Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Life and Times of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra (Paperback)

~ (Author) "On December 27, 1939, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra began their meteoric rise to the top of the music world..." (more)
Key Phrases: damn trumpet player, civilian orchestra, clarinet lead, Glenn Miller, New York, Moonlight Serenade (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Do I need another book on Glenn Miller? You bet I do, especially when it's written by Richard Grudens. -- Vince Rowe

Treasure this book... refer to it to refresh recollections of a man who served his nation heroically during trying times. -- Kathryn Crosby

Product Description

A must read for countless Glenn Miller Orchestra fans who still cherish his music.

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Glenn Miller's life and the 60th anniversary of his disappearance over the English Channel in late 1944, we present the tribute book Glenn Miller fans all over the world have been waiting for, a compendium of authentic stories, interviews, over 150 photos and features illustrating the life and times of the most popular musical organization in American show business history, spread out under a shower of stars tracing the career of legendary bandleader, arranger and slide trombonist, Alton Glenn Miller, and placing to rest, once and for all, the truth about his mysterious loss during World War II.

For the past five years, music biographer Richard Grudens, author of "The Spirit of Bob Hope," "Bing Crosby - Crooner of the Century," and "Jerry Vale - A Singer's Life," combed through countless files, books and newsletters, past chronicles, films, vintage record liners, radio program interviews, radio shows, photo files, and "V" discs, as well as his own personal interviews with Tex Beneke, Patty Andrews, Ray Anthony, Larry O'Brien, Kathryn Crosby, Artie Shaw, Beryl Davis, Willard Alexander, Buddy Morrow, Wynne Miller, George Simon, Johnny Mince, Zeke Zarchy, Billy May, Bobby Hackett, Connie Haines, Kay Starr, Harry James, Roy Belcher, Jack Ellsworth, Ben Grisafi, Chris Valenti, Al Monroe, Nick Hilscher, and includes Swiss disc jockey Max Wirz's interviews with bandleaders around the world: including Wil Salden, Ray McVay and John Miller, to bring forward true accounts of the world's most famous orchestra and its prolific leader, Glenn Miller.

As Kathryn Crosby suggests in her loving and gracious foreword: "Treasure Richard Grudens' biographical book. You will refer to it repeatedly to refresh your recollections of a wonderful man who served his nation heroically in very trying times."

Product Details

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: Celebrity Profiles Publishing (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157579277X
• ISBN-13: 978-1575792774
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #433,725 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovingly done history of the great Glenn Miller Orchestra., May 25, 2004

By	Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

His success did not occur overnight. There were major setbacks along the way and at times Glenn Miller wondered if he would ever find "his sound". But in the spring of 1939 it finally happened! Glenn Miller and his Orchestra exploded onto the scene with appearances at the Meadowbrook in New Jersey and at the legendary Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, NY. Almost overnight they became a cultural phenomenon. In a book that took nearly five years to put together, Richard Grudens has gone to great lengths to recreate the flavor of that Golden Era. Wonderfully written (in nice large print) and generously sprinkled with dozens of fascinating photographs, "Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a must read for anyone who is a fan of or is curious about the Big Band Era. Grudens discusses the history of the Miller outfit from all kinds of different perspectives. In the course of writing this book the author interviewed musicians from the original Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as some of the vocalists and arrangers from those golden days. There are also memories from booking agents, record company executives and disc jockeys. Read transcripts from "live" radio broadcasts and enjoy many recollections of the two movies the band appeared in. And then there is speculation over what really might have happened to Capt. Glenn Miller on December 15, 1944.
But fortunately the story did not end on that fateful night. The Glenn Miller Orchestra, using all of Glenn's original charts, was reorganized in 1956. It continues to this day under the direction of Larry O'Brien. Grudens brings us up to date with information on the members of the current orchestra. Quite coincidentally, my wife and I were able to catch a performance of the Glenn Miller Orchestra this past weekend. It was an absolute joy to see them and much to my surprise there were a lot of youngsters in the audience. I was even able to get my copy of this book autographed by featured vocalists Julia Rich and Nick Hilscher. Order your copy of this book through amazon.com or by calling PENNSYLVANIA 6-5000.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a deep biography..., August 1, 2005

By	Graeme J. W. Smith "graemejwsmith" (Newport, RI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

...but an interesting compliment to other more scholarly works about Glenn Miller. This book is a light hearted "vox-pop" with snapshots of the times through the medium of reports, posters, advertisements of the time, with short reminisences of key people who were there and glued together with enough about Glenn Miller to give it substance and relavence.

2.0 out of 5 stars Richard Grudens, Glenn Miller: Chattanooga Choo Choo, May 9, 2009

By	William H. Young "W. H. Young" (Lynchburg, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

With all the good, detailed studies of Glenn Miller and his orchestra currently available, there exists no good reason to pick up this shallow glimpse of the man and his band.