OK, I'm convinced: John Gilmore is a great writer. He writes like Jakcson Pollock paints. Everything dazzles and it all connects and bothers...you. He's a DISTURBING writer. No placating or reader-friendly pats on the back. From the very first sentence in this book, the reader is bounced through a smaller-scale Hieronymus Bosch nightmare, from twisted sex to dwarf-tossing, to sick, desperate desires from Beverly Hills to the sewers of Pairs. A strong stomach helps. So when is David Lynch making this into a movie?

If there is such a thing as pushing the limits of literature, this book does that. At the same time, it holds tightly to very believable characters, as weird as some of them are. This is a story of profound mystery, not your run-of-the-mill mystery, but mystery of the human soul. That seems to be this author's playing field (all of his books focus on the mystery of the human soul in one form another). Certainly not for everybody, but if want to be bounced around in a carnival-fun-house-freak-show of the mind, step right up! I think people are afraid of this book. The title is misleading. It is not about sexual FETISH per se, though it is lavish in its sexual frenzy; erotic, sadomasochistic, even vampirism (real and imagined), pushing the limits way beyond obsession in a weird search for fulfillment that is always just out of reach. The "fetish" is the power of magic, if you will, contained in someone or something. This existentialist, scary tale reflects if not magnifys the deeper, dark side of the human condition that comes from failure, frustration and depair. A fast read into a world not many of us dare to enter.

FETISH BLONDE IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF ITS KIND I HAVE EVER READ> IT HAS A GREAT PLOT AND FINE CHARACTERIZATIONS> THE ATMOSPHERE OF PARIS IS BEUATIFULLY EVOKED AND THE SUSPENSE IS KEPT UP THROUGHOUT< BUILDING TO A GREAT CLIMAX>THIS IS ONE BOOK I CAN MOST HIGHLY RECOMMEND>

I had tried to get this book ever since I read the Gormenghast books a few years back, but was informed it was unavailable. Imagine my surprise when it shows up on Amazon as available. I bought it as part of a deal with Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor. Had a slight twinge of anxeity when Slaughterboard showed up by itself, but Progress showed up about a week and a half later. Talk about worth the wait. Short stories, plays, illustrations, poems, Peake's Progress is a great collection of major work and oddities that showcases this amazing talent. My personal highlights are the Titus Groan in all but name story "Boy in Darkness" and his full length play "The Wit to Woo". If you are a Peake fan, you should have this, if not, why aren't you?

Excellent stuff. The Gormenghast Trilogy is still the book you must read, but this volume is a fine introduction to Mervyn Peake. Btw, ignore the previous reviewer. I'm an admirer of Tolkien and I have no trouble at all appreciating Peake.

This is a perfect introduction to the work of Mervyn Peake whose great Gormenghast trilogy reprsents the 'other' tradition in British fantasy writing. For me this is altogether much more satisfying than, say, Tolkien. Here you can find Peake's short stories, plays, drawings -- everything that made him the creative genius he was. If Tolkien isn't for you, Peake probably is!

The book is disarmingly engaging. Any reader, young or aging, will get a moral boost and find personal enrichment. It is abreast with the most current information,yet makes ties with biblical information that is not heavy-handed or dripping with moral over-scrupulousity. It is biblical, but not brainless. It is humorous, but not dopey; theological, yet practical. It goes into areas of senior life most anecdotal, autobiographical senior books don't attempt. It is full of interesting real-life story-examples that bring a series of subjects down from the stratosphere of morality in a way to which an averag person can relate. Easy reading. The time was well-spent in reading it through. I figure, if it did me good, plenty of others will have the same reation.

This is a "killer book" in every respect.

The authors have done a tremendous service to the entire population of the World by exposing the vulnerability of the DES algorithm. The DES algorithm is the formula for encrypting your bank account and keeping other secrets safe.

DES has become unless and the authors have taken more than a little risk to inform you including absolute, undeniable proof in the form of "showing you how", down to the last detail.

The books not only gives detailed plans and references but also the correct current political motivation behind the desire to retain the DES and how it affects you.

Details of how government "politicking" of your civil rights and how those rights are being "watered down" for the benefit of the intelligence community is explained, too.

I don't personally plan on spending $200,000 or so to build a "engine for cracking DES", but I do believe that the money spent for this book was one of the better investments I have made. The books contents have been placed into the public domain by the authors. Tell a friend.

Bravo, guys!

Pastoral politics pulls back the sheet on church cover-ups.....of why their preacher left. Too long now pious talk has obscured why preachers really leave their pastorates. This book has done what others failed to do--i.e. to get to the bottom of what goes on behind church board doors. It is constructive despite the fact it uncovers grizzly negativity. It provides a history of clerical closures minus those detailed sleeze cases in the secular presses. It provides a good background in dealing with pastor/people conflicts because it explains, historicallly and spiritually, where the rubs develop and how a little ointment can get the machinery running again without damage. It is a fast and interesting read on top of that. A book to be read and shared.

This book is a scientific explanation of the male and female reproductive systems and their function for adolescents and young marrieds. It tells in simple and objective language what we do and what to expect. The graphics are high-caliber, and are what you might expect to see in a medical book. Nothing is omitted or hidden. Call-outs are extensive. There are no pictures of intercourse and nothing suggestive or seductive. The title suggests nothing. It means that, once the ordinary young person understands the process, he or she need not be afraid of it.

I would like to have walked in John Gilmore's booties or been his shadow in the fifties and sixties. This book is just too cool and tells all you ever would want to know about James Dean, including his romp in the hay with him while living in New York City before Jimmy was famous.

I am an avid reader of non-fiction and this book is one of the best I have ever read. He has had more experiences with live and dead celebrities that any one person would ever hope to have. To mention a few headliners; Steve McQueen, Hank Williams Jr., Jean Seberg, Jane Fonda, James Dean, Janis Joplin, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Tom Neal, Barbara Payton, Ida Lupino, Errol Flynn and a cast of thousands.

Listen to this. John Gilmore wrote the original storyline for Easy Rider only he had another title. Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda hired Terry Southern to write the same story which ended up being Easy Rider using 90% of John's original story. Did he get any money for his idea? NO! And that really upsets me. However, John has survived and is successful in the way he must want to be. I enjoy his style of writing and will read more of his books.

The story in this book defies credibility. What are the odds that one person could get to hang with Errol Flynn, Dennis Hopper, and Sal Mineo, get drunk with Hank Williams and high with Lenny Bruce, talk about writing with Ed Wood, Jr., become cuckolded by Steve McQueen, have sex with Jane Fonda, Brigette Bardot, Janis Joplin,and James Dean AND be able to write like this?

Well, even if it isn't all true-- and I like to think it is, because there's very little here that's self-serving, and Gilmore rarely spares himself-- LAID BARE delivers much more than anyone has a right to expect from any one book. Reading it was like reading TROPIC OF CANCER for the first time, only the characters are Jack Nicholson, Roddy McDowell, James Dean, Jean Seberg, and so on. This is much more than Hollywood gossip. This is the human tragedy that we read gossip in order to infer, exposed completely by a master writer. Gilmore's prose is direct, honest, and muscular. His mastery of detail is astonishing, so much that the details might be a little too thick if this were a novel. However, when he writes about Janis Joplin-- her manner, her way of dressing, her scent-- the importance of his subject, the fact that she really did live, and the devestating fact that she is gone forever make every remebered detail precious, and Gilmore treats each of them with appropriate care.

So why isn't John Gilmore famous? From reading LAID BARE, I think the answer may be that he doesn't care about fame-- and that may be the reason why he survived so much insanity, to tell of so many who did not. I can't wait to read this book again, and to read anything by John Gilmore that I can get my hands on.

I have read interviews with this author, and articles about him, as well as seeing him on a number of television interviews from Charles Manson and Sharon Tate to Barbara Payton and the Black Dahlia murder case. I have just finished this book, LAID BARE, and feel like I have a treasure chest of American Pop Culture. This is a complex and rich book, exposing life behind the surface scenes the media presents as fact. This is a terrific read, full of strong, vibrant prose. Great style, great writing. Manson, the Black Dahlia, Steve McQueen, Jane Fonda, Dennis Hopper, on and on. I especially like how Gilmore shows Sal Mineo and James Dean, and his personal involvement with these stars. Plus JIM MORRISON! Wild! I get the feeling everything this author has written is of the same powerful slant at revelation and digging beneath the usual stuffing that oozes out of Hollywood. This is different and ORIGINAL! A powerful literary trip by a remarkable artist who has lived every inch of it! Have to stop writing this review so I've got time for my second read of this wonderful book.

Believe me, this is a good book. But, I don't feel comfortable with the way Dean is protrayed. Gilmore seems to make James out to be a whore... [...] The only bisexual reference he makes about Dean is the relationship HE had with him. There is a lot more in this book about his career than his sexual life...don't be fooled...its done well. All I can say is, if this is how James Dean really was (and he might have been) I lost just a little respect for him. Nothing to do with his sexual identity just some things he said about people ect... but...the truth hurts and at times, so does this book.

As an avid James Dean fan and bio reader, I pick up most all of his bios and try them out. This one definitely ranks up there with some of the best. It is told by a Very close friend of Jimmy's and goes into exacting detail about character traits of the brilliant star. Though it is absolutely not your "typical" biography in a objective sense-because it can't be-it may be a better insight for that reason. The gritty reality imposed by this book is palpable; literally! You will watch Jimmy through some of the closest eyes ever to reflect his image. A Must Read for true fans.

I loved this book, was not shocked by anything his "best friend" Gilmore had to tell us. It's the sort of stuff I'd heard about for years, and it was fun to finally hear about Jimmy through the eyes of someone who actually knew him. Jimmy was a "bad boy" for sure, I got a kick out of it. It's extremely well written and I'd recommend this to any Dean fan (who isn't a complete prude).

Please note that the review posted in 1999 by a Dallas reader is not written by that person, but was taken from my review in Scram magazine. -Kim Cooper, editrix

This is one of the more profound true-crime books I have read. A gripping, hair-raising tale of the life and thrill-killings of odd-ball Charles "Smitty" Schmid, of Tucson, Arizona, back in the pre-pot days of the mid 1960's. These people swelter in the desert, run amok and raise all holy hell. Author John Gilmore paints a painstakingly accurate picture of life in those Sixties times. It is a sad, stunning, brutal, and amazing tale. A knock-out book you will read more than once.

COLD-BLOODED by John Gilmore is a fascinating study of the 60's suburban nightmare. "Smitty" was a charismatic rich kid perpetually surrounded with adoring underlings. They didn't seem to mind his peculiar appearance (heavy Man-Tan makeup, a ghoulishly enlarged beauty mark, lace-backed boots stuffed with trash, so he'd look, uhm, taller) or his oft-confessed propensity for murder. These kids spent their time hanging out, racing cars, listening to rock and roll, and swinging. Probably they all would have grown up to become our parents had not Schmid felt compelled to pull a Leopold and Loeb on a neighborhood girl. Later he repeated the trick on a persistent ex- and her baby sister, his best buddy finked to the cops, and this so-called "pied piper" got shipped off to the big house, where he was himself murdered. Gilmore got in good with many of the key players, and lets them speak as length about their world: it's a strikingly amoral and enticing place. In his letters and speech Schmid comes across as a brainy baby nihilist; it's a shock to see his illiterate scrawl reproduced. On the down side, this oversized format with its dull twin columns is hard to read, the trial coverage is confusing, and characters sometimes get lost in the tedium of the layout. But Gilmore had great material to work with, and aficionados of juvenile delinqueny and youth culture will certainly want to seek this out.

This book is a job well done, and fits right up there on the shelf with the Classics of True Crime.

The FBI's legendary profiler and mindhunter John Douglas writes about "Severed" in his fascinating book, "The Cases that Haunt Us," and offers unquestionable support for Gilmore's findings. I was familiar with the Black Dahlia case and had heard of Gilmore's book. After reading the John Douglas book, I immediaely obtained a copy of "Severed" and found this a great book!

I have been intrigued by the Black Dahlia and was totally blown away by the "Case Reopened" documentary which highlights Gilmore's book, reenacting the murder. Scary stuff! I have since read other material on the case, but Gilmore's "Severed" has to be the bible to the Black Dahlia.

No matter how many different takes are offered on this famous case, it becomes clear that the one core account is "Severed." Another reviewer says the book has a haunting effect, and I offer this is due to the abundance of personal details Gilmore has brought to light about the real person, Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia). He has made her so real she seems to jump off the pages.

The suspect in "Severed" is a totally creepy individual, wholly believable, and this has been underscored by John Douglas. However, Gilmore doesn't claim he has solved the murder. Though he worked extensively with the detectives who handled the case, he makes clear that a dead man cannot confess or be tried. He tells the story of this awful crime, gathered from exclusive police points of view and information, from postmortem files and medical records that makes a readers hair stand on end. The massive amount of very personal details about Elizabeth Short, from her lipstick and face powder right down to descriptions of her underwear, makes this work so important. Elizabeth has been labeled a prostitute and a streetwalker in other books, and Gilmore skillfully proves this to be untrue. Elizabeth was never a prostitute or a streetwalker. Gilmore makes her so real that the reader cannot help but feel the pain and anguish, the loneliness and desperation Elizabeth must have experienced in her all-too-short life. This is a pitiful story, told by a fine writer, and painful at times to read. I believe this is one of the most important books even written in the field of true crime. An unforgettable read, as others have said, that merits the utmost praise.

The writing is great, the story is great. You have to set aside your sensitivities for some of the graphic details, and many of the stark, disturbing photographs. These detail the nightmarish horrors and torture done to the beautiful young woman known as the Black Dahlia. She is the quintessential mystery girl of the 1940's (Glenn Miller's music in the background! Bing Crosby singing; the Andrews Sisters, etc). This is the Los Angeles we see in the gritty film noir movies on late night TV. An engrossing book; the writing is superb. You can't put the book down, and when you do you just keep thinking about it until you pick up where you left off. When you've finished this book, you will want to start all over again. One is drawn into it and the pictures and images stay with you. I am a true crime fan, and especially of the WWII themes and music. I will remember this book and the story whenever I hear the old songs or see those old movies. This is a juicy slice of history. A real accompolishment and a most rewarding (and scary) read.

I found Mr.Gilmore's book to be the most complete story of "The Black Dahlia" I've ever read to date. He uses fact rather than rumor to paint a full picture of Elizabeth Short without judgement or bias. He gives us answers to questions unanswere for over 50 years and reveals facts long hidden from the public. Mr. Gilmore takes us back in time to a dark and mysterious place where Beth Short and her alleged murderer lived. A place Beth spent her desperate last days that would eventually lead her to the man who would make her dreams of fame come true. Unfortunately, she would pay a nightmare price for it. John Gilmore's SEVERED is a must read for anyone interested in true crime, good writing, and truth about a young lady we really knew nothing about.