This fine book is an essential library addition to any fan of the late great Sergio Leone, Italy's supremely gifted-yet oft-maligned cult director. Jammed with gorgeous color and b&w photos, informative and often humorous interviews and back stories, De Fornari has put together a fine tribute/filmography that any Leone devotee, like myself, would treasure.

Sergio Leone directed my favorite Western film - Once Upon a Time in the West with Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Henry Fonda and Claudia Cardinale! Great behind the scenes book on the director and his many films (Once Upon A Time in America, Clint Eastwood Man with No Name Triology). Offering insight from his crew, cast and associates! Great pictures and text! And insight from the director himself. Though this price is quite steep! One of the best films books that I have read!

One sadly cannot say that about many books concerning films or filmmakers.I am glad to say that this book is a glorious exception.Mr Cumbow is quite unlike the majority of movie intellectuals who are often are in love with the sound of their own jargon,actual and pseudo.There is no doubt that "Once Upon A Time" is the definitive work so far on the films of Sergio Leone.

Though envied for his innovative and daring shot compositions and characterizations,Sergio Leone was often dismissed as a revisionist and exploitation artist,at the same time a certain British director called Alfred Hitchcock was recovering from similar allegations.Often both their films were dismissed as pulp,in Hitchcocks case,B movies with A stars.However myopic reviewers often crippled by a misguided sense of moralism invariably miss the rich subtexts and simmering tensions sexual,social and various others just as interesting.Dario Argento was often referred to as the Italian Hitchcock.Argento was flattered but dismissed the remark by noting that he "I am Latin and my films are more passionate." Not to indulge in Victorian era style racial stereotyping but Argento is correct.He does find it difficult to disguise and conceal his rage,fears,passions and nightmares that make his films so gloriously over the top yet haunting and hypnotic.

Similarly Sergio Leone's closest description would be a Latin John Ford.John Ford also did not shy away from morally ambiguous men.But Leone took it a step further and seemed to have celebrated and exaggerated their persona to the extent that their every trivial mannerism which often were personally created by Leone is dramatic, executed with panache and almost Biblical grandeur .Dont let the Beat Takeshiesque poker faces fool you,an undercurrent of excitement and nervous energy are not the only things that simmer underneath.

The reason I mention all these things is that I cannot imagine that a person whose intellect and perception any less formidable than Cumbow's to do justice to these films and flesh out the characters in all their breathtaking mythical persona complete with often tragic flaws and their reaction to the rugged world(not just geographically!) around them.We see why and how Leone chose his gorgeous ,macho compositons and why he moved the camera in the scene in the graveyard with Eli Wallach in THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY atleast 10 years before Martin Scorsese. Courtesy of Cumbow ,we know Leone inside and out and how his Catholicism,misogyny,the silent film background of his father ironically coupled with the operatic heritage of Italy,his personal jaundiced view of the world and humanity are so inseperable from his films.Indeed many complained the Jewish gangsters in ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA look Catholic.It doesnt matter as Mr. Cumbow points out,not just the Jewish but even the gangsters in that film are window dressing for something that even more terrifying than the gangsters themselves,that is the omnipresent sense of doom that permeates the film wearing down your resistance much quickly than the "Spinal Tap" scene in THE EXORCIST.Cumbow reveals so many deciets, intrigues and other subtexts you missed in his films that you will be scratching your head with wonder and awe at the mastery and depth of Leone and the insight and perception of Cumbow.If nothing else this book should nay will make you enjoy Leone's films on levels you never thought you could!Its well worth it!

I have very incidentally came across to this book when there was no internet, or any of these technological virtual capabilities. It was the spring of 1986, when a friend of mine called me up and said "there's something I saw in the bookshop at the film theatre, which is just for you. You must not miss it". It was the Istanbul Film Festival days, and the 'thing' I must not miss was a book, called 'Spaghetti Westerns - Cowboys and Europeans from Karl May to Sergio Leone' by Christopher Frayling. I went and saw the book on the shelf. I was stunned when I turned the cover page to see what's inside. There it was a two page wide picture of Lee Van Cleef, in 'Colonel Mortimer' costumes. That famous artistic Van Cleef pose, looking out deadly with his Angel Eyes, waiting for Indio for 'La Resa Dei Conti'. As soon as I saw that picture, even without reading the book, I said to myself this guy must have the same feelings as I have towards Leone's movies. Eversince then I have been reading that huge 284 pages book with full of interesting details and analysis. Every time I read it, I feel as if I am learning new things. I still refer that book quite often. He has also done television documentaries on Leone and Morricone for BBC. Christopher Frayling is very well known academician in the UK. He is the rector and the provost of famous Royal College of Art in London. I personally had the chance to meet with him, and had in-depth interviews on Sergio Leone. . There's no doubt that he is one of the most knowledgable people on Leone. He has also just finished a bulky book on Sergio Leone's biography. He is planning the release around the fall of 98. He has years of deep experience about the Spaghetti Western genre. This book is the second edition to the first one, and a "must have" for all spaghetti western genre with lots of interesting details, profound analysis, and stills. I believe that it satisfies both theoratical scholars as well as film buffs. It is a book that sc! ientifically, and emotionally justifies the quality of Spaghetti Western film genre, which has been humilitated and overlooked by many film critics as ersatz film genre. Get the book, read it, read it once more, and then evaluate the genre afterwards. A lot of vista is waiting for those who hadn't read it yet. The book also contains details on the cut scenes of Leone's westerns, as well as their box office revenues. The section I must enjoy is the one on the influence of Spaghetti Westerns on American Western films. And, a last recommendation is: reserve one of the best spots of your library, which can be easily accessable for your future references. Get this book quickly, and wait for the soon-to-be-published "la grande finale": "SOMETHING TO DO WITH DEATH - The Life and Films of Sergio Leone"

VIVA LEONE !! VIVA FRAYLING!!!

I worship Sergio leone. I've been a huge fan of his films since my childhood in the late Seventies. I've always wanted/needed a weighty, fact-filled bio-reference to illuminate his here-to-fore mysterious life/career. This is that book. More detailed than the expensive, picture-packed Italian book on Leone, S.T.D.W.D. will stand for a long time as the essential Leone tome. Literate, balanced, and exhaustive, this book is a triumph in every respect.

There aren't too many directors who could inspire me to read a 576-page tome about their career. In fact, apart from a handful of auteurs to whom I'm still trying to speak and the dozen or so who have opened their hearts to Cashiers du Cinemart, there aren't too many directors I'd even like to read about. Yet, of all directors-past and present-it's only Sergio Leone's name that I've been scanning for when I troll the "directors biographies" section at Borders Bookstore. Sure, sure, maybe it'd be fun to read a nicely done work on Fritz Lang or Kenji Misumi but it's Leone who presents me with the biggest challenges.
This Italian mastermind helmed a handful of films, nearly all of which would rank among my favorites. More than creating some damn fine work, Leone's style influenced untold filmmakers. His films were operas powered by the music of Ennio Morricone. His dialogue's sparseness made it all the more powerful. Leone didn't shy away from embracing the language of cinema and creating his own dialect.

Remarkably, though Leone's filmography can be tallied on both hands, the breadth of rumours and conflicting stories are enough to easily fill Frayling's tome. Luckily, Fraying isn't above questioning the veracity of his subject. While never denying Leone respect, Frayling doesn't shirk his journalistic duty to present as many facets of the fiery, passive-aggressive auteur as possible.

Something to Do with Death takes its sweet time to get moving (I had to skip the second chapter and skim a few others before getting to the real "meat" of the book) but, once it gets going, there's little that can deter the reader from delving into the life of a truly enigmatic talent. (ISBN: 0571164382)

I cannot understand the first review of this book. I understood this book to be a biography of Sergio Leone, not a story about Spaghetti Westerns so I was pleasantly surprised when the author began by desribing the whole cultural background of Mr Leone. The book is certainly not without emotion, but the author has attempted to provide a detailed and unbiased insight into the life of Mr Leone.

Had the book been more "humourous" as per the intial reviwer thoughts, this would have diverted from the objective of a biography, as I am sure Sergio's life was not just fun all the time, no offense to the first reviewer ("You smell like a pig already, lets try not to make things any worse" Tuco's guard "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly")

Mr Frayling has obviously researched his subject in a fantastically detailed way, constructing a clear picture of his life, not just by his films, but by the people around him. This is evident in that Sergio himself contacted Prof Frayling after reading his earlier book on Spagehtti Westerns as it contained information about Sergio's father that even he hadn't previously known.

Check out Cenk Kirals site for Sergio Leone info (he was thanked by the author in the book)

This children's book about a young angel in heaven has long been regarded as a classic. It is one of the all-time best sellers of children's books here in the U.S. The story was read over the radio and I heard it as a child in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The little angel, who is acting like all little boys, has to come up with a present for the newly born baby Jesus. It is a beautiful Christmas story and every mischievous boy can relate to this littlest angel. I really find it hard to understand to understand the comments of the 1998 reviewer from Oroville. All children who have to provide gifts for friends or relatives have a hard time coming up with ideas. The littlest angel is no different.

THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON THE BOOK ILLUSTRATED BY PAUL MICICH.

While researching various books for my 22 mo old daughter, I decided to purchase this book based on the reviews that I had read. I have never heard of this story (I'm 39) and found the reviews very fascinating. After receiving the book and reading it, I'm thrilled that I decided to purchase it. Although the story is too long for her to sit through it's entirety at the moment, the pictures themselves are SO worthy a shortened version of the story. A beautifully depicted heaven and the antics of a little cherub create a wonderful mixture of humor and wonderment. And finally, the gift of love for Christmas - what better way to share the true meaning of Christmas than His acceptance of a gift for the newborn Jesus given freely and honestly as only a child can give - a small box of the little boy's most priceless treasures. A true Christmas classic.

In response to the reviewer from Oroville, CA, who gave this book a low rating, I offer this: I think he made the mistake of seeing The Littlest Angel's Heaven as a place where there could never be any fear or suffering. The author allowed this human reality to enter Heaven with The Littlest Angel so that all of the complacent angels (but really all complacent people on earth) could be reminded that the most angelic being is the innocent one who gives what he or she loves to others and not what she or he hopes will impress others. The metaphor is perfect: wouldn't it be just like God to teach us all that those among us who are thought of (and think of themselves) as the lowest in importance and stature are actually in His heart those who are the most pure? And how could that be taught more profoundly than to let everyone see a little child, with all of his or her fears and sorrows, lovingly comforted and lovingly validated by God? In my opinion, "The Littlest Angel" is the most beautiful, meaningful, and touching Christmas story ever written.