by Michael Meiers (1989)
A biography of Jim Jones' life, and his political connections with intelligence agencies, politicians, and his personal entourage. A lengthy book of in-depth studies of what happened in Guyana, and lengthy descriptions of the connections he had with Bay Area and California and national politicians. Many black and white photographs that clearly show the bodies were not poisoned with cyanide.
David E. Hoffman
Leaving the American embassy in Moscow one evening in 1978, the CIA station chief heard a knock on his car window and was handed an envelope containing Soviet military technology research unknown to U.S. intelligence. Over the years, Soviet engineer Adolf Tolkachev handed over tens of thousands of pages of secrets, allowing America to reshape its weapons systems to defeat Soviet radar. Hoffman's compelling account unfolds like an espionage thriller.
Ronald L. Davis
"Stage actor turned Hollywood star, William S. Hart (1864-1946) was for movie fans a cherished symbol of the romantic Old West. His silent westerns offered excitement, lessons in righteous behavior, and a nostalgic vision of the American frontier. This biography explores the personal and professional life of Hollywood's prototypical cowboy hero." "For the first time, readers are given insights into Hart's somewhat lonely and tragic personal life, his quarrels with exploitive studios, and his association with such latter-day frontier legends as Charles M. Russell, Bat Masterson, and Wyatt Earp, who regarded him as a kindred spirit. Other highlights of this book include excerpts from his previously unpublished letters to starlet Jane Novak, Hart's one-time fiance, as well as numerous photographs from studio and private collections." "Drawing on Hart's papers, primary sources of the Motion Picture Academy, oral history, and contemporary newspapers, this chronicle of Hart's life is the first since his own starry-eyed autobiography, My Life East and West, appeared in 1929"--Jacket.
Marc Eliot
From the acclaimed bestselling biographer Marc Eliot comes a definitive look at the life of Steve McQueen---one of Hollywood's most iconic actors who was nicknamed "the King of Cool." Steve McQueen is one of America's legendary movie stars, also known for his turbulent life off-screen and his impeccable style. His physical beauty, his soft-spoken manner, his tough but tender roughness, and his aching vulnerability had women swooning and men wanting to be just like him. Today--nearly thirty years after he lost his battle against cancer at the age of fifty--McQueen remains "The King of Cool." Yet few know the truth of what bubbled beneath his composed exterior. Now, film historian Marc Eliot chronicles McQueen's tumultuous life, from his hardscrabble childhood to his rise to Hollywood superstar, to his struggles with alcohol and drugs and his fervor for racing fast cars and motorcycles, disclosing intimate details of his three marriages as well as his numerous affairs. Perhaps his greatest talent was to be able to convince audiences that he was who he really wasn't, even as he tried to prove to himself that he wasn't who he really was.--From publisher description.
Michelle Vogel
"Living in the shadow of a famous parent can have powerful effects. Some children of stars are proud of their roots while others live in secrecy. Here is a rare look into the private lives of the children (and, in a few cases, grandchildren) of Hollywood icons, revealing the stresses and inspirations of living with great performers who may or may not have been great parents." "From the bedtime stories Harpo Marx and his wife told their four adopted children to explain where they'd come from, to the studded belt Bing Crosby used to punish his sons, this work tells the best and worst of growing up in a celebrity home." "Families covered include those of W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Eddie Cantor, Mario Lanza, Ruth Hussey, Jerry Lewis, Douglas Fairbanks and Boris Karloff. Research is drawn from interviews with celebrity offspring, who also provided never-before-published snapshots of Hollywood legends at home."--Jacket.