Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: American Legends: The Life of Mae West

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Mae Sally-Rouge Pax

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-18-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Mae West will always be remembered as one of Hollywood's biggest icons, and the American Film Institute named her the 15th greatest actress of the 20th century in its Top 100 list, but she also transcended the entertainment industry and became a critical part of Americana itself. Over the course of seven decades, Mae redefined the boundaries of sexuality in ways that made more conservative Americans of the early 20th century uncomfortable, and for good measure she did so boldly and in people's faces. Full of witty rejoinders and one-liners that both flaunted and celebrated her sexuality, she eventually managed to help usher in a more open era, even as the standards of the time found her so controversial that she was often subjected to censorship (which she once quipped "made a fortune" for her). Mae and some of her movies have been widely credited with spurring the implementation of the notorious Hays Code, which censored lewd and obscene material in Hollywood movies for several years, but she remained defiant. Even near the end of her life and career, when cast in a role where she is romantically pursued by a British man, her elderly character wisecracks that she hopes to be able to say what Paul Revere did: "The British are coming."

Although Mae West is mostly remembered for being one of the 20th century's first and most important sex symbols, she was a versatile entertainer who made it in different venues across the country and across the years. Like many young actresses at the time, Mae started in vaudeville and stage in New York before heading west to Hollywood. In fact, by the time she starred in movies, she was nearing the age of 40, well after most star actresses had seen their careers peaked. Nonetheless, Mae continued to portray vixens that drove men nuts on screen for decades, all while being a comedienne and even writing her own plays and materials.

Members Reviews:

"I've been in more laps than a napkin..."

"...I didn't discover curves; I only uncovered them." - Mae West , Colorful phrases and just as colorful life made for a short, engaging read. Obviously not one to have all that blissful of marriage(s) given this passage, " When a man was courting me, he'd want to put a diamond on my finger, and as soon as he thought he had me, he wanted to put an apron around my waist" but she does come across as a sharp cookie and I found her life to be quite interesting. Very good book and I do recommend!

An eye opening and amazing perspective of a phenomenal woman

When I developed in interest in the life of Mae West and wanted to know more, I ran across this book and it was perfect. In about 55 pages, it told me how phenomenal Mae West was, and how far she was ahead of her time. I knew she was a sex symbol of her day, but didn't realize she wrote her plays, which became the basis for her movies. Not only was she sassy, she was savvy and smart. A well written book about an amazing woman.

Enjoyed it very much!

I learned allot about Mae West. She was an awesome actress and person and her personality was very unique. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Mae West - a smart "bad" girl

Just read this (needed my Kindle as just had cataract surgery & had to enlarge the print) and enjoyed it.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: American Legends: The Life of Red Skelton

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Nick Hart

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-30-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

"I don't want to be called 'the greatest' or 'one of the greatest'; let other guys claim to be the best. I just want to be known as a clown because to me that's the height of my profession. It means you can do everything - sing, dance, and above all, make people laugh." (Red Skelton)

"All I want to do is to make people laugh, to take the word 'heartache' out of their vocabulary." (Red Skelton)

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.

Among radio personalities and television entertainers, almost nobody had a career as long or storied as Red Skelton, one of America's foremost comedians during the 20th century. Over the course of 70 years, Skelton made crowds laugh from vaudeville to performing as a clown, and while he is best known for The Red Skelton Show and his other variety shows, he also managed a 45-year stage career as a pantomime and the other characters he created over the years.

Although Skelton was extremely popular in America at the peak of his career, his entertainment was also a throwback to the early 20th century, which compelled television studios to balk at the notion of continuing to air his shows by 1970, even though his shows had spent almost two straight decades with top 10 ratings on the air. Understandably bitter, Skelton refused to have his shows in syndication until the 1980s.

Members Reviews:

Too much inflection , not enough heart

The narrator has way too much inflection in his voice; he covers a full octave. As good as it was to hear Red Skelton's factual story, I felt that much of what made him a giant among men was left out.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: American Legends: The Life of Clark Gable

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Scott R. Pollak

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-23-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

"The only reason they come to see me is that I know that life is great - and they know I know it." - Clark Gable

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, readers 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 1930s were, without a doubt, the height of the classical Hollywood era. It is no accident that 1939 has historically been designated as the pinnacle of Hollywood film history. The era was known for its lavish studio productions, with MGM, RKO, Warner Brothers, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox all operating at the height of their powers. Every major studio possessed a long roster of contract players, with films released at such a rapid pace that it made for an especially competitive environment within the industry. Even while America remained in the throes of the Great Depression, the film industry continued to flourish, and movies easily supplanted the theater as the main attraction for American entertainment. Indeed, it would be no exaggeration to claim that the film industry reached its zenith during the decade precisely because it offered an affordable (if very temporary) escape from the anxieties of the economic woes of the era.

The 1930s were also a time in which Hollywood boasted an unprecedented array of famous leading men.

Members Reviews:

Surprisingly good.

Entertaining and thoroughly researched. This (short) biography of one of Hollywood's most valued stars offers genuine insights to the pattern and fabric of Hollywood's development. A much-loved star who was admired worldwide by both men and women is touched again and again by unbelievable tragedy throughout his short life but still manages to come back smiling. The incredible losses Clark Gable had to grapple with in his life combined with his outstanding work ethic and belief in himself makes for strength of character in the 1st degree.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Mind Stunts

Subtitle: An Unauthorized Account of Derren Brown's Rise to Fame

Author: William Tapscott

Narrator: Susan Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-16-15

Publisher: David Brown

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Millions of fans watched Derren Brown make a London cab driver forget where the London Eye is, buy high-priced items with blank pieces of paper, turn an average guy into a pub quiz champion, and otherwise amaze spectators with feats of psychological illusion. But how did Derren go from small-time magician performing in a restaurant to national celebrity and television star? Mind Stunts tells the story of the stunts that made Derren famous.

Members Reviews:

Scratching the surface

Mind Stunts is a very VERY brief account of Derren Brown's various television programs, cribbed from public news reports. The writer did not appear to do any original interviews or research, although he did dig up some good quotes and facts about magician/mentalist Derren Brown. It "unauthorized" only in the sense that anything someone writes about a person is "unauthorized" if they have no contact with them.

Mostly the book tries to shoe-horn Derren's choices of tricks into a rubric of "stunts". If the author has a thesis, it is that Derren Brown is competing with David Blaine as a "stunt" magician, based mostly on the "Russian Roulette" T.V. special. The evidence the author cites is that Derren -- and his collaborators like Andy Nyman, I might add -- play up the 'events' they create for maximum dramatic impact. You know, like good performers.

The fact that the book contains numerous typos and printing errors screams cheap knockoff. The chapters are a few pages long and in huge type and the book is still as slim as a pad of Mad Libs. Someone should write a good biography of Derren Brown, perhaps starting with the news articles cited in this book.

If you want to know everything you need to know about this book in one fact: It never mentions Coops, Derren's faithful assistant. Avoid.

Don't buy it. You will be disappointed!!

This "book" brings absolutely nothing new about Derren Brown.

This is essentially a short summary of his come to fame, his work and few (very short) comments.

You will learn nothing new; actually you would get more information about Derren Brown just by reading his interviews (available online) than from this booklet.

This is a complete waste of money - frankly, anybody could write this book, you would just need to assemble (by copy and paste mostly) few freely available online articles.

And this is what essentially this "book" is - a short compendium of Internet articles.

If you truly are interested in this intriguing person, go read books written by him.

seemed more like a vanity press pamphlet than a book

Seemed like more of a pamphlet than a book. Nowhere near the amount of in depth discussion I was hoping for. And loaded with glaring typos as if it had been put together in a rush and plainly no one had proofed it.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Caminho das Pedras

Author: Leona Cavalli, Ana Vitória Vieira Monteiro

Narrator: Leona Cavalli

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-02-15

Publisher: Livro Falante

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Concebido a partir do trabalho da atriz Leona Cavalli com a dramaturga Ana Vitória Vieira Monteiro, o Caminho das Pedras é uma "jornada" de reflexo e atuaço que objetiva ajudar os atores a compreender e planejar melhor sua carreira profissional, integrando vida artística, consciência pessoal e cidadania.Leona e Ana Vitória vêm desenvolvendo este trabalho desde 1999 em entidades culturais de várias cidades do país. Os eventos so sempre concorridos e freqüentemente algum participante sugere o registro das palestras em áudio ou em vídeo. As sugestes foram aceitas e Leona elaborou o texto e gravou-o em áudio. Ao todo so 22 capítulos, ou "pedras", com temas como iluso, família, ego e medo, entre outros, que levam os atores a compreender o seu papel e sua interferência na sociedade e no tempo, sendo estimulados a transformar os obstáculos.Além dos textos de cada uma das 22 "pedras", a obra inclui o monólogo Máscaras de Penas Penadas, de Ana Vitória Vieira Monteiro, que é utilizado na vivência do Caminho das Pedras como um meio de apresentar os "cantos iniciáticos do ator", como a própria autora informa no subtítulo da obra.O audiolivro contém as 22 "pedras" lidas por Leona Cavalli e o monólogo gravado pela atriz com trilha sonora de Chico César.

Please note: This audiobook is in Portuguese.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Mark It and Strike It

Author: Steve Allen

Narrator: Steve Allen

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-12-14

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

It's hard to believe there's only one Steve Allen! This same person has: created the Tonight show, written 28 books, composed over 4,000 songs, made some 40 record albums, starred on Broadway and in motion pictures, composed Broadway, television, and film scores, starred in his own television series, and created, written, and hosted the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Meeting of Minds. We invited Steve into our studios so he could tell you his own story. He talks about his family, his upbringing, his views, the creative process, and the business of being funny in this updated version of his autobiography. And because Steve always brings something extra special to his work, he brightens this recording with some of his inimitable ad-libbing on the piano.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Grace

Subtitle: A Biography

Author: Thilo Wydra, Rachel Hildebrandt (translator)

Narrator: Jonathan Yen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Thirty years ago, Grace Kelly was tragically killed when her vehicle tumbled 40 meters from the serpentine roads of Monaco. She has since become a myth, a style icon existing between the glamour of Hollywood and the royalty of Monaco. As Hitchcocks favorite actress to work with, Kelly acted in classic films including Rear Window and To Catch a Thief, opposite actors such as Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant. Yet her private life remained in the shadows. Her marriage to Prince Rainier III was not anchored by love, and her life on the Riviera was more akin to a golden cage. She was an individual torn between illusion and reality, simultaneously idolized by millions.

This comprehensive biography draws from previously unreleased photographs and documents from the Grimaldi family archive and, for the first time, access to the letters between Kelly and Hitchcock. It is also based on interviews with Kellys companions and relatives, including an exclusive interview with Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Members Reviews:

Grace: A biography

The book is well written and the narrator is excellent. I really enjoyed listening to the whole book. Thank you for your great job.

GRACE: A BIOGRAPHY

Where does Grace rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I HATE THIS QUESTION WHEN YOU LISTEN TO AS MANY BOOKS AS I HAVE!!!

What did you like best about this story?

THE WAY THEY TALKED ABOUT HER FATHER AND HOW SHE TRIED TO PLEASE HIM, AND HOW IT REFLECTED THROUGHOUT HER LIFE.

What about Jonathan Yens performance did you like?

HE TREATED THE SUBJECT (GRACE) WITH RESPECT THROUGHOUT THE BOOK.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I DID.

Any additional comments?

GOOD BOOK, EASY READ, GAVE ME A WHOLE DIFFERENT VIEW ON PRINCESS GRACE. GLAD I BOUGHT IT!

Sugar coated

Would you try another book written by Thilo Wydra and Rachel Hildebrandt (translator) or narrated by Jonathan Yen?

Some interesting stories and insight , gives a good background to the emergence of grace Kelly and perhaps some explanation for the person she became and decisions she made. Thought though that the info on her family of origin and subsequent info provided by interviews with her family today were very sugar coated to say the least and found that disappointing.

Would you ever listen to anything by Thilo Wydra and Rachel Hildebrandt (translator) again?

Perhaps

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Marilyn Monroe: A Life of the Actress, Revised and Updated

Author: Carl Rollyson

Narrator: John Stamper

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-03-14

Publisher: Carl Rollyson

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

In American popular culture, Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) has evolved in stature from movie superstar to American icon. Monroe's own understanding of her place in the American imagination and her effort to perfect her talent as an actress are explored with great sensitivity in Carl Rollyson's engaging narrative. He shows how movies became crucial events in the shaping of Monroe's identity. He regards her enduring gifts as a creative artist, discussing how her smaller roles in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve established the context for her career, while in-depth chapters on her more important roles in Bus Stop, Some Like It Hot, and The Misfits provide the centerpiece of his examination of her life and career.

Through extensive interviews with many of Monroe's colleagues, close friends, and other biographers, and a careful rethinking of the literature written about her, Rollyson is able to describe her use of Method acting and her studies with Michael Chekhov and Lee Strasberg, head of the Actors' Studio in New York. The author also analyzes several of Monroe's own drawings, diary notes, and letters that have recently become available. With over thirty black and white photographs (some published for the first time), a new foreword, and a new afterword, this volume brings Rollyson's 1986 book up to date.

From this comprehensive, yet critically measured wealth of material, Rollyson offers a distinctive and insightful portrait of Marilyn Monroe, highlighted by new perspectives that depict the central importance of acting to the authentic aspects of her being.

Members Reviews:

Stick to the story

I was excited to read the Marilyn Munro autobiography like most autobiographies they focus on the person life but unfortunately on this occasion this 12 hour book could been turned into two hours max, but instead the story drifts in & out of a blow by blow what happened when she was making movies her stand her looks etc there was only about 10 minutes in each chapter about Marilyn herself.

Will definitely be hitting the refund button on this one

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Barbra

Subtitle: A Biography of Barbra Streisand

Author: Frank Brady

Narrator: Debra Bond

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-17-14

Publisher: NYCreative Publishing

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

She's been a funny girl, a matchmaker, and Robert Redford's leading lady. From her international acclaim as a singer to her first huge film success as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, Barbra Streisand has continued to prove herself the most fabulous and versatile star today. This biography tells the fascinating story of her unique and inspiring rise to stardom.

In this warm and compassionate portrait of this remarkable superstar, author Frank Brady reveals: Barbra - the woman. Private, romantic. Learn about her marriage to Elliott Gould, the birth of her child, her divorce, her romances with actor Omar Sharif, with Pierre Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, and her long-time liaison with film producer Jon Peters.

Barbra - the singer. Moving, passionate. Follow her from her singing debut at age seven to her success as the number-one female vocalist and recording artist in the world.

Barbara - the actress. Brilliant, funny, one of the most versatile and multitalented actresses. Trace her career from her first Broadway role (as Miss Marmelstein in I Can Get It for You Wholesale) through her dazzling performances in such films as Funny Girl, The Way We Were, and A Star is Born.

Members Reviews:

big rip-off

the worst book ever rip=off!!! No pictures,fast read not much info and was printed in 2013 but ended in 1978. waste of money no stars!!! Her last film box office take was a star is born....Published in 2013!!! Even her enemies would hate it!

Five Stars

Yes it met all that the advertisement said....and it was delivered before its expected delivery date

Great woman, poorly written

Poorly written story. Lacks depth even in sentence structure. Barbra Streisand's more interesting than this told novelist was able to depict.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Tim Tebow: An Unauthorized Biography

Author: Belmont and Belcourt Biographies

Narrator: Alex L. Vincent

Format: Unabridged

Length: 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-12-14

Publisher: Price World Publishing

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Tim Tebow is one of the most talked about athletes of all time. Everybody seems to have an opinion about him, especially on his religious beliefs. But, in order to truly understand Tim Tebow, you must first understand where he came from. Tim Tebow: An Unauthorized Biography explores Tebow's upbringing, his high school and college football careers, and details his breakthrough into the NFL, all the way through his playoff loss to the New England Patriots.

''Tebow-mania'' has fans and critics alike questioning his motives and looking for where God and his career will take him next. Inside, you will discover where it all started and learn why so many fans are ''Tebowing'' alongside their new national hero. From family to football to the future, all you need to know about Tim Tebow is right here, right now, in the most up to date coverage of Tim Tebow's life.

This audiobook also includes all of Tim Tebow's college and professional football statistics.

Members Reviews:

Amazon, where are the proofreaders?

This little book(let) is so filled with typo errors. How did it get published?

How did it get past Amazon?

I am such a Tebow fan - I read everything about him. This was not ready to be put on the market, at any price!

Enjoyed every minute of this book

Enjoyed every minute of this book. Well written and enjoyed learning about Tim's life and ministry. I would recommend it to anyone to read.