YOU CAN'T SPELL AMERICA WITHOU - BALDWIN ALEC - Random UK

YOU CAN'T SPELL AMERICA WITHOU - BALDWIN ALEC - Random UK

Mr. Broadway was completed just one month before Gerald Schoenfeld's death in 2008 at the age of 84. Bringing the reader backstage, the long-term chairman of the Shubert Organization shares his triumphs and failures, sings praise, and settles scores. He recounts nightmarish tales of the Shuberts, themselves - the meanness of Lee, the madness of JJ, the turmoil surrounding John's personal life, and the drunken ineptitude of Lawrence Shubert Lawrence, Jr., the man who succeeded them and nearly brought the Shubert legacy to an ignominious end. An active participant in that legacy for over 50 years, Schoenfeld describes how he and his partner, Bernie Jacobs, saved the Shubert Organization, bringing some of Broadway's greatest hits to the stage - from A Chorus Line, Equus, and Amadeus to Pippin, Les Miserables, Evita, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Godspell, Ain't Misbehavin', Dreamgirls, Dancin', Sunday in the Park with George, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Heidi Chronicles, The Gin Game, Miss Saigon, and Chess.

As the 1970s wind down, the last two recurring Peanuts charactershavefallen into place: Snoopy’s brother Spike and the youngest Van Peltsibling,Rerun. But that doesn’t mean Schulz’s creativity has diminished; infact, thisvolume features an amazing profusion of hilariously distinctive new one-(ortwo-) shot characters!

For instance, in an epic five-week sequence, when Charlie Brown, foundguilty by the EPA of biting the Kite-Eating tree, he goes on the lam andends up coaching the “Goose Eggs,” a group of diminutive baseballplayers,Austin, Ruby, Leland, and—did you know there was a second black Peanutscharacter, aside from Franklin?—Milo.

Also: a tennis-playing Snoopy ends up reluctantly teamed with theextremeType “A” athlete Molly Volley... who then reappears later in the book,nowfacing off against her nemesis, “Crybaby” Boobie. (Honest!) Add inSally’snew camp friend Eudora, the thuggish “caddymaster” who shoots downPeppermint Patty and Marcie’s new vocation, an entire hockey team, and asurprise repeat appearance by Linus’s sweetheart “Truffles” (creating alovetriangle with Sally), all in addition to the usual cast of belovedcharacters(including the talking schoolhouse and the doghouse-jigsawing cat, whogets hold of Linus’s blanket in this one), and you’ve got a veritablecrowd ofcharacters.

It’s another two years of the greatest comic strip of all time, full oflaughsand surprises.

The Complete Peanuts 1975-1976: Good grief, Charlie Brown, we're halfway there!That's right! With this volume, The Complete Peanuts reaches the halfwaypoint of Charles M. Schulz's astounding half-century run on the greatestcomic strip of all time. These years are especially fecund in terms of new canine characters, as Snoopy is joined by his wandering brother Spike(from Needles), his beloved sister Belle (from Kansas City), and... did you know he had a nephew? In other beagle news,Snoopy breaks his foot and spends six weeks in a cast, deals with his friend Woodstock's case of the “the vapors,” and getsinvolved in a heated love triangle with Linus over the girl “Truffles.” The Complete Peanuts 1975-1976 features several other long stories, including a rare “double track” sequence with twoparallel narratives: Peppermint Patty and Snoopy travel to participate in the Powderpuff Derby, while Charlie Brown finallygets to meet his idol Joe Shlabotnik. And Peppermint Patty switches to a private school, but commits the mistake of allowingSnoopy to pick it for her; only after graduation does she realize something's not quite right! Plus: A burglary at Peppermint Patty's house is exacerbated by waterbed problems... Marcie acquires an unwanted suitor...Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty become desk partners... The talking school building collapses... Lots of tennis jokes...and gags starring Schroeder, Lucy, Franklin, Rerun, Sally, and that vicious cat next door. It's another two years of Peanuts at itsfinest! Featuring an introduction by comedian Robert Smigel (Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Saturday Night Live).

The Complete Peanuts 1977-1978:As the 1970s wind down, the last two recurring Peanuts characters havefallen into place: Snoopy's brother Spike and the youngest Van Pelt sibling,Rerun. But that doesn't mean Schulz's creativity has diminished; in fact, thisvolume features an amazing profusion of hilariously distinctive new one- (ortwo-) shot characters! For instance, in an epic five-week sequence, when Charlie Brown, foundguilty by the EPA of biting the Kite-Eating tree, he goes on the lam andends up coaching the “Goose Eggs,” a group of diminutive baseball players,Austin, Ruby, Leland, and --did you know there was a second Black Peanutscharacter, aside from Franklin?--Milo. Also: a tennis-playing Snoopy ends up reluctantly teamed with the extremeType “A” athlete Molly Volley... who then reappears later in the book, nowfacing off against her nemesis, “Crybaby” Boobie. (Honest!) Add in Sally'snew camp friend Eudora, the thuggish “caddymaster” who shoots downPeppermint Patty and Marcie's new vocation, an entire hockey team, and asurprise repeat appearance by Linus's sweetheart “Truffles” (creating a lovetriangle with Sally), all in addition to the usual cast of beloved characters(including the talking schoolhouse and the doghouse-jigsawing cat, who getsahold of Linus's blanket in this one), and you've got a veritable crowd ofcharacters. Introduction by 30 Rock's Alec Baldwin.

It's another four years of the greatest comic strip of all time, full of laughsand surprises.

"If you pick up the East Hampton Star, you'll learn the who, what, and where. The why and how are more likely found in the pages of Dan's Papers...If you want to understand the crazy quilt of art, sand, money, farmland, literature, golf clubs, divorces, sea spray, and the area's remarkable blend of ego, generosity, and dedication to historic preservation, read Dan's book, In the Hamptons, and its sequel, In the Hamptons Too, which you hold in your hands."---from the Foreword by Alec Baldwin

"Nothing and no one escapes the roving eye of Dan. Here they all are: the old guard with their stately homes; the Bonackers, locals whose farms, shops, and small country roads are disappearing with each passing season; and the successive wave of newcomers, the artists, writers, and weary city folk yearning for the sea. And of course here are the seekers of the Scene, the newly rich and restless, demented with the mania of owning things. Not a particle of this passing parade is less than fascinating to Dan, who serves it up in prose that is simple and direct, yet subtly inflected with his signature combination of whimsy, wryness, and delight. A wonderful read."---Mercedes Ruehl, award-winning actress and area residents

s the editor and publisher of Dan's Papers, the area'spopularfree newspaper, Dan Rattiner has been living in and covering the Hamptons for over fifty years, and has watched it change from a sleepy backwater of fishing villages and potato farms to a playground for the rich and famous. In this follow-up to his popular book In the Hamptons, Rattiner continues to regale us with tales of the people who live, work, and play in one of America's best-known summer colonies, ranging from colorful locals like former East Hampton Town Supervisor Richard T. Gilmartin and marine patrol policeman Ralph George, to more well-known figures like Kurt Vonnegut, Betty Friedan, Alger Hiss, and Martha Stewart. Sometimes amused, sometimes appalled, but always observant, Rattiner tells these stories of the Hamptons as only he can tell them: with dry wit, unassuming language, and as keen an awareness of his own quirks and foibles as he is of those of his fellow human beings.