This is a wonderfully done book. I feel I've lived in "Tom's" shoes and appreciate who he was and the struggles he faced. It's a loving portrait that doesn't shy away from the honest details of the life of the young Tennessee. I hope the sequel that's to take us from the Glass Menangerie to the end of Tennessee's life comes out soon----I'll be waiting!!!

Meticulously researched and sensitively written, this book is the definitive biography of Tennessee Williams, even though it only covers the period up to the beginning of his success. I haven't found any others that can rival its quality. The depth and detail are unsurpassed in Leverich's finely crafted portrait, revealing the many facets of one of America's greatest playwrights. As a "theater person," Leverich brings a special authority to his work, infusing it with expert analysis and theatrical history. A really great read!

Lyle Leverich, a theatre artist himself, paints (with the participation of the late "Tom" himself) an intricate, sensitive and compelling portrait of the closest The United States has come to producing her own Shakespeare.

Tennessee Williams' ability to place passionate and visual poetry into the mouths of the commoner and gentry alike makes his work, in my opinion the finest ever produced by an American playwright. The towering and beautiful fragile characters of his plays combined with his devotion to the utter magic the physical theatre provides, allowed America through Tennessee Williams to finally place itself rightly next to Ibsen, Strinberg, Chekov and The Bard himself.

Of course "Tom" did not develop in a vacume and what Leverich provides here in this excellent biography wrapped in the guise of a psychological thriller worthy of so great an object, is a portrait of a man often crippled by acute sensitivity who saw the writing muse as a means for survival. Leverich manages to paint the man behind the myth, bring him down into a real space and time while also managing to lift him to the angels.

This is one of the greatest biographies ever written about a theatre artist- of which Williams was a supreme being. I, and many others, eagerly await volume two.

The great state of Tennessee has produced some of the truly dynamic leaders of this century. One of the best of them is Senator Bill Frist, distinguished physician and surgeon and now a lodestar leader in the United States Senate. Reading this book is both informative and inspiring. You will gain a unique perspective on the twentieth century through the insightful biographical chapters on the Tennessee Senators who impacted the history of our nation and the world from 1911 to 2001. The theme of servant leadership, so evident in the author's own life, is illustrated in the lives of those benchmark Senators from Tennessee. This book is a very important study of leadership that forces us to redefine the title "politician". This book is a good, stimulating read!

Dr. John Lloyd Ogilvie, U.S. Senate Chaplain

While filling his role as an active United States Senator, Bill Frist has undertaken a task requiring a sense of history, perspective, and courage. His commitment to Tennessee history from the perspective of both information and inspiration is evident in his wide-ranging research into the careers of the seventeen Senators who are his subjects, and courage was surely necessary in his evaluation s of their constructive or detrimental contributions to their state and country. His introductory essay, "A Sense of Place and Time," provides an exemplary summary of the events and issues challenging the varied, fascinating, and intensely partisan group of twentieth century leaders who come to life in these pages. Their stories will remain a unique part of the Senator's legacy to history.

-Wilma Dykeman, Tennessee State Historian

With deftness, Senator Frist and Mr. Annis have mined a vein of Tennessee history rich in character and content. The reader will take delight in sifting through the settings, circumstances and fascinating personalities who have contributed so distinctly to a governing process which has led the United States to a pre-eminent position among all nations. Every student of Tennessee history will find in the content of this unique work a great storehouse of information, reminiscences, and intriguing insights concerning the unique individuals who have served their state and nation in the United States Senate. The book represents a valuable gift to every Tennessean.

-Governor Winfield Dunn

This book presents Williams' later works in a completely different light, for they are seen as a progression of a genius, not as a stifling of one. It is only unfortunate that Williams himself is not around to read this deeply insightful piece of work.

Informative piece of writing giving a whole new and different outlook on Tennessee Williams' later works. Dr. Saddik is able to give a in depth perspective on the later works of the playwright. Often misunderstood by critics and never quite reaching the acclaim of his earlier works, this book is able to show the reader just what was happening throughout this famous playwright's life. An excellent read!

This was an exceptionally interesting book about both Tennessee William's life and work and the theater world at the time. It provides an insightful discussion of how expectation shaped the career of a great author, as well as fascinating autobiographical details. A fun read!

This is a splendid book, originally published by the Tennessee Historical Society, and sold at the Tennessee State Museum. Photographs and descriptions are excellent, as are the examples. The book is not engaged in "price guessing" and the like. Rather, it is designed for the person who is familiar with the construction of period furniture and who is cognizant of the terminology. It is highly recommended for collectors, dealers and anyone else interested in ways and furnishings of the past.

excellent reference for the tennessee antique business and interest. can be used to date early furniture and also its' orgin.

Personally, i hate to read. It usually takes me a week or two to read a short novel(150-225 pages) This book only took me 3 days to read! This play is fast paced and wonderful. It is about Stella and her husband who recieve an unexpected visit from blanche. Blanche plays mind games with different men, including the newspaper man and Stanley. Blanche comes to the village terrible shaken up and ashamed of the place where here sister lives. i DO recomend this book to any reader who likes action. It is very easy to read, and rather short. I loved it and im sure you will too.

This book was a great play. Blanche comes to visit her sister stella and she realizes that stellas life isn't as perfect as she imagined. Blanche is not living in a very realistic world. Her desire to a good life soon destroys her! Stellas husband Stanley who is Blanches brother in law brings Blanche closer to her mental state. by the end of the book Blanches imaginary life turns to a disaster.

I enjoy reading history books. This has to be one of my all time favorite history books. The fact that many years after its publication, it is still in print speaks to its continuing popularity.

If you are interested in presidential history, this is the book for you. Dr. Williams has done a lot of intense research about the U.S. presidents who hail from Tennessee.

This is a must have book for all history lovers. Dr. Williams does a great job of bringing the Tennessee presidents to life. I learned so much I did not know about the presidents and their lives.

In the history of theatre, I am sure that future generations will find that Tennessee Williams was the one playwright who not only wrote of the neuroses and souls of his fellow Americans, but did so with extraordinary beauty and grace.

In this collection one can find three of his most famous plays, two of which, unhappily, do not seem to be revived very often. So although it is always better to SEE a play rather than READ it, that may not be very easy.

"Orpheus Descending" deserves to be rediscovered--a highly poetic, gothic horror story of the battle between art, spirit, soul and sensuality, sexuality. Originally written for the brilliant Italian actress, Anna Magnani, it was in fact played on Broadway by the equally brilliant American, Maureen Stapleton.

"Suddenly Last Summer" was actually the basis for a very long, very self-conscious study I did for a college psych. class. Here in one of Williams most "symbol-laden" plays is his cry for an unfeeling world to accept human beings with all their faults (BECAUSE of all their faults, perhaps?) told through the disturbing memories of a woman whose family wants those memories shut up at any cost.

All three movie versions of these plays are faithful to the originals UP TO A POINT. Try to see the plays, but if that is impossible do yourself a favor: read all of Williams, including his poetry and short stories, and start with this thrilling volume of 3 of his best plays. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The three choices for this volume fit very well together. All three include themes that are so often covered in Williams' work. Bizarre family situations, unrequitted love and battles within the self are portrayed, often brutally, in these works. For example, the struggle experienced by "Maggie the Cat" in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is a raw blend of self hatred, self love, longing for what can't be mixed with a fearsome attempt of "keeping up appearances" within the confines of a, to say the least, very unhealthy extended family situation. I think another fine example of Williams' flair for the, shall we say extraordinary, is "Suddenly Last Summer." It's not easily described without giving away many shockers so I won't spoil that here. I highly recommend this volume as the two I just mentioned are absolutely fantastic. Also, don't ever pass up the chance of seeing the film versions of these (I speak of the originals in this case).

To everyone, I wanted to take a moment to tell you how wonderful this book is. I first read it in Junior High School, I fell in love with it. I mustve read it 3 or 4 times since. Its a wonderful story, like all Steele books it leaves the reader spellbound at the end. The description says ages 9-12 but you can be MUCH MUCH older to enjoy this book. It is really a book for anyone with a sense of adventure and an imagination. :)

I purchased this book before moving to Nashville and it was a tremendous help. The City Smart series breaks down a town into sections or even communities and then tells the reader what is available in that immediate area in a number of categories: entertainment, food, lodging, tourist attractions and more. All the places with in the book have been rated according to the author's personal criteria but when she said Brown's Diner has the best burger in Nashville, she wasn't kidding. Her rating scale is fair and very accurate. Easy to read maps are included in each section, with a larger one at the back which makes learning and navigating a new town a cinch! I found this book to be an invaluable resource for my relocation to Nashville. I tend to have lots of friends and family visit and it's been a fabulous tool for that. I've purchased other books in the City Smart series as well and was quite pleased with them, also. Even though I lived in Kansas City for 30 years, I found things in the City Smart Kansas City book I was completely unaware of. I am certain the City Smart Nashville book has increased my pleasure of living in Nashville. If you are visiting Nashville, looking into one of Nashville's fine colleges or moving here, you NEED this book!

Although I bought this book just for a quick read of Suddenly Last Summer but found all of the other plays in this volume to be delights in their own respect. Each has their ups and downs, but all are undeniably in the style of Tennessee Williams. I think this book is a must read for any true Tennessee fan as it give any reader a fuller look into the style that is Tennessee.

Tennesse Williams has become of my favorite authors, partially due to this book. I have long been a fan of the movie adaptations of his work, but they come nowhere near to the superb quality of the written word. In all of his plays you can get a sense of what the characters are feeling. In most cases those feelings are angst and despair. "Suddenly Last Summer" is by far the best play in this book, but the others are not far behind. The characters in these plays are easy to "see", thanks to Williams' wonderful development. As with every Williams' play, these have surprising twists and revelations throughout. I highly recommend these, and all other Tennessee Williams plays.

Of the plays that I read, I found them all to have real life aplications. One of the suprising things was that his works were written several years ago but there are still points that he raises that are aplicable to today. Honestly I could not go to bed until I found out how he resolved his conflicts. I will have to read more of his work. He is not that bad for being an english paper topic.