I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon

Book Description

Told in the words of his musical accomplices, fellow–travelers, friends, and lovers, "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is an intimate and unusual biography of fabled singer–songwriter Warren Zevon, the musical force behind such dark, witty rock–and–roll classics as "Werewolves of London" and "Roland, the Headless Thompson Gunner."

Narrated by Crystal Zevon, Zevon's former (and only) wife, it draws on interviews with Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, Linda Rondstadt, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, the Everly Brothers, and a host of other denizens of Southern California's influential rock scene to tell the story of the original "Excitable Boy": literary hoodlum, OCD sufferer, brilliant songwriter, and rock–and–roll icon.

Customer Reviews:

Thanks Crystal for Painting a Complete Portrait of Warren.......2007-09-21

I read this book in 4 days, and I can't remember the last book I read. Crystal Zevon does a wonderful job of conveying Warren's life and times. As well as personal insights, there are points of view from many others, including Warren. I really feel like I got the full picture by reading several versions of the same event. I cursed, I laughed, I cried and at one point I declared "Warren's a God". Of course Warren was a human like the rest of us. He just happened to be a human who was a great song writer and entertainer. Enjoy Crystal's book and Enjoy Every Sandwich.

Sex, Drugs & Rock and Roll.......2007-09-12

with heavy emphasis on the sex and drugs. If you're looking for some insight as to what went on in the studio, how Warren's songs were constructed, details behind each album....forget it. If you want to learn all about Zevon's personal life, the drug addiction (and his subsequent withdrawal), his rabid sex addiction, the women (verbally, mentally and sometimes physically abused by Zevon) who seemed to never go away...what IS it with groupies, anyway?...this is the book for you. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. And just when you think he's straightened his life out by kicking drugs and alcohol, the seemingly uncontrollable sex addiction takes over. Fascinating stuff, though I probably won't play a Zevon album for awhile. Sometimes the distant image of a favorite rock star is best left that way.

The Life and Times of an 'Excitable Boy'..........2007-09-11

Sometimes its' hard to find out the truth about your heroes. You'll read some un-authorized biography of a celebrity and half way through you'll put the book down and realize it's nothing more than a tell-all, hatchet job. You tell yourself, "I liked this person's public persona, enjoyed what they contributed to our culture and I really don't want to know these kind of facts about their personal life. In other words you really didn't want know that your heroes could be such as*h*les. It sort of ruins it for you.

Crytal Zevon's biography of her ex-husband, rocker/singer/songwriter, Warren Zevon, "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon" is an aptly titled book, which is the exception to this notion. It is an oral history using the voices of the late (Warren died of cancer in 2003) rocker's friends, family, lovers, collegues and musical peers to chronicle both his life and career.

Make no mistake about it, this book dishes the dirt and describes in detail, some of the more horrible aspects of Zevon's life, which included harrowing battles with alcoholism and the disease, OCD. It shows a man who had an almost Jekyll & Hyde personality. One moment he could be loving, kind...your best friend. The next moment he could be cold, callus and dismissive, ready to cut you out of his life over the smallest things. But despite these apects of his personality, It dosn't come across as a bitter tell-all. You can tell, that the people who contributed to this book really loved and cared about this guy, despite his many faults. In the end the book paints an intimate, moving portrait of a complex man, who was literally a musical genuis in his artistic, professional life, yet, led a very messy, dysfunctional, personal life. The vibe I get from reading this book is that he will be dearly missed by a lot of people, who were important to him.

There are a lot of great quotes in this book, but my favorite comes from Warren himself. His ex-wife, Crystal quotes a conversation she had with him towards the end of his life about the writing of this book in which Warren said the following, "You are my witness. The story is yours. But you gotta promise, you'll tell 'em the whole truth, even the awful, ugly parts. Cuz, that is the guy who wrote them excitable songs". That just about says it all...

If you're interested in a behind the scenes look- get it!.......2007-09-04

I read this is 24 hours. I thought the writing style was very enjoyable and the nitty gritty details were out there for all to see (as it seems Warren wanted it). I think my favorite biography is Belushi by Judy Belushi Pisano but this is a close second.

Great Book!.......2007-09-03

Regardless of Warren Zevon's character flaws and various addictions, this is a great portrait of a talented musician. If you're a Warren Zevon fan, it is a must read. I disagree with reviewers who claim this book is swayed by Crystal Zevon's need for revenge. Rather, I see this book as an undeniable expression of her love for him, as a person, musician, former husband, and father of her daughter. She did an admirable job organizing and compiling all the available data concerning his personal and professional life. I wish her much success with this book and any future writing endeavors. She deserves it!

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Superb
Slightly better than Mediocre
Enjoyable, but Outlandish
Perfect Page Turner
strong woman

Dead Sleep
Greg Iles
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0451206525
Release Date: 2002-07-02

Amazon.com

Greg Iles lives up to the promise of his previous bestseller, 24 Hours, with a new thriller that showcases his ability to deliver top-level suspense as well as multidimensional characterization. When Jordan Glass, a world-renowned photojournalist, happens on an exhibit of a series of paintings known as "The Sleeping Women," she is stunned to discover that one of the models--a nude who, like the other women in the paintings, looks dead rather than asleep--is her mirror image. But Jordan knows the face in the painting isn't her; it's her twin sister, Jane, who disappeared from her New Orleans home more than a year ago, and is presumed to have been murdered by a serial killer who's been snatching women off the streets of the Crescent City for at least that long. None of the bodies of the missing women have turned up, but their faces match the models in the other Sleeping Women paintings. A veteran FBI agent named John Kaiser brings Jordan into the Bureau's hunt for the anonymous artist, who may also know something about the disappearance of Jordan's father in Vietnam almost 30 years before.

This is a taut, well-crafted thriller with a nice secondary love story that's woven into the action without slowing it down. Jordan is a fascinating, many-sided character who's a little too tough to be wholly believable, but that's a minor quibble. While winning well-deserved new fans for Iles, Dead Sleep will keep his readers awake until the very last page. --Jane Adams

Book Description

They are called "The Sleeping Women." A series of unsettling paintings in which the nude female subjects appear to be not asleep, but dead. Photojournalist Jordan Glass has another reason to find the paintings disturbing...The face on one of the nudes is her own-or perhaps the face of her twin sister, who disappeared and is still missing. At the urging of the FBI, Jordan becomes both hunter and hunted in a search for the anonymous artist-an obsessed killer who seems to know more about Jordan and her family than she is prepared to face...

"Hair-raising...Iles continues to scare the living daylights out of readers." (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

Customer Reviews:

Superb.......2007-08-31

Greg Iles is one of the best when it comes to character development and story telling. Unlike many authors who use the first 50 pages to paint a picture, Iles gets right down to it from the start. You immediately know who the character (Jordan) is, and what's going on in her life. Deep sleep is like a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs, and all of it is interesting.

Slightly better than Mediocre.......2007-06-07

Too heavy of a hand on the Brilliant Woman/ Stupid Cops theme.

Enjoyable, but Outlandish.......2007-01-13

I read a lot of thrillers, and I really enjoy Greg Iles' work. He is really excellent at creating fascinating, complex characters. Most of the characters in his books are highly intelligent adults, and he is really superb in how he crafts his dialogue. Iles is also highly skilled in structuring plots that keep the reader turning the pages. In terms of writing quality, Iles is probably one of the best suspense writers working today.

DEAD SLEEP is a very good suspense novel that contains all the strengths I just described. This is a serial killer book, but with an interesting twist -- the victims of the killer are featured in a series of highly successful paintings. Much of this book centers on the FBI investigation of this killer, which focuses on some highly eccentric members of the art world in New Orleans.

The flaw with DEAD SLEEP is the problem I have with much of Iles' work, which is that the plot is outlandish. Jordan Glass, the heroine, is a 40-year old photographer with no law enforcement experience. Despite this fact, she practically takes control of the FBI investigation, outsmarting a group of highly experienced professionals. In-between interrogations (which she often takes charge of, despite her complete lack of experience), Jordan also finds some spare time to kindle some romance with a hunky FBI agent, in a subplot which I personally found contrived and ludicrous. The ending of this book is equally silly, with a remarkably unbelievable explanation of why and how the killer committed the murders.

But that's okay. Iles is a highly skilled writer, and this book is a lot of fun to read despite it's over-the-top nature. I read this book in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed it. My advice, however, is to make THE QUIET GAME your first novel from Iles; I found that book a little bit more believable than this one, and just as well written.

Perfect Page Turner.......2007-01-07

This book was chosen as a good bed-time read but it had me ducking out of chores to get another chapter in all weekend! The characters are developed deeply enough without having to troll through several annoying subplots, and the story winds and weaves at a fast pace yet doesn't leave you having to "take notes" to keep up.

The story is exciting, well executed and timed perfectly. The book keeps a great pace and does not fall for that rushed ending that so many do.

Well worth the weekend spent reading it!

strong woman.......2007-01-05

With well-drawn settings from New Orleans to New York to Hong Kong, Greg Iles presents Jordan Glass as a strong woman at the top of her field as a photo-journalist. She even gets to enjoy sex, a rare thing for a female lead. The serial killer plot is truly creepy, if a bit of a cop-out at the very end.

Sleep My Little Dead: The True Story of the Zodiac Killer (St. Martin's true crime library)

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SMALL SERIAL KILL INSIGHT...
What Can I Say?
Zero Stars for this book!
Great book
Astonishingly Detailed Account of a Horrible Crime

Sleep My Little Dead: The True Story of the Zodiac Killer (St. Martin's true crime library)
Kieran Crowley
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312963394

Amazon.com

Twenty-two-year-old Eddie Seda lived with his mother and sister in an apartment in Brooklyn. He had no job, no wife, no girlfriend, no friends. He was desperate to become somebody important. The person he chose to "be" was the infamous Zodiac killer who haunted San Francisco during the late 1960s. Between 1990 and 1995 Seda shot nine people in a pattern according to their zodiac signs, sent cryptic messages to the New York Post in a style imitating the original Zodiac, and then finally, in 1996, staged a fierce firefight with the police after barricading himself in the apartment. Kieran Crowley, who covered this "New York Zodiac" as a reporter for the Post, has a lively, dramatic style that is well-suited to his fictionalized accounts of Seda's inner thoughts and private rituals. At times, though, Crowley's prose is overly excited, even sloppy--such as referring to a DNA fingerprint as a "map" of the "genetic code."

Book Description

The twisted copycat who looked to the stars.... He slipped like a sinister shadow in the night, stalking, then savagely attacking. Most of his unsuspecting targets were shot at close range and one woman was stabbed over one hundred times. After dispatching his victims, police allege he left their bloodstained bodies and crept back to the neatly kept room in his mother's apartment.Sleep my little dead....The taunting, bizarre letters alleged killer Heriberto Seda sent to the police and the New York Post were full of strange symbols and mysterious references to the Zodiac. For six terror-filled years, the Zodiac killer ruled the night, claiming nine victims in his homicidal rage. One of the biggest manhunts in New York City's history was unleashed....and still the body count rose.When would the terror end?Police claim his lethal fury finally exploded one summer afternoon. After shooting his own sister, he held her boyfriend hostage and kept scores of heavily armed police pinned down in a ferocious firefight that finally ended with his surrender. But it was only when an alert detective recognized a symbol drawn on Seda's confession as similar to the personal signature used by the Zodiac Killer in his letters, that investigators concluded that the madman they had arrested was in fact the notorious Zodiac Killer.Author Kieran Crowley, an award-winning New York Post reporter who covered the case from the first grisly shooting and cracked the psychopath's secret code, reveals the exclusive inside story and finally solves the biggest remaining mystery of the case.

Customer Reviews:

SMALL SERIAL KILL INSIGHT..........2006-10-26

THIS BOOK GIVEs INSIGHT TO A SMALL PERSON WHO WAS NOT THE BIGGEST OR BEST OF THE SERIAL KILLERS I HAVE READ ABOUT. THIS PERSON WAS VERY RANDOM AND JUST WANTED TO MAKE HIMSELF A NAME.HE TRIED TO PATTERN HIMSELF AFTER THE ORIGINAL ZODIAC KILLER & DID NOT DO A GOOD JOB AT THIS. APPEARS TO BE A YOUNG PERSON WHO HAD MENTAL ISSUES THAT GOT TOTALLY OUT OF HAND & DESTROYED PERSONS LIVES IN THE PROCESS. A GOOD BOOK BUT NOT THE BEST I HAVE READ!!

What Can I Say?.......2006-02-05

I've read material safety data sheets more engaging than this. Stick with Graysmith or others if you want a good read.

Zero Stars for this book!.......2002-05-21

Save your time, save your money, don't purchase this book.

Yes, in NYC this guy was called the Zodiac, but this author uses California's infamous Zodiac Killer symbol, etc. on the cover. So much for imagination.

The book itself is a total waste of time, the writing is poor, there are spelling and grammatical mistakes throughout. If I could have given this book a zero star rating I would have.

If you want good true Crime check out books by Graysmith, Keppel, Rule, Bledsoe and Carlton Smith, these names are KNOWN in the True Crime genre, Crowley is not.

Great book.......2001-05-27

I read a lot of true crime books and all I can say is: spend the money and read the book. Crowley really gets into the mind of the killer. Awesome story-telling.

Astonishingly Detailed Account of a Horrible Crime.......1999-08-09

Kieran Crowley, veteran NY Post crime reporter, captures the essence of the NYPD's police investigation, the pain of the victim's, and the haunting horror of the Zodiac Killer's crimes. True crime stories can't be better written. Crowley's attention to detail is unmatched. Kudos!

Greg Iles Collection: The Quiet Game, 24 Hours, Dead Sleep

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Greg Iles Collection: The Quiet Game, 24 Hours, Dead Sleep
Greg Iles
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 1590865421
Release Date: 2003-05-10

Book Description

The Quiet Game
Read by Dick Hill (Susie Breck, Jill Sovis)

Penn Cage is no stranger to death. As a Houston prosecutor he sent sixteen men to death row, and watched seven of them die. But now, in the aftermath of his wife's death, the grief-stricken father packs up his four-year-old daughter, Annie, and returns to his hometown in search of healing. But peace is not what he finds there.
Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old money and older sins, where passion, power, and racial tensions seethe beneath its elegant façade. After twenty years away, Penn is stunned to find his own family trapped in a web of intrigue and danger. Determined to save his father from a ruthless blackmailer, Penn stumbles over a link to the town's darkest secret: the thirty-year-old unsolved murder of a black Korean War veteran. But what drives him to act is the revelation that this haunting mystery is inextricably bound up in his own past.

24 Hours
Read by Dick Hill (Ruth Bloomquist, Russell Byers)

24 Hours begins with the perfect family. On the perfect day. About to become trapped in the perfect crime. Will Jennings is a successful young doctor in Jackson, Mississippi, with his whole life ahead of him. He has a thriving practice, a beautiful wife, and a young daughter he loves beyond measure. But Will and his family are being watched by a con man and psychopath. A man who has crafted the unbeatable crime. A man who has never been caught, and whose victims have never talked to the police. A man whose life's work strikes at the heart of every family's nightmare: the unstoppable kidnapping. But this man has never met Will and Karen Jennings.

Dead Sleep
Read by Susie Breck (Dick Hill)

Jordan Glass, a photojournalist on a well-earned vacation, wanders into a Hong Kong art museum and is puzzled to find fellow patrons eying her with curiosity. Minutes later, she stumbles upon a gallery containing a one-artist exhibition called "The Sleeping Women," a mysterious series of paintings that has caused a sensation in the world of modern art. Collectors have come to believe that the canvases depict female nudes not in sleep but in death, and they command millions at auction. When Jordan approaches the last work in the series, she freezes. The face in the painting seems to be her own. This unsettling event hurls her back into a nightmare she has fought desperately to put behind her - for, in fact, the face in the painting belongs not to Jordan but to her twin sister, murdered one year ago. At the urging of the FBI, Jordan becomes both hunter and hunted in a duel with the anonymous artist, a gifted murderer who knows the secret history of Jordan's family, and truths that even she has never had the courage to face.

"PLENTY OF TIME TO SLEEP WHEN YOU'RE DEAD": A Compilation of Life-Changing Quotes

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"PLENTY OF TIME TO SLEEP WHEN YOU'RE DEAD": A Compilation of Life-Changing Quotes
Richard Caridi
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1425948995

Book Description

Plenty of Time to Sleep When You're Dead is a compilation of famous and infamous quotes in alphabetical order. The author, Richard Caridi, began this venture as a gift to a friend of twenty-five pages. After friends and family members caught wind of this project, Richard decided to publish his collection. This book includes quotes ranging from Wyatt Earp to Alexander Graham Bell, and even those less known quotes from such famous astronauts like James Lovell Jr. Plenty of Time to Sleep When You're Dead can be read at any time, any day, and for any situation you will definitely find a quote that suites your needs.

The Dead Sleep Lightly And Other Mysteries From Radio's Golden Age

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The Dead Sleep Lightly And Other Mysteries From Radio's Golden Age
John Dickson Carr
Manufacturer: Doubleday Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385187149

Dead on Their Feet: Teen Sleep Deprivation and Its Consequences (Science of Health)

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Dead on Their Feet: Teen Sleep Deprivation and Its Consequences (Science of Health)
Joan Esherick
Manufacturer: Mason Crest Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

During Sleep: The Possibility of 'Co-operation' Between the Living and the Dead

Average customer rating:

A Fantastic Introduction...

During Sleep: The Possibility of 'Co-operation' Between the Living and the Dead
Robert Crookall
Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0821601709

Customer Reviews:

A Fantastic Introduction..........2001-10-18

...for those coming to terms with the world beyond the physical. It is actually more of a scrapbook of ideas and quotes presented in earlier books, but it is a great resource, presenting much from writings that are no longer readily available. It's mostly about communication between the living and the dead, exploring from every different angle. Well organizes too.

3 Titles By Myers - Dead End - While Others Sleep - Come Sundown

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3 Titles By Myers - Dead End - While Others Sleep - Come Sundown
Helen R. Myers
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: B000NTDE2O

Product Description

3 massmarket paperback Titles By Myers - Dead End - While Others Sleep - Come Sundown

6 Titles By Iles - Blood Memory - Turning Angel - Dead Sleep - Sleep No More - Mortal Fear - The Quiet Game

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6 Titles By Iles - Blood Memory - Turning Angel - Dead Sleep - Sleep No More - Mortal Fear - The Quiet Game
Greg Iles
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000R7JSYA

Product Description

Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

Book Description

Glenn Mitchell’s masterly, delightfully browsable A-Z of comedy’s most famous family—now in a revised edition—surveys the entire history of their work for cinema, stage, radio, and television. It features hundreds of entries and photos, new facts and essential trivia, entertaining stories and anecdotes, a full filmography, and a foreword by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Book on The Marx Brothers I've Ever Seen.......2006-01-27

This is the most detailed book on the Marx Brothers I've ever seen.I highly recommend it.Every single movie they ever made,together and alone,is so fully detailed.Plus every actor and actress the brothers ever worked with(including the legendary Margeret Dumont of course)is also fully reviewed.

This book is a must for any Marx fan!

Everything but the kitchen sink is included in this book...........2005-02-23

Actually, I think I saw the sink somewhere in the book too! ;)

It's everything you could possibly want to know about the Marxes. I like the A to Z format, it's very easy to navigate your way through the book. I use it all the time for reference. A well-researched, well-written book. Get this one.

While we wait for the dvd's...Bob.......2004-03-04

Wonderful book full of trivia for even the most expert Marx fanatic. Revised edition is well worth the investment for info such as the butchering of "Night at the Opera"...which is the film with the stateroom scene asked about previously.

question answered.......2004-02-16

The answer to your question is A Night At the Opera and is considered one of their most famous scenes.

A MARX BROTHERS MOVIE QUESTION.......2004-02-13

I have not read the book yet but I have a question about one of their movies that I hope someone can answer. I cannot remember
the movie this skit was in but it was the skit where Groucho, Harpo and Chico are sharing basically a tiny room on board a ship. First the cleaning ladies come in to clean, then the steward delivers food, then the mechanics come in to adjust a pipe valve and finally the room is packed head to toe with all
of these people and they all pop out of the cabin door and spill out onto the ships floor. It is hilarious! Please, someone, which movie is this scene from. It's making me crazy that I can't recall the movie title. HELP!!!

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MARX BROTHERS ENCYCLOPEDIA
GLRNN MITCHELL
Manufacturer: BRASSEY'S INC.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KV5P1I

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