*Includes pictures. *Includes Turner's quotes about her own life and career. *Includes a bibliography for further reading. "My life has been a series of emergencies.†– Lana Turner A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures; but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors’ American Legends series; readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America’s most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute; while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. During the Golden Era of Hollywood; few actresses proved as versatile as Lana Turner; who got her start playing the wholesome innocent young beauty as a teenager before shifting to femme fatale roles and starring in horror classics like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Discovered as a result of her beauty; Louis B. Mayer immediately saw her as a potential replacement for Jean Harlow; and Turner’s earliest roles played off her sexiness; with an influence that reached all the way to Argentina; where Eva Peron sought to emulate her style. At the same time; however; Turner felt disrespected by the focus on her looks and desperately wanted to show she could be a critically acclaimed actress. That eventually occurred when she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in Peyton Place (1957); and Turner would go on to have an acting career that spanned nearly 55 years; with her final appearance coming only a few years before her death. Throughout her life; Turner sought critical acclaim to prove that she was more than a pretty face; yet she is perhaps most famous now for living the kind of life that kept gossip rags and rumor mills in business. Turner lived fast and openly flaunted her sex life on the way to marrying 7 different men; but her most notorious relationship was with Johnny Stompanato; a shady figure with ties to the mob that ended up stabbed to death during an argument with Turner. Turner’s teenage daughter had stabbed Stompanato and claimed she feared for her mother’s life; and nobody was ever convicted; but the case generated all kinds of headlines; a fitting kind of exclamation point on the type of life Turner lived. American Legends: The Life of Lana Turner examines the life and career of one of America’s most famous actresses. Along with pictures of important people; places; and events; you will learn about Lana Turner like never before; in no time at all.
#985354 in Books Lyons Press 2015-04-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.51 x .73 x 7.85l; .0 #File Name: 1493009125224 pagesLyons Press
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Thank you for a great compilation!By alindwurmI just started reading this today and it is much different than what I expected. The ALPLF and Dr. Knorowski did a great job getting some very prominent people that we are familiar with and some that we may not know to write an essay that is only 272 words long; the length of the Gettysburg Address; and from the ones I have read so far (just better than 1/2); these were written from their experiences; past research; and heart. I am also very pleased that there is a short bio on each of the contributors. Though not all essays directly reference or even have anything to do with the Address itself; they are well worth reading. When you take into account not only the Address but the time that Mr. Lincoln lived; these essays are perfectly relevant to the subject in my opinion. The one essay that I hope everyone really reads is by Mr. Alan Dershowitz. The man is a genius and I think this could be "The Gettysburg Address for Today". Having Mr. Lincoln's Address replied to in this way has shown me just how far we have gone and how far we still need to go. His words are still very relevant and many still look to him for answers in this century. I absolutely recommend this for anyone interested in history; current events; and; of course; Abraham Lincoln. Congratulations on a job well done!3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The World Responds to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg AddressBy BruceGettysburg Replies constitutes the realization of a truly unique approach to commemorate; place in historical perspective; and challenge us to address present day issues in light of Lincoln's immortal Address. Carla Knorowski and staff at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation (ALPLF) have put together a collection of 100 essays that pay tribute to the man; his words; his actions; and the address.But this collection is more than that. Each essay (save one) is 272 words in length. That equates to the precise length of the Address itself (the version that Lincoln penned for Edward Everett). Dr. Knorowski reached out to people throughout the world to compose and submit an essay. She shares that many declined but clearly; many took on the challenge. Then she selected the very best for inclusion in this historic work. Included are the compositions of five US Presidents; three governors; other government officials (Senate; House; Supreme Court; Executive Department); academics; scientists; authors; actors; prominent members of the international community; crew members of the USS Abraham Lincoln; and many others. Selecting the "best" 100 had to be a challenge; but I found all the essays to be beautifully written; full of meaning; and error-free.At first; I feared that the constraint of 272 words for the length of the essays would lead to an artificial tone to the compositions. I thought it would be similar to how some organizations or projects are named so that they serve to enable a catchy acronym. However; I did not find this to be the case. I recommend this book to you without reservation. My thanks to the ALPLF and to all the contributors.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. This book makes an excellent gift for Father's Day or for anyone who simply ...By Lisa BennettThis is a must-read and not only for history nuts! A collection of essays all 272 words; the exact number Abraham Lincoln used to craft the Gettysburg Address. Essays by Bill Clinton; Jimmy Carter; both Bushes and more. My favorites include essays by the editor; Carla Knorowski; actress; Amy Carlson and Sam Harris; but there are so many more!This book makes an excellent gift for Father's Day or for anyone who simply enjoys an eloquent essay.
