Freddie Mercury

Book Description

The paperback edition of the biography of the flamboyant frontman of the group Queen. An intimate account of Freddie Mercury's life by the man who was his personal assistant for the last 12 years of his life. A widely-acclaimed, celebrity -studded account of the tragicomedy that was Freddie Mercury's outrageous life. Contains intimate photographs taken from the author's personal collection.

Customer Reviews:

This is it the real deal up close and personal. .......2007-09-14

This is a book by Freddie's personal assisant who lived right along side him. Almost as good as being there yourself. As far as a Freddie a biography this is at the top of the list along with Mercury and Me by Jim Hutton. It's good great pictures too. I highly recommend this book and I like to think of myself as a Freddie connoisseur. Can you ever really get enough Freddie stuff. I think not.

I COULD NOT GIVE THIS BOOK AWAY.......2007-06-13

I do not care how you feel about Freddie or people who lived his lifestyle. THE BOOK IS TERRIBLE AND THE PICTURES ARE A JOKE. I could not even give this book away to the public library!

You can read better and more accurate material for free online. There are many fansites that have reproductions of interviews conducted with Freddie and the other Queen members. A year or so ago, a trade publication dedicated the entire magazine to Queen and I learn new information.

Take my advice and search the web for information and photographs, you will be glad you did.

a great account of life with Freddie Mercury.......2007-01-26

Peter Freestone was Freddie Mercury's personal assistant from 1979 until Freddie's death in 1991. In that time, Peter found himself in the midst of many interesting scenarios, many of which are chronicled in his book. Peter's detailed account of the layout of Garden Lodge (Freddie's palatial home in the Kensington section of London) is especially noteworthy. Peter went around the world with Freddie, experienced many tours, witnessed many recording sessions and video shoots, met many people who came and went in Freddie's life, and was even with Freddie during his declining years. One can tell his loyalty to Freddie was steadfast. Even though I favor Jim Hutton's book over all other books written about Freddie Mercury, this one still gets my stamp of approval, and I would still recommend it.

Freddie Mercury handbook.......2006-03-20

Most complete biography of Freddie Mercury that I've seen. It really takes you inside Freddie's world. After reading it, I almost felt like I knew him. A must have for any Queen fan.

Good Read.......2006-02-25

I enjoyed reading the life of Freddie Mercury on the stage and in his personal life. He was very generous to those who were close to him.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: 20th Aniversary Edition

Average customer rating:

More Than Grief Counseling
One of my favorite books
Must Have
A great comfort...
Fabulous

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: 20th Aniversary Edition
Leo Buscaglia
Manufacturer: Slack
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805071954

Book Description

Originally published in the fall of 1982, the wonderfully wise and strikingly simple story of a leaf named Freddie has become one of the most popular books of our times. How Freddie and his companion leaves change with the passing seasons, finally falling to the ground with a winters snow, is an inspiring allegory illustrating the delicate balance between life and death.After offering solace for a generation of adults and children alike, The Fall of Freddie the Leaf arrives in a classic edition with a beautiful new package that will appeal to todays readers at a time when stories of comfort and inspiration have become more important than ever.

Customer Reviews:

More Than Grief Counseling.......2007-09-23

Many people first encounter "Freddie" during the times surrounding the deaths of loved ones, but the value of the book goes far beyond grief counseling.
The story of Freddie the Leaf is ultimately not just about death, but about becoming attuned to the cycles of life. As such, it should be bought and read to children regardless of whether a loved one is dying. A large part of the story is concerned with how Freddie lives and relates to the world around him: the other leaves on his tree, the tree itself and to the world surrounding the tree, the people and creatures inhabiting that world and so on.
This is a book about how we relate to the Universe, how we find a place in it that is right for us, and how we see ourselves as part of its inevitable movement. Death is only a part of that movement.
The grief caused by death is, after all, not about the death itself, but rather about the absence of the loved one. The understanding of death does not lessen the pain of that absence, but it does place it in a context that is larger than any specific death.
Freddie's reluctance to let go and fall, is really about his failure to relax into his place in the larger context. Once he sees himself as a part of the Universe, he finds peace and contentment in it. As such, "The Fall of Freddie the Leaf" is an extraordinarily effective way of introducing, not only discussions about death, but discussions with children (and adults, I might add) about the rhythms of life, and how making a good death is largely dependent on living a good and authentic life, as Freddie did.
The book is, after all, sub-titled, "A Story of Life for All Ages," and as such, it deserves to be on everyone's bookshelf whether they are dealing with a death in the family or not.

One of my favorite books.......2007-08-05

One of my favorite books. I send this book instead of flowers to people who have lost a loved one. Will make you cry but in a good way.

Must Have.......2007-05-15

Great book for young kids dealing with the loss of a loved one.

A great comfort..........2007-03-17

I received this book after my grandfather passed away. Coincidentally it was the same year this book was published. I still have it to this day. It is one of the few books that I truly cherish.

Fabulous.......2007-03-14

I love this book. I did a lot of research before purchasing several books for my neices and nephew after their grandpa died at age 62. It is a simple, well written and wonderful book for both children and adults to understand the cycle of life. I'm glad I chose this one.

Average customer rating:

a good read
Robin: Wanted
it was ok, not the best

Robin: Wanted
Adam Beechen
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1401212255

Customer Reviews:

a good read.......2007-07-02

The art work is nice but I always felt that Cassandra Cain (Batgirl) should be prettier. The nose is bit too big in this graphic novel. The change of character from "destruction daughter" needs more explanation probably from the coming issues.

Robin: Wanted.......2007-06-28

At the start of Robin: Wanted, our young hero is being pummelled by blows from an unseen assailant, not depicted; all we see are the hits to Robin's body. This seems a bit of a 'cheat' to hide a killer's identity, although the flipside is that it makes us identify with Robin's suddenly disjointed point-of-view. He is ambushed so quickly and effectively that he is thoroughly confused , and unable to to identify his attacker in even the slightest way. Actually, this technique seems reminiscent of films where a stalker or killer is always depicted in shadow, or partly obscured, or running away in the distance, until that moment when the lighting is finally helpful and the killer is revealed. In the case of what's happening to Robin, though, we have a fairly prolonged fight where effort must be taken to show that Robin is not a careless amateur who can't detect a single clue about who is in close, clobbering him. This is achieved by having Robin's vision hampered by floodlights, and some smoke, so that Robin ends up looking quite proficient at holding his own in a difficult situation. In the end, the feeling of a 'cheat' is cleverly negated; the plot demands that neither Robin nor the reader easily discern the identity of the attacker, but I would say that fights that go on for three pages where we don't see one of the combatants--just black streaks of motion like hostile wet-paint--are not very exciting to look at. Interestingly, when the ambusher later goes on to attack and kill a petty criminal named Annalea, we see more of the attacker revealed--a leg, two hands gripping Annalea's head and preparing to Do The Twist. And since the killer's identity is successfully hidden then, I don't know why Robin couldn't at least have been shown to be fightingg a human being, not deadly ink smears.

Next, two invasions of two near-impenetrable fortresses for the price of one. Robin is forced to infiltrate a Gotham City Police station in order to retrieve a Batgirl costume taken off the body of a girl he is accused of murdering, so he can search it for clues that will help clear his name. Later on, it is also necessary that he sneak into super-secure Blackgate Prison to break out the notorious David Cain, so he can hand Cain over to the person who has framed him and is threatening to execute a hostage Robin cares for deeply. Both of these incredible stealth missions go a long way in showcasing how talented Robin really is, especially Robin's effectiveness against an army of cops who suddenly become aware of his presence in their own building. Robin's technique for eluding not only regular police officers but also an elite, organic, free-range, hickory-smoked, Cajun (sorry: forget "organic, free range, hickory-smoked, Cajun"; I've been reading too many slick, trendy product labels at the grocery store lately, and I apologize. Just: elite) team of SWAT personnel specially trained, armed, and armored to subdue costumed-types a lot tougher than a non-powered Batman sidekick, is not entirely original. But still fun to watch. Inevitably, we see at least thirty cops outsmarted by one guy, which can strain credibility, but always makes the hero look so good.

The finale of the first story: Robin confronts the person who has framed and manipulated him, and so the mystery is solved. The lesson here is that things are often much simpler than they appear, and sometimes all the complicatedness is designed to hide the obvious. Readers not hoodwinked will still be treated to a tense stand-off between Robin and yet another small army--this time they're assassins not cops--and then a terrific fight, this time with no combatants obscured by tricky lighting or artists not drawing them in. Robin's best bit here comes from quickly deducing how to take out a whole lot of highly-skilled foes really fast, with one splendid maneuver.

Wanted also contains a whole other adventure for Robin, as he and his enemy, the new Captain Boomerang, search for a bomb that was activated long ago by the Joker--we're talking a very loooooong-range plan on the part of the Crime Prince of Clowns--a bomb that is not where it is supposed to be. Someone has moved the bomb just when, after many years of merrily ticking away, it is about to go off. Robin's crime prevention is impeded somewhat, by some study-time with his new tutor, by some quality time with Bruce Wayne, and by his squaring off with Boomerang in a flurry of thrown projectiles issued from both sides. But eventually Robin and his new, barely tolerated ally start breaking into various old Bat-foes' hideouts, looking for a naughty, dirty bomb ready to count down and go boom. This is a fast-paced romp, handled fairly lightly despite the bomb threat, as our heroes battle booby-trapped villains' nests, not the villains themselves. The mayhem-festooned room that actually hosts the bomb is especially entertaining, given the nature of its single-minded...occupants.

This bit of retroactive plotting--the Joker having planted a bomb way back in the Englehart/Rogers, Joker-fish days, that no one knows about til many years later, when its boom is about to find its ka--is fairly contrived. But the slice-of-life subplots, and the inclusion of the despised Captain Boomerang, help dress it up nicely.

it was ok, not the best.......2007-05-21

Very quick and easy read, some of the previous books are handy to have read before this one. It just seemed very short to me. Maybe I'm expecting too much out of it, but I had just read "Robin: Unmasked" in the same weekend and it seemed to have more of a storyline

Average customer rating:

Great!
Queen: The Complete Works or: How I Managed To Stop Worrying and Love the Book.
Entertaining and well-written
Fan-written, more accurate than official sources, and opinionated without being annoying.

Queen: Complete Works
Georg Purvis
Manufacturer: Reynolds & Hearn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 190528733X

Book Description

Mixing and clashing an outrageously eclectic set of influences—the close harmonies of the Beatles, the guitar pyrotechnics of Jimi Hendrix, the heavy sound of Led Zeppelin, and the glamour of David Bowie—Queen found a winning formula by channeling this strange cocktail through its charismatic frontman, Freddie Mercury. More than a decade after Mercury's death, Queen's fan base continues to grow. This meticulous, session-by-session, album-by-album, tour-by-tour chronicle of the band is the book that Queen fans have been waiting for.

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2007-08-03

This book is simply the best consolidated information resource guide I have ever come across about the rock group Queen. It's a great book!!

Queen: The Complete Works or: How I Managed To Stop Worrying and Love the Book........2007-05-02

This book is simply fantastic. It is vast and encylopaedic in every chapter. It has revealed plenty of tasty little tidbits and interesting facts that just make me giggle with excitement. Georg has done an excellent job of reviewing pre-Queen, Queen and post-Freddie Queen material as well as just about every song performed by Queen and all the stuff from the lads too.

It's well written and I know when I've finished it I'll be giving it to friends. They deserve to be educated by the best.

I'm just waiting for his book on my band now. It'll be a short two page romp.

Entertaining and well-written.......2007-04-07

Queen: Complete Works is the first book about a musician or band that I have ever read.

I have enjoyed Queen's music since the 1980's, so I decided to buy this book.

I was a little daunted at first because it contains no photographs and I wasn't sure if it would be lively enough to hold my interest.

I was so surprised to find that once I started to read, I simply couldn't put it down!

It's obvious that the author has a deep respect for Queen. His words are thoughtful and well-written and interjected with bits of humor.

The Pre-Queen and Album sections are a fascinating chronology of the band and, for me, were like a trip down memory lane. The Songs section interprets and critiques every song the band sang.

Now, I find that every time I hear a Queen song, I stop what I'm doing and listen to it.

This book has made me love Queen all over again.

Fan-written, more accurate than official sources, and opinionated without being annoying........2007-04-05

Georg Purvis (aka Lester Burnham) has written one for the ages. It's odd that there hasn't already been a comprehensive, song-by-song review of Queen's material, much less the encyclopedic Queen-related material (including each members' solo projects.) There are also detailed but concise reviews of each album (again including solo projects) which do the best thing a review can -- make you want to listen again, or pick them up for the first time. Added bonuses for longer-term fans are reviews of unreleased songs, especially the alternate names you'll find when hunting them down.
I was wary of such a comprehensive tome containing one person's opinions, since many of the best review books balance several opposing ones, leaving the decision up to the reader. Fortunately, Mr. Purvis' opinions are well-formed and not just a categorical damning / favoring of any one member / style / era of Queen.
There is much more to this book than I have focused on in this review, see it for yourself!

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
Great, if a little hard to understand
Interesting but feels incomplete

The Seven Soldiers of Victory Vol. 4
Grant Morrison
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1401209777

Book Description

The brilliant mind of writer Grant Morrison is showcased in the concluding volume of his most groundbreaking and ambitious project yet.This volume features the exploits of three of the seven soldiers: Mister Miracle, Bulleteer and Frankenstein.Independently, each of these characters is featured in a story arc of their own, but their stories also interweave with the other soldiers' tales, and tell a grander story of a devastating global threat to mankind.Together these reluctant champions mustsomehow work together to save the world...without ever meeting one another!

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04

The Sheeda don't think of Lucky 7, at all. In fact, they take it pretty seriously to go around exterminating groups of 7, because of prophecy that one day such a bunch will do very bad things to them and their ambitions.

Our intrepid bunch of solo but linked seven end up being the ones to stop 'em for now.

Great, if a little hard to understand.......2007-04-08

A great finish to one of comics' most amazing miniseries events. Morrison wraps everything up and although figuring it out took more than one reading, the series as a whole is a winner.

Interesting but feels incomplete.......2007-02-14

The four volumes of 7 Soldiers are a complete story and it really can't be reviewed until the last one was published.

Morrison had a few goals with this series, first was to create new, interesting characters readers will want to see again. He certainly succeeded at that. I'd be happy to revisit any of the characters. Well maybe not Shining Knight, but almost any of them.

The second was to create an overarching story that would only be clear when you read the entire body of work. In this he sort of succeeds. There is a story there but because it is told in bits and peices. Some parts feel redundant, we read them several times over. Other parts feel incomplete as readers scratch their heads and wonder what just happened and why.

Finally he wanted to tell some good superhero stories and that is hit or miss. Some are great, others fall flat.

In all it is a good work and worth buying but readers should not expect a new Watchmen or another Invincible.

1-2-3 Draw Knights Castles & Dragons: A Step by Step Guide (1-2-3 Draw)

Average customer rating:

Great Book for Older People
Great introduction to drawing people and more

1-2-3 Draw Knights Castles & Dragons: A Step by Step Guide (1-2-3 Draw)
Freddie Levin
Manufacturer: Peel Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0939217430

Book Description

Part of the 1-2-3 Draw Series--Ideal for children 6-10 years old! The world of fairy tales comes to life with the step-by-step instruction of talented art instructor Freddie Levin. With this installment in the 1-2-3 Draw series, Levin encourages children to create charming, whimsical drawings of their favorite storybook characters and settings. Levin's fun, lively drawings fuel children's imaginations while giving instructions that are easy to follow. Brief written directions accompany the steps, and arrows point out tricky spots that may require extra attention from a young artist. For added inspiration, final drawings are in full color.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book for Older People.......2006-07-02

I bought this book for my daughter who is 4. This book is great but would recommend for a 7 or 8 year old instead. For younger kids I would recommend the I Can Draw series.

Great introduction to drawing people and more.......2004-07-07

This book is a great start to teach young artists-- 1 grader and higher-- to draw people. It teaches kids to sketch, i.e. draw lightly first. The step-by-step instruction is very clear.

Customer Reviews:

Great for 2nd graders.......2007-07-05

This book is easy enough kids to have a good time with. Many of the drawing instructional books are too hard for elementary schoolers. My 8 year old used this book to learn how to draw a canary that looked like a canary.

1-2-3 Draw Pets & Farm Animals .......2005-09-10

Our family has other books in this series and we love them. If you think you are challenged when it comes to drawing, these are the books for you. My kids and I sit together and draw for hours, and I have as much fun as they do. I even sent some to my nephew for a gift, and he loved them as well.

1 2 3 Draw Cars, Trucks, and Other Vehicles: A Step-By-Step Guide (1-2-3 Draw)

Average customer rating:

Excellent primer for young artists!

1 2 3 Draw Cars, Trucks, and Other Vehicles: A Step-By-Step Guide (1-2-3 Draw)
Freddie Levin
Manufacturer: Peel Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0939217449

Book Description

Part of the 1-2-3 Draw Series--Ideal for children 6-10 years old! Whimsical, appealing drawings spring like magic from the page as young artists learn how to create charming animals from simple shapes. Each step is carefully shown and finished in full color. This offering in the growing list of titles by illustrator Freddie Levin puts kids in the driver's seat to explore the excitement of artistic creation. From highways to rails to construction sites, not only will children learn the various functions of the vehicles that whiz by them on their streets; they will discover how to detect and draw the simple shapes that form them, working step-by-step to realize a fun and satisfying finished project.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent primer for young artists!.......2002-04-23

Using an easy to read format for both kids and their teacher or parent, 1-2-3 Draw is a wonderful resource for budding young artists ages 6-10. Throughout the book, the author uses practical tips to teach techniques (sketch lightly, store work in order to save it for later), getting organized (a materials list is provided at the beginning of the lesson), and an index for those quick art activities.

I found the lessons to have a consistent format and style, which is crucial for self-directed study or art lessons from a novice instructor such as parent or older child.

Book Description

From draft to dressage, young artists will find the horse of their dreams in Freddie Levin's latest, 1-2-3 Draw Horses.

Following the clear, step-by-step format that has made the other books in this series so popular, Horses includes just about every type of horse a child can imagine, from circus to rodeo horses, Mustang, Palomino, Arabian, Appaloosa ... even horse relatives such as a donkey and a zebra!

Each drawing starts with simple shapes and ends in full color, guaranteeing hours of fun--and some great drawings!

Customer Reviews:

Not that great... :-(.......2005-06-05

This tells you almost nothing about drawing horses!!!!!!!
The body structure in this book is wrong, they create colours that have never been horse colours, and make the horse look all bendy with no proper joints!
This should be given a 2 star, and if you really want something to teach you, get either The Usborne Compeate Book Of Drawing or Draw Horses, or maybe even Draw 50 horses

Fantastic Job!.......2004-12-12

If you love horses and have always wanted to learn to draw them, now is your chance! Levin takes you step-by-step through developing an image, a character if you will, that is not only recognizable, but something to be proud of.

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