Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

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Title: Legends of Hollywood: The Life of William Shatner

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Nick Hart

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

Includes Shatner's own quotes about his life and career.

"I'm not a Starfleet commander, or T. J. Hooker. I don't live on Starship NCC-1701...or own a phaser. I don't know anybody named Bones, Sulu, or Spock. And no, I've never had green alien sex, but I'm sure it'd be quite an evening. I speak English and French, not Klingon! I drink Labatt's, not Romulan Ale! And when someone says to me 'live long and prosper', I seriously mean it when I say, 'get a life'. My doctor's name is not McCoy, it's Ginsberg. And tribbles were puppets, not real animals. PUPPETS! And when I speak, I never, ever talk like Every. Word. Is. Its. Own. Sentence. I live in California, but I was raised in Montreal. And I believe in Priceline.com, where you never have to pay full price for airline tickets, hotels, and car rentals! I've appeared on stage at Stratford, at Carnegie Hall, Albert Hall, and the Monkland Theatre in NDG. And, yes, I've gone where no man has gone before, but...I was in Mexico and her father gave me permission! My name is William Shatner, and I am Canadian!" (William Shatner)

It almost goes without saying that nobody occupies a place in pop culture that remotely resembles the one in which William Shatner finds himself. As an actor who has been about as critically acclaimed as he has been lampooned, Shatner seems to relish every aspect of his image, whether he's making fun of himself and others on a celebrity roast or appearing in humorous commercials as a spokesman for Priceline.com.

Given the length and scope of his career, it's easy to forget that Shatner started as a pretty typical dramatic actor in his early years, including appearances in Judgment at Nuremberg, episodes of The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and even the Western series Outlaws.

Members Reviews:

very interesting!

I enjoyed reading about William Shatner. Star Trek was always a favorite and I had wondered exactly what he was like. Had heard rumors but after this book, I feel like I know what kind of person he is and he is very interesting!

A concise biography.

A concise biography that is a quick and enjoyable read. I did learn a few things about William Shatner. Not very many photos and devout fans may find nothing new to learn about this actor in this story.

Yes, This trekker loves James T. Kirk

This book was brief, but presented the life of William Shatner in a most enjoyable way. Thank you, Charles River Editors.

Beam me up Scotty!

Fun quick read about a funny man

Light, Breezy Biography. Easy Read.

I read this book in a matter of hours. There is nothing within it's pages that is particularly insightful, or earth shattering. William Shatner is a likeable guy, and there is nothing in this book you can't find in Wikipedia, or any other online source. If you're a fan, you probably already know at least as much, if not more, than what the Charles Rivers Editors have written here. This is probably even true for the non-fan.

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Title: Betty Grable & Rita Hayworth: The Most Famous Pin-Up Models of World War II

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Kelly Rhodes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

"There are two reasons why I'm in show business, and I'm standing on both of them." (Betty Grable)

"I've had a lot of unhappiness in my life - and a lot of happiness. Who doesn't?" (Rita Hayworth)

No history of American pop culture in the 1940s would be complete without mention of Betty Grable, the most popular pinup girl of the World War II era. Grable possessed the outstanding fortune of not only having an ideal body, but of arriving at the most fortuitous time imaginable. The famous pin-up photo of her, taken by Frank Powolny, made her the highest-earning actress in Hollywood from 1943 to 1951. Indeed, it was not hyperbole that earned Grable the nickname of "the girl with the million dollar legs" - not only were her legs famously adored by American soldiers fighting overseas, they were actually insured to the tune of one million dollars. Grable was the banner actress for the era before the advent of Playboy and other publications designed to satisfy the lust of the heterosexual male, an era that objectified women, but in a more wholesome, less pornographic way, which was designed to reinforce all-American values.

However, if Grable was, monetarily speaking, the most successful actress of the 1940s, there is a major gulf between her commercial success and the critical appraisal of her acting talents. Grable never won an Academy Award, and the swift demise of her Hollywood status testifies to her inability to sustain her career.

Meanwhile, Rita Hayworth's life and career remain fascinating to both the general public and avid movie fans alike. Even people with just a casual interest in movies appreciate her performances in films such as Gilda (1946), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), and Salome (1953).

Members Reviews:

Betty Grable

Great information on Betty Grable that I wasn't aware of. I highly recomend it to anyone who likes this era. I didn't read on Rita Hayworth since I had previoulsy read her biography.

Betty Grable & Rita Hayworth

Good book good read, would recommend to people Charles River Editors seem to have good people who know how to pick books

Fair

Fair

EXCELLENT

Pretty ebook about a couple of pretty women.

About average for Charles River.

More pictures would have been nice.

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Title: American Legends: The Life of Jack Lemmon

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Allison McKay

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

"It's hard enough to write a good drama, it's much harder to write a good comedy, and it's hardest of all to write a drama with comedy. Which is what life is." (Jack Lemmon)

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

The great film director Billy Wilder once noted of Jack Lemmon that Lemmon "was my everyman", and Lemmon did indeed represent a great everyman to American audiences during the latter half of the 20th century. For rich, poor, and working class audiences alike, Lemmon was an accessible leading male, someone certainly less stately than Cary Grant or Laurence Olivier and seemingly more approachable even than archetypal leading men such as Jimmy Stewart or Henry Fonda. Viewers may not have known Lemmon on a personal level, yet his easygoing demeanor made it easy for the American public to feel as if they knew Lemmon. His wide appeal is summarized nicely by Richard T. Stanley, who noted that he "Had the personality and versatile talent to star in any era." Lemmon became intimately associated with other famous figures of Hollywood, including director Billy Wilder and actor Walter Matthau.

If Lemmon's persona was that of the everyman, the actual narrative of his life tells a somewhat different story.

Members Reviews:

Useful short biography of Mr. Lemmon

The various Charles River Editors publications are generally well-written short coverages of various people and events. Formatting and spelling are generally ok, with only occasional glitches where a word would be validly found by a spell-checker but which is grammatically incorrect in context.

I had not known much about Jack Lemmon's life and this provided a useful introduction. C.R.E.'s citation of sources and providing a bibliography for further reading is, as always, a good practice.

Jack Lemmon

I always liked this actor and his ability to do comedy as well as dramatic roles such as the "Days of wine &Roses". I learned things about his life that I had not previously know about him. I recommend it to anyone, plus, it was a very interesting read.

Four Stars

A very interesting book about a wonderful legend i really enjoyed it

Four Stars

Very interesting and entertaining read.

Waste of time and money

nothing I couldn't learn on Wikipedia. Waste of time and money.

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Title: American Legends: The Life of Shirley Temple

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Diane Lehman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

Includes Temple's own quotes about her life and relationships. Includes a bibliography for further reading.

"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph." (Shirley Temple)

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Shirley Temple remains the most famous child star of all time, but even this designation fails to reflect the magnitude of her popularity during the era in which she worked. While it is true that she was not the first child actor to reach Hollywood fame, she was the first - and to this day, perhaps the only - star who rose to the very pinnacle of the Hollywood elite before she even turned 10 years of age. For this reason, it is no exaggeration to view Shirley as the progenitor for all of the child actors that succeeded her. Moreover, her cultural importance constitutes an even more important barometer through which to measure her overall significance. Not only was Shirley a film star, but she had a monumental impact on a generation of children who grew up during the Great Depression, with her plucky optimism representing an invaluable calming presence for an American public struggling both financially and emotionally. She was not only a young actress but also a brand name, someone who offered fathers and mothers hope for their children to achieve the same success as the famous child star.

Members Reviews:

Too Many Mistakes!

This is a short read compiled or just grabbed from other books. It is filled with incorrect facts and many incorrect dates throughout. They even put the wrong husband's name in one part! Reads more like a tabloid than a biography. You must Read Shirley Temple's OWN biography to get the facts and Her own is a good read.

Interesting...

If you want to learn something about Shirley Temple, then this is it. She came from a privileged background while many other Hollywood types came from destitute situations. Seems like she always had her head on straight.

America's Sweetheart

Interesting read. Watched dozens of Shirley Temple movies on tv when I was a kid. I always looked forward to watching spunky Shirley. Lovely to read about a child star who grew up into such a successful adult.

Unexpected

Didn't realise how tiny the book and the writing was. I may need a magnify glass to read it.

helpful

i got this for my project and it has really good information in and the book is quite small but the write is small so its ok

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Title: American Legends: The Life of James Cagney

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: James Romick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-07-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

"You don't psych yourself up for these things, you do them.... I'm acting for the audience, not for myself, and I do it as directly as I can. " (James Cagney)

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

When the American Film Institute assembled a list of its top 100 actors of all time at the close of the 20th century, one of the top 10 was James Cagney, an actor whose acting and dancing talents spawned a stage and film career that spanned over five decades and once compelled Orson Welles to call him "maybe the greatest actor to ever appear in front of a camera." Indeed his portrayal of "The Man Who Owns Broadway", George M. Cohan, earned him an Academy Award in the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy. As famed director Milos Forman once put it, "I think he's some kind of genius. His instinct, it's just unbelievable. I could just stay at home. One of the qualities of a brilliant actor is that things look better on the screen than the set. Jimmy has that quality."

Ultimately it was portraying tough guys and gangsters in the 1930s that turned Cagney into a massive Hollywood star, and they were the kinds of roles he was literally born to play after growing up rough in Manhattan at the turn of the 20th century.

Members Reviews:

A rare Hollywood Icon that remained true to himself and the lady he loved from day one

"Once a song-and-dance man, always a song-and-dance man" You might think that would sum up Cagney's character but I was surprised to learn this was more in reference to his being a remarkable dancer and actually having taught it at one time, together with having been a semi-pro baseball player, amateur lightweight boxer, farmer, and of course an extraordinary actor. I was also humored to learn while reading this short biography that movie studios regularly shot at their actors with live rounds back in the days because blanks were considered too expensive (I didn't know that!)Cagney well deserves a lot of respect in my humble opinion and just want to mention how appropriate it would be to honor him at this time being it is his actual birth month. Excellent book!

A Real Yankee Dandy

This is a short introduction/summation to the life of a great and incredibly versatile American legend, James Cagney. From a wildly insane gangster, to a consummate song and dance man, and then to a wildly caffeinated Coca Cola executive, James Cagney could do it all, with style, professionalism, astounding talent, and humanity. This book is a brief but very well-written biography that makes me want to learn even more about the man -- and to re-watch some of his grand old movies. I always loved that Yankee Doodle Dandy, and this book reinforced that love.

What you see is not what you get

I had a limited remembrance of James Cagney from his films, mostly his portrayals of hoodlums and assorted other less than desirable characters. One sometimes tends to stereotype actors as persons inclined to self indulgences from womanizing to excesses in many other ways.

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Title: American Legends: The Life of Duke Ellington

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Diane Lehman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-06-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

"I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues." "Art is dangerous. It is one of the attractions: When it ceases to be dangerous, you don't want it." (Duke Ellington)

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

In 1956 Duke Ellington was featured on the cover of Time magazine after a bravura performance at the Newport Jazz Festival that summer. This remains one of his most iconic achievements and a landmark for jazz music as a whole; only four jazz musicians were ever displayed on the cover of Time. At the same time, however, this recognition stands as one of the prevailing ironies of Ellington's career, as he was deep into the latter stages of his performing life by this point. Indeed there was a way in which everything that Ellington had done up to that point in his career was obscured. Put differently, it is misleading to recognize Duke simply for his accomplished performance at the festival, as one could justifiably argue that he transformed the very nature of jazz (both its stylistic qualities and its cultural identity) in his career up until this point. Duke Ellington's career covers such a vast scope that it is difficult to locate exactly where it began.

Members Reviews:

Sir Duke

I first became aware of Duke Ellington through the Stevie Wonder song "Sir Duke". In this biography you learn that Duke Ellington's life could have taken a different direction but thankfully led to his career in music.

EXCELLENT

Love the music of Ellington and his biography is interesting.

American Legends: The Life of Duke Ellington details his life and his career in vivid detail

American Legends: The Life of Duke Ellington is a good book that I found pretty comprehensive for only being 51 pages. The included pictures and even Duke Ellington's own quotes about his life and career. The book did a good job at showing how important Duke Ellington was to American culture, but the book also showed you what he was like as a person. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Thank you for reading my review.

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Title: American Legends: The Life of Gary Cooper

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Michael Gilboe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-06-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

"I looked it at like this way. To get folks to like you, as a screen player I mean, I figured you had to sort of be their ideal. I don't mean a handsome knight riding a white horse, but a fella who answered the description of a right guy." (Gary Cooper)

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Hollywood has never had a shortage of actors who thrived in one genre, whether it was John Wayne in Westerns or James Cagney in gangster films, but few had success across the entire spectrum like Gary Cooper, who managed to earn five Academy Award nominations despite an untimely death that cut short his career. Those nominations came for comedies, Westerns, and dramas, with wins for High Noon and the World War I film Sergeant York. Given his accolades, a career that included roles in over 100 movies, and his immense popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, it's no wonder the American Film Institute ranked him the 11th greatest actor of the 20th century.

In his typical manner, Cooper was often dismissive of his success and acting as a craft in general, but few represented the idea of understated masculinity and heroism quite like him. In his most famous role, as marshal Will Kane in the iconic Western movie High Noon, Cooper's understated style personified the notion that a hero was made of deeds, not words. Cooper became the beau ideal in other films, whether playing Lou Gehrig in The Pride of the Yankees or Alvin York in Sergeant York.

Members Reviews:

Short version of his life

Good book but short on information. So much more could have been written. Missed the full Mark in my opinion

A Star of My Day

I greatly enjoyed this book as it has a rather brief story of an actor I admired. Cooper was not a perfect man but a man of his time. He appears somewhat humble and even naive at times but was a favorite of my youth. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who enjoyed the golden age of film.

More like a magazine than a book

JoAnne

I ordered this book for my husband for Christmas. I thought I was getting a soft cover bio. Well it is soft cover but more like a magazine than a book.

Very disappointed!

Because it was a well written biography about one of the greatest actors of his time. You Don,t get better than Gary cooper

Why is I t necessary to have a certain number of words? How men any times must I a at it a great book about a graea the man.

Photos are terrible and the text is not much better

Extremely cheaply done volume. Photos are terrible and the text is not much better.

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Title: My Life in Vaudeville

Subtitle: The Autobiography of Ed Lowry

Author: Ed Lowry

Narrator: James Romick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-11-15

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

Ed Lowry joined the vaudeville circuit in 1910 at the age of 14. He never achieved stardom equal to the likes of Fred Allen, Jack Benny, George Burns, Buster Keaton, or Eddie Cantor, and he never considered himself an "artiste". Instead, he saw himself as a hoofer and comic simply trying to make a living on the vaude scene. My Life in Vaudeville recounts Lowry's long career in entertainment from the viewpoint of a foot soldier with a big dream.

Lowry's story begins in the heyday of vaudeville in the early twentieth century and follows its gradual decline. Unlike many of his associates, he recognized that movies and other forms of entertainment were the future, and thus branched out into other venues.

My Life in Vaudeville is an unpretentious record of a time when thousands of young people went into show business to escape the boredom of daily life, and Lowry's story is a view of vaudeville not often encountered. Lowry does much more than recall the daily life of a working actor, musician, and comedian. His story brings vaudeville to life and places it within the larger narratives of popular culture and popular entertainment of the twentieth century.

The book is published by Southern Illinois University Press.

Critic Reviews:

"Paul M. Levitt, a novelist and playwright of wit and verve, has rescued Ed Lowry's extraordinary memoirs. My Life in Vaudeville, covering the Jazz Age to the dawn of World War II, provides a rich resource for theater history and enhances a lost era with captivating details." (Alan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor, University of Michigan)

"This is an autobiography that brings to life not only its remarkable author but also the entire era and adventures of American vaudeville." (Berel Lang, Department of Philosophy and College of Letters, Wesleyan University)

Members Reviews:

Interesting book

I enjoyed the earlier parts of the book as I am mostly interested in vaudeville in the 1920's. But the book was enjoyable.

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Title: Vanity Fair: March 2015 Issue

Author: Vanity Fair

Narrator: Graydon Carter, various narrators

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-17-15

Publisher: Vanity Fair

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Publisher's Summary:

Vanity Fair is a cultural filter, sparking the global conversation about the people and ideas that matter most. With a dedication to journalistic excellence and powerful storytelling, Vanity Fair is the first choice - often the only choice - for the world's most influential and important audience. From print to social media, the big screen to the smartphone and now on audio, Vanity Fair is the arbiter of our era.

This month's issue features:

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

Pleased with the product

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Título: Un Genio Llamado Woody Allen [A Genius Named Woody Allen]

Autor: Online Studio Productions

Narrador: uncredited

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 39 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 02-11-15

Editor: Online Studio Productions

Calificaciones: 3 de 5 de 1 votos

Categorías: Arts & Entertainment, Celebrity Bios

Resumen del editor:

¿Existe alguien que no lo considere un genio del cine? Allan Stewart Königsberg, su verdadero nombre, es como la figura condensada de todo el séptimo arte. Además de notable director, es guionista, actor, músico, escritor y ganador del premio Óscar en múltiples ocasiones. Hoy es uno de los personajes más respetados, influyentes y prolíficos de la era moderna.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.