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Customer Reviews (2)

All you may need to learn something about Tom.
This is an updated "David Gardner Book" (see others on the amazon-list) about actor Tom Hanks which provides you with most important things to learn something about Tom Hanks' life. Easy-to-read style, in-depth research and even latest entries are accurate. The only "minor" thing which may disappoint some readers and fans is the fact of getting only a small number of black and white pictures in the book (therefore only 4 stars).
Nevertheless, strongly recommended.

Behind the screen
Tom Hanks is well known, famous even, for the wide variety of film roles he has played from Forrest Gump, to astronauts, to Army Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan. Yet in spite of the large number of movies he has made, he remains a quiet and generally unknown person. He has managed to escape the wild publicity swings, multiple divorces, and generally outrageous behavior often found in Hollywood characters.

This book, by British author David Bardner tells the story of Tom Hank's life, the history of his films and of his family. It is written neither to glorify nor condemn, but seems to strike a fair balance of objective reporting.

It brings out how hard Tom Hanks had to work to hone his craft. His casual screen style is no accident but the result of a lot of hard work, and a wise selection of roles and directors. All in all, you are convinced that Tom Hanks is a really nice guy. ... Read more

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This first-ever pictorial celebration of one of the world's favorite actors features hundreds of rare photos--many in color. The book includes a detailed analysis of every Hanks film, behind-the-scenes insights, casts, credits, original reviews, and much more. International ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

So close and yet so far
I am a die-hard Tom Hanks fan so any book about him and his awesome career belongs in my library. This is a good one, but there are some serious downfalls in it. I am not sure if the authors are just overly impossibly critical or what, but theyrefuses to see the good side of his work in the early days. I was depressing. If you know anything about actors you know that they are not all overnight success. Why can't they deal with that? I was able to forgive them this type of criticism until I read about Sleepless in Seattle. Where was the editor the day these pages came in? Sam Baldwin's sons name is Jonah, not Joshua! ... Read more

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Tom Hanks is an instantly-recognizable face in Hollywood. In this revealing biography, David Gardner gets to the heart of the man behind the characters. Revelations include Tom's role in Diana's funeral, and how he was accused of being a terrorist in Israel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good read
I love Tom Hanks and decided to buy this book to find out more about him. I wasn't disappointed. It has so much great background information about him, so I highly recommend it for good reading. You won't be disappointed either. ;-)

incomplete but good read
David Gardner can write, and he does express the anguish in Hanks' life and the good times well - he misses out some of the extra-film things Hanks does - not only his choices of charity work, but his comic work on Saturday Night Live which should fill out the career of this rounded entertainer - he leaves out earlier films that i discovered elsewhere. so, if he is marking out the territory to be the only biographer who knows it all, he should include more of the career. (Why did he and first wife adopt when they had a son already? what is it about Hanks and his wife that lead them to do this? but none of that is mentioned.) Maybe he was blocked, but he has not been a good journalist in doing what is essentially a cut-and-paste job that is very selective. Hanks' brilliance as an entertainer is of a particular American brand, and, here i am, an American based in Europe, and I'd like to have read about that a little. so, this is disappointing finally.

A Fascinating Look ata Wonderful Actor
I began reading this informative biography, thinking it was probably just the typical filmography most books done on Tom Hanks are.The author has done a tremendous amount of research and, although I thought I was awell-informed fan, learned quite a few revelations.Anyone who loves TomHanks will be thrilled with this book and those who are only curious willalso enjoy it. ... Read more

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The personal story of an Oscar-winning actor discusses his antics in the classroom, first big breaks, extensive role preparation, experiences as a husband and father, and performances in such films as Splash, Forrest Gump, and Philadelphia. Reprint. ... Read more

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The life story of the world's favourite "guy next door". This biography gives an account of Hanks now spreading his wings as a movie director, having won consecutive Best Actor Academy Awards. ... Read more

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A must for all Tom Hanks fans!
From author David Quinlan, the respected film reviewer for Britain's TVTimes magazine, comes what is by far, the best--and most accurate--TomHanks biography to date.

The book is well written and easy to read.Itis also nicely illustrated with a large selection of film stills and candidphotos. There's plenty of information about Tom's personal life which issure to satisfy even the most curious fan.The only negative in the wholebook is that the author continually ridicules Tom's emotional Oscaracceptance speeches.

The book is divided into ten chapters, most of whichare named after Tom's films.These include:"Making a Splash"(documents Tom's successful movie debut in Splash), "Nothing inCommon" (Tom's failed marriage to Samantha), "Bosom Buddies"((Tom meets--and marries--his beloved Rita), and "A League of HisOwn" (Tom's"Sleepless in Seattle" success and subsequentOscar wins).There is also an index and detailed filmography whichconcludes with That Thing You Do! (The pending release of Saving PrivateRyan is mentioned in the final chapter). ... Read more

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A biography of the actor who won two consecutive Academy Awards for his roles in the films "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump." ... Read more

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Discusses the life of Tom Hanks including his various talents as film actor, director, writer, and producer. ... Read more

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When Gus Grissom's Mercury spacecraft sank in theAtlantic Ocean, it created a controversy still rippling through NASA'sspace program to this day.Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, veteran of theKorean War and professional test pilot, wrote the book on what it tookto have the "right stuff."He also had the unwanted distinction ofbeing the first astronaut to have his spacecraft sink out from underhim.Liberty Bell 7, the 11th Mercury capsule built by McDonnellAircraft, was lost at sea on July 21, 1961, minutes after helpingVirgil I. "Gus" Grissom complete the third manned spaceflight in humanhistory.The controversial incident also almost killed an Americanastronaut when Grissom narrowly escaped death, left to suffer theprivate accusations concerning how and why Liberty Bell 7 really sank.Beyond the reach of 1961 subsea technology, the Cold War icon sat inwaters deeper than the Titanic for almost 40 years, surviving amidstthe ice cold temperature and darkness of the deep ocean and waiting tobe discovered.Historians declared Liberty Bell 7 as "lost and goneforever" and marine salvage experts said the tiny nine-foot-tallcapsule would never be found.

Lost Spacecraft: The Search for Liberty Bell 7, describes theexploration of two unique and dangerous environments, space andunderwater, and how the paths of two men, one living and one dead,crossed in the recovery of the Liberty Bell-7 spacecraft.LostSpacecraft focuses on two periods, one beginning in 1959, the other in1985, interweaving the stories of Project Mercury, Gus Grissom and hisill-fated Mercury flight, on-going developments in deep oceanexploration, and Curt Newport's 14 year obsession to raise the sunkenspace-age Titanic from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.Also told ishow Newport's team, against staggering odds, managed to find thephone-booth sized space vehicle during his harrowing 1999 expedition,only to see their recovery vehicle and Liberty Bell 7 ripped fromtheir grasp by the forces of nature.Newport later recovered LibertyBell 7 during what remains the deepest commercial salvage operation inhistory, returning Grissom's craft to Cape Canaveral, Floridathirty-eight years to the day after Grissom blasted off his tinylaunch pad.However, the prevalent theme running through LostSpacecraft is how simple luck almost rivals technical ability whenexploring any deadly environment, whether it be the silent void oflow-Earth orbit, or the crushing cold of the abyss.

Part of the Apogee Books Space Series ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A fine exploration read
"Lost Spacecraft: The Search For Liberty Bell 7" is a wonderfully constructed book.Curt Newport shares the trials and tribulations of his personal quest to find Liberty Bell 7 against a rich and detailed backdrop ofthe US space program and Gus Grissom's own life.He explains the difficulties of finding an object the size of a phone booth, under three miles of water, in a poorly defined area.The reader is taken along on deep-sea explorations to the Titanic, as well as for the serendipitous discovery and recovery of Liberty Bell 7 at the proverbial last minute.This is a gripping and exciting read for anyone who is interested in those who push the technological envelope, here in the extremes of outer space and the unforgiving depths of the oceans.

A fascinating and riveting read
I worked for McDonnell on Gemini and for Boeing on Apollo (too young for Mercury), so I naturally read every space history book I can get my hands on.This was definitely one of the best I have ever read.

I usually wind up with a list of technical and/or historical errors whenever I read space history books, but I only noticed a few typos in "Lost Spacecraft".

For someone who was not personally involved in Mercury, Mr. Newport certainly did an excellent job of describing how all the capsule systems worked.

I especially enjoyed the photos, most of which I had never seen before.

This book is worth 10 stars.

A Fascinating Account
This is the amazing story of the search and recovery of Liberty Bell 7, Gus Grissom's 1961 Mercury spacecraft that sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean in an accidental sinking after the mission, while the capsule was still floating in the recovery area. Curt Newport is a veteran of deep sea underwater work and he gives readers here a page-turning account of the hardships of working with remote vehicles more than three miles under the surface of the ocean where pressures are 7000 pounds per square inch and more. He also covers the man Gus Grissom, who many considered the top astronaut at the time, including his childhood and later. The Mercury capsule (yes, back then they were called capsules, not spacecraft) is covered in detail, it's construction and operation. Also, the trajectory that this 1961 Mercury-Redstone sub-orbital mission travelled is discussed to some length as it's eventual underwater location is dependent on this. The technology of underwater vehicles is covered in addition, to give readers an appreciation of the difficulty inherent in this type of work. Curt Newport has included many, many, excellent photographs in this book, well done here. The writing style is clear and flowing, a joy to read. This is also one man's story of determination and resilience in the face of negative odds.

On a personal note, when I was six years old in 1961 and living in St. Louis County, just a few miles from where this Mercury spacecraft was built, I remember my father coming home from work (he worked at McDonnell Aircraft as an engineer and perhaps did a bit of work on this very spacecraft) and said "it sank to the bottom of the ocean", referring to the sinking of the Liberty Bell 7 that occurred that day. Liberty Bell 7 was recovered in the summer of 1999, restored , and during a national tour I finally got to see it at the St. Louis Science Center in the summer of 2001, in the city where it was built, closure in a sense to me. It is, or soon will be, on permanent display in Hutchinson, Kansas, at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, can't wait to go there!

The Search for Liberty Bell 7
On 21 July, 1961, after a near perfect flight, The Mercury space capsule, Liberty Bell 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. During the recovery process, the escape hatch blew prematurely. the capsule filled with water and sank, nearly taking the pilot, Gus Grissom, with it. Thus began one of the great controversies and mysteries of the United States space program The author explores the events leading to the incident and examines possible theories concerning the premature hatch release.

Newport was uniquely qualified to lead the expedition to recover Liberty Bell 7. He was a pioneer in the developement and operation of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and an experienced veteran of underwater operations all over the world. His fascination with the mystery concerning the lost space capsule led to 14 years of research into the flight, probable location, condition and possible methods of recovery.

The highlight of the book is the detailed description of the search for Liberty Bell 7, and its subsequent recovery from a depth of nearly 3 miles. The narrative reads more like pulp fiction than a factual rendering of events, with moments of elation followed by despair and ultimate victory. This is a must read for space and underwater exploration buffs alike. I only wish that the team had been given the opportunity to recover the hatch cover, surely, one of the targets in the vicinity of the capsule, and a key element in resolving the mystery and controversy concerning the premature hatch release.

A great read on the space program and deep sea recovery
Curt does an outstanding job in taking a technical undertaking and making it interesting and easy to understand.There are some great early pictures of Gus, some that has not been seen.He has very interesting insights from some of Gus' childhood friends and those who were close to him during the Mercury missions.It was like I was right there all the way throught the flight and the recovery operations.

It is a must read for those interested in deep sea recovery operations or in Gus' MR-4, Liberty Bell-7 flight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Alternative Reading
It is a crying shame that this translated text is so soon out of print. Hanks takes basic biblical scholarly techniques, and uses to make a liberal (I think that's a good thing), liberationist reading of the New Testament vis a vis gender, sexuality, health and ability, race and ethnicity, and so on.

I think, sometimes, his analyses are strained. There are times that it is more academically honest to admit that the New Testament sometimes encodes the oppressive structure of the world in which it is located.Nevertheless, Hank's work is a nice example of someone of faith working in and among the poor and sex-workers who reads the texts of the New Testament as good news that leads not to the labored English word "righteousness" but to the Spanish translation of dikaiosune: "justice." ... Read more

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Baseball has witnessed more than 125,000 major-league home runs. Many have altered the outcomes of games, and some, swatted into the stands on dramatic last swings, have decided pennants and won reputations. But no home run has played a more significant role in influencing American society than Hank Aaron's 715th.

Customer Reviews (22)

But Where Are the Strawberries?
A glowing and well deserved 30th anniversary salute to Hank Aaron and his pursuit of Babe Ruth's "immortal" record of 714 career home runs, concentrating mainly on 1973 anbd 1974.

Expertly researched and written in an engaging an fast paced manner, but...

But where are the strawberries?

As laudatory as it is, and Hank Aaron deserves every accolade that comes his way in this or any other work, the book loses some credibility when it totally omits the incident when Aaron shoves or thows a bowl of strawberries at a sportswriter out of anger or disgust.

Everything is laudatory and praising of Aaron, but he would have come across a little more human if this and other such instances, few though they were, had been included.None of us are perfect and this book almost--almost--goes overboard in making Aaron a little too perfect.

The book is a bothersome and troubling reminder of the racist taunts and hate Aaron had to endure in his pursuit of Ruth and how he handled it with grace and dignity, strawberry incident aside. This book makes Aaron's chase come alive, even 30 years later.

Bowie Kuhn, the Baseball Commissioner who virtually ignored Aaron's chase, comes across as an oaf as well he should.

The book's subtitle, "The Home Run That Changed America," is a bit over the top, a bit overstated, but it was certainly a specific highlight of a changing America.

And for the record, Hank Aaron is still the all-time homerun king. He got his the right way--he earned them. No hint, none, of performance enhancing drugs.

And, also for the record, Hammerin' Hank is the home run king, but Babe Ruth is still, and always will be, the Bambino and the "Sultan of Swat. His style and flambouncy are second to none.

More than just a great baseball player...
The tale of Henry Aaron is naturally characterized by the "chase"...the 1973 and '74 attack on the storied career home run record of 714 set by Babe Ruth. What's been missing, however, from the colossal amount of literature on Aaron's career is an integrated contemporary account of his immense contribution not only to baseball but to minority America and causes thereof. This book by Tom Stanton, although lacking the emotion and fluidity of his seminal work "The Final Season", succeeds in giving realism to that afflicted pursuit of Ruth while honoring his enduring standing as an elder statesman and humanitarian.

This story is necessarily centered around the pursuit and subsequent breaking of the home run record. Stanton's narrative begins with Aaron attending Jackie Robinson's funeral in 1972. A sort of "passing of the torch" ideology exists following the funeral that speaks to Aaron as he continues the minority equality struggle that Robinson fought so hard for throughout his short life. Aaron embraces and also symbolizes these principals as he gets closer and closer to the hallowed record...all the while facing extreme Robinson-esque racism and defamation. Hate mail and death threats grow as he nears the mark and Stanton adeptly describes the extreme pressure Aaron faces daily during the chase in 1973. That season ends with him at 713 home runs and the disparaging mail and commentary continue throughout that winter.

In the midst of crisis, the true measure of a man's character is typically evident. And so it is with Henry Aaron as we see that which separates Aaron from the average human. Class and dignity define him (as it has throughout his career) and is clearly on display throughout the turbulent run in to the 1974 season. The Atlanta Braves season starts in Cincinnati and they announce that Aaron will sit this series and begin his season in the home opener against the Dodgers. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, in a colossal display of disrespect, orders the Braves to play Aaron and he hits the tying homer in his first swing of the season. Stanton unravels this murky episode with great care while providing all the drama leading into and after the 714th.

Aaron of course hits the record breaker in his first game against the Dodgers and the video clearly shows that the weight has been lessened from his shoulders. Stanton's discourse emotes the same feeling as accolade after accolade are now showered upon Aaron and we again see the character and distinction as he accepts congratulations from teammates and fans. Finally, Stanton closes the book with a profound Epilogue showing Aaron in his seventies and still active in baseball and the community.

In 2007, of course, Aaron's record was "broken" by Barry Bonds. Aaron exhibited true class in his remarks to Bonds, while fans across the country were and continue to be outraged at baseball for continuing to recognize this "record". My belief is that the sad state of baseball's stance on performance enhancing drugs during the Bonds/McGwire/Sosa era bears further scrutiny and should be open to new and meaningful punishment. These players continue to be accorded record book notoriety along with the greats and it really is time for baseball to step up and do the right thing. They need to show the same class that Henry Aaron exhibited and deserves.

excellent recount of a great moment in baseball history
I was not yet 5 years old on 4-8-74.This book provided me with a great historical account of one of the greatest moments in baseball history. ( At 4 and a half years old toys interested me more than baseball.) This book also gets into detail, more than I ever knew, about the racial bigots and their actions.Mr. Aaron's home run did change America for the better.The "content of our character", became more of the focal point for judgement rather than the color of ones skin after the home run.I sense this in my gut after reading this book.I was happy that the city of Atlanta in 1974 finally came to their senses and packed the stadium to capacity on that historic night.
I read this book and I will read other historical baseball books.I am looking forward to reading one about Josh Gibson.I am fed up with todays athletes.Steroids, ridiculous salaries, and attitudes make me wish I was old enough to watch a player like Mr. Aaron.He still holds the home run title in my book!

Baseball History Comes Alive
In his usual, thorough and mesmerizing manner, Stanton takes us thru the times of one of baseball's true heroes.Aaron emerges at once a hero AND a normal man withwants, fears and determined expectations lived under the canopy of the race issue.This book is one that is easily read because Stanton makes the progression to the final home run go swiftly.But he includes statistics and surprises which make each page worth the close scruitiny required if a reader is to get the full meaning of Hank Aaron's life and his importance to America's Game.This is a book I'm saving for my young grandson to read and before he is old enough to appreciate it's impact, I'm going to enjoy reading it again!

Three reasons why it's the best
Early last summer, I walked out of a Vermont bookstore with a copy of Hank Aaron and the Home Run that changed America by Tom Stanton. I wanted to learn about Aaron and his quest to break Babe Ruth's all-time career home run record. About nine months later, I picked the book up and began reading it. I learned more about those two heart wrenching years than I ever thought I could. I also realized that I had just read one of the greatest sports books ever.
There are three main reasons why I consider this book to be one of histories greatest. The first is that it only chronicled the two years Aaron was chasing Ruth's coveted record. Most other sports books I've read, including Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy by Jane Leavy and Derek Jeter: The Life You Imagine By Jack Curry and Jeter himself both told of the life stories of the athlete the book portrayed. This book is one of the only sports biographies that doesn't tell about an athletes entire life. Although it did tell of Aaron's personal life during those two years, including his marriage to wife Billye Williams, and his childhood inspirations from Jackie Robinson in the first chapter, it is almost entirely about "the chase".
Another reason I enjoyed this book so much, is that it kept interviewing and talking to the same characters, including teammate Dusty Baker and manager Eddie Mathews. With this, not only were you connecting with and watching Aaron grow, but also you saw what happened to his friends throughout all of the two years. With other books, you'll be lucky to hear about a sub-character, or read an interview from the same person mabey on two pages tops.
The third and final reason this is the best sports novel ever is because it showed how hard it was to mentally survive the two record breaking seasons. It told of all the death threats, hate mail, and concerns Aaron had for his family. It also told about kidnappings that were going on at the same time that made him so cautious.
I hope by posting this book review that I have intrigued some of you sports fans to pick up a copy of Hank Aaron and the Home Run that changed America. After reading it you all will agree that this book is not only one of the greatest sports books ever, but one of the greatest books in history as well.
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2 magazines both featuring a cover photo and cover story on actor/producer Tom Hanks. One of the magazines is the January 2, 2006 issue of Newsweek. This issue has a mailing label on its front cover and shows slight wear along open edge of front cover and near N. in Newsweek by spine. The second issue is the March 15, 2010 issue of Time magazine. This issue has a mailing label on front cover and shows minor cover and edgewear. ... Read more

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Rush Utah's sarcastic and hard-hitting rebuttal to anti-Mormon statements and activities by Actor Tom Hanks. ... Read more

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In this unique dual autobiography, astronaut David Scott and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov recount their exceptional lives and careers spent on the cutting edge of science and space exploration. This book reveals, in a very personal way, the drama of one of the most ambitious contests ever embarked on by man, set against the conflict that once held the world in suspense: the clash between communism and Western democracy.Through the men+s memoirs, their courage emerges from their perseverance in times of extraordinary difficulty and danger. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A very good book.
this isavery good book.Scott and Leonov are two talented individuals who provide an excellent perspective on their own two countries space programs.If you want a book that describes the details of what the sights are like in outer space,Then this book is not for you.You can try Gene Cernan's"last man on the moon"Or Michael Collins"Carrying the Fire."However,If you want a perspective on the space race from both sides,then this book is for you.It is my favorite book on the space program for that reason.

A truly wonderful true story
I went to a Royal Geographic talk in Hong Kong by David Scott.He made a very interesting speaker and spoke of his life as a priveleged American growing up in the space race era.He then spoke about the Russian, Alexei, who was growing up at the same time in Russia who came from a very underpriveleged background and how the two of them met in space.He decided to write the book showing how the two very different upbringings brought them to space at the same time.An outstanding true story that brings its readers up to date with the space race and the cold war. I highly recommend it to all readers, young and old!

A Must Read
It doesn't matter if you are a student of history, a space nut, or just looking for a good story, "Two Sides Of The Moon" has something for everyone. While I confess there are areas I wished contained more detail about some of the missions (Apollo 15), it is still in my opinion one of the finest Cold War/Space Race books ever written. A compelling story about a turbulent time in American and USSR history by the men who made it.

The Other Side of the Story
Growing up watching our astronauts go higher, faster and farther I always wondered what the Soviets were up to out there.For the first time we now know in full detail from the man who almost kept Neil Armstrong out of the history books, Alexei Leonov.He tells the tale of stark terror when he as the first man to walk in space realized that his space suit had ballooned out of proportion and was now trying to kill him.He also tells the back story of the tragedy of Soyuz 1 and 11 and the failures of the N1 rocket that could have made him the first man on the Moon.

On the other side is Dave Scott who shares his moment of stark terror on board Gemini 8 and the euphoria of walking on the Moon as commander of Apollo 15.Scott's back stories of the difficulties of pushing the space program right to the breaking point and the personal losses of Apollo 1 and the prime crew of Gemini 9.

If you are a space nut or a history buff you need to get your hands on a copy of this book.It is a fascinating read about the most fascinating times of our history.

The only side of the book: two excellent stories.
This dual biography is also a double history.

Follow Scott's natural path to aviation and to the apex of the journey to the Moon, is as pleasurable as to understand how the destiny lead artist Leonov to become a cosmonaut.

Learn some details of the American space program, open to the public in countless forms and approaches, is so surprising as to get a broader and solid view of the Soviet space program, information-limited and not explicit in the past.

For each of the biographies, the analysis of the context in which both authors were inserted is made in an objective way.This allows us to understand some important aspects of the Cold War in the 1960s, those related to the space race.

Technical information in the appropriate level completes the work, which is an important and essential reading for fans of the space exploration theme.
... Read more