Editorial Review

It shouldn't be a fascinating read, this book--it really shouldn't. It'sjust higher gossip about how Wallis Simpson took a younger lover after hermarriage to Edward, and how she and said lover enjoyed nights of "nonpenetrativeand principally oral sex." I mean, who cares? Shouldn't our minds be on higherthings?Read more

Reviews (7)

Good writing...
But, the story is so tawdry & Jimmy Donahue so scurvy, it's a hard read.The author presents information about his upbringing that tries to make you feel a little sympathy for Donahue but it's hard to feel sympathy for such a loser.The Duke & Duchess of Windsor were wastes of human beings, too.The more you read about them the more discouraged you get.What wasted opportunities!They could have done so much good but were such selfish, self-centered & STUPID people.No wonder the Royal Family can't stand to hear their names mentioned.The book reads kind of like a prolonged Dominick Dunne article in Vanity Fair.

Take it to the beach...
OK, so the author isn't going to win the Nobel Prize for Literature for this book.But why should he? It's a book about an affair. A tawdry affair at that. I'd had hopes, but...
This book doesn't do much more than re-hash rumor, gossip and innuendo--and some facts--that I've already read in better-written, more thorough and scholarly biographies of the Windsors.I didn't notice any glaring inaccuracies; on the other hand, I didn't notice that the author broke any new ground.He seems to have relied heavily on previously published biographies of the Duke, the Duchess, and the British Royal Family in general, all of which a serious Windsorite will have already read.Also--let's face it--we read books like this one to be titillated, and the author fails utterly to titillate us.Save your money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1894-1972    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Duchess of,    7. Duke of,    8. Europe - Great Britain - General    9. Gay men    10. Great Britain    11. Historical - British    12. Nobility    13. Rich & Famous    14. Royalty    15. Socialites    16. Specific Groups - Male Gay Studies    17. United States    18. Windsor, Edward,    19. Windsor, Wallis Warfield,    20. History / Great Britain   

Reviews (31)

More Of The Same
Not a bad book, but not a great one, either.The story of yet another middle aged, married person with a history of transvestism who decides to undergo sex reassignment.
A very honest and courageous portrayal
Donna Rose is a very attractive, feminine woman. I highly recommend "Wrapped in Blue: A Journal of Discovery," as Donna gradually becomes aware that although apparently born as a boy, there was a strong feminine side to his personality, which did not completely go away even during years as a successful athlete, an intially happy marriage and the birth of a son.
great book - lots to think about
This isn't written nearly as well as "She's not there" however it is a very telling story.A very "normal" story of a trasformation. The focus on how relationships were altered forever is a sobering reality and a pretty realistic picture I would expect. I enjoyed this book very much. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. General    4. Social Science    5. Social Science / Gender Studies    6. Sociology    7. Specific Groups - General    8. Biography & Autobiography    9. Biography & Autobiography / General    10. Gender Studies    11. Gender identity    12. Personal Memoirs    13. Sex change    14. Transsexualism    15. Transsexuals   

Features

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Reviews (15)

The Lives within Lives of Anthony Blunt.
Miranda Carter has written a splendid book about Anthony Blunt, appropriately subtitled, "his lives." Reading aboutthe Cambridge Fellow, Soldier, Double Agent, Art-Historian, Director of the Cortauld Institute, Surveyor of the King's/Queens Pictures, etc., etc., is like peeling an onion, or perhaps--more appropriately--opening a Russian Matrioshka doll. As one probes into a deeper layer one discovers yet another persona, and although one might begin to understand Blunt's motives, one never really gets to know who he really was, thanks to his ability to compartmentalize his multifarious activities and interests.
Utterly Fascinating
Anthony Blunt was a child of the British Establishment, born to a middle class family with Church of England and royal connections.He received a fine education at Marlborough and Cambridge and became one of the most acclaimed art historians and teachers in Britain in the twentieth century.At the same time, he was a spy for the Soviets.The story of how Blunt became a communist, worked against his country while supposedly serving it in MI5 during World War II, then became a courtier for two monarchs and the highly regarded head of the Courtald Institute, which he made into one of the finest art schools in the country, is fascinating. Why did the author knock author John Costello?
Carter wins on giving us numerous minutia about Blount's life and his odd selection of friends. But her book was not of great interest to a reader who was aware of Blount's peculiar nature and interest in art. It is difficult to understand how Blount or his friends, seemed completly oblivious of politics as Carter has laid out. Unless she is making the case that Blount was the perfect mole - at all times on guard against exposure. But I don't think she is trying to make that case.Carter gives us a blur of names, quotes, and a failure to find mention of expected comments in corresspondence such as the passing of Blount's father. It may be Carter's intention to show Blount's world as an extremely focused life which was hardly influenced by outside events; such as the end of World War One and the rise of Communism. I suspect Carter is trying to explain Blount as a Good Boy Who Does Bad Things. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1907-1983    2. 1907-1983    3. Great Britain    4. History    5. 20th century    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Historical - General    8. Historical - British    9. Specific Groups - Male Gay Studies    10. Political    11. Biography & Autobiography    12. Bargain    13. Great Britain   

Reviews (3)

Unusually insightful and fresh for such a long-running show
Even as a white middle class hetero, I enjoy following on an ocassional basis the progress of Ms. Bechdel's cast of characters. It's rare to find a cartoonist who has so sucessfully kept a shtick going so long without becoming hopelessly stale (although perhaps it's a bit easier for a self-consciously running commentary on society and politics wherre the material is a little more dynamic than, say, the antics of Dennis the Menace or Little Jeffrey)....

You Must Have It
Bechdel's prose here is as smart and funny as readers of the regular stripwould expect.It starts as a memoir as she describes her beginnings andprogression as a cartoonist, and includes lots of early drawings andstrips.The bulk of the book is made up of stuff never seen in the DTWOFvolumes: strips from her calendars, strips made for other magazines orspecial occasions, and autobiographical work.It's great stuff, alwaysfunny, and everyone with a sense of humor should buy it right away.

Ever wished you could meet the author of DTWOF?
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Comics & Cartoons    3. Form - Cartoons & Comics    4. Humor    5. Lesbian Studies    6. Specific Groups - Lesbians    7. Cartoons & comic strips   

Reviews (18)

Little substance here
While purportedly written about a group of women who allege atrocious treatment by Bill Clinton, this screed by a fringe journalist from a fringe publisher instead focuses on an indictment of liberalism.
Written by neither a "liberal" nor "conservative", approaches Clinton from a fresh angle!
Candice Jackson breakes away from the typical liberal/conservative wars to give us a fresh view of Bill Clinton, objectively written from the perspective of how ol' Billy impacted on the lives of eight women (no pun intended, so don't even go there).
Listen to an exclusive interview with Candice E. Jackson Live by She Unlimited Magazine
Listen to an exclusive interview with Candice E. Jackson Live by She Unlimited Magazine http://www.sheunlimited.com
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Government - Comparative    3. Political    4. Political Science    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Specific Groups - General    7. Women    8. Current Events / General   

Reviews (23)

Handling Spy Handler
I find this book very interesting as it relates to the infamous American spies Aldrich Ames and Robert Hansson.However, I find the details can be cumbersome at times even though it is written with obvious knowledge.All in all, if one is interested in the dark world of spying, it is a good read.

Starts Good, Goes Downhill
This book is worth reading. You'll get the strong impression that Cherkashin definitely knows his subject, and there are some good tales told.
One of the best cold war memoirs
There isa large number of books dealing with Ames and Hanssen, and Cherkashin is the latest in a long line of former intelligence officers to write his memoirs. However, of all the accounts I have read, this one stands head and shoulders above the rest.
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Subjects:  1. 1932-    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Cherkashin, Victor,    5. Espionage    6. Espionage, Soviet    7. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    8. Government - National    9. History    10. History: World    11. Intelligence Agencies    12. Intelligence officers    13. Intelligence service    14. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    15. Soviet Union    16. Specific Groups - General    17. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    18. Espionage & secret services    19. Russia    20. USA   

Editorial Review

"Childhood's work is to see what lies beneath," Mark Doty writes in his memoir, Read more

Reviews (11)

A Mysterious, Beautiful Memoir
I read (and met) Mark Doty while I was in college. On the grass at Sarah Lawrence, I memorized his sad, beautiful poetry and read and re-read his book, Heaven's Coast, chronicling his life with his partner dying from AIDS. So, I was very excited when Firebird was chosen by my book club. Again, I found myself amazed and delighted by Mark Doty's use of imagery, but I was also disappointed as the book leapt from experience to experience without explanation. Maybe this is why I never felt "inside" his character, and at the end, was left feeling as though the chapters were more like poems, mysterious pieces of his life that were without resolution. Mark Doty is a man of great accomplishment, a poet of unquestionable talent, but after this book, he's still a mystery to me.

Evolution of a poet
It's not always a pretty story, but it's always intellectually and emotionally moving. Mark Doty is one of America's finest writers of poetry and prose. That such a mind should have triumphed over his stressful growing up years is remarkable. His background would have landed many other kids in a foster home. Firebird is a coming-of-age memoir of a pre-gay geeky kid with a deranged and alcoholic mother, a passive/conflicted father, and a sister whose middle name is Trouble. Unfathomable memoir for ssuch a Poet of beauty
Mark Doty is one of the finest poets of our time, writing eloquent, informed poems, essays, books, and musings about life and art.To read FIREBIRD: A MEMOIR almost breaches credibility, so stressful and trying was his childhood and youth.But perhaps, and probably, this is why he is able to write with such sensitivity today.FIREBIRD relates the coming of age of a chubby, nerdy, alienated, pre-gay, geeky kid who finds little solace in his family (a deeply disturbed alcoholic mother, a passive ne'er-do-well military type father, a sister headed for incarceration) yet manages to capture moments from this distorted childhood, like expressive dancing to Stravinsky's 'Firebird' and learning to paint from his mother, to head him toward the sucessful communicator he is today.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Childhood Memoir    7. Family    8. Family relationships    9. General    10. Memphis    11. Poets, American    12. Specific Groups - Male Gay Studies    13. Tennessee    14. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Czech Americans    3. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    4. Genealogy    5. General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. American history    10. History / General    11. History of specific racial & ethnic groups    12. USA   

Reviews (4)

Fighting Tears
Some say that we wretched Koreans--the poeple of Hahn (everlasting woe)--have run out of tears.But to my wonderment, I found myself fighting tears as I turned the pages of Dai Sil Kim-Gibson's Silence Broken.Destiny has willed this poet-philosopher-filmmaker to tell the stories of the ultimate Hahn for posterity.

Excellent!
Ms. Kim-Gibson thoughtfully personalizes the stories of comfort-women.

Silence Broken: an Epiphany
Long-suppressed by the Japanese government and often overlooked by historians, the Korean comfort women's story emerges at last. Activist, film maker and writer Dai Sil Kim-Gibson has tackled the monumental task of exposing these Korean comfort women's stories to the public. With empathetic probing and years of patient interviews, Kim-Gibson succeeds in opening up these women whose lives have been pockmarked by the brutality of their surroundings. Their oral history is moving testament to the human's stubborn will to survive. Elucidating and inspiring, this book is a must-read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Sociology    4. Specific Groups - General    5. Women   

Reviews (1)

Volume II:De Soto chronicle La Florida is second to Diaz
This work is a complete collection of chronicles for the De Sotoexpedition into La Florida (which is most of the south-east USA).Due tothe fact that this work comprises two volumes of almost 600 pages each, Ihave so far only read volume II which is the complete account "LaFlorida" by Garcilaso de la Vega.Following others (including theNarvaez expedition that de Vaca relates) De Soto went into Florida to findgold and eventually settle the new land.Garcilaso used one captain fromthe expedition as his source and is a great storyteller, claiming hisabhorrence of exaggerating the contents, much of it is told with the heroicchivalry and noble virtue of the times, whether speaking of Spaniards orIndians, and always some purposeful enthusiasm.If all you know of De Sotois that he was the first to see the Mississippi, that doesn't begin to sayanything about what happens during the expedition, and even to the waythose who were on it considered it afterwards.It shows also the realnature of the natives, showing great differences in their treatment of theSpanish, their use of slavery, and the brutatilty they showed towards othertribes. (Not as placid as Las Casas would have you believe).Alsodescribing the native cultures and life-styles to some degree.Allwonderful and interesting stories.The volumes contain some maps and blackand white illustrations.Volume I contains all the other existant accountsincluding the more historical one by the Gentleman of Elvas.Well worththe price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 16th century    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Discovery And Exploration (General)    6. Historical - General    7. History    8. Indians of North America    9. North American    10. Soto, Hernando de,    11. Sources    12. Southern States    13. Spaniards    14. United States - General    15. ca. 1500-1542    16. American history    17. Europe    18. Geographical discovery & exploration    19. History / United States / General    20. History of specific racial & ethnic groups    21. Soto, Hernando de    22. USA    23. c 1500 to c 1600   

Reviews (1)

One Man's Realities in the American Old West
James Cook's "Fifty Years on the Old Frontier" is an autobiographical narrative of his life experiences in the American West. Cook's endeavors during the latter part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century encompassed a whole host of occupations: cattle drover, tour guide, hunter, rancher, and military scout. Cook eventually married into money and retired to a ranch near Agate, Nebraska where he consorted with Red Cloud and other old Sioux warriors. He also collaborated with several university professors on fossil digs located around his ranch, eventually becoming an amateur scientist in his own right. Cook's accounts of his adventures in the Old West provide a compelling insight about the realities and myths of America's movement across the North American continent. James Cook died in 1942.Read more

Subjects:  1. (James Henry),    2. 1857-1942    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Cook, James H    8. Cook, James H.    9. Cowboys    10. Frontier and pioneer life    11. Historical - General    12. Historical - U.S.    13. History    14. U.S. Local History - Western United States    15. West (U.S.)    16. Biography: historical    17. History of specific racial & ethnic groups    18. Social history    19. USA   

Reviews (6)

Packaging
The item was fine, but why did it have to be packed in such a big box.It did not fit in the mail box so it had to be picked up at the post office.Smaller packaging please, otherwise, everything was fine.

an 18th century spiritual and political autobiography
As an American who has grown up hearing and learning about slavery and the slave trade in the US, and mainly in the 19th century, I appreciated the insight Equiano's book gives into the institution from other parts of the world, and in particular how racism evolved within an institution that had been taken for granted for centuries and had not been particularly racist. allows for personal reflection....
It is hard to rate a book like this...Read more

Subjects:  1. American - African American & Black    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Equiano, Olaudah,    5. Historical - General    6. Literary    7. Literary Criticism    8. Slaves    9. Specific Groups - General    10. b. 1745    11. Biography: general    12. Black studies    13. Equiano, Olaudah    14. Literary studies: general    15. Literature: Texts    16. Slavery & emancipation    17. Social Science / African-American Studies   

Reviews (3)

best book ever
i dont like reading that much and it usually takes me a couple weeks to read this size book but i read it 3 days because once i started reading it i couldnt put it down. It is simply the best book ever written. You constantly wish you could read faster so you could see what the next page held. It describes in depth the cali drug organization and how they brought it down. I recommend this book to anyone, i guarantee you will absolutely love it.

Exceptional read.
This by far is one of the best books I have read in a while.I read it cover to cover in one day and I am a fairly slow and detailed reader.I could not put it down.Without A Badge takes you deep into the life of a narcotics investigator with such a zeal for cleaning up the streets that it is personally motivating.I am now reading for the second time.I can't wait until I see this one in the movie theater.

A must read for anyone who is interested in the war on drugs
From what seems like real danger in the begining while acting like a low life junkie ends up later looking like childs play. Later Mr. Bartone goes deep undercover and goes on to con and collect several thousand dollars in cash and drugs from key members of the Cali Cartel. Even though the situations that Speziale gets himself into are very dangerous you often find yourself laughing because he always finds a way to pin the drug bust on someone other than himself and even having the nerve to ask for retribution for his losses. Along the way he meets up with and learns from an interesting character named Paul Lir Alaxander who is as mysterious as he is savy when it comes to understanding the drug business. The book reads like a novel but the story is anything but fiction. If anyone takes the time to read this book it will be one of thier best reads ever. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Drug Enforcement Administratio    6. Drug enforcement agents    7. General    8. Organized Crime    9. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    10. Specific Groups - General    11. Speziale, Jerry    12. Undercover operations    13. United States    14. English    15. True crime    16. USA   

Reviews (6)

A Fun, Easy Read...
The book is organized into essays that read like really well-written blog posts.The author is lots of fun, and some of the stories she offers are both poignant and hilarious.Some of it can be a bit repetitive, but not so much as to annoy.If you're looking for some light reading and you're fairly openminded, you should definitely go for this one.

When a sequel is actually better
Overall, I liked this collection better than the first one.That having been said, I'd recommend reading "Fat Girls" first to become acquainted with the author's family. My favorite here was the transgender piece.

Witty and Insightful
Revenge of the Paste Eaters is a collection of witty, insightful and heartwarming essays about the author's life. Cheryl Peck pokes fun at herself, her family, her Midwestern upbringing, her insecurities and even her cat, but there is no malice in her words, and some of us can relate to the topics she chooses.
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Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Anecdotes    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography And Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Feminists    8. Form - Essays    9. General    10. Humor    11. Lesbians    12. Michigan    13. Personal Memoirs    14. Specific Groups - Lesbians    15. Biography: general    16. English    17. Humor / Essays    18. USA   

Reviews (66)

who thought sex could be this dull?
considering that sex should be about as interesting a topic as there is, it really is amazing how so many writers can make it sooooo dull. are orgies really about as interesting as roofing a house? reading this author, it sure seems like it. what a disappointment this book was. not once did i achieve wood status while reading it. horrible. horrible. horrible. about as bad a book as i've ever read.

Crude Vulgar and Boring.
A few words to describe this book: vulgar, crude, and boring. I was truly excited to read this book when it was suggested to me. The idea of reading a sexual autobiography that was praised for not being another watered down censored bore, excited me. It only took me a totally of 50 pages to realize that I was stuck in the middle of someone's sexual nightmare.
Are orgies really this dreary?
The sexual life? No. A much more fitting title would be "The Sexual Death of Catherine M."
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Case studies    6. Erotic literature    7. France    8. Literary    9. Millet, Catherine    10. Paris    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Sex Relations    13. Sexual behavior    14. Sexuality In Literature    15. Sociology - General    16. Specific Groups - General    17. Women   

Reviews (10)

A Mother of a Book
sometimes when you read a book you are expecting to read some details,but a book like this blows the lid off the mother fully. Deborah Santana doesn't hold back at all. she takes you on a journey from her childhood to her teen years with Sly Stone.&then eventually with her Husband Carlos Santana. you read about a strong Woman who overcame so many obstacles&was grounded strongly&thrived despite some negative forces. a very powerful book that you simply can't put down. Deborah Santana is a Remarkable Soul Sister. this is a Must read book from start to finish.

Space Between the Stars:My Journey to an Open Heart
I really enjoyed this book.Before reading I didn't know that much about Deborah and certainly not enough about Carlos.Amazing story of true love and devotion.

Open Heart
I thought this book was wonderful.It is written with a genuine and honest feeling.A lot of the things that were written in this book really hit home with me - the average person.I want to thank Deborah Santana for a wonderful, open, and genuine book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1951-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Musicians' spouses    7. People of Color    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Rock musicians    10. Santana, Carlos    11. Santana, Deborah,    12. Specific Groups - General    13. United States    14. Women    15. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

William Haines was one of MGM's biggest stars in the late 1920s, playing cocky but sympathetic wise guys in movies such as Read more

Reviews (24)

A sloppy job
This book was a major disappointment. It could have been good. Unfortunately, once you throw out all the regurgitated gossip, conjecture, and seemingly endless repetition, there's not much real information on William Haines. It doesn't help that Mann doesn't seem to know (or care) that he frequently contradicts himself. Potentially interesting topics - that Haines may have been a manic depressive, to name just one - are touched on, but Mann prefers rehashing old publicity to attempting any real insight. Things you can tell just by skimming through it
This book is very informative and full of eye-opening photographs.It reflects an issue that needs to be addressed much, much more.I already knew much about this silent star, and have learned more just by simply skimming through Mr. Mann's excellent survey.I definitely recommend it as I also recommend another of the author's books, which I am currently reading as well, "Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood 1910-1969."

AN ALMOST TRUE BOOK
For those looking for an introduction to the career of William Haines and for some insights into gay life in the 1920s and 1930s, this book will suffice.But it has as its grounding assumptions several false facts.Read more

Subjects:  1. American actors    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    8. Gay men    9. Individual Movie Actors And Actresses    10. Interior Design    11. Motion picture actors and actresses    12. Specific Groups - Male Gay Studies    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / General    15. Biography: film, television & music    16. Haines, William    17. Literature of special Gay interest