Book Description
"If You Don't Know Me By Now," "The Love I Lost," "The Soul Train Theme," "Then Came You," "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"--the distinctive music that became known as Philly Soul dominated the pop music charts in the 1970s. In A House on Fire, John A. Jackson takes us inside the musical empire created by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, the three men who put Philadelphia Soul on the map. Here is the eye-opening story of three of the most influential and successful music producers of the seventies. Jackson shows how Gamble, Huff, and Bell developed a black recording empire second only to Berry Gordy's Motown, pumping out a string of chart-toppers from Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, the Spinners, the O'Jays, the Stylistics, and many others. The author underscores the endemic racism of the music business at that time, revealing how the three men were blocked from the major record companies and outlets in Philadelphia because they were black, forcing them to create their own label, sign their own artists, and create their own sound. The sound they created--a sophisticated and glossy form of rhythm and blues, characterized by crisp, melodious harmonies backed by lush, string-laden orchestration and a hard-driving rhythm section--was a glorious success, producing at least twenty-eight gold or platinum albums and thirty-one gold or platinum singles. But after their meteoric rise and years of unstoppable success, their production company finally failed, brought down by payola, competition, a tough economy, and changing popular tastes. Funky, groovy, soulful--Philly Soul was the classic seventies sound. A House on Fire tells the inside story of this remarkable musical phenomenon.
Customer Reviews:
An Outstanding Book - Thoroughly Researched.......2007-03-31
What impressed me most about Mr. Jackson's book is the research he did. I can't imagine a more meticulously detailed and thoroughly researched subject. This book should be required reading for potential writers, to learn how it should be done. Because this is not mainstream material - this book would never be a best seller since the subject matter is of interest only to a small segment of the reading public, Mr. Jackson probably could have taken a few shortcuts here and there; who would have known? But he obviously didn't.
My interest lied with whether there was a connection between Cameo-Parkway, a label whose music I treasured as a teen (and still do) and Philadelphia International, all of whose music I was equally as impressed with. I wanted to see if there was any connection between the companies since they were both based in Philadelphia. I certainly found my answers and then some, thanks to this book. Highly recommended!
The rise and fall of Philadelphia International Records........2007-03-26
Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's legendary Philadelphia International label was the most important and influential R&B imprint of the 1970s and this long-overdue chronicle of its rise, glory days and fall is indispensable for anyone who loves the music PIR released. Although the author was unable to interview either Gamble or Huff he does interview Thom Bell and other key players of the PIR camp. Thoroughly researched and a well-done job indeed. Whereas books on the Motown, Stax and Atlantic labels have been previously available this is (surprisingly)O the first-ever in depth one published about PIR and is much-welcome on all counts.
Major Disappointment.......2007-03-20
For me, this book is a major disappointment. The biggest gaping hole in the book is the fact that the author was not able to interview either Gamble or Huff. It also reads like a college textbook - dull writing style. This was hot R&B music of the 1970's and the writing should have reflected the excitement in the music.
I wish it could have gone on forever.......2007-01-20
The book AND the era in music, that is. Being a huge fan of both pop music history and early-70s soul, I savored this read like a fine meal. My only complaint is that it had to end. So much detail, such loving care applied by the author...this is one great read. I'd give it six stars if I could. It's that good!
Didn't I blow your mind....this time!.......2006-01-21
I thought I knew a lot about Philly Soul. This book turned on so many lights for me regarding Philly Soul. MFSB, Bell, Huff, Gamble and many others are covered in this book. I would like to sit down and talk to Thom Bell. Out of all the people in this book (and a lot are covered,) the music and genius of Thom Bell really blew my mind.
Book Description
From "one of America's premier writers of fiction" (New York Times) comes this novel inspired by the 1985 police bombing of a West Philadelphia row house owned by the back-to-nature, Afrocentric cult known as Move. The bombing killed eleven people and started a fire that destroyed sixty other houses. At the center of the story is Cudjoe, a writer and exile who returns to his old neighborhood after spending a decade fleeing from his past, and his search for the lone survivor of the fire a young boy who was seen running from the flames. An impassioned, brutally honest journey through the despair and horror of life in urban America, "Philadelphia Fire isn't a book you read so much as one you breathe" (San Francisco Chronicle).
Average customer rating:
- overwritten mess
- May 13, 1985
- Escapism at its Finest
- About the last 30 pages earn this book five stars
- Difficult, but worth it.
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Philadelphia Fire
John Edgar Wideman
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Wideman, John Edgar
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Wideman, John Edgar
| African American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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Coup de Grace
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Three Lives
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Independence Day
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March
ASIN: 0805012664 |
Publishers Weekly
When African-American writer Cudjoe returns to his hometown of Philadelphia to write a book about the 1985 police firebombing of a black cult, his homecoming spurs within him a myriad of memories and impressions. While recalling the abandonment of his white wife and two children, his failed novel and a dead mentor, he provides rich observation about the about the crumbling state of a once-beloved city. As his research unfolds, he examines issues of sex, race and the life of the city, ultimately uncovering information that sets the entire city into motion.
Philadelphia Fire won the PEN/Faulkner Award for 1991.
Book Description
Philadelphia Fire is the most ambitious, most highly praised, and best-selling work of fiction by "one of America's premier writers of fiction" (The York Times). Based on the 1985 bombing police of a West Philadelphia row house owned the Afrocentric cult Move, it tells of Cudjoe, a writer who returns to his old neighborhood after a decade of self-imposed exile, obsessed with finding the lone boy who was seen running from the flames.
Customer Reviews:
overwritten mess.......2001-09-21
starts out as though it's gonna tell a story, then the plot is just abandoned -- forget it, it's never resolved -- and part two is supposedly the author musing about "what would i write if i was gonna write about this stuff?" -- and then part three has nothing to do with anything. well, as my mama used to say, "there's a whole lotta writing goin' on... and not much reading." in other words mr wideman just performed this for himself, for his own private pleasure and none of ours.
May 13, 1985.......2001-07-18
Wideman's book, Philadelphia Fire, starts with an absorbing idea - Cudjoe, an African-American expatriate, recently returned from Mykonos, returns to Philadelphia to write a novel about the bombing and fire at the Move complex in West Philadelphia and find the one child who survived.
Yet for me, the book did not fulfill its promise. The stream of consciousness writing was complex, and distracted me greatly from the story. I was also disappointed that the bombing incident itself, its political underpinnings, and the story of the elusive child were never truly told.
Rather, the book focuses on Cudjoe's experiences upon returning to Philadelphia; his failures and successes as a father, teacher, writer, and husband; and his investigations into the incident. Cudjoe's realizations redeem the book, as his insight into the life of an African-American man are profound. While I was disappointed that the subject in which I was interested was never covered in depth, the descriptions and feelings evoked by the title character made the book certainly worth reading.
Escapism at its Finest.......2001-01-27
In Philadelphia Fire Wideman takes on the task of engaging with issues important to the African American community while at the same time presenting them from a modernist viewpoint. Yet topics such as voyeurism, fidelity, and even the title fire are left behind in the main character's escapism. Perhaps Wideman wants to show the disorienting effects society plays on the male African American mind. However, the style becomes tiresome, despite glimpses of simply beautiful writing, and halfway through I found myself looking for an escape as well.
About the last 30 pages earn this book five stars.......2000-03-14
I had to read Philadelphia Fire for a writing class and, after delving into the book, I found that it was written in that love it or hate it "stream of conciousness" style. The person of the narrator switches from character to character and other people in the story seem to appear without any warning or introduction. But the reason I gave this book five stars is because of the way the last and the way Wideman describes the homeless man sucking the ketchup and maynoise off of Mcdonalds plastic hamburger wrappers is painfully insightful and provocative. This book is worth the read simply because the ending is fabulous and leaves you with a sense of how the world doesn't care about innocent people being killed and that most people are only concerned with themselves. END
Difficult, but worth it........1999-10-14
I read 'Philadelphia Fire' as a part of my MA course at The University of Sheffield, England, and, on the whole, enjoyed it. I did, however, find its stream of conciousness style confusing and difficult to read at times. It is rather 'heavy' and slow in certain points, and tends to jump from character to character (and to author/ narator) especially in the second and third parts of the novel. Its description and use of the City is excellent, and I am sure that many can relate to certain experiences encountered by Cudjoe, from reliving youth to revisiting ones old stomping ground etc.
On the whole, I found its style difficult, but do not let this discourage you, as the experience of reading this novel outweighs the sluggishness of certain points.
Average customer rating:
- Cut and paste job
- JUST THE FACTS
- JUST THE FACTS
- Fire & Spirit disappointing
- I FELT I WAS THERE!!!!
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Fire & Spirit: The Story of the 1950 Phillies
Carson Van Linda , and
Carson Van Lindt
Manufacturer: Marabou Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baseball
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
History
| Baseball
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0963259512 |
Book Description
Fire & Spirit recounts the Philadelphia Phillies glorious 1950 season.
Customer Reviews:
Cut and paste job.......2003-08-01
This book purports to capture the fire and spirit of the famed 1950 "Whiz Kids". If it did it would be a welcome addition to the definative story of the "Kids" told by Robin Roberts and Paul Rogers. Unfortunately it is little more than an elongated term paper. Anyone with an adequate amount of research time and a microfiche of Philadelphia newspapers from the period could have produced the same, perhaps better, results.
The author chronicles the season from begining to end but in the interim, his narrative is sadly unable to capture either the drama of the season or the personality of the team. There is no effort to get behind the headlines and boxscores to the real story within the story.
Save your time and money or, better yet, spend it on the Roberts/Rogers version of the Whiz Kids historic season. Their book is a page turner that will not disappoint you.
JUST THE FACTS.......2002-03-22
I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and really felt like I was part of the team and their quest for the National League pennant. While the book doesn't break any ground it does feed the baseball fanatic with statistics......one of my favorite things about the game.
JUST THE FACTS.......2002-03-22
I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and really felt like I was part of the team and their quest for the National League pennant. While the book doesn't break any ground it does feed the baseball fanatic with statistics......one of my favorite things about the game.
Fire & Spirit disappointing.......2001-03-26
Fire & Spirit is poorly written. It contains many grammatical errors, is poorly edited, lacks fresh material, and is frequently not objective. After reading Paul Rogers' "Whiz Kids," I was disappointed that this author had done so little original research, particularly interviews and first person accounts of those involved. While readers with no previous knowledge of the 1950 team may glean a cursory familiarity, they should not expect a book of either literary quality or balanced reporting.
I FELT I WAS THERE!!!!.......1999-03-24
Fire & Spirit really captured the feeling of the Phillies pennant chase in 1950. I really liked the way the writer takes the reader from the inception of the team to the building of the franchise that thrilled the city of Philadelphia. I found myself transported into Shibe Park as I read the goings on throughout the season. And I felt the anxiety Phillies fans must have felt when they watched their lead dissipate near the end of the season. LONG LIVE THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL.
Product Description
Germantown Mutual Fire Insurance Company history.
Product Description
A collection of 27 articles dealing with the people and buildings of Philadelphia from it's founding to the early nineteenth century. These articles, which are profusely illustrated, deal with the following topics: Independence Hall group, Philosophical Hall, early bank buildings, Philadelphia Exchange, Carpenters' Hall, Library Hall, homes of Franklin, Washington and Adams, the College of Philadelphia, early churches, Pennsylvania Hospital, first fire insurance companies, first natural history museum, the Athenaeum, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Franklin Institute, architecture, early life, market houses, theatre, taverns, and prisons. A large illustrative map, compiled by Grant M. Simon, is enclosed in an envelope at the back of the book covers area dealt with in the articles. 331 pgs. + Name Index. Contains Footnotes useful for further study.
Book Description
One Dragon Egg Holds the Key to the Future.
Once a slave, Kale is given the unexpected opportunity to become a servant to Paladin. Yet this young girl has much to learn about the difference between slavery and service.
A Desperate Search Begins…
A small band of Paladin’s servants rescue Kale from danger but turn her from her destination: The Hall, where she was to be trained. Feeling afraid and unprepared, Kale embarks on a perilous quest to find the meech dragon egg stolen by the foul Wizard Risto. First, she and her comrades must find Wizard Fenworth. But their journey is threatened when a key member of the party is captured, leaving the remaining companions to find Fenworth, attempt an impossible rescue, and recover the egg whose true value they have not begun to suspect…
Weaving together memorable characters, daring adventure, and a core of eternal truth, Dragonspell is a finely crafted and welcome addition to the corpus of fantasy fiction.
Customer Reviews:
love this series!.......2007-09-09
i "discovered" this book on a shelf at a christian bookstore and decided i needed something fantastical to entertain me so i bought it. i LOVED it! right now, we are reading this as a family and our son (age 7) really has enjoyed the story and characters. he's always asking for "one more chapter...please!" :-) good character development and enjoyable read.
This is just WOW!.......2007-08-31
So, one day i was looking on CBD for some fantasy fiction about dragons. And I saw dragonspell. It didn't look to promising, but i decided to try it out anyway. So I ordered it from the library. From the moment I first read the first page it captured me. I was suddenly sucked into the world of Amara. It was like I was watching everything happen right before my eye's! I was right next to Kale when she was being attacked by thee grawligs, I was there when Gymn first hatched. It was amazing! You HAVE GOT TO buy this book.This is my favorite book out of fantasy fiction, and if you read it I'm sure it will be yours too. I love dragonquest even more and I have yet to read dragonknight(its on order from the library =( so slowwwww) I have to say that right now my favorite character is Bardon( co-main character in Dragonquest) But trust me, you have to read them in order, cuz you'll get confused if you don't. And we wouldn't want that happening! This book is just amazing, and to think I almost didn't get it!
Promises not delivered.......2007-07-13
This story held lots of promise for the dragon/wizard loving reader, along with the promise of a dangerous adventure and exciting climax/conclusion, but Donita Paul seemed to drop the ball at the end. What could have been a story full of exciting wizardry, defeating deception, and the young Kale's skills coming to fruition was instead skimmed over, leaving the reader disappointed and missing what the build up promised but didn't deliver. The minor dragons and friends Kale made, the special cape and items packed by Granny Noon, along with the early battles and discoveries, made the story one the reader had trouble putting down. But the last few chapters appeared to have been haphazardly written and lacked the excitement and magical battles and ending that were promised, leaving the reader wishing the author had put in the excitement all the way to the end, as in other fantasy stories. Instead, a no-action movement from point A to point B ended the story, leaving the reader disappointed.
Good, but annoying.......2007-07-03
I actually picked up Dragonspell from my church library because of its beautiful cover and interesting description. However, at page four, I found a passage that was highly discouraging:
"Kale imagined a similar procession crossing one of the great bridges. Bantam doneels, giant urohms, the elegant emerlindians, fighting mariones, tumanhofers, swift kimens, and o'rants."
Here I found a huge list of "species" that I could not understand, let alone pronounce! I decided to try to figure it out with a visit to the glossary. When I discovered that all of the definitions sounded as if they were from an ancient history book, I was about ready to quit. Instead, I decided to persevere and started to read the entire glossary to family members who were trapped in the car with me. After only five or so words, they were groaning and asking me to stop, especially as I struggled in the pronounciation of countless made-up words. Also imagine my distress when I realized that there were seven high races AND seven low races. Fourteen new species to memorize! And instant memorization is what is expected. The book doesn't let you get a feel for one species ata time--no, the different races come faster and faster, as well as frequent references to the long and tedious glossary.
Just to help you understand my pain... The first three words in the glossary are as follows:
AMARA--continent surrounded by ocean on three sides
ARMAGOT--national tree, purple blue leaves in the fall
ARMAGOTNUT--nut from the Armagot tree
The entire glossary continues in a likewise fashion. And why do I need to know the national tree and its national nut???
I'm done with this book, but I hope someone with iron determination and good skill with made-up words will be able to accomplish what I have not--and finish it!
I am a christian, so I don't have any problem with Wulder representing God, except couldn't the author think of a better name? I think I understand why those who don't believe in Jesus Christ would be upset if this book was not in a christian section. But I rated this book on its writing, not its christian message, and I thought it was a little dull.
Some People Just Can't Understand.......2007-05-21
I love this series, at least what I've read so far. I've read some of the bad reviews and I just want to counter some of it. This is a analogy of the Christian life and quite frankly, some people just can't understand because their not Christians.
1) When the wizard Risto invades the minds of the good guys, all they have to is think, "I stand under Wulder's authority." over and over again. Well, in the real world, God is in control and if you ask for His help, He'll give it to you - though, perhaps not always how you expect it. You don't have to fight, you just have to ask.
2) The "good" characters are perfect. Maybe this is a little annoying sometimes, but, if someone really tries to follow God in all he does, he can be perfect. Though, I've never met anyone like that, it remains a possibility.
3) There's no plot. That's a matter of opinion, I guess. When I finished I wanted to read it again.
I'm not really sure how far to go with this so, as I said before, there are some things a non-Christian just can't understand. I really loved this book.
Book Description
CAUGHT IN A WEB OF PASSION, DESTINY AND MAGIC For years the provinces of Deverry have been in turmoil, but the conflict escalates to new heights with the kidnapping of Rhodry, heir to the throne of Aberwyn. Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardek, where Rhodry is held captive.
Tied to Deverry by bonds of obligation, the immortal wizard Nevyn begins to see that all its problems originate from a single source - his ancient enemy, a master of dark magics, backed by a network of evil that stretches across the sea. With this realization, Nevyn understands that he too is being lured to Bardek, and into a subtle and deadly trap...
Katharine Kerr's novels of the Kingdom of Deverry unfold in a world of stunning richness and depth, portrayed with unequalled imagination and realism. Now, with Dragonspell, she returns to this enchanted kingdom for the most powerful story yet in this epic series.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but it can be WAY better..........2000-04-04
For the people that don't know, Dragonspell is also called The Dragon Revenant, which is published by Bantam Books. Kerr can definitely can do better. I kinda found the book quite tedious, despite all the action. Because the 4/5 of the book was pretty much devoted to getting Rhodry back and from his mistress (whom with their love affair I found absolutely revolting), I thought it was a complete waste to have the last 1/5 of the book to be set on the "painful separation" of Rhodry and Jill because of dweamor, and Rhodry's new wife. I mean, COME ONE PEOPLE! If anything, cut the boat trip short and all, because I don't want to waste my time just reading about how bored they were on their boat trip back.
I loved it.......2000-01-26
This is such a sweet book - well I think so anyway. Nevyn finally gets Jill and all that. I don't know why I read this one third last - I've read all the others. I love this series and it deserves recognition.
very real.......1999-11-09
Okey, this is a fanatsy book but it feels so real. After reading a while you begin to belive in gnomes, dwarfs and other things that are described in this book. Its a wonderful descibition of a country that relly doesnt exist. This book take place in Bardek, the islands in the southern sea.
Average customer rating:
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Dragonspell
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417677198 |
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