Charles Winecoff's Split Image answers successfully the two main questions posed by Anthony Perkins' life: why, despite talent and opportunity, he never became a major, enduring star; and why, despite his homosexuality, he spent the last third of his life married to a woman. For the general reader, Perkins' biography also serves as a moving example of the poisonous effects of gay closeting.

While I heartily agree with my fellow reviewers' favorable assessment of Split Image, the book does have its flaws. The documentation is wanting: Winecoff's bibliography cites only books, not articles. He provides no footnotes or endnotes, and no appendix with Perkins' filmography and other work. Furthermore, Winecoff dwells too often on supposed parallels between Perkins' movies and events in his real life, particularly homosexual "double meanings" that the filmmakers obviously never intended. At times Winecoff also tells us more than we need to know about the specifics of Perkins' sexual habits.

These defects, however, do little to detract from the biography's main achievement: its compelling portrait of an elusive, contradictory personality, particularly during his early years. (Perkins' private life after marriage emerges less clearly, as some of those closest to him at that time -- most notably, his widow and children -- apparently declined to be interviewed.) Unlike the typical celebrity biographer, Winecoff pays due attention to the professional aspect of his subject's life and offers thoughtful assessments of Perkins' work, both good and bad. The narrative is well paced and filled with surprising anecdotes. Winecoff's prose, though no threat to the reputation of Virginia Woolf, is still superior to the pedestrian phrasings of most Hollywood journalists.

I recommend Split Image not only to fans of "TP," who surely have read it by now, but also to anyone who wishes to learn more about film history or gay issues - or who simply enjoys a well-written biography.

"Split Image" was very well written and focused equally on Tony's private life and career. The book should also be seen as an important doucment in the booming, emerging area of gay history works that are leading the movement to piece together gay history - which, despite what many Americans think - did not begin with Stonewall. Having read other information and books on Perkin's life, I found few inaccuracies and I think the author did a good job of refraining from sensationalism, but did paint a picture of a tortured gay existence that many of us can relate to. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in Perkin's life and career and anyone currently caught up in the gay history literary movement. If you're into the later, you may also want to read "Subterranean Kerouac," about the hidden life of America's most important author, Jack Kerouac. If you'd like to discuss, email me.

Too often Hollywood biographies rely on the glossy, fabricated images of their subjects for inspiration. Not SPLIT IMAGE. This remarkable biography meticulously weaves together the very personal story of gay actor Anthony Perkins with the changing social climate of America from the 1950s right up to his death from AIDS in 1992; the book is rich in gossip and scandal (a requirement for any successful star bio) but also full of insights on the effect of the times on Perkins's own troubled psyche. Author Winecoff relentlessly probes the dark side of Perkins's self-made boy-next-door image, which was not only his calling card in surly Method-acting-inundated Hollywood, but also his own private survival mechanism as a young man leading a very severe double life. Nothing here is taken at face value. The author's research, which is vast, covers everything from Perkins's (single) mother's lesbianism and the actor's terrifying experiences at college where he endured a gay witchhunt (along with the older brother of actor George Hamilton) to his love affair with hunky Warner Bros contract player Tab Hunter - violently hushed up by Perkins's studio, Paramount (the two men were given strict orders not to be seen in public together) - to his reliance on homophobic psychoanalysis for confidence, and his eventual marriage (at age 43) to socialite Berry Berenson, with whom he had two sons. It is to Winecoff's credit that the Perkins-Berenson marriage is treated just as fairly as the actor's numerous gay love affairs. Perkins literally brainwashed himself into becoming a heterosexual, so hard was the pressure to conform not only in Hollywood but in America. One of the book's strengths is in subtly showing how one man's story is in fact the story of a nation, the psychiatric community, the gay community. etc. Add to all this fascinating stuff a tearful ending, and you've got what is without a doubt the most intelligent, passionate star biography in years.

This book does an excellent job of explaining the "mindset," political agenda (both domestic and international) and inner dynamics of the Muslim fundamentalist movement. The author Anthony J. Dennis discusses several ominous and extremely important developments within the Muslim world which, amazingly, have not been previously reported or covered in the Western media to date: For example, the results of the Islamic-Arab Popular Conference held in Khartoum, Sudan in April of 1991 in which Islamic fundamentalist leaders, guerilla groups, movements, political parties and assorted others (e.g., Sudan's Turabi) hammered out an ominous and darkly violent six point manifesto calling for the overthrow of several Middle Eastern governments which happen to be allies of the United States and for the political unification of the entire region under the fiery banner of fundamentalist Islam. Violent imagery and calls for the necessity of pursuing "attacks" against Westerners and Western interests were also included. Interestingly, Dennis informs us that Sudan's Hassan al-Turabi also called for burying the theological hatchet between Sunni and Shia Islam so that Muslims of both major sects could cooperate together even more effectively on the political front against Western interests. "The Rise of the Islamic Empire and the Threat to the West" is a powerful and effective book because Dennis consistently uses some very compelling block quotes underneath the heading of each chapter of the book in which he quotes various leaders of the fundamentalist world making ominous and violent threats against American and Western citizens. Dennis does not blacken the names and reputations of these people. He lets them do that themselves by reproducing their speeches and other statements (in translation from recognized international sources), and by discussing at length their political agenda and world view. At the end, you'll agree with Dennis that "fundamentalist Islam is" indeed more than a religion today, it is "an aggressive [politico-religious] ideology characterized by i) a high degree of self-consciousness, coordination and planning among participants from many different nations, ii) a specialized revolutionary vocabulary (e.g., "the Great Satan," "global arrogance"), and iii) a "game plan" for regional conquest." I also especially liked and was impressed by Dennis's intellectually sophisticated discussion of Islam's potential role in nation-building throughout North Africa, Central Asia and the Middle Eastern region. Dennis makes the point that fundamentalist Islam functions much like nationalism in other regions of the world by giving its people a common outlook, values, world view, culture and, in many cases, even a common language (the Koran is written in Arabic - the "mother tongue" of all Muslims). The Rise of the Islamic Empire and the Threat to the West is a thoughtful meditation on the potential of fundamentalist Islam to provide the essential "glue" that may lead to the creation of an Islamic confederation which would be profoundly hostile to Western society and interests (according to its own words and deeds). As such, this is the only book I have seen or come across to date anywhere which gives serious and explicit attention to the intriguing question of whether the Soviet Union's death and the end of the Cold War will lead to the "birth" of new nations (or confederations of nations) as yet unknown. See also the endorsement statements from U.S. diplomats, assistant cabinet secretaries and other cognoscenti from government and the foreign policy field - quite impressive! Keep looking at your world map. We have witnessed the complete disintegration of the Soviet Union in the last few years - it should seem no more far-fetched, at least in the realm of statistics, to suppose that with the current social and economic disorders in that part of the world, that Dennis's "Islamic Empire" may in fact come into being in the next five or ten years! This guy is imaginative and bold but his reasoning makes logical sense.

Dennis provides an excellent analysis of the growing threat from expansionist Islam. Alarmingly, this is a threat that will soon affect all of us in the West, thanks to misguided foreign policy decisions and uncontrolled third world immigration from Muslim countries. But this threat is nothing new -- Islam has slaughtered, conquered, and subjugated Christians and other non-Muslims for centuries, as any reading of the histories of Spain, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Balkans will demonstrate (not to mention the histories of Turkey, India, North Africa, and Central Asia, which were all savagely conquered by Islamic armies in the past). Islam is too often portrayed by our ignorant media as a harmless faith -- but the truth is that Islam is a pagan doctrine which demands, among other things, that Muslims kill all non-believers! Most Americans don't realise the truth about Islam, so this book will do much to eliminate such ignorance. To some extent I agree with Muslim critiques of arrogant American imperialism, but American power is nothing compared to the horrors unleashed by a resurgent Islam. I suggest that this book be read in conjunction with similar works by Bat Ye'or and Paul Fregosi (both available at Amazon.com). Dennis writes in a scholarly, lucid manner, and I found his arguments compelling and most welcome. Well done!

Anthony Dennis examines fundamentalist Islam and how it has been used in a cynical and calculated fashion by ruthless dictators, politicians and terrorist movements in their own countries and further afield.

The author claims that due to the vacuum left by the death of the worldwide ideology of communism, which had captured so many people, Islam is rising to fill this space. With the building of military, political and economic alliances in the newly independent Central Asian Muslim countries, fundamental Islam has already become the new language of political conflict and control in these and other parts of the world.

The threat that the spread of such fundamentalism presents to the West is examined in some detail. The context of this fundamentalism being on a collision course on so many levels with the Western world, Europe, US and Israel cannot be ignored and such a study as this should be welcomed with open arms. This is not the time for burying one's head in the sand as events will soon pass us by and we could easily be swept away.

The author also examines the Cold War legacy, the history and origins of Islam and their relationship with other religions, together with freedom of expression and women's rights.

The book describes how the Muslim world is arming itself at a faster and more determined pace than the West, and how it has now become the most militarised region on the planet. The motives and agendas behind such a military build up are scrutinized. The writer proceeds to describe how, like it's Muslim predecessors, the Islamic empire of the 21st century also has an appetite for territorial expansion and military conquest. The writer then states that a modern worldwide jihad against non-Muslim populations and societies, complete with nuclear weapons, promises to bring the highest casualty rates in the history of mankind.

When one considers such statements and this study in the context of the present situation relating to US President Bush, the UN and Iraq, the prospect and relevancy is quite chilling. It certainly will open your eyes.

If you are concerned about Western security, be it in the US, Europe, UK or the situation surrounding the Arab hostilities against Israel, then get this book. We all need to be aware of what we are presently on a collision course with. The author has written this book very well indeed. It is presented without any racism, hostility or panic mongering. He bases his statements on established facts and provides a chilling insight into the possibility of future terrorist attacks by extremist Muslim fundamentalists.

I have been enthusiatic about the Xanth series for about five years now. I really enjoyed all the earlier books, but this one is just not good. The puns are front loaded into the book and not nearly as funny as usual and I don't care for the preteen girl characters much either. In one part he has them trying on panties forever. It's somewhere between boring, bizarre, and perverted.

This book contains multple quest in two story line. Very easy to follow. All the quest are solved and questions answered by everyone pulling together to help Gwenny. A very happy ending.

Filled with ludicrous puns, an exinting double-storyline, six featured characters, and a full-out battle for a goblin cheifship, The Color of Her Panties is a great book for ages 12+

Even with the tremendous number of mistakes and typos, this is still a nice compact review book to read while you're on the subway or don't feel like lugging a >800 page C++ primer around. You still need to have a good C++ reference and tutorial book, though.

I bought this book after I took one semester of programing class with C++, just to freshen my memory by solving many problems. it was very useful, after all, then when I started to take the next programing course, I felt very comfortable. if you think about this price and the ingredients, it is a great buy. i have other C++ books for more detail references. the best part of this book is that you can try all the problems if you want since all the problems have solutions, so you can check right after you solve the problems. (please check for some mistakes in the programs -- you will find out if you write your own programs and run them) I highly recommend this book.

This is one of the best C++ books I've ever seen, and I've looked at quite a few. It has the only useful discussion of stream classes, including strstream, I've ever found. Reference material, such as a listing of ioflags was easy to find and well structured. And the price is much lower than other comparable books

This is the first book in Trollope's 6 part Barchester series. While the subject matter, the intrigues surrounding clerical life in a fictional English cathedral town, might put you off, don't let it. Trollope wrote fantastic characters. While it's sequel, Barchester Towers, is even better, this is an excellent short introduction both to the series and to Trollope's writing as a whole. (Incidentally, the BBC TV series `Barchester Chronicles' is a really good adaptation of both `The Warden' and `Barchester Towers'.)

This is a simple, short novel dealing with the ethical dilemma of a virtuous man. The Reverend Harding is the warden of a small home providing quarters for 12 retired, indigent workers. The facility is provided for by a trust set up by its founder over two hundred years ago. Income off the land provides revenue for the maintenance of the home and a living for the warden.. The warden has traditionally been the benefactor of this income which has increased over the years. The Rev. Harding is a gentle, honest man who has never given thought to his 800 pound annual revenue until a young reformer files suit, claiming the intent of the will is being violated. Harding thinks about the matter and is inclined to resign. The Bishop and Archdeacon argue that he is entitled to the income.

This book certainly would be a good one for a book club read and discussion. The reformer, the lawyers, the church hierarchy and Reverend Harding all have their views on the matter. Author Trollope does not really pass final judgment on his characters; none of them are cast in black and white terms. In fact Trollope makes the unusual move of bringing a criticism of both the press and Charles Dickens into the novel. The press makes strident value judgments about issues without bothering itself with all the facts or considering the effect their articles will have on the people involved; Charles Dickens treats people as being all good or all bad. Indeed, I found myself arguing with myself for several days after reading The Warden. What should the Rev. Harding done? Was the issue shrouded in shades of gray, or was it clear cut one way or the other?

Many critics consider this to be one of Trollope's lesser works, yet to me it is a very interesting, valuable presentation of an ethical dilemma. And for readers who are reluctant to pick up Victorian novels because of their common 700+ page lengths, this is a little gem at less than 300 pages. Criticism? Well I did a bit of eye-rolling during some of the melodramatic passages. All and all, though, this is an excellent read. From an historical standpoint there was considerable attention being paid to clergy income during this period in England. Trollope's tale was very timely in this regard.

One final note. There are many outstanding Victorian novels that I would give a five star rating to. This book doesn't quite fit into that hall of fame so I have given it just 4 stars, which shouldn't be interpreted as a slight to Mr. Trollope or The Warden.

I first read Anthony Trollope's book "The Warden" in 1995 at the age of 54; three years later I had finished all forty-seven Trollope novels, his autobiography, and most of his short stories. "The Warden" provides a necessary introduction to the Barsetshire Novels, which, in turn, provide a marvelous introduction to rural Victorian society, and its religious, political, and social underpinnings. However, "The Warden" is a small literary masterpiece of its own, even though the more popular "Barchester Towers" tends to obscure it. "The Warden" moves slowly, of course, but so did Victorian England; soon the reader is enveloped in a rich world of brilliantly created characters: in the moral dilemma of a charming and innocent man, Reverend Septimus Harding, who is probably the most beloved of all Trollope's characters; in the connivings of Archdeacon Grantly, who will become a significant force in the later Barsetshire novels; in Eleanor, an example of the perfect Victorian woman, a type that appears in many of Trollope's subsequent novels; and in the sanctimonious meddling of John Bold, whose crusade for fairness throws the town into turmoil. In modern terminology, "The Warden" is a "good read" for those readers with patience, a love of 19th century England, and an appreciation of literary style. Trollope's sentences have a truly musical cadence. "The Warden" was Trollope's fourth novel and his first truly successful one. It provides a strong introduction to the other five novels of the Barsetshire series, where the reader will meet a group of fascinating characters, including the Mrs. Proudie (one of Trollope's finest creations), the Reverend Obadiah Slope, and the Grantly family. The reader will soon find that Trollope's well-developed characters soon become "friends," and that the small cathedral town of Barchester becomes a very familiar and fascinating world in itself. It is a wonderful trip through these six novels. (I read all six in about three weeks.) But one must begin with "The Warden." Brew a cup of tea, toast a scone on a quiet evening, and begin the wonderful voyage through Trollope's charming Barchester. When you have finished the six novels, you may, like me, want to commence reading the Palliser series (another six novels) and follow Plantagenet and Glencora Palliser through their triumphs and travails! However, that remains another story.

Ok, I just have to say it; this book wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. I started the Xanth series when I was in fifth grade with the novel 'Harpy Thyme.' I loved the characters, the humor, and the guarenteed happy ending. Over the next year or so, I bought every single Xanth book published and read all of them anxiously awaiting the next to come out in paperback. I've noticed something recently, something I'm not really liking. His emphasis on sex, freaking out the guys, or panties in general is getting a bit tiring. Yes, I enjoy the little sex jokes, puns, and inuendos, but can't he start focusing on something else insted? I've also noticed that in the last novels he's placed a heavy emphasis on Mundania, which isn't necessairly a bad thing, but I read Xanth to get away from Mundania, not learn about computers. I laughed at the computer puns, I'll admit that, but I just wish he would focus more on Xanth. The land he created has captivated millions of readers and I doubt I'm the only one who wishes he would elaborate some more on that wonderful world. I read Xanth for the centaurs, mermaids, elves, goblins, the Gourd, the exotic animals and plants; I don't want to have Nimby riding around on a motorcycle.

I was slightly dissapointed with this one, but I'm looking forward to the Dastard, it sounds like a classic Xanth to me.

Xone of Contention, though marred with puns, is a really good book. It's based a little off Zombie Lover and Demons Don't Dream, two other books from the series. Doug Mundane lost a wager a bit ago... it was for his friend's cycle or his girlfriend (Pia) to his friend (Edsel), Doug loosing Pia. Edsel and Pia's relationship is on the rocks where Edsel discovers a way into Xanth and arrange to switch paces with Chlorene and Nimby (an incarnate of the demon XANTH. But is this something demon EARTH would be happy about?

As a longtime reader of Piers Anthony's and also a longtime fan of Xanth, I always enjoy another good Xanth novel. I've been reading his books for about 15 years now and have read all of the Xanth books numerous times.

I take these books for what they are - a lighthearted romp in fantasy. They are fun, humourous, enjoyable, and also very interesting.

Xone of Contention is no different. If you are a Xanth fan, you'll enjoy this book also! Piers had some delightful new puns in here, as some other reviewers have pointed out. And I always enjoy it when he ventures into Mundania.

If I had to rank this book among all his other Xanth books, I'd put it in the top 75% of them. Not my most favorite, but very good. He explored some new themes in this book, like marriage and divorce, that were intriguing and make me want to re-read it. Of course, there was only 1 Xanth book that I was bored with, and that was the one that told the history of Good Magician Humfrey. Otherwise, they are all a lot of fun and worth a read!

I traveled to Iran for 2 weeks earlier this year and found it fine for my needs. Some of the info was outdated (travel agents in the US, some hotel stuff, etc). I can't speak about remote areas that other reviewers mentioned, but if you are planning to visit the major areas (Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan), the book has everything you'd need.

One of the few guide books for Iran. Detailed maps and info bring out the rich culture and history of the nation. Some of the information however is outdated.

Even I'm Iranian and familiar with the country, but once I read the book I found it informative.
During some of my local trips, especially to smaller cities in Iran, the book provides good information on finding proper accommodation.

Contrary to popular belief, Caligula wasn't always a monster. The author of this biography points out that he began his reign with a reservoir of goodwill and high hopes from the Roman people. Then something went wrong. Barrett is ultimately unable to explain why Caligula became such a bloodthirsty tyrant, but his speculations are interesting. The gossipy Suetonius is fun to read, but this book is for anyone who seeks a more balanced treatment of the life of one of history's most hated men and hopes to separate fact from fiction.

Anthony Barrett's book offers a very balanced view of Caligula's brief reign. By carefully examining coinage, sculpture and the scarce, extremely biased and often contradictory literary sources he creates a very vivid and well documented portrait of one of history's most interesting despots. Was Caligula a deranged madman or just an eccentric and inexperienced young man who suddenly found himself at the top of a huge and highly organised empire? The unreliability of the extant literary accounts of his life, sometimes written generations after his death, makes certainty impossible, but Mr. Barrett manages to reconstruct the most important aspects of his reign and personality in a very clear and persuasive manner. According to him, Caligula was, among other things, a refined and educated man and a very talented administrator, but he also had a penchant for overspending and a sardonic sense of humour that was often misinterpreted by his contemporaries. However, his behaviour was sometimes cruel and whimsical and he did have a lot of problems in his relations with the senate (which was a body that represented the interests of the nobility and not, as some people seem to believe, a democratic institution). Well written and painstakingly researched, this a great book that is both scholarly and involving.

Taking a pragmatic look at infamous Roman emperors like Caligula and Nero may not be a popular thing to do (after all, it is more fun to think of them simply as crazy with no redeeming characteristics) but Anthony Barrett succeeds remarkably with this well-written book.

Caligula has been portrayed as a megalomaniac in films like The Robe and as seriously disturbed in "I, Claudius" and is the view people generally accept. Ancient historians were not like their modern counterparts who seek to reveal the truth behind people and events, and are not in agreement among themselves. Rather, their concern was to relate the truth as they saw it, and a bad emperor had to be bad man.

Mr. Barrett writes well and gives us a biography that can appeal to the historian and general reader. He examines the sources and archaeological evidence to provide a well-ground appraisal of Caligula's personality. The discussion is well reasoned and Mr. Barrett presents a good deal of material to support his conclusions. There is an excellent selection on the coins, inscriptions and portraits of Caligula, and a list of his victims with source citations. The personality that emerges may not be the one who slept with his sisters and thought he was Jove but a ruthless tyrant remains.

As a Chicagoland native and budding fan of "Outfit" stories, I was anxious to learn all I could about "Joe Batters". This book does deliver information I didn't already have, but don't let the page count fool you. Roemer pads this book with all kinds of extraneous stuff, and wanders in his narrative. He has no idea how to organize information, and this book seems to be no more than a rough draft. Roemer claims to be impartial, but opinion drips from every sentence. He can never let the evidence speak for itself. He always has to comment on it. If you're expecting nothing more than one man's war stories of his time in the FBI, then this book will not disappoint, but this is not the omnibus of Accardo information that I was hoping for.

When I saw there was a book about Accardo I rushed right out and got it. Accardo was a man I had great interest in, yet knew little about. I must give Roemer credit once again for another well researched mafia book. But sorry, on this one he falls a little short of the mark. Despite the fact he repeats alot of what he's said in his other books it's still an enlightening book about a very intelligent, very powerful and very cunning mobster. But because Tony Accardo was so damn good at keeping out of the lime light (the FBI's that is) in the end we don't know much about him at all. It is a shame and I don't blame Roemer for it, but rather give credit to Accardo for being one of the few mobsters we will never know much about. e.g. Gambino, Frankie La Porte, Funzi Tieri. But still it's a good read, as are Roemers other books and if you need a break from all the New York stories read about the Chicago Outfit. Which I belive will last longer under pressure from the law than any other Family in the US. GOOD STUFF

I grew up in the Chicago area, and I would hear Tony Accardo's name in the news from time to time, so when I found this book I was interested in knowing about the man that I heard about. Roemer a former FBI agent in Chicago , dealt with Accardo and the whole Outfit in Chicago. Roemer has given us a novel that gives us some insight in the the life of Accardo from being a bodyguard for Al Capone to his rise of the boss of the Outfit. It is a good read, but Accardo was a mobster who never spent a night in jail, and avoided the limelight, so how much is really known about him? Accardo wasn't a fool that is why he stayed at the top for so long and watched the others who came after him such as Sam Giancanna, be more flamboyant and go down the tubes. The book shows him to be a fair person, but it also shows us how he could resort to violence and order killings when he thought they were necessary. I feel if you are a fan of organized crime books, this is a must for you to read, and it will be a welcome change of pace than reading another book about some New York family

If this book has taught Haden-Guest anything about writing, it has taught him the mastery of hyperbole. Being a club-goer for many years, I was eager to read his account of how the psychology of the A-list had developed. And without his realizing it, it wasn't the story itself that was nearly as revealing as Haden-Guest's embellishing descriptions of the events and people that created the scene. The elitism of certain clubs like Studio 54 plays upon the insecurities of those who are dying to get in. I had to ask, "What kind of person would spend all night in the cold just to spend a fortune getting into a club where everyone was drugged or drunk out of their minds, having seedy sex in seedier dark corners. Or struggling to look indifferent, as they position themselves in front of reporters' cameras?" The fact is, those who made the scene just weren't very interesting people. They were dulled by their wealth, or fame, or drugs, but this author still bought into the myth of these people's fabricated importance. And isn't that perhaps, the whole purpose of a club scene? Where people can reinvent themselves? What this author couldn't acknowledge is that the reinvention expires as soon as the clubsters walked out the door at the end of the night. It must have been difficult to write about fundamentally uninteresting people, but I can't imagine that it was more difficult that reading about it. His overly-exaggerated depictions of those who "counted" were tiresome, and at times, insulting as he was unable to gasp any sort of objectivity. If this book was written honestly and rationally, it wouldn't have been longer than the first paragraph. If I were the editor of this book, I would have distilled the entire thing into one sentence: "We came, we made money, we left."

To disagree with some of the other readers' commments, I found the politics of the nightclub owners to be more interesting than reading about the gossip of any celebrity that passed through (Studio 54, Xenon, Palladium, The World, Area, Limelight, etc.). Mr. Haden-Guest does a good job of creating the atmosphere of how a club functions, wins and loses.

But one must know that this book revolves around the Manhattan club scene from the 1970s to the 1990s. And, while half of the book is about Studio 54, the other is taken up by the stories of those owners and clubs that followed. I found it interesting, but I can understand it if another may not.

My only complaints are: I bought this book last June (1998), just after it was published; it was the first printing and it contained a number of copy editing errors. More pictures of Studio 54 should have been included too.

In sum, I do not think there is a more detailed account of Studio 54 in print anywhere -- and that is where the value of this book comes in.

I was completely mesmerized as I read Guest's book on the Studio 54 scene. As a 24 year old graduate student and clubber familiar only to the Hollywood scene of the last 6 years, I am keenly aware that a lot went on before my time that was thrilling and cutting edge. As I read about all of the pretension and attitude of the many clubgoers and promoters, I laughed, recognizing with familiarity, the highs from wearing outrageous and eye-catching clothes, dancing deliriously into the early hours of the morning, the status of guest-lists and drink tickets, and finally the feelings of being transfixed to a dream world where consequences and sanity don't exist. The book provided me with insight into a time when AIDS wasn't heard of and drugs were taken liberally without abandon. The climate of today's club scene has its occassional magic, but for the most part, it is watered down and drab. I have been able to enjoy the dark theatrics of the gothic scene and the reckless glitter rock scene at Cherry in West Hollywood on Friday nights. Reading about Studio 54 brought back the feelings of delight and awe that I experienced when I attended my first gothic club at the age of 18. It's something new and involves uncharted territory for those of us that weren't old enough to experience disco as it was happening. Having interviewed over 100 clubbers for a book I am currently trying to publish, I appreciated the insights into the minds of personalities of the scene 20 years ago. While responsibility and ugly reality is a more common denominator today, the thing that never seems to change is the tenacity and commitment of the night people to pursue glitter dreams and thrive on those highs that nightclubs can deliver. The vignette's and quotes are so interesting that I could envision myself actually reading the book a second time.