In 1945, teenagers were visible as individuals but not as a group. The subculture would come later, with rock and roll, Elvis, and portable radios. Meanwhile there was a depression to work through and a big war to win. Small wonder that kids of that era passed quickly from adolescence to adulthood with hardly time for a coke along the way. The Amboy Dukes is a milestone youth novel of that era. Though not as self-consciously literary as its middle-class competitor Catcher in the Rye, Dukes vividly dramatizes urban despair in a crowded working-class precinct of New York City, and its effect on the Jewish youth gangs spawned there. It was then and remains a classically gritty tale of modern America.

Because Shulman portrays the sexual escapades and pot smoking in candid fashion, it's easy for critics to stigmatize Dukes as a trashy novel. That however neglects the many dimensions to the book, including some very fine writing by the author. Instead, I take it as an honest depiction of what Shulman knew and chose to set out in unusually forceful and unpatronizing terms. Coveted by teenagers of the time for its daring assault on censorship, the language and events may seem tame compared with today's non-existent standards. Yet Shulman's characters and their dramatic narrative remain as fresh and timely as ever, the murder of the teacher standing, in retrospect, as an opening shot in the youth rebellion to come. Substitute Latino or Black for the Jewish Dukes, add a level of drug trafficking, and the story (including the awful conditions that spawned them) remains essentially unchanged from then to now.

Also, author Shulman goes into vivid detail describing the youth fashions and moral behavior of the day, or what kids then considered 'cool'. More important, however, is his sharply drawn slice of class realities, as experienced by pivotal characters Frank Goldberg and his 11-year old sister Alice. Their two wrenching tours through the tonier parts of the city are among the book's memorable highlights. In fact, it is the easily overlooked Alice, and not the more melodramatic gangbangers, who remains the book's most pivotal and sympathetic character. For it is she who's being propelled into a new post-war era with all the sadness and growing sense of entrapment that bedevils the working poor. It is through her youthful enthusiasm slowly succumbing to despair that the book touches a universal chord, as we experience with her the poignancy of a crushing loss of hope. It is here, far from the prurience and rawness of the rest of the book, that Shulman achieves his finest, most revealing moments. I like to think that in the coming years, low-interest loans, Levittowns, and other now much derided assisstance programs redeemed at least some of her innocent dreams. (There's also a glimpse in these passages of the rational basis of consumerism.)

Because of its questionable content, The Amboy Dukes continues to lead an underground existence, overshadowed by the more respectable and refined Catcher in the Rye. But the fact that it has survived the years and continues to be published is testament to a lasting value as social commentary.Though currently out of print, Shulman's book is far more than a teen novel. It is a permanent record of artistic achievement deserving of literary respect, cultural interest, and a continued readership. Pick it up.

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This is an excellent bok that you will never want to stop reading! It is about two gangs, the Sharks and the Jets. The Jets are Americans and the Sharks are Puerto Ricans. This novel takes place in New York City. Both of the gangs attend a commuity dance to plan a fight, and Tony, an American that used to lead the Jets, falls in love with Maria, a Puerto Rican. Maria's brother is Bernardo, who is the head of the Sharks and despises Tony. How will they solve this? This book is basically a modern version of Romeo and Juliet with changes in characters, and it is definitely something that you should read!

West Side Story has always been one of my favorite musicals. The tragic love story of Tony and Maria touches me in many ways. I, too, have had a forbidden romance, which is why I marvel at the earnestness of the story. Set in New York City, it introduces two groups.

The Jets: an American gang.

The Sharks: a Puerto Rican gang.

The gangs attend a community dance in which they plan a fight. Things take an interesting twist when Tony -- the former leader of the Jets -- falls for Maria, Bernardo's sister. Bernardo happens to be the leader of the Sharks, and he doesn't want his sister involved with his rival.

This is, without a doubt, the urban equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. The stories are very similar, but West Side Story has an irresistible urban appeal, an appeal that has captured audiences and readers for many decades. I am so glad I have read the novelization of this popular musical. If you're in the mood for a timeless love story, read West Side Story. Satisfaction is guaranteed!

West Side Story by Irving Shulman is an excellent book about two rival street gangs in New York City. The Jets are the white gang; the Sharks are the Puerto Ricans. Barnardo, the leader of the Sharks, has a younger sister named Maria. Problems arise when Maria falls in love with Tony, a member of the Jets. I've seen the movie and read the book. I love them both.

Shulman's "biography" of Valentino is certainly more fiction than truth. It's an interesting read if you're looking for the flavor of the 1920s, but other than that, forget it. It is equally as florid as his "biography" of Jean Harlow. Does he make this stuff up as he goes along?

This outstanding biography of Valentino, which I've read twice, is extremely well-written, entertaining, and insightful. Shulman's thorough and well-organized reporting, keen observations, and critical commentary on the film industry and American culture make this compelling reading. The biography begins with Valentino's dramatic funeral in New York in August 1926, then moves back to Rudolph's birth and life in Castellaneta, Italy. Shulman then narrates the fascinating odyssey of Valentino's struggle to succeed in America, his rise to stardom, his two failed marriages, his (and second wife Natacha Rambova's) occult beliefs and practices, his death, and his posthumous deification as a love god. Shulman appreciates and sympathizes with Valentino, but does so in a manner that is neither lachrymose nor condescending. A terrific read!!!

Extremely well-written biography, so much so I've read it twice. Shulman's lively reportorial style is marked by wry humor, keen observations about Hollywood and American society, and a genuine appreciation for Valentino. Highly recommended!!!

Ugh!! Along with Shulman's "Valentino," one of the worst movie star biographies I've ever read. Harlow is reduced to a breast-bearing harpie, not to mention poor Paul Bern, whose reputation is utterly trashed. Written as though the writer were present for every intimate moment of Harlow's life, it offers no reliable information. I cannot believe this was the story of Harlow's agent, Arthur Landau. Avoid this hysterical trash and read David Stenn's "Bombshell" instead, a more balanced and sane look at Harlow.

This is what a biography should never be. It's poorly written, poorly edited and is merely a titillating vehicle for the biographer to get some cheap thrills. It was Garbage.