Customer Reviews

John D. MacArthur: A View from the Bar

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved this book. I had often wondered about John D. MacArthur when I read of the MacArthur Foundations' remarkably generous "genius" awards in newspapers. Here was a glimpse of him that might never have been recorded had it not been for Mr. Sanford. The photos are remarkable, I suspect, since I imagine that only Mr. Sanford could have obtained them. What's more, it's an absolutely fun book to read, since it obviously captures the "inside story". Thanks, Mr. Sanford for this well-written and informative book.

This is NOT a biography of "Mr. Mac" but a glimpse of a way of life of a powerful man. I've read much of the background material that the author, Bob Sanford used to create his memoir and it is totally accurate. Since I am a new-comer to Palm Beach Gardens it was great to read something about how this "garden" was created. Since I own the bookstore (the Book Rack) where Bob had his first book signing, I have a special interest and pride in that book. It is obvious that Bob admired John D MacArthur, and so the stories about this billionaire are (for the most part) flattering and entertaining.

Bob Sanford's entertaining, biographical, memoir, let's the reader in on what it was like to be up close and personal with the late billionaire John D. MacArthur. This is to date the only book written by someone who actually knew him. This printing contains an extensive chronology of this fancinating mans life. I know, because I was there, I worked for "Mr. Mac", and I lived at the Colonnades Hotel. Two thumbs up on your great book Mr. Sanford!!!

It was a real pleasure reading "A View from the Bar." Mr. MacArthur's table in the coffee shop (the center of his vast operations) was just a short distance from the bar where the author was the bartender. I know of no other book that gives the reader a taste of the true personality of billionaire, John D. MacArthur, a hard as nails business man who also quietly helped an untold number of people who had fallen into need. During the five years that I worked as Mr. Mac's personal expeditor, I especially grew to appreciate the way he managed to turn each day into a unique and exciting adventure. Bob found his view from the bar to be an adventure in itself.

As a Producer/Director of the soon to be released film about John D. MacArthur,(" The UnSinkable John D. Macarthur" A Rags to Riches Documentary), I was very moved and impressed by Bob Sanford's memoir John D. MacArthur: A View from the Bar (A Memoir). His book inspired me to continue my research on John D. MacArthur and complete my documentary. Not only was it informative, but also throughly entertaining. As an avid reader, I felt that it was a labor of love and so much more! A story that needed to be told. Great Job, "2 Thumbs up"!

This is a well written book. It's lively and interesting. But before you buy it, you should know that it's not really a biography of John D MacArthur in the traditional sense. It's the story of Bob Sanford who worked at MacArthur's hotel as the beverage/bar manager. Sanford does tell a lot of stories about his own experiences with MacArthur (for example the book begins with Sanford being interviewed by MacArthur for a position at the hotel), but most of the book is limited to Sanford's firsthand experiences. And from that perspective the book is interesting (as a collection of experiences that a working man has with one of the wealthiest men in the world), but this is not a biography in the traditional sense. I just wanted to add that to the book's description.

Very disappointing. Costs much more than the book is worth. It is 149 pages of large print and many pictures. There is too much about the author's life and not enough about Mr. MacArthur.

The section about MacArthur's rise to wealth adds nothing to an earlier book about MacArthur called "The Stockholder". The information in both books is sketchy and incomplete.

There is almost nothing about MacArthur's wives or children.

I think that the information about MacArthur's cause of death is incorrect. The author cites pancreatic cancer but I think it was lung cancer which killed MacArthur.

No one to-date has written a thorough biography of the life of this fascinating man.