Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia [Paperback]

Michael Karol (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2004

Praise for Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia

“Very important. Fresh insights. The most detailed—and most enjoyable—book available on Lucille Ball. A must-have.”
—Laura Wagner, Classic Images

“As we are producing the I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary Special, [Lucy A to Z] has been a godsend.”
—Lucie Arnaz, 2001 letter to author

“[Lucy A to Z is a] compound of insight, fact, and trivia.”
—Stefan Kanfer, author, Ball of Fire

“This new Fourth Edition of Lucy A to Z is a wonderful read and I’m very pleased to recommend it to everyone.”
—Wanda Clark, Lucille Ball’s personal secretary

“If you need any ‘splainin’ about Lucy’ life and career, you’ll find it here!”
—Craig Hamrick, author, The TV Tidbits Classic Television Trivia Quiz Book

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This new Fourth Edition of Lucy A to Z is a wonderful read and I'm very pleased to recommend it to everyone." -- Wanda Clark, Lucille Ball's personal secretary, January 15, 2008

"As we are producing the 'I Love Lucy' 50th Anniversary Special, [Lucy A to Z] has been a godsend." -- Lucie Arnaz, 2001 letter to author

"If you need any 'splainin' about Lucy's life and career, you'll find it here!" -- Craig Hamrick, author, Barnabas & Co. and Big Lou, Jan. 2004  

"Very important....Fresh insights....The most detailed — and most enjoyable — book available on Lucille Ball. A must-have." -- Classic Images magazine, September 2004

"[Lucy A to Z is a] compound of insight, fact, and trivia." -- Stefan Kanfer, author, Ball of Fire, 2003

From the Publisher

Since iUniverse published the first edition of Lucy A to Z in 2001, a lot has happened, resulting in this new, expanded and revised Fourth Edition published in January 2008, with pictures for the first time. Lucy A to Z has found acceptance in the hearts of Lucy fans everywhere, from The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz in Jamestown, N.Y. to all corners of the globe, thanks to the Internet. The author has been privileged to be welcomed into the Lucy community, and honored to meet Lucie Arnaz, actress Doris Singleton, Lucy's personal secretary, Wanda Clark, and her chauffeur, Frank Gorey, I Love Lucy's original film editor, Dann Cahn, and main director, William Asher, and so many others, who knew Lucy and/or worked with her...not to mention the fans, who are delightful. That's because all are tied together through love of Lucy and her co-stars.

During 2001, after the publication of the first edition, Karol heard from fans who asked if the "next edition" could include more information on Lucy's co-stars. A trip to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and a look at the files on Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance convinced Karol there was much more information out there to be reported. A Third Edition followed, published in late 2003. Karol was fascinated by what the press and studios wrote about their stars, and how it filtered down to the public. He knew other fans would be interested, too, so many of the new entries came from publicity generated during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Karol's late friend and fellow author, Craig Hamrick, convinced him in 2006 to explore the idea of a Fourth Edition. Hamrick suggested reviewing all the information Karol had gathered since the publication of the Third Edition. When the author realized he had enough new material for another small book, he decided to go ahead with a fourth edition, and this time add pictures.

The book has been totally redesigned to make it easier to read and find information. There are more than 50 new entries, and every original entry has been re-edited and, in many cases, changed or added to. There are 50 pictures, many of them exclusives, and many not seen for years (including the cover shot, a gorgeous Technicolor-like masterpiece by Harry Warnecke that is in the National Portrait Gallery). And the book has been made a larger size, 7.5x9.25 inches, to better reflect its larger-than-life subject.

Even with all the changes and additions, the spirit of the fourth edition of Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia remains the same: a celebration of all things Lucy, especially a look at how and why she brought (and continues to bring) so much needed laughter into the world, and what she has meant to several different generations...all arranged alphabetically. Now with pictures! Enjoy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 478 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse Star; 4 edition (January 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595297617
• ISBN-13: 978-0595297610
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Pop Culture
  • #29 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( B ) > Ball, Lucille

More About the Author

Michael Karol is an award-winning New York-based entertainment journalist and author. His books include Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia; The ABC Movie of the Week Companion; The Lucy Book of Lists: Celebrating Lucille Ball's Centennial and the 60th Anniversary of I Love Lucy; Sitcom Queens: Divas of the Small Screen; The TV Tidbits Classic Television Book of Lists; and KISS KILL: A Vampire's Tale. He has interviewed a long and eclectic list of performers, producers, writers and "experts" over the years, everyone from soap diva Susan Lucci to blues legend Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, songbird Phyllis Hyman and Dr. Jordan Grafman, chief of the Cognitive Neuroscience Section at the NIH; actors Eva La Rue, Kaye Ballard, Cameron Mathison, Debbi Morgan, Denise Nickerson, John Noble, Jane Connell, Gale Storm, Doris Singleton, Kathryn Joosten, Lindsay Hartley, and David Hedison, among many others; and behind-the-scenes movers and shakers like Wonderfalls creator Bryan Fuller and House, M.D.'s creator and executive producer, David Shore; I Love Lucy's film editor, Dann Cahn; and director William Asher, who helmed I Love Lucy and Bewitched, among other classics.

Michael has been quoted and referenced in magazines ranging from The Star to Rue Morgue, and in such books as 2003's Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball; 2004's Mixed Nuts: America's Love Affair with Comedy Teams From Burns & Allen to Belushi And Aykroyd; and 2008's How to Be Like Women of Power: Wisdom and Advice to Create Your Own Destiny. He has written for and been interviewed on the Web by sites like Theofantastique.com (http://www.theofantastique.com/2010/02/03/michael-karol-the-abc-movie-of-the-week/) and The Terror Trap (www.terrortrap.com). His own website can be found at www.Sitcomboy.com. Michael keeps a bottle of Vitameatavegamin by his computer for health and inspiration.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved This Encyclopedia About Lucy!, February 27, 2008

By 

Eric Vitoulis (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia (Paperback)

I was a fairly big Lucy fan but hadn't bought many books about her, mostly those about her show, I Love Lucy. But when I found this book, the idea of an encyclopedia intrigued me, and I figured there'd be lots of stuff about I Love Lucy, in any case. There sure is, and there's a lot more, on every aspect of Lucy's career, arranged alphabetically. The pictures are great and everything is super easy to find. The writing is both breezy and insightful; the author's obviously a big fan, but he knows his stuff. A lot of research must have gone into this. As someone else on the page says, if you need any `splainin' about anything in Lucy's life or career, it's here.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!, April 8, 2008

By 

Wanda L. Clark - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia (Paperback)

"Lucy A to Z" is well researched and fact filled. It is one of the few books about Lucille Ball that I can recommend without reservation and I have read most of them. It is an easy read and well worth the time invested in reading about Lucy's career. Wanda Clark

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For my money, the best book on Lucille Ball Out There!, February 27, 2008

By 

Tyse (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia (Paperback)

Everything you could ever want to know about Lucy...in one place! I bought a copy of the second edition a few years ago and liked it very much, but I was disappointed that there were no pictures inside. Well, the author has taken care of that in this new fourth edition, and then some! There are lots of pictures, many of which I haven't seen before. The cover photo alone is a real knockout! Not only that, but the book size is bigger and there are many more new entries. It looks like it has been totally redesigned. And if you ever needed to find out anything about Lucy, it's an encyclopedia format, so just look alphabetically (there's also a huge index). I love Lucy, and I love this book! Highly recommended.