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A richly detailed and dramatic account of one of the greatest achievements of humankind. At 9:32 A.M. on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 rocket launched in the presence of more than a million spectators who had gathered to witness a truly historic event. It carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins to the last frontier of human imagination: the moon.
For the first time ever - a comprehensive biography of one of the 20th century’s most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
A hundred years after his inauguration, Woodrow Wilson still stands as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, and one of the most enigmatic. And now, after more than a decade of research and writing, Pulitzer Prize-winning author A. Scott Berg has completed Wilson - the most personal and penetrating biography ever written about the 28th President. This is not just Wilson the icon - but Wilson the man.
The Hiltons is a sweeping saga of the success-and excess-of an iconic American family. Demanding and enigmatic, patriarch Conrad Hilton's visionary ideas and unyielding will established the model for the modern luxury hotel industry. But outside the boardroom, Conrad struggled with emotional detachment, failed marriages, and conflicted Catholicism.
This is the unvarnished, complete story of Willie Nelson's life, told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned, from Texas and Nashville to Hawaii and his legendary bus.
Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian Empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India.
A richly detailed and dramatic account of one of the greatest achievements of humankind. At 9:32 A.M. on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 rocket launched in the presence of more than a million spectators who had gathered to witness a truly historic event. It carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins to the last frontier of human imagination: the moon.
For the first time ever - a comprehensive biography of one of the 20th century’s most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
A hundred years after his inauguration, Woodrow Wilson still stands as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, and one of the most enigmatic. And now, after more than a decade of research and writing, Pulitzer Prize-winning author A. Scott Berg has completed Wilson - the most personal and penetrating biography ever written about the 28th President. This is not just Wilson the icon - but Wilson the man.
The Hiltons is a sweeping saga of the success-and excess-of an iconic American family. Demanding and enigmatic, patriarch Conrad Hilton's visionary ideas and unyielding will established the model for the modern luxury hotel industry. But outside the boardroom, Conrad struggled with emotional detachment, failed marriages, and conflicted Catholicism.
This is the unvarnished, complete story of Willie Nelson's life, told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned, from Texas and Nashville to Hawaii and his legendary bus.
Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian Empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India.
In Wishful Drinking, Carrie Fisher tells the true and intoxicating story of her life with inimitable wit. Born to celebrity parents, she was picked to play a princess in a little movie called Star Wars when only 19 years old. "But it isn't all sweetness and light sabers."
When most people think of Michael Jordan, they think of the beautiful shots, his body totally in sync with the ball, hitting nothing but net. He is responsible for incredible moments so ingrained in basketball history that they have their own names: The Shrug, The Shot, The Flu Game. But for all his greatness, there's also a dark side to Jordan: A ruthless competitor, a gambler. There's never been a biography that balanced these personas-until now.
The most successful director in movie history, Steven Spielberg has been responsible for such box-office blockbusters as Jurassic Park, Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the Indiana Jones trilogy. And yet throughout much of his career, Spielberg's work has been undervalued by critics who have questioned his emotional maturity and intellectual seriousness. It was not until he made Schindler's List in 1993 that he was widely recognized as a serious filmmaker.
Seven years in the making and meticulously researched - Gabler is the first writer to be given complete access to the Disney archives - this is the full story of a man whose work left an ineradicable brand on our culture but whose life has largely been enshrouded in myth.
Viewed by many as the greatest science fiction writer on any planet, Philip K. Dick has written some of the most intriguing, original, and thought-provoking fiction of our time. This collection includes "The Minority Report," "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," "Paycheck," "Second Variety," and "The Eyes Have It."
In The First Tycoon, Stiles offers the first complete, authoritative biography of this titan, and the first comprehensive account of the Commodore's personal life. It is a sweeping, fast-moving epic, and a complex portrait of the great man. Vanderbilt, Stiles shows, embraced the philosophy of the Jacksonian Democrats and withstood attacks by his conservative enemies for being too competitive. He was a visionary who pioneered business models.
Ten years ago the idea of getting into a stranger's car or walking into a stranger's home would have seemed bizarre and dangerous, but today it's as common as ordering a book online. Uber and Airbnb have ushered in a new era: redefining neighborhoods, challenging the way governments regulate business, and changing the way we travel. In the spirit of iconic Silicon Valley renegades like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, another generation of entrepreneurs is using technology to upend convention and disrupt entire industries.
"Everything about me is in my films," Steven Spielberg has said. Taking this as a key to understanding the hugely successful moviemaker, Molly Haskell explores the full range of Spielberg's works for the light they shine upon the man himself. Through such powerhouse hits as E.T., Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones, to less-appreciated movies like the haunting Schindler's List, Haskell shows how Spielberg's uniquely evocative filmmaking and story-telling reveal the many ways in which his life, work, and times are entwined.
The Battle of Britain paints a stirring picture of an extraordinary summer when the fate of the world hung by a thread. Historian James Holland has now written the definitive account of those months based on extensive new research from around the world, including thousands of new interviews with people on both sides of the battle.
Stanley Kubrick, the director of a string of timeless movies from Lolita and Dr. Strangelove to A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, and others, has always been depicted by the media as the Howard Hughes of filmmakers, a weird artist obsessed with his work and privacy to the point of madness. But who was he really?
December 1941: Manila is invaded, and US citizen and Philippines Airlines manager Pappy Gunn is ordered to fly key military command out of the country, leaving his family at home. So Gunn was miles away when the Japanese captured his wife and children, placing them in an internment camp where they faced disease, abuse, and starvation. Gunn spent three years trying to rescue them. His exploits became legend as he revolutionized the art of air warfare, devising his own weaponry, missions, and more.
During the Cold War, world superpowers amassed nuclear arsenals containing the explosive power of one million Hiroshimas. The Soviet Union secretly plotted to create the "Dead Hand," a system designed to launch an automatic retaliatory nuclear strike on the United States, and developed a fearsome biological warfare machine. President Ronald Reagan, hoping to awe the Soviets into submission, pushed hard for the creation of space-based missile defenses.
The definitive biography of one of the most influential filmmakers ever - George Lucas.
On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining, independent science-fiction film opened in a mere 32 American movie theatres. Conceived, written, and directed by a little-known filmmaker named George Lucas, Star Wars reinvented the cinematic landscape, ushering in a new way for movies to be made, marketed, and merchandised. And if that wasn't game changing enough, Lucas went on to create another blockbuster series with Indiana Jones and completely revolutionized the world of special effects, not to mention sound systems. His work and legacy have led to a rash of innovation and democratization in film and television.
Simply put, George Lucas is one of the most influential filmmakers of the past 50 years. He is an icon, and his fans will be eager to listen to a biography as impressive as his achievements - especially in the midst of J. J. Abrams' reboot of the Star Wars franchise.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Great biography that focus primarily on the Star Wars film making years but touches on Lucas' childhood, other films and impact on film making and the theatre going experience. Jay Snyder was a solid choice for narrator.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
If you could sum up George Lucas in three words, what would they be?
Immersive, Enjoyable, Informative
What was one of the most memorable moments of George Lucas?
Almost dying and his connection to his dad was more fascinating than I thought it would be. And, of course, the path he took making his films was so well told. They all seemed to be a personal struggle. His commitment to filmmaking would eventually take it's toll on his first marriage. All amazing stuff.
Have you listened to any of Jay Snyder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, but he was great! I would listen to other works by him.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I was very moved at times listening to this book. This book was so good, that I would listen to it on the way to work and coming home. In fact, I got bummed when I got to work because I had to stop listening, but then got all exciting again going home because I got to continue. No lie!
Any additional comments?
George has taken some real hits since his prequel movies, and I certainly have been among them. But I can tell you, if you get this to learn about George, you will have an entirely new respect for the man and the work he has created. I would totally listen to this book again. It has been my favorite Audible book to date.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez said his stories are about the loneliness of power. I can see a little bit of that in George Lucas. Fairly or not, the way he's portrayed in this biography, the man who started out making intriguing art films with a limited audience somehow got lost in his own massive success. Star Wars made him a multibillionaire. As Lucas became increasingly savvy in the technical and business aspects of filmmaking, his work appears to have lost some of its soul. The Star Wars prequels, dazzling as they are, are the classic example. The book convincingly describes him as a creative genius and a pioneer, the rare filmmaker who's managed to gain complete artistic control of his movies. Author Brian Jay Jones applauds his triumphs. And yet, there's a lingering sense of tragedy in the background. Even Francis Ford Coppola wonders out loud what kind of films his close friend would have made, had he not become possessed by the Star Wars franchise. I couldn't help associating Lucas with the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, someone transformed into a man-machine, looking for a heart. Or perhaps even Darth Vader...
Part of the reason why I chose this audiobook is because I enjoyed the author's biography of Jim Henson. Henson, the creator of Sesame Street and The Muppets, also built himself an empire based on entertainment, toys and other merchandise. (He collaborated with Lucas on the Yoda puppet and the film Labyrinth.) Yet, the Henson biography shows a more human side to the entrepreneur. 'George Lucas: A Life' feels colder and is somewhat more focused on the business aspect of the filmmaker's life. It's a very interesting subject, but I have to admit that three quarters of the way into the book, I began to look forward to its ending. Over all, the writing's pretty decent, although I did sense a bit of laziness or carelessness here and there. For example, the phrase 'an offer that he couldn't refuse' is used too many times... Still, I'm very glad that I listened to this audiobook and I recommend it to anyone interested in this bigger-than-life figure who changed cinema and provided the world with one of the most powerful modern mythologies.
Jay Snyder's narration is very clear and professional, if slightly bland and impersonal. It feels a little like a long movie trailer, but maybe that's appropriate in this case. I'm partial to a warmer reading style, but it's probably a matter of taste.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I felt confident the George Lucas biography was in good hands when I heard Brian Jay Jones was writing it. Jones wrote the enormously readable biography of Jim Henson, also on Audible.
This compelling book looks at the director's life and career, from student films at USC. to Lucas's difficult decision to sell the Star Wars franchise to Disney in 2012 and the release of The Force Awakens in 2015.
Jones begins his biography in Tunisia in 1976. Lucas, fresh off the unexpected success of his small-budget film American Graffiti, is bogged down in the desert shoot for his space opera Star Wars. Nothing's going right. The R2-D2 units keep breaking down. And English actor Anthony Daniels is a mess of bruises and cuts from wearing the unwieldy C-3PO costume. Rain keeps falling. Will Star Wars be the biggest flop of the director's career?
Jones then takes us back to the beginning. We meet young Lucas, the son of a small-town stationer in Northern California. His dad was a hard-to-please father, and Lucas was a rebel who found his cause at USC film school.
I have to admit I was impatient to get to the Star Wars chapters. But there is a lot of good story ahead of that: Lucas meeting Francis Ford Coppola and meeting the brilliant film editor (and his first wife) Marcia Griffin, the filming of THX and American Graffiti.
Star Wars and Indiana Jones fanatics may be disappointed that more pages aren't devoted to their fave sagas. But this is a biography of a life, and so the author only gives broad outlines with some detailed moments for each film.
This is an unauthorized biography, but you don't feel it. Jones did his research. There are so many quotes from Lucas and other principals, culled from secondary sources, that you believe Jones sat down and had nice long chats.
I was engaged throughout. Lucas came off as a quiet, sometimes remote, but all the same engaging character who had a genius for attracting the best people and for innovating the look, sound and making of films.
The narration is perfectly low-key. Just a really good narration that keeps the listener involved in the story line.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
It gives a wonderful and honest insight into who Lucas really was and why he made the choices he did over the years. It also shows how much he contributed to film over the years. But most of all it shows how much he did his own thing and worked hard to be independent of the Hollywood system and how that effected him over the years. For better or sometimes for worse.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Good read. Explains a lot about Star Wars and it's production. Lucas was a hard headed guy that got it done.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I really enjoyed listening to this amazing story of a guy who just wanted to make movies. I liked everything about this book. There is one thing that I wanted more; more behind the scenes of the movies Lucas has made. That's really the only thing that I did not like. The rest of the book was inspiring and excellent to hear. I wanna read it again!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, the narrator is incredible, the story is intriguing, and even though it's 18 hours long, I will listen to this again.
What did you like best about this story?
Even though I knew most of this history, it was told in such a way that it was like I was actually there living this. It felt like my own memories it was told so well.
What does Jay Snyder bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narrator told the story in such a way that it was like a conversation. I felt like I was just sitting, having coffee with a friend. I listened to this on long trips and it never felt boring.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, I knew I couldn't. It is 18 hours long. I wish I could, but knew I couldn't.
Any additional comments?
There is nothing more to say than to get this book, especially the audiobook version. If you know the history or not, a fan or not, love movies or not, this was one of the best books I've listened to this year. I had it on in the car with friends and was so into I forgot to turn it off when they got in. It wasn't until we arrived at our destination and I turned the car off that I realized it was still on when everyone in the car got upset because they wanted to know what happened next.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
buying the other book by the author immediately as i enjoyed this one very much and i am also interested in the Jim Henson story.
A well-paced, well-written tome that delves into the make-up of the quirky genius behind Star Wars. Very interesting is his friendships and working relationships with the likes os Spielberg and Coppola.