THE WAY IT REALLY WAS
354808
I have read both the Hornblower and Bolitho series which fictionally describe the rise of two fictional British naval officers to the head of their careers. While both series are good reads this officer Jack Aubrey seems more real and much more human. The book is rich in showing the life of the average British seaman and the health problems of life at sea in the early 1800's. When I first saw the movie " Master and Commander'  starring Russel Crowe I liked this character very much. Russell Crowe did an excellent job of portraying  Jack Aubrey--very true to the book and the way O'Brian shows him. There is a lot of action also here and real life adventure. Reminds me of myself 30 years ago!!
880525
The good and the bad all come together in this book.......The real story of real people that shaped the this country for years to come, like it or not..
3482634
I lived through these times and the depiction to the reality is very accurate, but brought to a personal level.
1147110
It was a pleasure to read the true reality instead of what was falsely portrayed by the network and those producing the show. It was a good reminder that life isn't as it always appears to be and that we should all be careful of what we wish for.
385736
I really liked the way it bounced back and forth between past and present. There was always something going on.
2363682
I enjoyed it very much, it was written so you could really imagine being right there ..  I enjoy versions of real life historical people..
1532749
Very good, a little long winded but that was how it had to be told
2994827
But it f it is, it was well done. Loved the fact the Lessening Society was all but absent. This was a true story much like the first few books that got me hooked in the first place.
3693227
It was easier then they said it was going to be.
3385981
I like the fact that the book was written in a no so "larger than life" way. What I mean is that the author really showed his true self in the story and I felt rhat it is really something I can apply in my personal life.
3310262
As the basis for one of the characters in the book (Esmerelda), I can attest to the fact that most of what's there is absolutely true, believe it or not.  Those were some wild days, to say the least ... drugs, sex, murder and on and on.  I'd say Morgan wrote it all pretty accurately, except for a few cosmetic alterations here and there.  All in all, not only accurate but compelling.  Two thumbs up.
1539220
I see a lot of people here didn't care for Fine's "holier than thou" hipster attitude, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book at all. In fact, it added another layer of authenticity, considering that seemingly everyone into indie (i.e. "college") rock at the time had a somewhat snobbish attitude (and not much has changed since).

This book really brought me back to the DIY, pre-internet days of fanzines and MTV, when if you wanted to check out a new band that wasn't pushed on the radio and MTV, you had to either shell out $15 for the CD, or just go check them out live for like half the price. Fine's humorous, philosophy-laden stories of life on the road were great, and made me nostalgic for those bygone days, even if I was a little too young to fully appreciate the scene at the time.

Recommended for fans of 80s and 90s underground rock, and for those who would like to vicariously experience life as a struggling musician in the 80s.
141027
I had this when it first came out as a VHS/CD box set after seeing the band live on the Building Empires tour. While there's no substitute for the live experience as it was back then (as opposed to the current setup), this is a very fine representation of the show with a great mix and fine camera work. It's not widescreen as 16:9 wasn't happening when it was shot and since it was never meant to be anything other than a longform video, it is what it is.
555892
While I thought there were some parts of the book with "sloppy writing" (I had to read and reread several passages in order to fully understand what the author was trying to say), I really enjoyed reading it.  If you can "enjoy" a book with content of this nature, that is.  I thought the book did a good job explaining what had happened to this family.  if you like true crime, this is absolutely worth a read.
4245365
I read this book a number of years ago, and the thing that really hit home to me was not so much Bob Hope's specific dalliances, but---in reading other stories about other people as well--- how widespread such celebrity behavior was in those so called "innocent" days and how neatly everything was covered up back then.  I will often hear older folks talk about today's stars being a bunch of degenerates, but--it seems---many stars behaved no different then as now.  Except they lived in an era where the media was more tightly controlled and/or had a "gentleman's understanding" to look the other way.  Hope, Crosby, Babe Ruth, Clark Gable, Sinatra and other big named celebrities could never hide their behavior today.  And that goes for politicians, too.  Jack Kennedy anyone?  The lesson is clear:  Don't fall for all of that apple pie American folklore about how moral celebrities were in the old days compared to today.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.
1417681
The real deal...Phil shares his life in a candid and honest way (which is so refreshing).  I  really enjoyed it on many different levels.  Its one of my all time favorite reads, and I have so much respect and admiration for Phil Knight.
3983377
If you are interested in how things really were during this time of the war you would be well served to read this book.