brilliant, 02 Feb 2006
Take no notice of Thomas from Norway - this is a fabulous work. I'm an Oscar nominated screenwriter and there is no better volume for understanding what film could and should be. It is fabulously opinionated, but always thoughtful and never churlish. I have found it a real joy and endless resource. It doesn't purport to be a comprehensive reference but you'll get a wider understanding about the scope of what cinema has meant than reading any other single work. It is clearly written by someone who loves cinema. It is neither cold, intellectual nor indulgent. It is acerbic, smart and learned. Dip or read it right through.

Essential film criticism, 06 Jan 2004
This is a magnificent book: if I were allowed only one book on film then I would unhesitatingly choose this one.

Arranged alphabetically, and covering virtually every important actor, director and producer in film history (and many other figures associated with film), it provides fairly thorough filmographies, but it’s not intended as a reference book. On questions of fact (‘Who won Best Supporting Actor in 1975?’; ‘Who played Marlowe in Murder My Sweet?’) this is not the most convenient work to consult, and often the answer simply cannot be found.

Rather, this is film criticism – and Thomson is an acutely perceptive, intelligent and eloquent critic. Invariably passionate, often funny, frequently challenging and provocative, and occasionally annoying, he is a brilliant writer and a model of how to say a lot in few words. In little more than a sentence or two he can offer a profound observation or opinion which radically alters one’s own view on a film or individual.

He can be wonderfully iconoclastic. For example, both John Ford and Stanley Kubrick, widely esteemed as great directors, are (rightly to my mind) shown up for their severe shortcomings. Sometimes he can be spectacularly and justifiably savage, about Roberto Benigni or Wes Craven for example. Equally, he is very good at extolling the virtues of underrated individuals, Barbara Stanwyck for example. Above all he provides honest, thoughtful and sophisticated appraisals, in most cases amounting to miniature essays, which rarely fail to open up new insights.

Thomson is no snob or elitist: he may lambast Tony Scott and Madonna, but he has good things to say about Spielberg and Schwarzenegger, Tarantino and Sharon Stone. His favourite director is Howard Hawks, his favourite actress Angie Dickinson, and he has a deep fondness for American film. But he is as at home with world cinema as he is with Hollywood. Bergman, Dreyer, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Bresson, Riefenstahl, Renoir and Rivette are among numerous figures explored at length. All the great figures from past and present film are here, but so too are many who are obscure or minor but interesting or deserving of reassessment – for example, Yilmaz Guney, Larissa Shepitko or Kon Ichikawa (names unfamiliar to me before Thomson).

This is an ideal book for dipping into frequently, emerging each time with a widened and deepened appreciation of film and a starting point for further discovery; but it could even be read from cover to cover and provide an excellent (albeit unorthodoxly alphabetical) film education. If you love film and regard film as a serious medium rather than merely entertainment, if your film world is not restricted to mainstream Hollywood and a few old favourites but embraces the whole history of film from around the world, if you enjoy intelligent argument and strong opinions, then you will love this book.

One of the greatest film books available..., 31 Dec 2003
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film is a revised edition of Thomson's seminal book on cinema- one of the key film books alongside The Cinema Book, Film Art & Susan Hayward's glossary of film terms. Quite simply, it is a book no serious fan should be without- & is of far more interest than things like Halliwell's or Virgin's Film Guides (you can get all that info off IMDB).

Thomson is one of the greatest writers on cinema & in this 900-plus page tome, he scans cinema (filmmakers, actors, writers) from A to Z from standard figures (Hitchcock, Welles) to more recent cinematic figures (Lars Von Trier, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman). Some of the essays/mini-essays are long- the Graham Greene entry being an example of this; while Tarantino is dispatched in a few tight paragraphs. The introduction does point out that the book is intended to provoke argument and develop thought about cinema...& it does just that.

Spielberg comes off better than he deserves, while Scorsese gets a kicking with an argument that I can't help but agree with; I don't think he had Kieslowski down. But the writings on Lynch's Blue Velvet & Mulholland Drive, on Bertolucci's The Conformist, on the dire Demme films Beloved & Philadelphia and so many examples I could cite are spot on. As too George C Scott, Coppola, Beatty (whom Thomson has written the best biog of, this side of Easy Riders Raging Bulls), Roberto Rossellini, Visconti, William Goldman, Warren Oates, Bob Fosse...look, the whole book!

In many ways, this book is a forerunner of the internet forum/review site, ultimately it's just an opinion- but an interesting one. Brilliantly written, insightful & always interesting, this is a film book to get lost in- I'm even thinking about reassessing my view of Vertigo (I'm not as keen as I am on NBNW and Rear Window). At this price, this is wonderful value & a book no serious film fan/writer can live without. The reviews of critics like Douglas Kennedy, Anthony Quinn & Chris Roberts are spot-on- you may not agree with some of the opinions, but they are valid & film-writing at its finest. The entry on Michael Bay is just one of the reasons this book is great, reminding me of a recent article Thomson wrote in the Independent on Sunday contrasting Pearl Harbor with From Here to Eternity. Up there with the great film-writers, as Chris Roberts stated in his Uncut review "brilliant, provocative & essential".

In line with the book, I'll offer: The Conformist, If.... & Sunset Boulevard (all of which are brilliantly written on here...). Simply put: OWN!!!!!!!!

brilliant, 02 Feb 2006
Take no notice of Thomas from Norway - this is a fabulous work. I'm an Oscar nominated screenwriter and there is no better volume for understanding what film could and should be. It is fabulously opinionated, but always thoughtful and never churlish. I have found it a real joy and endless resource. It doesn't purport to be a comprehensive reference but you'll get a wider understanding about the scope of what cinema has meant than reading any other single work. It is clearly written by someone who loves cinema. It is neither cold, intellectual nor indulgent. It is acerbic, smart and learned. Dip or read it right through.

Essential film criticism, 06 Jan 2004
This is a magnificent book: if I were allowed only one book on film then I would unhesitatingly choose this one.

Arranged alphabetically, and covering virtually every important actor, director and producer in film history (and many other figures associated with film), it provides fairly thorough filmographies, but it’s not intended as a reference book. On questions of fact (‘Who won Best Supporting Actor in 1975?’; ‘Who played Marlowe in Murder My Sweet?’) this is not the most convenient work to consult, and often the answer simply cannot be found.

Rather, this is film criticism – and Thomson is an acutely perceptive, intelligent and eloquent critic. Invariably passionate, often funny, frequently challenging and provocative, and occasionally annoying, he is a brilliant writer and a model of how to say a lot in few words. In little more than a sentence or two he can offer a profound observation or opinion which radically alters one’s own view on a film or individual.

He can be wonderfully iconoclastic. For example, both John Ford and Stanley Kubrick, widely esteemed as great directors, are (rightly to my mind) shown up for their severe shortcomings. Sometimes he can be spectacularly and justifiably savage, about Roberto Benigni or Wes Craven for example. Equally, he is very good at extolling the virtues of underrated individuals, Barbara Stanwyck for example. Above all he provides honest, thoughtful and sophisticated appraisals, in most cases amounting to miniature essays, which rarely fail to open up new insights.

Thomson is no snob or elitist: he may lambast Tony Scott and Madonna, but he has good things to say about Spielberg and Schwarzenegger, Tarantino and Sharon Stone. His favourite director is Howard Hawks, his favourite actress Angie Dickinson, and he has a deep fondness for American film. But he is as at home with world cinema as he is with Hollywood. Bergman, Dreyer, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Bresson, Riefenstahl, Renoir and Rivette are among numerous figures explored at length. All the great figures from past and present film are here, but so too are many who are obscure or minor but interesting or deserving of reassessment – for example, Yilmaz Guney, Larissa Shepitko or Kon Ichikawa (names unfamiliar to me before Thomson).

This is an ideal book for dipping into frequently, emerging each time with a widened and deepened appreciation of film and a starting point for further discovery; but it could even be read from cover to cover and provide an excellent (albeit unorthodoxly alphabetical) film education. If you love film and regard film as a serious medium rather than merely entertainment, if your film world is not restricted to mainstream Hollywood and a few old favourites but embraces the whole history of film from around the world, if you enjoy intelligent argument and strong opinions, then you will love this book.

One of the greatest film books available..., 31 Dec 2003
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film is a revised edition of Thomson's seminal book on cinema- one of the key film books alongside The Cinema Book, Film Art & Susan Hayward's glossary of film terms. Quite simply, it is a book no serious fan should be without- & is of far more interest than things like Halliwell's or Virgin's Film Guides (you can get all that info off IMDB).

Thomson is one of the greatest writers on cinema & in this 900-plus page tome, he scans cinema (filmmakers, actors, writers) from A to Z from standard figures (Hitchcock, Welles) to more recent cinematic figures (Lars Von Trier, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman). Some of the essays/mini-essays are long- the Graham Greene entry being an example of this; while Tarantino is dispatched in a few tight paragraphs. The introduction does point out that the book is intended to provoke argument and develop thought about cinema...& it does just that.

Spielberg comes off better than he deserves, while Scorsese gets a kicking with an argument that I can't help but agree with; I don't think he had Kieslowski down. But the writings on Lynch's Blue Velvet & Mulholland Drive, on Bertolucci's The Conformist, on the dire Demme films Beloved & Philadelphia and so many examples I could cite are spot on. As too George C Scott, Coppola, Beatty (whom Thomson has written the best biog of, this side of Easy Riders Raging Bulls), Roberto Rossellini, Visconti, William Goldman, Warren Oates, Bob Fosse...look, the whole book!

In many ways, this book is a forerunner of the internet forum/review site, ultimately it's just an opinion- but an interesting one. Brilliantly written, insightful & always interesting, this is a film book to get lost in- I'm even thinking about reassessing my view of Vertigo (I'm not as keen as I am on NBNW and Rear Window). At this price, this is wonderful value & a book no serious film fan/writer can live without. The reviews of critics like Douglas Kennedy, Anthony Quinn & Chris Roberts are spot-on- you may not agree with some of the opinions, but they are valid & film-writing at its finest. The entry on Michael Bay is just one of the reasons this book is great, reminding me of a recent article Thomson wrote in the Independent on Sunday contrasting Pearl Harbor with From Here to Eternity. Up there with the great film-writers, as Chris Roberts stated in his Uncut review "brilliant, provocative & essential".

In line with the book, I'll offer: The Conformist, If.... & Sunset Boulevard (all of which are brilliantly written on here...). Simply put: OWN!!!!!!!!

MJ in and outta basketball, 29 Aug 2008
Interesting book, but sadly not as much input from MJ himself as i would have hoped. Covers his career but not in too much detail, and also covers Jordan brand, which may be very interesting for some..

brilliant, 02 Feb 2006
Take no notice of Thomas from Norway - this is a fabulous work. I'm an Oscar nominated screenwriter and there is no better volume for understanding what film could and should be. It is fabulously opinionated, but always thoughtful and never churlish. I have found it a real joy and endless resource. It doesn't purport to be a comprehensive reference but you'll get a wider understanding about the scope of what cinema has meant than reading any other single work. It is clearly written by someone who loves cinema. It is neither cold, intellectual nor indulgent. It is acerbic, smart and learned. Dip or read it right through.

Essential film criticism, 06 Jan 2004
This is a magnificent book: if I were allowed only one book on film then I would unhesitatingly choose this one.

Arranged alphabetically, and covering virtually every important actor, director and producer in film history (and many other figures associated with film), it provides fairly thorough filmographies, but it’s not intended as a reference book. On questions of fact (‘Who won Best Supporting Actor in 1975?’; ‘Who played Marlowe in Murder My Sweet?’) this is not the most convenient work to consult, and often the answer simply cannot be found.

Rather, this is film criticism – and Thomson is an acutely perceptive, intelligent and eloquent critic. Invariably passionate, often funny, frequently challenging and provocative, and occasionally annoying, he is a brilliant writer and a model of how to say a lot in few words. In little more than a sentence or two he can offer a profound observation or opinion which radically alters one’s own view on a film or individual.

He can be wonderfully iconoclastic. For example, both John Ford and Stanley Kubrick, widely esteemed as great directors, are (rightly to my mind) shown up for their severe shortcomings. Sometimes he can be spectacularly and justifiably savage, about Roberto Benigni or Wes Craven for example. Equally, he is very good at extolling the virtues of underrated individuals, Barbara Stanwyck for example. Above all he provides honest, thoughtful and sophisticated appraisals, in most cases amounting to miniature essays, which rarely fail to open up new insights.

Thomson is no snob or elitist: he may lambast Tony Scott and Madonna, but he has good things to say about Spielberg and Schwarzenegger, Tarantino and Sharon Stone. His favourite director is Howard Hawks, his favourite actress Angie Dickinson, and he has a deep fondness for American film. But he is as at home with world cinema as he is with Hollywood. Bergman, Dreyer, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Bresson, Riefenstahl, Renoir and Rivette are among numerous figures explored at length. All the great figures from past and present film are here, but so too are many who are obscure or minor but interesting or deserving of reassessment – for example, Yilmaz Guney, Larissa Shepitko or Kon Ichikawa (names unfamiliar to me before Thomson).

This is an ideal book for dipping into frequently, emerging each time with a widened and deepened appreciation of film and a starting point for further discovery; but it could even be read from cover to cover and provide an excellent (albeit unorthodoxly alphabetical) film education. If you love film and regard film as a serious medium rather than merely entertainment, if your film world is not restricted to mainstream Hollywood and a few old favourites but embraces the whole history of film from around the world, if you enjoy intelligent argument and strong opinions, then you will love this book.

One of the greatest film books available..., 31 Dec 2003
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film is a revised edition of Thomson's seminal book on cinema- one of the key film books alongside The Cinema Book, Film Art & Susan Hayward's glossary of film terms. Quite simply, it is a book no serious fan should be without- & is of far more interest than things like Halliwell's or Virgin's Film Guides (you can get all that info off IMDB).

Thomson is one of the greatest writers on cinema & in this 900-plus page tome, he scans cinema (filmmakers, actors, writers) from A to Z from standard figures (Hitchcock, Welles) to more recent cinematic figures (Lars Von Trier, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman). Some of the essays/mini-essays are long- the Graham Greene entry being an example of this; while Tarantino is dispatched in a few tight paragraphs. The introduction does point out that the book is intended to provoke argument and develop thought about cinema...& it does just that.

Spielberg comes off better than he deserves, while Scorsese gets a kicking with an argument that I can't help but agree with; I don't think he had Kieslowski down. But the writings on Lynch's Blue Velvet & Mulholland Drive, on Bertolucci's The Conformist, on the dire Demme films Beloved & Philadelphia and so many examples I could cite are spot on. As too George C Scott, Coppola, Beatty (whom Thomson has written the best biog of, this side of Easy Riders Raging Bulls), Roberto Rossellini, Visconti, William Goldman, Warren Oates, Bob Fosse...look, the whole book!

In many ways, this book is a forerunner of the internet forum/review site, ultimately it's just an opinion- but an interesting one. Brilliantly written, insightful & always interesting, this is a film book to get lost in- I'm even thinking about reassessing my view of Vertigo (I'm not as keen as I am on NBNW and Rear Window). At this price, this is wonderful value & a book no serious film fan/writer can live without. The reviews of critics like Douglas Kennedy, Anthony Quinn & Chris Roberts are spot-on- you may not agree with some of the opinions, but they are valid & film-writing at its finest. The entry on Michael Bay is just one of the reasons this book is great, reminding me of a recent article Thomson wrote in the Independent on Sunday contrasting Pearl Harbor with From Here to Eternity. Up there with the great film-writers, as Chris Roberts stated in his Uncut review "brilliant, provocative & essential".

In line with the book, I'll offer: The Conformist, If.... & Sunset Boulevard (all of which are brilliantly written on here...). Simply put: OWN!!!!!!!!

MJ in and outta basketball, 29 Aug 2008
Interesting book, but sadly not as much input from MJ himself as i would have hoped. Covers his career but not in too much detail, and also covers Jordan brand, which may be very interesting for some..

Direct and concise, 16 Jul 1999
I enjoyed this book immensely because my formal supervisor has the book. I was very interested to get and to see what I can get out from it. It really help me learned how to write letters, memos, and reports at any situation without seaches high words that I can impress people. The langauge of words, phases, and sentences is clear and to the point. You can even learned basic part of grammar at appendenix section. Now I can write without having a mental block. I can definitely use this book for government projects and administrative assignments. Thanks for your help.

A very useful reference for any letter-writing occasion., 13 Aug 1998
I have utilized this book numerous times for various types of letters. Sometimes I chose words, sometimes I chose phrases, sometimes I chose sentences, and sometimes I chose paragraphs. The actual letters were a great inspiration for my own letters. This book really worked - all my letters based on its suggestions served the appropriate purposes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!! P.S. I read the other person's review (!) It does not seem that they were reviewing the same book!! The fact that this book contains the "pieces" needed for letters as well as the actual letter examples is an extremely valuable quality of this reference. The topics cover most conceivable situations and are thoughtfully and tactfully presented. It belongs on everyone's bookshelf.

too hard to read, 24 Jun 1998
i bought this book for help in writing letters and how to say the right thing...but i found this book very hard to follow. it did, however, have useful phrases. there are no examples in letter form, but written in paragraphs. it would have been easier to follow if the author had actual letters for reference.

brilliant, 02 Feb 2006
Take no notice of Thomas from Norway - this is a fabulous work. I'm an Oscar nominated screenwriter and there is no better volume for understanding what film could and should be. It is fabulously opinionated, but always thoughtful and never churlish. I have found it a real joy and endless resource. It doesn't purport to be a comprehensive reference but you'll get a wider understanding about the scope of what cinema has meant than reading any other single work. It is clearly written by someone who loves cinema. It is neither cold, intellectual nor indulgent. It is acerbic, smart and learned. Dip or read it right through.

Essential film criticism, 06 Jan 2004
This is a magnificent book: if I were allowed only one book on film then I would unhesitatingly choose this one.

Arranged alphabetically, and covering virtually every important actor, director and producer in film history (and many other figures associated with film), it provides fairly thorough filmographies, but it’s not intended as a reference book. On questions of fact (‘Who won Best Supporting Actor in 1975?’; ‘Who played Marlowe in Murder My Sweet?’) this is not the most convenient work to consult, and often the answer simply cannot be found.

Rather, this is film criticism – and Thomson is an acutely perceptive, intelligent and eloquent critic. Invariably passionate, often funny, frequently challenging and provocative, and occasionally annoying, he is a brilliant writer and a model of how to say a lot in few words. In little more than a sentence or two he can offer a profound observation or opinion which radically alters one’s own view on a film or individual.

He can be wonderfully iconoclastic. For example, both John Ford and Stanley Kubrick, widely esteemed as great directors, are (rightly to my mind) shown up for their severe shortcomings. Sometimes he can be spectacularly and justifiably savage, about Roberto Benigni or Wes Craven for example. Equally, he is very good at extolling the virtues of underrated individuals, Barbara Stanwyck for example. Above all he provides honest, thoughtful and sophisticated appraisals, in most cases amounting to miniature essays, which rarely fail to open up new insights.

Thomson is no snob or elitist: he may lambast Tony Scott and Madonna, but he has good things to say about Spielberg and Schwarzenegger, Tarantino and Sharon Stone. His favourite director is Howard Hawks, his favourite actress Angie Dickinson, and he has a deep fondness for American film. But he is as at home with world cinema as he is with Hollywood. Bergman, Dreyer, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Bresson, Riefenstahl, Renoir and Rivette are among numerous figures explored at length. All the great figures from past and present film are here, but so too are many who are obscure or minor but interesting or deserving of reassessment – for example, Yilmaz Guney, Larissa Shepitko or Kon Ichikawa (names unfamiliar to me before Thomson).

This is an ideal book for dipping into frequently, emerging each time with a widened and deepened appreciation of film and a starting point for further discovery; but it could even be read from cover to cover and provide an excellent (albeit unorthodoxly alphabetical) film education. If you love film and regard film as a serious medium rather than merely entertainment, if your film world is not restricted to mainstream Hollywood and a few old favourites but embraces the whole history of film from around the world, if you enjoy intelligent argument and strong opinions, then you will love this book.

One of the greatest film books available..., 31 Dec 2003
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film is a revised edition of Thomson's seminal book on cinema- one of the key film books alongside The Cinema Book, Film Art & Susan Hayward's glossary of film terms. Quite simply, it is a book no serious fan should be without- & is of far more interest than things like Halliwell's or Virgin's Film Guides (you can get all that info off IMDB).

Thomson is one of the greatest writers on cinema & in this 900-plus page tome, he scans cinema (filmmakers, actors, writers) from A to Z from standard figures (Hitchcock, Welles) to more recent cinematic figures (Lars Von Trier, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman). Some of the essays/mini-essays are long- the Graham Greene entry being an example of this; while Tarantino is dispatched in a few tight paragraphs. The introduction does point out that the book is intended to provoke argument and develop thought about cinema...& it does just that.

Spielberg comes off better than he deserves, while Scorsese gets a kicking with an argument that I can't help but agree with; I don't think he had Kieslowski down. But the writings on Lynch's Blue Velvet & Mulholland Drive, on Bertolucci's The Conformist, on the dire Demme films Beloved & Philadelphia and so many examples I could cite are spot on. As too George C Scott, Coppola, Beatty (whom Thomson has written the best biog of, this side of Easy Riders Raging Bulls), Roberto Rossellini, Visconti, William Goldman, Warren Oates, Bob Fosse...look, the whole book!

In many ways, this book is a forerunner of the internet forum/review site, ultimately it's just an opinion- but an interesting one. Brilliantly written, insightful & always interesting, this is a film book to get lost in- I'm even thinking about reassessing my view of Vertigo (I'm not as keen as I am on NBNW and Rear Window). At this price, this is wonderful value & a book no serious film fan/writer can live without. The reviews of critics like Douglas Kennedy, Anthony Quinn & Chris Roberts are spot-on- you may not agree with some of the opinions, but they are valid & film-writing at its finest. The entry on Michael Bay is just one of the reasons this book is great, reminding me of a recent article Thomson wrote in the Independent on Sunday contrasting Pearl Harbor with From Here to Eternity. Up there with the great film-writers, as Chris Roberts stated in his Uncut review "brilliant, provocative & essential".

In line with the book, I'll offer: The Conformist, If.... & Sunset Boulevard (all of which are brilliantly written on here...). Simply put: OWN!!!!!!!!

MJ in and outta basketball, 29 Aug 2008
Interesting book, but sadly not as much input from MJ himself as i would have hoped. Covers his career but not in too much detail, and also covers Jordan brand, which may be very interesting for some..

Direct and concise, 16 Jul 1999
I enjoyed this book immensely because my formal supervisor has the book. I was very interested to get and to see what I can get out from it. It really help me learned how to write letters, memos, and reports at any situation without seaches high words that I can impress people. The langauge of words, phases, and sentences is clear and to the point. You can even learned basic part of grammar at appendenix section. Now I can write without having a mental block. I can definitely use this book for government projects and administrative assignments. Thanks for your help.

A very useful reference for any letter-writing occasion., 13 Aug 1998
I have utilized this book numerous times for various types of letters. Sometimes I chose words, sometimes I chose phrases, sometimes I chose sentences, and sometimes I chose paragraphs. The actual letters were a great inspiration for my own letters. This book really worked - all my letters based on its suggestions served the appropriate purposes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!! P.S. I read the other person's review (!) It does not seem that they were reviewing the same book!! The fact that this book contains the "pieces" needed for letters as well as the actual letter examples is an extremely valuable quality of this reference. The topics cover most conceivable situations and are thoughtfully and tactfully presented. It belongs on everyone's bookshelf.

too hard to read, 24 Jun 1998
i bought this book for help in writing letters and how to say the right thing...but i found this book very hard to follow. it did, however, have useful phrases. there are no examples in letter form, but written in paragraphs. it would have been easier to follow if the author had actual letters for reference.

Not what I expected, 24 Sep 2008
I suppose I'm a little cynical but I had expected this to be a kind of a political creedo or Brown setting out his political stall or philosophy as PM but its nothing of the sort.

This is more a statement of personal principles and a social creedo, Brown affirms courage in a variety of forms and really goes to lengths to make points about its worthiness. The writing style is good, Brown has some literary talents and I'm lead to believe this isnt his only book, I suspect he's an avid reader too from the way in which some of the text reads.

In the end I was heartened to have read this book, perhaps it is a book which people will be more inclined to borrow from their library than buy but its worth a read. It is much more interesting and rewarding than any of the books or introductions to books which Tony Blair wrote and there is less of the general cynicism provoking suspiscion of spin and platitudes which you may find with the writing of politicans in general.

I really wish that some of the things Brown writes about in this book, which essentially transcend political boundaries and barriers or should, were more commonplace than the CHAV or nihilistic cultures that are or seem to be.

Free the author inside of you., 22 Sep 2008
I would have thought that the role of Prime Minister of the UK would have yielded a more interesting insight than this. So I was slightly disappointed. I think the author should continue writing, however, should there be time to do so. I suggest the titles: "Responsibility", "Honesty" and "Fairness" for future books. I await the deputies book on "Family Values" also.

Keep your money in your pocket, 13 Aug 2008
As far as I can see, the only reason to buy this book is to enjoy the irony of Gordon Brown writing on 'courage'.

Anodyne claptrap, 13 Dec 2007
This book is full of empty platitudes, as you might expect from a politician with no bottle, desperate to become associated with the traits he so mind-numbingly describes.

What is courage?, 04 Aug 2007
What is courage? is the question Gordon Brown sets out to try and answer in this book and he does so by providing pen portraits of 8 very different but undoubtedly courageous people. All of the essays are well written, except the one on Edith Cavell, which could have done with tighter editing. He highlights the similarities between the 8 but also the differences; each was faced with individual choices in extreme circumstances and all chose the harder path. Would we have done the same? He ends the book by sharing his sense of wonder at the greatness of the human spirit, which enriches us all, and challenges us to be the best that we can be. Not a bad manifesto for a Prime Minister

"Benjamin Franklin", writes journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson in An American Life, "was that rare Founding Father who would sooner wink at a passer-by than sit still for a formal portrait". "What's more", Isaacson relates in this fluent and entertaining biography, "the revolutionary leader represents a political tradition that has been all but forgotten today, one that prizes pragmatism over moralism, religious tolerance over fundamentalist rigidity, and social mobility over class privilege". That broadly democratic sensibility allowed Franklin his contradictions, as Isaacson shows. Though a man of lofty principles, Franklin wasn't shy of using sex to sell the newspapers he edited and published; though far from frivolous, he liked his toys and his mortal pleasures; and though he sometimes gave off a simpleton image, he was a shrewd and even crafty politician. Isaacson doesn't shy from enumerating Franklin's occasional peccadilloes and shortcomings, in keeping with the iconoclastic nature of our time--none of which, however, stops him from considering Benjamin Franklin "the most accomplished American of his age", and one of the most admirable of any era. And here's one bit of proof: as a young man Ben Franklin regularly went without food in order to buy books. His example, as always, is a good one--and this is just the book to buy with the proceeds from the grocery budget. --Gregory McNamee, Amazon.com

brilliant, 02 Feb 2006
Take no notice of Thomas from Norway - this is a fabulous work. I'm an Oscar nominated screenwriter and there is no better volume for understanding what film could and should be. It is fabulously opinionated, but always thoughtful and never churlish. I have found it a real joy and endless resource. It doesn't purport to be a comprehensive reference but you'll get a wider understanding about the scope of what cinema has meant than reading any other single work. It is clearly written by someone who loves cinema. It is neither cold, intellectual nor indulgent. It is acerbic, smart and learned. Dip or read it right through.

Essential film criticism, 06 Jan 2004
This is a magnificent book: if I were allowed only one book on film then I would unhesitatingly choose this one.

Arranged alphabetically, and covering virtually every important actor, director and producer in film history (and many other figures associated with film), it provides fairly thorough filmographies, but it’s not intended as a reference book. On questions of fact (‘Who won Best Supporting Actor in 1975?’; ‘Who played Marlowe in Murder My Sweet?’) this is not the most convenient work to consult, and often the answer simply cannot be found.

Rather, this is film criticism – and Thomson is an acutely perceptive, intelligent and eloquent critic. Invariably passionate, often funny, frequently challenging and provocative, and occasionally annoying, he is a brilliant writer and a model of how to say a lot in few words. In little more than a sentence or two he can offer a profound observation or opinion which radically alters one’s own view on a film or individual.

He can be wonderfully iconoclastic. For example, both John Ford and Stanley Kubrick, widely esteemed as great directors, are (rightly to my mind) shown up for their severe shortcomings. Sometimes he can be spectacularly and justifiably savage, about Roberto Benigni or Wes Craven for example. Equally, he is very good at extolling the virtues of underrated individuals, Barbara Stanwyck for example. Above all he provides honest, thoughtful and sophisticated appraisals, in most cases amounting to miniature essays, which rarely fail to open up new insights.

Thomson is no snob or elitist: he may lambast Tony Scott and Madonna, but he has good things to say about Spielberg and Schwarzenegger, Tarantino and Sharon Stone. His favourite director is Howard Hawks, his favourite actress Angie Dickinson, and he has a deep fondness for American film. But he is as at home with world cinema as he is with Hollywood. Bergman, Dreyer, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Bresson, Riefenstahl, Renoir and Rivette are among numerous figures explored at length. All the great figures from past and present film are here, but so too are many who are obscure or minor but interesting or deserving of reassessment – for example, Yilmaz Guney, Larissa Shepitko or Kon Ichikawa (names unfamiliar to me before Thomson).

This is an ideal book for dipping into frequently, emerging each time with a widened and deepened appreciation of film and a starting point for further discovery; but it could even be read from cover to cover and provide an excellent (albeit unorthodoxly alphabetical) film education. If you love film and regard film as a serious medium rather than merely entertainment, if your film world is not restricted to mainstream Hollywood and a few old favourites but embraces the whole history of film from around the world, if you enjoy intelligent argument and strong opinions, then you will love this book.

One of the greatest film books available..., 31 Dec 2003
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film is a revised edition of Thomson's seminal book on cinema- one of the key film books alongside The Cinema Book, Film Art & Susan Hayward's glossary of film terms. Quite simply, it is a book no serious fan should be without- & is of far more interest than things like Halliwell's or Virgin's Film Guides (you can get all that info off IMDB).

Thomson is one of the greatest writers on cinema & in this 900-plus page tome, he scans cinema (filmmakers, actors, writers) from A to Z from standard figures (Hitchcock, Welles) to more recent cinematic figures (Lars Von Trier, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman). Some of the essays/mini-essays are long- the Graham Greene entry being an example of this; while Tarantino is dispatched in a few tight paragraphs. The introduction does point out that the book is intended to provoke argument and develop thought about cinema...& it does just that.

Spielberg comes off better than he deserves, while Scorsese gets a kicking with an argument that I can't help but agree with; I don't think he had Kieslowski down. But the writings on Lynch's Blue Velvet & Mulholland Drive, on Bertolucci's The Conformist, on the dire Demme films Beloved & Philadelphia and so many examples I could cite are spot on. As too George C Scott, Coppola, Beatty (whom Thomson has written the best biog of, this side of Easy Riders Raging Bulls), Roberto Rossellini, Visconti, William Goldman, Warren Oates, Bob Fosse...look, the whole book!

In many ways, this book is a forerunner of the internet forum/review site, ultimately it's just an opinion- but an interesting one. Brilliantly written, insightful & always interesting, this is a film book to get lost in- I'm even thinking about reassessing my view of Vertigo (I'm not as keen as I am on NBNW and Rear Window). At this price, this is wonderful value & a book no serious film fan/writer can live without. The reviews of critics like Douglas Kennedy, Anthony Quinn & Chris Roberts are spot-on- you may not agree with some of the opinions, but they are valid & film-writing at its finest. The entry on Michael Bay is just one of the reasons this book is great, reminding me of a recent article Thomson wrote in the Independent on Sunday contrasting Pearl Harbor with From Here to Eternity. Up there with the great film-writers, as Chris Roberts stated in his Uncut review "brilliant, provocative & essential".

In line with the book, I'll offer: The Conformist, If.... & Sunset Boulevard (all of which are brilliantly written on here...). Simply put: OWN!!!!!!!!

MJ in and outta basketball, 29 Aug 2008
Interesting book, but sadly not as much input from MJ himself as i would have hoped. Covers his career but not in too much detail, and also covers Jordan brand, which may be very interesting for some..

Direct and concise, 16 Jul 1999
I enjoyed this book immensely because my formal supervisor has the book. I was very interested to get and to see what I can get out from it. It really help me learned how to write letters, memos, and reports at any situation without seaches high words that I can impress people. The langauge of words, phases, and sentences is clear and to the point. You can even learned basic part of grammar at appendenix section. Now I can write without having a mental block. I can definitely use this book for government projects and administrative assignments. Thanks for your help.

A very useful reference for any letter-writing occasion., 13 Aug 1998
I have utilized this book numerous times for various types of letters. Sometimes I chose words, sometimes I chose phrases, sometimes I chose sentences, and sometimes I chose paragraphs. The actual letters were a great inspiration for my own letters. This book really worked - all my letters based on its suggestions served the appropriate purposes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!! P.S. I read the other person's review (!) It does not seem that they were reviewing the same book!! The fact that this book contains the "pieces" needed for letters as well as the actual letter examples is an extremely valuable quality of this reference. The topics cover most conceivable situations and are thoughtfully and tactfully presented. It belongs on everyone's bookshelf.

too hard to read, 24 Jun 1998
i bought this book for help in writing letters and how to say the right thing...but i found this book very hard to follow. it did, however, have useful phrases. there are no examples in letter form, but written in paragraphs. it would have been easier to follow if the author had actual letters for reference.

Not what I expected, 24 Sep 2008
I suppose I'm a little cynical but I had expected this to be a kind of a political creedo or Brown setting out his political stall or philosophy as PM but its nothing of the sort.

This is more a statement of personal principles and a social creedo, Brown affirms courage in a variety of forms and really goes to lengths to make points about its worthiness. The writing style is good, Brown has some literary talents and I'm lead to believe this isnt his only book, I suspect he's an avid reader too from the way in which some of the text reads.

In the end I was heartened to have read this book, perhaps it is a book which people will be more inclined to borrow from their library than buy but its worth a read. It is much more interesting and rewarding than any of the books or introductions to books which Tony Blair wrote and there is less of the general cynicism provoking suspiscion of spin and platitudes which you may find with the writing of politicans in general.

I really wish that some of the things Brown writes about in this book, which essentially transcend political boundaries and barriers or should, were more commonplace than the CHAV or nihilistic cultures that are or seem to be.

Free the author inside of you., 22 Sep 2008
I would have thought that the role of Prime Minister of the UK would have yielded a more interesting insight than this. So I was slightly disappointed. I think the author should continue writing, however, should there be time to do so. I suggest the titles: "Responsibility", "Honesty" and "Fairness" for future books. I await the deputies book on "Family Values" also.

Keep your money in your pocket, 13 Aug 2008
As far as I can see, the only reason to buy this book is to enjoy the irony of Gordon Brown writing on 'courage'.

Anodyne claptrap, 13 Dec 2007
This book is full of empty platitudes, as you might expect from a politician with no bottle, desperate to become associated with the traits he so mind-numbingly describes.

What is courage?, 04 Aug 2007
What is courage? is the question Gordon Brown sets out to try and answer in this book and he does so by providing pen portraits of 8 very different but undoubtedly courageous people. All of the essays are well written, except the one on Edith Cavell, which could have done with tighter editing. He highlights the similarities between the 8 but also the differences; each was faced with individual choices in extreme circumstances and all chose the harder path. Would we have done the same? He ends the book by sharing his sense of wonder at the greatness of the human spirit, which enriches us all, and challenges us to be the best that we can be. Not a bad manifesto for a Prime Minister

The Best, 30 Jul 2008
I read a lot, and I really mean A LOT, but this is without any doubts one of the best books I have ever read. I just regret that it is actually just half of the original text, as it was "too long" and "not always written good enough" and so on, according to the editor. you can find there many useful notes, interesting preface and chronology of events, both in Casanova's life and of the history of the time he lived in. a brilliant book. intelligent and amusing at the same time; very rare combination.

Godly Goat, 09 Mar 2005
Delightful tales of wooing it is not.

If Middle Man that questions Casanova's talent, he should seek his influence in the libretto of Da Ponte's "Don Giovanni". I would personally congratulate myself if my name was Giacomo Casanova and had my name mentioned hundreds of years later, the heroic virtue of old (hysterophimia). Casanova translated Homer. Casanova's memory is extremely sharp. For example he says that Duchess of Crafton does not put white powder in her wig as is fashion. Casanova is interested in everything.

The philosophical Casanova is a exhilarating; the poetic Casanova is smooth and sensuous, his wit is eloquent, his politics and plots are full of Byzantine intrigues, his ideas utopically socialistic. He was a keen mathematician, a chemist, an alchemist, a gambler, an excellent interlocutor in conversation, he outwitted Voltaire and Frederick the Great; a conman, a never tiring traveller, a magician, a mason, a spy, a womaniser with dark black eyes, and a keen spender. This is the writer that the Middle Man does not want to embrace in their bibliography!

In his quote: "If what I have said has been pleasing, it is the reader who will have dictated it."

If this is not must reading then nothing is!, 29 Jul 1998
I wish I could give this work 6 stars and not just 5. In all 6 volumes of the Trask translation. Casanova shows a remarkable gift for writing from the heart even though he was progidy. The result is a vivid and fast moving recreation of the 18th century by a lover, a scholar and a rascal. What Casanova writes the reader feels and lives. He writes as if you are there with him and he makes you feel it is so. Casanova's story is of love, of life from peasants to kings, of risk-taking adventure, of politics, of cabalistic rites and charlatanism, of dupes and dullards and endless intrigues. It has the kind of excitement that fiction can only envy.

Casanova offers a rare and passionate view of his time, 13 Jun 1998
Giacomo Casanova's twelve volume memoir, History of My Life, provides a passionate and critical look into the 18th century. The term "Casanova" has become representative of frivolous love-making, however, the real man, Giacomo Casanova, was an artist, a scholar and a philosopher. His memoir reveals his desire for truth, as well as his love for women. Written during the years of the French Revolution, Casanova's memoir appeals to a wide range of book lovers. His stories are entertaining and fulled with adventure. For those interested in 18th century Europe, Casanova comments extensively on the customs and manners of all the social classes, especially in France. He gives charming descriptions of the Parisian streets, taverns, Catholic practices and even a detailed description on how to make hot chocolate (one of Casanova's favourite breakfast foods). Casanova occupied a unique place in society. Instead of trying to fit rigidly into one social class he explores the lives of the peasantry as well as the noblity, therefore, he offers a unique view of his time. Throughout his travels he reflects on universal aspects of human nature, focusing often, but not exclusively, on human sexual behaviour.

I have read Casanova's memoirs twice. The original Trask translation was only produced in a limited number.

brilliant, 02 Feb 2006
Take no notice of Thomas from Norway - this is a fabulous work. I'm an Oscar nominated screenwriter and there is no better volume for understanding what film could and should be. It is fabulously opinionated, but always thoughtful and never churlish. I have found it a real joy and endless resource. It doesn't purport to be a comprehensive reference but you'll get a wider understanding about the scope of what cinema has meant than reading any other single work. It is clearly written by someone who loves cinema. It is neither cold, intellectual nor indulgent. It is acerbic, smart and learned. Dip or read it right through.

Essential film criticism, 06 Jan 2004
This is a magnificent book: if I were allowed only one book on film then I would unhesitatingly choose this one.

Arranged alphabetically, and covering virtually every important actor, director and producer in film history (and many other figures associated with film), it provides fairly thorough filmographies, but it’s not intended as a reference book. On questions of fact (‘Who won Best Supporting Actor in 1975?’; ‘Who played Marlowe in Murder My Sweet?’) this is not the most convenient work to consult, and often the answer simply cannot be found.

Rather, this is film criticism – and Thomson is an acutely perceptive, intelligent and eloquent critic. Invariably passionate, often funny, frequently challenging and provocative, and occasionally annoying, he is a brilliant writer and a model of how to say a lot in few words. In little more than a sentence or two he can offer a profound observation or opinion which radically alters one’s own view on a film or individual.

He can be wonderfully iconoclastic. For example, both John Ford and Stanley Kubrick, widely esteemed as great directors, are (rightly to my mind) shown up for their severe shortcomings. Sometimes he can be spectacularly and justifiably savage, about Roberto Benigni or Wes Craven for example. Equally, he is very good at extolling the virtues of underrated individuals, Barbara Stanwyck for example. Above all he provides honest, thoughtful and sophisticated appraisals, in most cases amounting to miniature essays, which rarely fail to open up new insights.

Thomson is no snob or elitist: he may lambast Tony Scott and Madonna, but he has good things to say about Spielberg and Schwarzenegger, Tarantino and Sharon Stone. His favourite director is Howard Hawks, his favourite actress Angie Dickinson, and he has a deep fondness for American film. But he is as at home with world cinema as he is with Hollywood. Bergman, Dreyer, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Bresson, Riefenstahl, Renoir and Rivette are among numerous figures explored at length. All the great figures from past and present film are here, but so too are many who are obscure or minor but interesting or deserving of reassessment – for example, Yilmaz Guney, Larissa Shepitko or Kon Ichikawa (names unfamiliar to me before Thomson).

This is an ideal book for dipping into frequently, emerging each time with a widened and deepened appreciation of film and a starting point for further discovery; but it could even be read from cover to cover and provide an excellent (albeit unorthodoxly alphabetical) film education. If you love film and regard film as a serious medium rather than merely entertainment, if your film world is not restricted to mainstream Hollywood and a few old favourites but embraces the whole history of film from around the world, if you enjoy intelligent argument and strong opinions, then you will love this book.

One of the greatest film books available..., 31 Dec 2003
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film is a revised edition of Thomson's seminal book on cinema- one of the key film books alongside The Cinema Book, Film Art & Susan Hayward's glossary of film terms. Quite simply, it is a book no serious fan should be without- & is of far more interest than things like Halliwell's or Virgin's Film Guides (you can get all that info off IMDB).

Thomson is one of the greatest writers on cinema & in this 900-plus page tome, he scans cinema (filmmakers, actors, writers) from A to Z from standard figures (Hitchcock, Welles) to more recent cinematic figures (Lars Von Trier, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman). Some of the essays/mini-essays are long- the Graham Greene entry being an example of this; while Tarantino is dispatched in a few tight paragraphs. The introduction does point out that the book is intended to provoke argument and develop thought about cinema...& it does just that.

Spielberg comes off better than he deserves, while Scorsese gets a kicking with an argument that I can't help but agree with; I don't think he had Kieslowski down. But the writings on Lynch's Blue Velvet & Mulholland Drive, on Bertolucci's The Conformist, on the dire Demme films Beloved & Philadelphia and so many examples I could cite are spot on. As too George C Scott, Coppola, Beatty (whom Thomson has written the best biog of, this side of Easy Riders Raging Bulls), Roberto Rossellini, Visconti, William Goldman, Warren Oates, Bob Fosse...look, the whole book!

In many ways, this book is a forerunner of the internet forum/review site, ultimately it's just an opinion- but an interesting one. Brilliantly written, insightful & always interesting, this is a film book to get lost in- I'm even thinking about reassessing my view of Vertigo (I'm not as keen as I am on NBNW and Rear Window). At this price, this is wonderful value & a book no serious film fan/writer can live without. The reviews of critics like Douglas Kennedy, Anthony Quinn & Chris Roberts are spot-on- you may not agree with some of the opinions, but they are valid & film-writing at its finest. The entry on Michael Bay is just one of the reasons this book is great, reminding me of a recent article Thomson wrote in the Independent on Sunday contrasting Pearl Harbor with From Here to Eternity. Up there with the great film-writers, as Chris Roberts stated in his Uncut review "brilliant, provocative & essential".

In line with the book, I'll offer: The Conformist, If.... & Sunset Boulevard (all of which are brilliantly written on here...). Simply put: OWN!!!!!!!!

MJ in and outta basketball, 29 Aug 2008
Interesting book, but sadly not as much input from MJ himself as i would have hoped. Covers his career but not in too much detail, and also covers Jordan brand, which may be very interesting for some..

Direct and concise, 16 Jul 1999
I enjoyed this book immensely because my formal supervisor has the book. I was very interested to get and to see what I can get out from it. It really help me learned how to write letters, memos, and reports at any situation without seaches high words that I can impress people. The langauge of words, phases, and sentences is clear and to the point. You can even learned basic part of grammar at appendenix section. Now I can write without having a mental block. I can definitely use this book for government projects and administrative assignments. Thanks for your help.

A very useful reference for any letter-writing occasion., 13 Aug 1998
I have utilized this book numerous times for various types of letters. Sometimes I chose words, sometimes I chose phrases, sometimes I chose sentences, and sometimes I chose paragraphs. The actual letters were a great inspiration for my own letters. This book really worked - all my letters based on its suggestions served the appropriate purposes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!! P.S. I read the other person's review (!) It does not seem that they were reviewing the same book!! The fact that this book contains the "pieces" needed for letters as well as the actual letter examples is an extremely valuable quality of this reference. The topics cover most conceivable situations and are thoughtfully and tactfully presented. It belongs on everyone's bookshelf.

too hard to read, 24 Jun 1998
i bought this book for help in writing letters and how to say the right thing...but i found this book very hard to follow. it did, however, have useful phrases. there are no examples in letter form, but written in paragraphs. it would have been easier to follow if the author had actual letters for reference.

Not what I expected, 24 Sep 2008
I suppose I'm a little cynical but I had expected this to be a kind of a political creedo or Brown setting out his political stall or philosophy as PM but its nothing of the sort.

This is more a statement of personal principles and a social creedo, Brown affirms courage in a variety of forms and really goes to lengths to make points about its worthiness. The writing style is good, Brown has some literary talents and I'm lead to believe this isnt his only book, I suspect he's an avid reader too from the way in which some of the text reads.

In the end I was heartened to have read this book, perhaps it is a book which people will be more inclined to borrow from their library than buy but its worth a read. It is much more interesting and rewarding than any of the books or introductions to books which Tony Blair wrote and there is less of the general cynicism provoking suspiscion of spin and platitudes which you may find with the writing of politicans in general.

I really wish that some of the things Brown writes about in this book, which essentially transcend political boundaries and barriers or should, were more commonplace than the CHAV or nihilistic cultures that are or seem to be.

Free the author inside of you., 22 Sep 2008
I would have thought that the role of Prime Minister of the UK would have yielded a more interesting insight than this. So I was slightly disappointed. I think the author should continue writing, however, should there be time to do so. I suggest the titles: "Responsibility", "Honesty" and "Fairness" for future books. I await the deputies book on "Family Values" also.

Keep your money in your pocket, 13 Aug 2008
As far as I can see, the only reason to buy this book is to enjoy the irony of Gordon Brown writing on 'courage'.

Anodyne claptrap, 13 Dec 2007
This book is full of empty platitudes, as you might expect from a politician with no bottle, desperate to become associated with the traits he so mind-numbingly describes.

What is courage?, 04 Aug 2007
What is courage? is the question Gordon Brown sets out to try and answer in this book and he does so by providing pen portraits of 8 very different but undoubtedly courageous people. All of the essays are well written, except the one on Edith Cavell, which could have done with tighter editing. He highlights the similarities between the 8 but also the differences; each was faced with individual choices in extreme circumstances and all chose the harder path. Would we have done the same? He ends the book by sharing his sense of wonder at the greatness of the human spirit, which enriches us all, and challenges us to be the best that we can be. Not a bad manifesto for a Prime Minister

The Best, 30 Jul 2008
I read a lot, and I really mean A LOT, but this is without any doubts one of the best books I have ever read. I just regret that it is actually just half of the original text, as it was "too long" and "not always written good enough" and so on, according to the editor. you can find there many useful notes, interesting preface and chronology of events, both in Casanova's life and of the history of the time he lived in. a brilliant book. intelligent and amusing at the same time; very rare combination.

Godly Goat, 09 Mar 2005
Delightful tales of wooing it is not.

If Middle Man that questions Casanova's talent, he should seek his influence in the libretto of Da Ponte's "Don Giovanni". I would personally congratulate myself if my name was Giacomo Casanova and had my name mentioned hundreds of years later, the heroic virtue of old (hysterophimia). Casanova translated Homer. Casanova's memory is extremely sharp. For example he says that Duchess of Crafton does not put white powder in her wig as is fashion. Casanova is interested in everything.

The philosophical Casanova is a exhilarating; the poetic Casanova is smooth and sensuous, his wit is eloquent, his politics and plots are full of Byzantine intrigues, his ideas utopically socialistic. He was a keen mathematician, a chemist, an alchemist, a gambler, an excellent interlocutor in conversation, he outwitted Voltaire and Frederick the Great; a conman, a never tiring traveller, a magician, a mason, a spy, a womaniser with dark black eyes, and a keen spender. This is the writer that the Middle Man does not want to embrace in their bibliography!

In his quote: "If what I have said has been pleasing, it is the reader who will have dictated it."

If this is not must reading then nothing is!, 29 Jul 1998
I wish I could give this work 6 stars and not just 5. In all 6 volumes of the Trask translation. Casanova shows a remarkable gift for writing from the heart even though he was progidy. The result is a vivid and fast moving recreation of the 18th century by a lover, a scholar and a rascal. What Casanova writes the reader feels and lives. He writes as if you are there with him and he makes you feel it is so. Casanova's story is of love, of life from peasants to kings, of risk-taking adventure, of politics, of cabalistic rites and charlatanism, of dupes and dullards and endless intrigues. It has the kind of excitement that fiction can only envy.

Casanova offers a rare and passionate view of his time, 13 Jun 1998
Giacomo Casanova's twelve volume memoir, History of My Life, provides a passionate and critical look into the 18th century. The term "Casanova" has become representative of frivolous love-making, however, the real man, Giacomo Casanova, was an artist, a scholar and a philosopher. His memoir reveals his desire for truth, as well as his love for women. Written during the years of the French Revolution, Casanova's memoir appeals to a wide range of book lovers. His stories are entertaining and fulled with adventure. For those interested in 18th century Europe, Casanova comments extensively on the customs and manners of all the social classes, especially in France. He gives charming descriptions of the Parisian streets, taverns, Catholic practices and even a detailed description on how to make hot chocolate (one of Casanova's favourite breakfast foods). Casanova occupied a unique place in society. Instead of trying to fit rigidly into one social class he explores the lives of the peasantry as well as the noblity, therefore, he offers a unique view of his time. Throughout his travels he reflects on universal aspects of human nature, focusing often, but not exclusively, on human sexual behaviour.

I have read Casanova's memoirs twice. The original Trask translation was only produced in a limited number.

White on Black on White, 12 Aug 2001
Hoban delivers a moving though somewhat detatched account of the black genius who took the lilly-white art world by storm, simultaneously casting light and despair on the obsessively overblown art markets of the 1980's which catapulted Basquiat to overnight fame. Hoban, though seemingly not emotionally attached to his work, provides a clearer and more objective illustration of Basaquiats fragmented existence and his deterioration into excess than most.

could have been so much better..., 11 Feb 1999
i was overjoyed to see a biography on basquiat finally in print. however i was sorely disappointed in the product itself. ms. hoban talks around basquiat through the majority of the book as opposed to talking about him. also there is a great deal of condescension directed at the subject by the author. ms. hoban seems to have researched her subject thoroughly. but her account has glaring inconsistencies with previously published biographical material. which she neglects to even address. let alone clear up.

Nice book there should be more out there!, 30 Jan 1999
I liked to read about Black Painters that changed the way people think. Mr. Basquiat was one of the talented people in recent art history and still is at the auction house(because of drugs). Since, there is little written on other Black artists, we have to take what we are given. There are many artist out there that are of color, working away at there craft. But, there needs to be more written about them. There are no reviews about them and it seems that when one is talked about, they are a freak of nature and should be worshiped. This book is a good one, it talks about gossip and life in Soho. One takes what he or she can get.

Almost as great as his art..., 17 Jan 1999
This book is an amazing view into the world that Jean-Michel lived in... It shows all his glories and his pitfalls and it shows how both equally "made" and "broke" him as an artist as a person. A few places were a little dry, but for the most part, the book was amazing and i was sad to see it end. Jean-Michel lived the "good" life and Hoban portrays all that he saw and did - almost from his eyes... A great read... even if you aren't a fan of Basquit.

A detailed, fascinating look into the 80s Art World, 19 Dec 1998
A great read for anyone interested in knowing more about this artist, his impact and the 80s downtown art scene. Compelling and full of fascinating details about the movers and shakers of this interesting era.

brilliant, 02 Feb 2006
Take no notice of Thomas from Norway - this is a fabulous work. I'm an Oscar nominated screenwriter and there is no better volume for understanding what film could and should be. It is fabulously opinionated, but always thoughtful and never churlish. I have found it a real joy and endless resource. It doesn't purport to be a comprehensive reference but you'll get a wider understanding about the scope of what cinema has meant than reading any other single work. It is clearly written by someone who loves cinema. It is neither cold, intellectual nor indulgent. It is acerbic, smart and learned. Dip or read it right through.

Essential film criticism, 06 Jan 2004
This is a magnificent book: if I were allowed only one book on film then I would unhesitatingly choose this one.

Arranged alphabetically, and covering virtually every important actor, director and producer in film history (and many other figures associated with film), it provides fairly thorough filmographies, but it’s not intended as a reference book. On questions of fact (‘Who won Best Supporting Actor in 1975?’; ‘Who played Marlowe in Murder My Sweet?’) this is not the most convenient work to consult, and often the answer simply cannot be found.

Rather, this is film criticism – and Thomson is an acutely perceptive, intelligent and eloquent critic. Invariably passionate, often funny, frequently challenging and provocative, and occasionally annoying, he is a brilliant writer and a model of how to say a lot in few words. In little more than a sentence or two he can offer a profound observation or opinion which radically alters one’s own view on a film or individual.

He can be wonderfully iconoclastic. For example, both John Ford and Stanley Kubrick, widely esteemed as great directors, are (rightly to my mind) shown up for their severe shortcomings. Sometimes he can be spectacularly and justifiably savage, about Roberto Benigni or Wes Craven for example. Equally, he is very good at extolling the virtues of underrated individuals, Barbara Stanwyck for example. Above all he provides honest, thoughtful and sophisticated appraisals, in most cases amounting to miniature essays, which rarely fail to open up new insights.

Thomson is no snob or elitist: he may lambast Tony Scott and Madonna, but he has good things to say about Spielberg and Schwarzenegger, Tarantino and Sharon Stone. His favourite director is Howard Hawks, his favourite actress Angie Dickinson, and he has a deep fondness for American film. But he is as at home with world cinema as he is with Hollywood. Bergman, Dreyer, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Bresson, Riefenstahl, Renoir and Rivette are among numerous figures explored at length. All the great figures from past and present film are here, but so too are many who are obscure or minor but interesting or deserving of reassessment – for example, Yilmaz Guney, Larissa Shepitko or Kon Ichikawa (names unfamiliar to me before Thomson).

This is an ideal book for dipping into frequently, emerging each time with a widened and deepened appreciation of film and a starting point for further discovery; but it could even be read from cover to cover and provide an excellent (albeit unorthodoxly alphabetical) film education. If you love film and regard film as a serious medium rather than merely entertainment, if your film world is not restricted to mainstream Hollywood and a few old favourites but embraces the whole history of film from around the world, if you enjoy intelligent argument and strong opinions, then you will love this book.

One of the greatest film books available..., 31 Dec 2003
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film is a revised edition of Thomson's seminal book on cinema- one of the key film books alongside The Cinema Book, Film Art & Susan Hayward's glossary of film terms. Quite simply, it is a book no serious fan should be without- & is of far more interest than things like Halliwell's or Virgin's Film Guides (you can get all that info off IMDB).

Thomson is one of the greatest writers on cinema & in this 900-plus page tome, he scans cinema (filmmakers, actors, writers) from A to Z from standard figures (Hitchcock, Welles) to more recent cinematic figures (Lars Von Trier, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman). Some of the essays/mini-essays are long- the Graham Greene entry being an example of this; while Tarantino is dispatched in a few tight paragraphs. The introduction does point out that the book is intended to provoke argument and develop thought about cinema...& it does just that.

Spielberg comes off better than he deserves, while Scorsese gets a kicking with an argument that I can't help but agree with; I don't think he had Kieslowski down. But the writings on Lynch's Blue Velvet & Mulholland Drive, on Bertolucci's The Conformist, on the dire Demme films Beloved & Philadelphia and so many examples I could cite are spot on. As too George C Scott, Coppola, Beatty (whom Thomson has written the best biog of, this side of Easy Riders Raging Bulls), Roberto Rossellini, Visconti, William Goldman, Warren Oates, Bob Fosse...look, the whole book!

In many ways, this book is a forerunner of the internet forum/review site, ultimately it's just an opinion- but an interesting one. Brilliantly written, insightful & always interesting, this is a film book to get lost in- I'm even thinking about reassessing my view of Vertigo (I'm not as keen as I am on NBNW and Rear Window). At this price, this is wonderful value & a book no serious film fan/writer can live without. The reviews of critics like Douglas Kennedy, Anthony Quinn & Chris Roberts are spot-on- you may not agree with some of the opinions, but they are valid & film-writing at its finest. The entry on Michael Bay is just one of the reasons this book is great, reminding me of a recent article Thomson wrote in the Independent on Sunday contrasting Pearl Harbor with From Here to Eternity. Up there with the great film-writers, as Chris Roberts stated in his Uncut review "brilliant, provocative & essential".

In line with the book, I'll offer: The Conformist, If.... & Sunset Boulevard (all of which are brilliantly written on here...). Simply put: OWN!!!!!!!!

MJ in and outta basketball, 29 Aug 2008
Interesting book, but sadly not as much input from MJ himself as i would have hoped. Covers his career but not in too much detail, and also covers Jordan brand, which may be very interesting for some..

Direct and concise, 16 Jul 1999
I enjoyed this book immensely because my formal supervisor has the book. I was very interested to get and to see what I can get out from it. It really help me learned how to write letters, memos, and reports at any situation without seaches high words that I can impress people. The langauge of words, phases, and sentences is clear and to the point. You can even learned basic part of grammar at appendenix section. Now I can write without having a mental block. I can definitely use this book for government projects and administrative assignments. Thanks for your help.

A very useful reference for any letter-writing occasion., 13 Aug 1998
I have utilized this book numerous times for various types of letters. Sometimes I chose words, sometimes I chose phrases, sometimes I chose sentences, and sometimes I chose paragraphs. The actual letters were a great inspiration for my own letters. This book really worked - all my letters based on its suggestions served the appropriate purposes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!! P.S. I read the other person's review (!) It does not seem that they were reviewing the same book!! The fact that this book contains the "pieces" needed for letters as well as the actual letter examples is an extremely valuable quality of this reference. The topics cover most conceivable situations and are thoughtfully and tactfully presented. It belongs on everyone's bookshelf.

too hard to read, 24 Jun 1998
i bought this book