A sympathetic, if somewhat bifurcated, portrait of the deposed Egyptian playboy king. Stadiem (A Class by Themselves, 1980) seems unsure of how to approach his subject, as long stretches of straightforward history alternate with the type of tittle-tattle usually found at checkout counters. He traces Farouk's ouster and his subsequent career as a buffoonish jet-set celebrity back to the treatment accorded him by the colonial British. The chief instrument of British imperialistic policy was, according to Stadiem, Sir Miles Lampson, Britain's ambassador to Egypt and a man bent on having the young monarch—the immensely handsome and popular Farouk came to the throne at 17—toe the line and ``be a good boy'' by acceding to British wishes in the Mideast. British influence in Egypt, Stadiem points out, was in fact one of the major factors in the rise of Egyptian nationalism as envisioned by such figures as Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar el- Sadat; it was this nationalism that eventually toppled Farouk. Though this argument is somewhat simplistic, Stadiem buttresses his position with some convincing data. He is less successful when interviewing Farouk's intimates, ranging from many of the women he bedded to his son Ahmed Fuad, who was briefly king of Egypt until the monarchy was abolished. And an inordinate amount of space is devoted to the king's sexual escapades, which, for good or ill, seem to have been fairly humdrum. Prolix and frequently repetitious, and vacillating from the scholarly to the snickering: a disappointing portrait of a potentially fascinating subject. (Photographs—not seen.)
Pub Date: June 14, 1991
ISBN: 0-88184-629-5
Page Count: 448
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1991
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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