; East of Eden, Giant and Rebel Without a Cause. It would have been nice if the authors had included some of his television work and the other movies where he didn't have a lead role. Nonetheless, the book is well worth the price and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

What a gem! Couldn't put it down!
Once in a while you come across a non-fiction that's so good you have to check the back cover to see if it's in the right category. I loved this compelling book, and couldn't put it down. I was introduced this book after seeing a great special on the History Channel called 'Skeletons on the Sahara.' There were two books on the subject, Captain Riley's personal account and Dean King's 'Skeletons on the Zahara' - a modern retelling of Riley's account. I couldn't decide which to purchase, so I bought and read both. Both books have considerable merit, but personally I enjoyed Riley's account more. King's is a great book, and were it the only one on the subject it would be excellent. It is particularly helpful and interesting in its descriptions of the desert way of life, the geography, some of the medical conditions and challenges the men faced, and the back-story on Riley - both before and after the events chronicled in the book. Riley's on the other hand has that first-person perspective, is passionately written in period style, and includes a great deal about Riley's personal faith in God and how Riley viewed his experiences and his ultimate redemption in those terms. This faith aspect is sorely missed in King's account. If you have the time and luxury both are worth the read, but if you have to make a choice I would go with Riley's compelling and inspiring work.

A great read
This was a great book. It is really nice to be able to read the real acounting.

Sufferings In Africa
I found this book to be informative and educational gving a clear picture of the geographical area as well. I felt as though I was right there with Captain Riley.

Not a modern book
Old books are better than new books and this book is the best example I can think of. The author only had 8 yrs of education and yet it's better than any modern book I've read. It's shows the amazing guiding hand of Divine Providence in the life Captain James Riley and the Arab that bought him upon the desert of the Saharah. After reading this book no liberal activist can claim that slavery only affected the black race or was only perpetrated by white people, nor could anyone deny the existence of God. From the beginning of this book to the very end God interceeded and guided James Riley back to his loved ones and into the safe arms of a Christian nation. This book should be required reading in public school and would make a wonderful supplement for home schoolers as well.The amazing sufferings upon the desert suffered by Riley and his crew are horrific and not for the squeamish, but it's hard to complain about your own minor sufferings in life after reading this book. If you only read one book in your life besides the King James Bible it should be this one.

An incredible true story and a great read
I was surprised I'd never heard of this book, supposedly one of the books Abraham Lincoln considered influential.It is the true story of an American sea captain who is shipwrecked and taken prisoner, then enslaved, by Arabs.Through his ingenious bargaining and a leap of faith, he convinces and Arab trader to trade all of his goods for the captain and some companions from his ship.He convinces the trader to take them across the Sahara, which means not only braving heat, hunger and thirst, but fighting off would be thieves as well.

The captain promises that there is a reward, that there is someone willing to pay a ransom when they get across the Sahara.The problem is, this isn't true - the Captain knows no one in the city they are headed to.The Captain and trader have made a deal that if the ransom isn't paid, the crewman will be sold as slaves and the Captain will be killed.The Captain is a linguist and learns enough Arabic to converse and to learn.He relates the tale of what happened, which is a true page turner, and the stories he hears from the Arabs.While this is an old book with a few old expressions and some racial terms no longer in use, I think it's clear that the Captain is not at heart a racist; he saw people of all colors as people.While he didn't like slavery, it was the way things were, and he accepted his fate as a slave without railing against the institution itself.Rather, he documents what happens, and makes some observations.Overall, it's a very interesting read. ... Read more

Product Description
Memoir of James Dean
This is the first Canadian book about James Dean
(1931-1955), legend and movie icon, the star of
such films as East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause,
and Giant. It explores James Dean’s background
in his hometown of Fairmount, Indiana – which
could be the hometown of any celebrity – how it
had influenced him, reacted to his fame, used him.
Extensive photos and illustrations including
Dean’s army draft form and later death certificate.
Canadian author D. Mrkich presents Dean primarily
through Dean’s own words. But Mrkich has
also talked to James Dean’s relatives and neighbours,
a number of whom had not been interviewed before.
This is a taut and original book, a personal and
affectionate tribute to an extraordinary, complex
man and his lasting influence. ... Read more

Product Description
Finally, here is the complete guide to Robert B. Parker's novels from Spenser to Jesse Stone to Sunny Randall, plot summaries, cast of characters, Boston locations and maps, and more.

Even before he was named Grand Master for Lifetime Achievement by the Mystery Writers of America, Edgar® Award-winning Robert B. Parker had assumed the mantle of dean of American crime fiction. "Taking his place beside Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ross MacDonald" (Boston Globe), he transcended the crime genre. As one of the most prolific writers in the world, he reinvented crime writing.

Now his millions of fans can discover everything about Robert B. Parker and his books:

- Comprehensive biography of Robert B. Parker
- Inside the Spenser novels
- All about the Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall novels
- Parker's stand-alone fiction
- Complete cast of characters
- Spenser on film
- Robert B. Parker's Boston: locales, crime scenes, and maps
- Memorable quotes
- Inclusive bibliography
- Plus, an exclusive and insightful new interview with Robert B. Parker ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Essential book to read Robert Parker books in order
For the novice reader or latecomer to author Robert Parker, this companion book is a good place to start reading his novels in order rather than the book by book search(copyright year), used bookstore hunts and the impersonal chain bookstore(which is missing the key book!).

Robert B. Parker Companion
The somewhat sloppy copy editing gives me pause, as well. Here's an example, on pg 69 we find: "Cooper, Bob. (Bad Business) The CEO of Kinergy..." Then, on pg 70 an entry reads: "Cooper, Wilma. (Bad Business) Wife of Ben Cooper..."

Trivial error? Sure... Ben, Bob, what difference does it make? But what other trivial errors are in the book that I didn't catch? Then too, it occurs to me that for the U$14 cover price, I shouldn't have to do Berkeley Publishing's job for them.

And don't you dare call me "Bob!"

Buy a used copy, if you must.
Long on lists and short on meaningful commentary. I wasn't planning on learning the names of all of the people in Parker's various books, yet there are 116 pages devoted to exactly that. The character sketches trivialize the maturation of the main characters through the long writing history of Robert Parker, and much more could have been done, for example, with the growth of Hawk as a significant element of Spenser's life - book by book.

If you must buy this book, I recommend getting a used copy, they are going for as little as $1.13 plus shipping as of this writing.

robert parker companion
A typical companion book, just synopsis of his books, a little bio on Parker.An ok book if you want to use if for a reference.

disappointed
Disappointed.Just facts in a dry format.I was expecting more of an in depth relationship analysis between the characters, events, etc. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This is a must have for any Smiths or Morrissey fan
This book was written prior to The Smiths being formed.Imagine what was going through Morrissey's mind when he wrote this.I found a copy of this off of Ebay.Imagine my surprise that this book can be bought at Amazon.com for over $100.I bought a copy and can't wait to read it.

Very Happy Morrissey/Smiths Fan
Wow, this is a great read and cool collectible to own for the die hard Moz fan. The pics are amazing and Jimmy's story is told in a way only Morrissey could. I bought this as a gift for my gf, and man was it tough to hand that gift over. I will surely buy another copy as soon as I can. Do yourself a favor and buy this book! If you're a James Dean fan or just a Morrissey fan, you will love this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A DARK, DETAILED BIO
Like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, actor James Dean is an American icon. Unlike Monroe and Presley, Dean did not leave a large body of work. He made only three films - "East of Eden," "Rebel Without A Cause" and "Giant." Nonetheless, he became a cult figure and symbol of youthful angst.

Author Alexander posits that Dean used the pain of his childhood to galvanize the stage and screen. Dean's mother died of cancer when he was nine. His unyielding, taciturn father sent the young boy to Indiana to live with relatives.

The Midwest was not a haven for him. The town of Fairmont had no minorities, not one black, Hispanic or Asian. The townspeople, primarily Christians and Quakers, were inflexible in their attitudes, particularly regarding traditional male-female roles and family matters.

After high school graduation, he moved to California and acting classes at UCLA. Unable to find work in films, he headed for Manhattan and the Actor's Studio to study under the tutelage of Lee Strasberg. Following appearances on television and Broadway, he returned to Hollywood. His life ended in a car accident in 1955.

While the career of James Dean has been previously documented, Boulevard of Broken Dreams is a surprising, sometimes shocking look at the darker side of life.

- Gail Cooke ... Read more

Product Description
"James Dean...Just Once More"--- by author Di Elman--- Haunts a mysterious journey to the "secrets" and aloneness of James Dean. Pictures take the reader---on the eerie ride---through his soul---through films...and through fame. James Dean...Just Once More...by Di Elman, honestly bares its "soul"...the same way James Dean touched us---and, made us cry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Truth be Told
I had a hard time finding this book.It is a fierce "gem".Very few give such poetic service and honor to an actor whose stature belonged to "Jimmy" alone.And rightly so, since current and past bios are supposed to be a reflection on the subject, oftentimes they become "conjecture" fodder for the culture's elite.

There was a very warm short reflection of Natalie Wood's take on "Jimmy" Dean quite some time ago.When you watch her eyes as she speaks on YouTube, you can see the honesty shine through.I guess you'd just have to see it.I would encourage you to research it.(natalie wood's interview on james dean.);)

Bizarre and Narcissistic...
What IS this book?It is not really poetry. It CERTAINLY isn't a biography. There are unusual and juvenile photos of the AUTHOR, taken mostly from behind. The photos (which make up more than 50% of the book) show a middle aged woman in various "angst" poses that have nothing to do with..well...ANYTHING. There is weird "prose" I guess you would call it, on every page with the author's NAME boldly written underneath!Did you get that?Every page has her name written at the bottom of the odd riddles she chose to write.What any of this has to do with James Dean, one cannot be sure. Did she know him? Was she related? It is safe to assume she was just an obsessed fan who made his real life out to be WHATEVER SHE WANTED IT TO BE and made a book out of it.

The photography is cringe-inducing and you are apt to never forget it (unfortunately). The pages devoid of these ludicrous images, are often 2 to 4 sentences long, triple spaced and mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Some of the lines are her asking mundane questions that can never be answered and don't need to be.Her revisiting the death site and photographing it to death, 50 years after the fact, is so "Hollywood touristy" that it is embarrassingly creepy. One comes away from this debacle feeling that perhaps the author had more than a few screws loose. Most of the 5 star reviews written herein are highly questionable by the way, if you know what I'm hinting at.

You will be angry at yourself for buying this book. A friend gave me a copy, giggling all the while.

Truly unique.
The photos, along with Di's beautiful poetry have made this book one of my favorites. Heart-wrenching and tough to put down, James Dean...Just Once More is a must have. Thank you Di!

Sensitive and heartfelt
If you take the trouble to read this book you will be rewarded by the introduction to a unique personality with a unique perspective on James Dean. Elman is talented and intriguing, and you'll find yourself returning to this book again and again.

A Must Have Book!
This beautiful book filled with amazing photos of James Dean will take you on a poetic ride through his troublesome life.Only a true poet with feet on the ground and heart in hand could capture this journey for us!
A fan from Diamond Bar, California ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Felt Like it was Written Just for Me
Wow. This book bowled me over. Lee Raskin has created the consummate auto worshiper's guide to the Dean legacy. Not only are the pictures clear, well-chosen, and not the usual pics we Dean fans see everywhere, but also the narrative, printing, and binding of this exhaustively researched coffee table book are absolutely first-rate. What I also love about 'James Dean: At Speed' are the obscure tidbits of Dean's life that Raskin somehow managed to include here: the doodled-over notes Dean wrote to himself; the plans for 'James Dean Motors' in Sunland/Tujunga; the VIN numbers and fate of Dean's numerous vehicles; plentiful shots of Dean at races and rehearsals, and the photos of Dean's accursed Porsche 550 Spyder both before and after that tragic day in September 1955. As a car fiend myself, I so appreciate how Raskin was able to illuminate that aspect of the doomed actor's life which was probably more important to Jimmy than his films, his lovers, or his fame...his need to be 'At Speed'. Thanks, Lee, for a job well-done. I doubt if Jimmy could have done it better himself.

Fantastic book
This is the best researched and illustrated book on James Dean and his sports car passion that I've ever read, and I own a modest library of books on sports car racing for comparison purposes.I love the way it includes all sorts of illustrations of sports car and movie memorabilia, not to mention the many photos of Dean at work and play.It also includes details about Dean's ultimately fatal attraction with racing Porsches, and is written by someone with extensive Porsche racing experience.Overall an attractive and outstanding publication that will appeal to fans of both Dean and Porsche.

'Must Buy"
This is a simple call. If you're a car enthusiast, a race enthusiast, and a James Dean fan, then get the book. A real fine job by a knowledgeable racer and car guy.
I totally enjoyed the book. Many interesting photos. Very happy owner.

James Dean, the 1950s and California racing
The James Dean legend is a kind of octopus in 20th century culture. He was an important actor, a fascinating personality, the subject of a lot of speculation and rumors, and of course he cemented his legacy by dying young and dying fast in 1955. (And the mystery continued as the remnants of his Porsche 550 Spyder have spawned their own tales.)

Raskin's James Dean: At Speed focuses on the actor's gearhead side, and provides a welcome look inside the southern California racing scene of the 1950s -- an amazing era in which any reasonably well-off enthusiast could take his or her sports car (and that would be a real sports car, not a luxury coupe with "Sport" logos stuck on the fenders) to the track and race. On this topic, the author delivers something special. He describes Dean's start with motorcycles (Triumphs, mostly), and his automotive acquisitions from the MG to the Porsche Speedster to the Porsche 550 Spyder now immortalized as the car that he died in. The book is a photo essay, which allows for numerous, excellent photographs of the racing sport of the time. It includes enough background to understand where Dean came from and how his career unfolded without trying to be yet another biography. It works very well because of this.

For those interested in knowing exactly what happened on September 30th, 1955, Raskin traces the chronology from dawn till death. This chapter features some of the most incredible photos in the book, particularly a side close-up of Dean and co-pilot Wutherich on the road in the Spyder.

Easy to overlook is the section in the back, which serves as a reference on key people and vehicles that figure in the story. Raskin interviewed quite a few people who knew Dean, and his research takes this beyond being another picture book. (That said, it is picture book as well, and a beautifully made one.)

It's hard to fault much here, but for what it's worth: There are a couple of pixelated photos, presumably because they were unobtainable in higher resolution. In several places, important Dean photos were omitted and replaced with, for example, a photo of Dean in jeans and the 'Rebel' jacket, when the narrative is focused on the last day. A neat image, but out of place. Raskin's diagrams of the accident get the job done, but look somewhat like a pencil and crayon job. I can't decide if it's charming or simply lacks the polish the book deserves.

There has been some criticism that Dean's eccentricities and possible bisexuality aren't covered here due to the author's close ties with friends who would not have been as forthcoming had the book delved into the "scandal" side of the actor. Clearly, Raskin gives us a very sympathetic view of Dean. Maybe overly so, as it is likely that Dean was speeding and engaging in his customary risk taking just prior to the fatal collision, yet Donald Turnupseed seems to emerge as the only one at fault.

But, Raskin is also an expert on vintage racing -- the cars and the sport generally. It's a fair line to draw in focusing on Dean's motorsports interests, and he does it justice. While a discussion of Dean's sexuality and psyche would likely sell more books, it's ultimately a useless and tawdry exercise. What we get instead is an historically interesting account of the golden era of California racing. If that interests you, James Dean: At Speed is a properly done book that you will likely refer to again and again.

new info
good and informative with new info and new pics i haven't seen.contrary to the book however, i believe there are more pics out there which were taken by roth as James Dean was dying.this book was a great addition to my collection ... Read more

Product Description
After the death of James Dean in 1955, the figure of the teen rebel permeated the globe, and its presence is still felt in the twenty-first century. Rebel iconography--which does not have to resemble James Dean himself, but merely incorporates his disaffected attitude--has become an advertising mainstay used to sell an array of merchandise and messages. Despite being overused in advertisements, it still has the power to surprise when used by authors and filmmakers in innovative and provocative ways. The rebel figure has mass appeal precisely because of its ambiguities; it can mean anything to anyone. The global appropriation of rebel iconography has invested it with fresh meanings. Author Claudia Springer succeeds here in analyzing both ends of the spectrum--the rebel icon as a tool in upholding capitalism's cycle of consumption, and as a challenge to that cycle and its accompanying beliefs. In this groundbreaking study of rebel iconography in international popular culture, Springer studies a variety of texts from the United States and abroad that use this imagery in contrasting and thought-provoking ways. Using a cultural studies approach, she analyzes films, fiction, poems, Web sites, and advertisements to determine the extent to which the icon's adaptations have been effective as a response to the actual social problems affecting contemporary adolescents around the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wild Ride
Claudia Springer's James Dean: Transfigured is a real treat: smart, accessible, and far-reaching. Her examination of "rebel iconography" ranges from Dean himself to Disney's Love Bug to Ballard's Crash to The Matrix: a wild and fun Cultural Studies ride for all of us seduced by and bemused with rebels without a cause.

Teen rebel becomes marketing maven
A smart, lively book about the morphing of a 1950s teen rebel figure into a star of international marketing. Springer uses films, poems, web sites, advertising, and small-town parades in an intelligent analysis of popular culture that reads like a novel. James Dean, the sullen Hollywood icon who excited Eisenhower era teenagers, became an ambiguous and provocative icon that spawned protest Disney movies ("The Love Bug"), explorations of sex and car wrecks ("Crash") contemporary teen rebels ("Boys Don't Cry") post-colonial ("Touki-Bouki" and "La Haine")post-human ("The Matrix) and virtual representations.This groundbreaking work is fun to read as well as astonishingly informative. ... Read more

Product Description
This book contains current 1999-2000 Values, 100's ofcolor photos are included in this book.This book is dedicated to thephotos, films and memorabilia that has been produced with Dean'slikeness or image.You will find collectibles of James Dean from allover the world. This is the largest selection of its kind and thisCollectors Guide is a must for any James Dean fan, movie buff, orHollywood Memorabilia collector.Many never before seen photos areincluded in this book.David Loehr is the owner of the James DeanMemorial Gallery in Fairmount, Indiana, home town of James Dean. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Jimmy Dean is hot
I'm not actually a James Dean "collector" yet, but I am so fascinated by him.The book was very interesting and informative, loaded with enough information.I'm sure it would be very helpful to any James Dean fan.I just may try finding some stuff on eBay!

For all James Dean fans..............
This book is a must for all Dean fans.It has every item that has ever beenmade or written on Dean.......It is very informative and has lots and lotsof pictures......I am so glad that I bought this book. ... Read more

Product Description
It's Simon's esteemed reputation as an auteur that brings him to the attention of Lady Hermione Kinsale. She needs another speaker for her week-long writers' workshop. But much to Simon's surprise-and chagrin - best selling mystery author Dorinda Darlington appears on the list of attendees. Simon knows first-hand how the reclusive author values her privacy...because Simon is Dorinda. The blatant impersonation has raised his hackles - and Simon's fit to kill. But someone beats him to the punch. "Dorinda" is found dead, flattened by a stone urn pushed from the terrace. Now, cloistered with a killer, Simon tunes his heightened senses to the movements of his fellow authors. And as the workshop develops into a tension convention, Simon grows more determined to take a bite out of crime - before bloody murder claims another victim. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

getting better
As far as mysteries are concerned I expect genre loving readers will still find this second episode at fault. The very classical rules of very classical detective stories require that the readers be given all necessary inditia to solve it for themselves.

It does not happen here and the identity of the murderer is entirely unexpected.

As for the rest I was happier than with the first book: this series is apparently not meant to be more than just entertaining and entertaining it is.

The writing is quick, light hearted; there are repetitions and redundant statements but fewer than in the first episode not to mention that Simon is much more likeable here than it was there.

An easy read for a lazy afternoon: this book is nothing more but also nothing less than this.

Vampire Mystery
Another very enjoyable read.Simon Kirby-Jones is a real tease though leaving Giles wanting!

Those pills...
Has no one but me noticed that on page thirteen of the first book, Simon explains that he must take the pills twice a day? And then throughout this second book, he takes them three times a day?

What's up with that?

Cute but needs more Vampire action
This is really a cute cozy mystery but it needs more vampire type action. Simon did not vamp out not once.. (sad face) and he needs to get with his boyfriend if he is going to have a lover.. GET on with it already ... haha
I will get the other books and read them.. they were cute.

Not very good at all
Simon Kirby-Jones needs a stake driven through the heart.
It would truly be a mercy killing for this character. ... Read more

Product Description
The Art of Double Bass Playing is the result of a collaboration between Warren Benfield, an outstanding bassist/teacher and James Seay Dean, Jr., Associate Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, a skilled writer/editor. Warren Benfield started his professional career in 1934 as the youngest member of the Minneapolis Symphony. Moving on to the St. Louis Symphony as principal bass and then to the Philadelphia Orchestra as co-principal bass, he joined the Chicago Symphony in 1949 where he remained until his retirement in 1987. Benfield has always been dedicated to teaching, and during his years with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, he was on the faculties of Northwestern University and DePaul University. He has also given many master classes and lectures, including two in China. Since retiring, he is continuing to teach a few students at the American Conservatory and at Chicago's Merit School for underprivileged children, which focuses on the arts. Benfield's particular aim is to teach the approach of the double bass from a musical, as well as a technical standpoint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Art of Double Bass Playing
"The Art of Double Bass Playing," by Benfield and Dean, is a bit dated and it is not useful for beginners. It is not a bass method. Rather, it is, as the authors say in the preface, a complement to traditional bass methods. It includes information about many bass topics: instrument, bow and string choices, information about contemporary techniques, his ideas about posture and practicing, and some ideas about playing in the thumb position. It outlines qualities needed by a double bassist in playing in an orchestral, ensemble and solo setting. "The Art of Double Bass Playing" includes passages from orchestral and solo repertoire and it refers to these passages in his discussions of playing technique.

The one thing this reviewer would caution any player about is this author's encouragement to stretch the hand in using extension fingering. (p.23) "... it takes daily practice to keep the hand stretched and the scales in tune."Stretching can cause serious injury. Use Rabbath's pivoting technique that rotates the hand about the thumb instead.

Art of Double Bass Playing
This book, while well written and very thorough, is a bit out dated.Many of the examples are very helpful, but much of Mr. Benfield's writing isn't very current with the bassists of today (I can't possibly believe that any orchestra would hire a bassist based "soley on his ability to playsolos" and I also can't imagine that there are that many bassists thatwould play the Eccles Sonata at a major audition).This is a nicereference guide, but by no means the "final word". ... Read more

Product Description
The Death of James Dean Sparks A Curse!Deep in the heart of Los Angeles in a Hollywood studio, a small group of sound engineers and actors watched rushes of a just completed major motion picture. The dark room was filled with the smell of cigarettes as nearly everyone smoked.The Director sat behind a desk by the controls and hadn t spoken a word since the projector had started nearly an hour before. No one was sure what he thought about the images on the screen. Silence usually meant something was terribly wrong. The movie had been filmed in the small west Texas town of Marfa and after months of back breaking work, the film was finished and ready for editing.The projector room was dark when suddenly the phone rang. The screen came to a halt, freezing the picture. Lights went up. Everyone turned and looked at him, telephone dangling in his hand. The Director looked like he had seen a ghost, his skin had changed colors right before their eyes. Slowly he stood up, his voice coming from a place far away when he said, There s been a car crash. James Dean has been killed .Several hundred miles away, a mangled 1955 Porsche Spyder was hoisted onto a flatbed truck while workers gathered smaller pieces of the vehicle s remains, a headlight here, a door hinge there. Little did they know, a part of the car was missing. Someone had taken a piece of the James Dean Porsche Spyder and then disappeared. ... Read more