With Nails the Film Diaries of Richard E

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious and insightful.......2007-05-30

I just got this book recently after seeing Richard E Grant interviewed on TV (in NZ). He came across so well in the interview, funny, and insightful, and rather cute too... Hearing that he's a writer I decided to check out his books. Within two pages I was laughing out loud, and then a little further on I had tears in my eyes (no not from laughing, but from a reading his account of the birth and death of his first child).

Grant has an interesting way of writing - stream of consciousness, and it really works well, taking the reader along for the ride. At a quick glance the writing is similar in a way to Tom Wolfe (father of New Journalism) who is well known for writing in that stream of consciousness vein. But whereas Tom Wolfe's writing comes across as purely observational - there's no emotion, he's just retelling what he sees... Grant's writing is more personal, he has great observational strengths, but it's his insight, perceptions and intelligence that really jumps out from this book.

I love the book, and can't wait to get my hands on The Wah Wah Diaries, and also his novel, By Design.

Totally agree with other comments on this book - Grant's style just makes it feel like a conversation between the him and the reader, and as one reviewer said: "leaves the reader aching to meet Grant in person to continue the dialogue".

And completely feel the same as the other reviewer who said that finishing the book felt like losing a best friend - I so didn't want to finish reading the book - I wanted to continue the conversation - I was enjoying it so much.

Totally worth getting hold of this book.

From Withnail to stardom........2002-02-02

Richard E Grant's film diaries are fascinating for anyone wondering about the machinations of the film industry. It covers everything from his earliest job in the film "Withnail and I" (which launched his career)through to working on "Hudson Hawk", LA Stories" and many more. He comes across as so affable and totally appreciative of his fame and new found financial security. The personal stories involving his wife's miscarriage and death of his father tug at the heartstrings.
I'm sure Grant is the sort of guy you coould meet on the street or in a pub and have a good chat with, not one of these pretentious Hollywood bores.Merely someone who has paid his dues and truly deserves to be where he is today.
If you read this Mr Grant, all I can say is hurry up with the second lnstallment of your film diaries. You've worked on so many films in the past few years that another book MUST be in the works. A book that I can't wait to read. If for nothing else for your recollections of working on SPICE WORLD:The MOVIE!!
Funny,poignant and truly endearing.

i beg to differ.......2001-10-26

reading the other reviews, i have to wonder if I read the same book they did! I got this HOPING it would be a witty and amusing dishy book on Hollywood life, instead it reads like a long scattershot set of "and then i did this, and then i went there". A sample paragraph is how he went to restaurant X, and then flew to city Y, to promote movie Z, then he called his wife, then he said hello to actor W, who said he liked his work. Yawn.
I gamely plowed through the first half, then gave up.

Witty and entertaining.......2001-07-25

This is quite an entertaining book that traces Richard E. Grant's career from his very early days in WITHNAIL & I all the way through to his role in the Spice Girls movie, SPICEWORLD. A varied career indeed. It's fascinating to read about his rollercoaster ride through filmmaking, bouncing from gigantic bombs to critical successes in a seemingly random fashion.

This is a captivating look at the behind the scenes activities from several movie sets, yet Grant manages to keep both his feet firmly planted on the ground even when meeting and socializing with the biggest of stars. The result is an often hilarious tour of the madness and method that goes into making films. We encounter several very famous people within this text: Grant parties with Madonna, receives multiple high-fives from Bruce Willis, accepts strange fan-mail from Steve Martin and gets stuck on a never ending film-shoot in Budapest with Sandra Bernhard. Each of them are seen through his grounded eyes and interacted with in his neurotic, slightly sarcastic manner.

Although this is not even a complete account of all (or most) of the films that he has acted in throughout his career, there are a few places where his private life does occasionally intersect on the pages of his diaries. There are some extremely tear-jerking moments, the most moving of which is during the shooting of WITHNAIL & I where he is caught going back and forth between the film work and his wife's pregnancy complications. The book is a whirlwind of emotions and random observations. It's slow and thoughtful during the breaks between shooting, but quickly speeds up to a breakneck pace when the real work begins.

This is a great book for anyone who has the slightest interest in a behind the scenes peek at the movie industry from someone who doesn't have their head already in the clouds. Richard E. Grant shares his philosophies, his outlooks and his wit with us in these diaries and they come highly recommended.

My Favourite Book of All Time.......2001-02-18

Richard E. Grant takes his readers on a hilarious journey through his experiences in the film industry. His writing is sharp and incisive with no hint of egotism creeping through. Throughout the entire memoir, Grant is on the same plane as any working-class person in the world - this allows for him to connect with his reader, and at the same time, it makes his experiences, such as meeting a plethora of celebrities or attending all sorts of bizarre parties, all the more unbelievable and hilarious. With Nails is a book that can be read over and over again: Grant delivers so many bitchy, shrewd observations that, upon rereading, rear their barbed, comic heads.

Richard E. Grant is probably someone you've never heard of. He has always been a supporting actor, and has starred in a few dud pictures such as `Hudson Hawk' and `Pret-a-Porter'. The great thing about With Nails is that he's not afraid to admit his own, or his movies' failures and foibles. At the same time as he delves into his film diaries, Grant discusses some extremely personal experiences with the reader, such as the death of his baby girl only 36 hours after delivery: "she was the size of my hand" he laments.

It's moments like those in With Nails that remind the reader that Richard E. Grant is just a normal guy who has inadvertently stumbled into the totally bizarre and foreign world of Hollywood. For goodness sake, the man was born and raised in Swaziland, Africa! It's amazing that, despite his successes and run-ins with celebrity, he remains totally grounded. Just like your next-door neighbour. Just a guy that has had a tremendous run of luck and has described his whole way-out trip along the way.

This book is so excellent, so funny, so amazing... it's my favourite book of all time. Definitely get it. You won't regret it.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!

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CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!
Dr. W. Harry Plantinga
Manufacturer: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Product Description

The most important spiritual writings of Christian history are available on this Classics CD by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at Calvin College. It contains 118 Christian classics, including three versions of the Bible, several commentaries, Bible dictionaries, readings, spiritual guides, sermons, poems and journals -- all in a convenient, searchable form. Books are available in HTML and PDF formats. The easy-to-use CCEL Desktop software powering the CD enables users to browse and print books and install additional books from the Web. The top-of-class search engine can search for words or phrases in books, in authors works or in the whole library. In addition, it can search for dictionary definitions of words and commentary or references to scripture passages. The interface is a Web browser. The CD is compatible with Windows 2000+, Macintosh 10.3+, and most Linux versions.

Alfred the Great and the Saxons (Life and Times)

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Alfred the Great and the Saxons (Life and Times)
Robin May
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

Europe | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 053103822X

Alfred the Great Containing Chapters on His Life and Times

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Alfred the Great Containing Chapters on His Life and Times

Manufacturer: Ayer Co Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Delightful Surprise despite the Gloss
Fascinating!
Have her dry-cleaned
Many glaring omissions
Great book! Really covers his films in depth. Excellent Work

Hitch/life And Times
Taylor John Russell
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0425075931

Amazon.com

It's likely that readers who have watched many of Alfred Hitchcock's films can't help but have noticed how frequently he depicts fetishism, sadism, and voyeurism. Because Hitchcock was a reclusive man and a guarded interview subject, almost everyone who writes about him turns to his work for insight into his life. These writers generally conclude that the director himself was possessed by the very pathologies that resound in his movies.

But John Russell Taylor didn't have to go that route. He wrote this biography with the participation and blessings of the man himself. In Hitch, Taylor admits that his subject often projects his fantasies onto the screen. He also provides a good deal of insight into Hitchcock's domineering, obsessively courteous demeanor. But the focus here is on the details of Hitchcock's life, the preparation and production of his movies, and his relationships with the countless cinematic luminaries who worked with him, including Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and James Stewart. --Raphael Shargel

Customer Reviews:

Delightful Surprise despite the Gloss.......2007-02-27

This is a wonderful glossily written biography. It is written with much gusto. This is one of the first biographies of Hitchcock that I read. I knew that Alfred Hitchcock was a great filmmaker, but his antics off-screen were equally droll. Despite the fact Hitchcock's films are superficially discussed, the author, John Russell Taylor manages to narrate Alfred Hitchcock's life and times in such a way that I could not put it down, and I read it in record time (at least for me). There are better biographies on Hitchcock out there (Donald Spoto's for instance) but this edition makes for enjoyable reading. The facts are all there but it is indeed a matter of interpretation of how the numerous anecdotes are retold that makes the difference here. Author John Russell Taylor definitely takes the high road.

Fascinating!.......2002-12-09

This book was a really easy read. With tales of Hitch's career and providing insight - I believe - into the man behind the much misunderstood myth.

"Hitch" is mostly filled with tales from behind the scenes rather than an examination of Hitch's craft and technique. I enjoyed it because I think knowing the PERSON behind a picture will often explain his technique better than any self-proclaimed "expert" who will often take technical necessity and make it symbolist bull.

Well written and very interesting subject matter. A must for anyone!

Have her dry-cleaned.......2000-12-31

Highly readable and informative. Recommended for all Hitch fans as well as anyone interested in the history of cinema. Beyond the basic facts,there are lots of telling anecdotes and perceptive observations, such as Hitchcock's famous distinction between shock and suspense. My favorite Hitch quip: a father wrote to Hitchcock for some advice. After seeing Les Diaboliques his daughter refused to take a bath, and now after seeing Psycho she wouldn't take a shower either. "Have her dry-cleaned" was Hitchcock's cheerful reply.

Many glaring omissions.......2000-01-04

Hitchcock is my very favorite film director, and I think he's definitely one of the best, if not THE best, directors ever, so I was very disappointed to read this book which only skims over Hitch's life, giving some films barely a page or two. Taylor looks at Hitch's many movies with neither a critical or even historical eye--and many, many details are left out, and many facts are just plain backwards, especially that "Notorious" was based on an idea provided by David O. Selznick, and that "Spellbound" started as Hitch's idea (it was in fact the other way around, with the recently depression-cured Selznick wanting to make a film about analysis; in fact, in the few paragraphs afforded to "Spellbound," Mae Romm, Selznick's therapist who acted as an advisor on the film--and set--isn't even mentioned!). Donald Spoto's two books about Hitchcock, one a film-by-film analysis and the other a straight biography, are much better than this slight volume.

Great book! Really covers his films in depth. Excellent Work.......1999-10-17

The book was great it really showed his movies to the full extent. The beggining of the book(first 3 chapters) discussed his childhood, but could have went more in depth. It really makes you feel what Hitch was fealling when doing the movies.

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Life & Times of Alfred the Great
Charles Plummer
Manufacturer: Haskell House Pub Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

An annotated, documented biography of the Saxon king of England, expanded from a series of six lectures delivered at Oxford, with special emphasis on Alfred's literary works and military campaigns. Maps.

Customer Reviews:

THE ONLY ENGLISH MONARCH GIVEN THE TITLE "THE GREAT".......2005-10-12

And it was justly deserved. King Alfred ruled Wessex, England 871-899. His country was in a deplorable educational decline--old monks died before teaching the younger monks how to read Latin, and so a great many works were lost to illiteracy. England had fallen into a chasm of bitter feuding between warlords after the Romans left in 410. But most pressingly--the Danes attacked at their leisure--by the thousands--pillaging, raping, and burning. After his three brothers had succeeded to the throne, and each was killed in battle, Alfred suddenly found himself wearing the crown, commanding a kingdom battered by seemingly inexhaustible enemies and mired in despair. His resources were terribly low, monetary and otherwise, and yet King Alfred and his loyal army (and navy) won enough battles to force the Danes to make peace--and he even converted the pagan King Guthrum to Christianity. King Alfred recruited scholars from the continent, he was friends with the grandchildren of Charlemagne, he exhorted his noblemen to read books, he erected forts at strategic points all across the boundaries of Wessex, and he is generally acknowledged as the father of the British Navy. The man was nothing short of genius.

Douglas Woodruff's book brings King Alfred back to life: The events of his father's reign, the circumstances of Alfred's ascent to the throne, the sense of patriotism he instilled in his subjects, and the after-effects of Alfred's commitment to God and Country--the man's spirit echoed for centuries. Indeed, England celebrated the 1,000-year anniversaries of both Alfred's birth and death.

The author includes maps of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon paintings and drawings, photos of Anglo-Saxon (and Dane) armor, photos of gargantuan drawings carved into hillsides commemorating Alfred's victories (which still exist today), and even photos of Anglo-Saxon jewelry and coins.

For either the novice, or the seasoned student of English history, this book will fascinate.

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