Customer Reviews

A Book

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Wow! What a life Senor Arnaz led. We all love Lucy, but the man who created the most popular sitcom ever often gets overlooked. His book is thorough and eye-opening. If you love Lucy you need to read this book to hear the other side of the story. Although I did not always like how he chose to deal with life, I came away from this book with an enormous respect for the work he did. He was a great musician, producer/director, and businessman. I also believe he loved Lucy to his dying day.

I had the rare and wonderful opportunity to spend the day with Desi Arnaz back in 1977 when he came to Detroit to promote his book, "A BOOK". He appeared on the local ABC afflliate WXYZ and I knew someone at the station and spent time with Mr. Arnaz, and then went to the book signing with him later in the afternoon at the local mall. I took two photos which I cherish, (wearing his Ricky Ricardo fedora). He was kind, gracious, and when I asked him if he would do a re-union show with Lucy he replied, "All she has to do is ask me." Thank you Desi for a wonderful day and your book which I have read numerous times, is the story of a young man from Cuba, who fought to get out of the communist stranglehold that was on his country, came to America, fought prejudice here, starting his own band, and meeting the girl of his dreams, and later becoming the "Brains" behind Desliu. "A Book" is an excellant read, and you will feel how much Desi Loved Lucy and life.

Robert A. Howe

After reading Lucille ball'a autobiography then another book called Desliu, based on Lucy and Desi's marriage, I read Desi's 'A Book" to get another perspective of a fascinating marriage and era in television. It is an honest account of Desi's rise to fame and his business accument and the principals he followed in his life. Not that much is covered on his marriage to Lucy or his relationship with his children but it is clear that he adored his children and Lucy, and built the Desilu empire for them, even to the detriement of his marriage and his children. But you cannot blame him in doing so as with his background and upbringing, it was his way of doing things. Even after he remarried,you get the feeling that he will always love Lucy. While Lucy in her book covered more of their relationship, Desi talks of the lessons he learned and praises those who helped him. He has a great style of writing that was really enjoyable to read. He holds back no punches when he describes his life and who he is. It is ashame he did not write a sequel to "A Book", covering his life after his divorce to Lucy, and how their relationship continued till he died in 1983. A great gentleman who you have to admire for his love of his family and his talent as an actor, muscian, producer, director and businesman, who lived a full life. Worth a read.

This is the way I feel everytime I read "A BOOK". As if I was in Cuba sitting at the hacienda and sipping on hot coffee while listening to Desi narrate his life.Much more than Lucy's husband this man has an interesting story to tell also. From the way the Cuban Revolution changed his life, to the way he revolutionized TV with the use of film and the three camera technique; every page has something that will make you laugh or cry. Desi is very open, honest and even blunt when telling his life story to the reader; getting you into the story and wanting to learn more until you reach the end. Very interesting and highly recomended!

Throughout the pages of this book, one gets the impression that Desi really did love Lucy and she loved him, but they seemed to be one of those couples that could not live together. He was a philanderer and she had a hot temper and that (apparently) made for some rough living.

The singular most interesting fact from this book that I will probably never EVER forget is this: After Desi and Lucy were divorced, he called her every night for the rest of his life. They were more than lovers, they were best friends and it seems that the relationship continued, even after the marriage ended.

This book is really a manuscript-length tribute to Lucille Ball. Desi's love and admiration for her shines through its many pages. He is kind to her in this memoir and unlike the poison-pen style of today's celebs, it seems that Desi just wanted the world to know that Lucy really was the amazing, interesting and gifted soul she appeared to be.

It also has some fascinating insights and background about the program and its sequels. Plus, if you want to know the scoop about William Frawley and Vivian Vance (Fred and Ethel), it's all in these pages. Those two really did NOT like each other.

I bought this book (used, cheap) and my little paperback copy arrived tattered and worn , but I couldn't stop reading it. Very well written, very interesting and a real tribute to the star of "I Love Lucy."

When Desi Arnaz wrote this book in the 1970s, he was an older man looking back on his youth. This book reads like you were sitting down next to him on the porch swing, and he's telling you his life story. As such, there are a lot of inaccuracies. However, the stories are great to read and hear about. You'll learn a lot about his music and life before Lucy. His days in Cuba are almost more interesting than his life on the road or in Hollywood. Surprisingly, it touches on "I Love Lucy," a little less than you'd think, and if you've read other books about the show, what is mentioned here will all sound familiar. However, it is Desi's story in his own words. And it's a book you can sit down and just while away the hours with.

This is not an "as told-to" autobiography; it is the REAL words of Desi Arnaz himself, as real as if he were sitting in the room talking to you. Most of the book is dedicated to describing the "I Love Lucy" years, as any Lucy-Desi fan would hope. He ends the book with his final fight with Lucille Ball, concluding with the statement that "I Love Lucy was never just a title," which is quite touching, when you consider that he totally omits the many years that he had since been married to someone else. Definitely a page-turner!

If you loved "Lucy" you'll love Desi too. This book takes a look at Desi's life, from his own point of view, from the time he was born to around 1976, ten years before his death. Desi has both a very good sense of humor and is incredibly honest when telling his story. This is one man who lead a very interesting life (Too say the least)and overcame what seemed to be the impossible. He can honestly say he struggled to make it to the top.It's obvious who his one true love really is.

I never considered myself a mega-"I Love Lucy" fan, but I do recognize and appreciate the fact that "I Love Lucy" was, and remains, the greatest situation comedy in TV history, and it was all because of the business genius of Desi Arnaz.

I feel a need to endorse what a previous reviewer wrote and say that the way Desi wrote this book it's as though he's telling you a story. I would have accused anyone else of having diarrhea of the typewriter, but you can't help but feel Desi's sitting in the room with you having a casual conversation about everything from his childhood to post-Lucy and he continues the conversation where he left off every time you pick up the book again.

There is none of this contrived wording that permeates and poisons both fiction and non-fiction nowadays about the minute details of things that no one pays attention to in the first place and couldn't be able to recall if their lives depended on it (e.g., "The water was a shimmering blue. The leaves had just turned color and were gracefully swaying as they fell to the fresh asphalt road in front of the house.") Desi complained a few times that his knowledge of English wasn't so good, but I found his way of writing much more readable than many native English-speakers.

Desi starts off by wistfully reminiscing about his privileged life in Santiago de Cuba. Either he called many people to fill in the finer, minute details or he had a hell of a memory. Either way, only he could get away with writing the way he did.

Next he delves into his new life in Miami, Florida and his start in show business. It was breathtaking to see the plethora of now legendary names that he got to work with in those days. It was refreshing to see there was a time when people did business based on the strength of someone's word. Apparently, Desi's word meant something, even when he was starting out. He had numerous lucky breaks and met the right people at the right times (he appropriately acknowledged this, which made him all the more cooler).

He then talked about his service in the Army during World War II and his return to show business. And he did superficially delve into his marriage with Lucy. I felt that what he talked about was the right amount of personal stuff to share with a worldwide audience. To me, he showed a great deal of tasteful restraint in talking about the rifts and, finally, the breakup of his marriage to Lucy, and a reader needs to be able to fill in the blanks to know why their marriage unraveled.

The best thing of all about this book is that when Desi talked about the inner workings of the entertainment business he conveyed it on such a level that your eyes won't be in danger of glazing over. I was both fascinated and amazed at just how effortless he conducted business and how he was naturally creative. (And he never once expressed any ill feeling towards the fact that Lucy got all the credit. In fact, he himself gave her the credit for their success.)

In all, this is one of the best books I have ever read. Desi Arnaz was underestimated and underappreciated in his day, but it's nice to see him finally getting the recognition he so rightfully deserves (too bad it had to happen posthumously). It's just too bad he never got around to writing "Another Book." - Donna Di Giacomo

This book is entertaining and keeps you interested from the begining to the very end. It's a shame it's the only book Desi ever wrote.It's amazing to see what he accomplished considering he came over from Cuba with nothing. Literally ! Deffinetly worth the money if you're an I love Lucy fan.