Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Long overdue, but this particular effort leaves much to be desired, October 31, 2007
This review is from: "Route 66" The Television Series 1960 - 1964 (Paperback)
It is indeed high past time that "Route 66", possibly the finest drama ever produced for the medium of television, had a book devoted to it just as many other classic television series have had. However, while author James Rosin has finally filled that long-empty niche, his effort somewhat falls short of what one might have hoped for.
While Rosin does give us an excellent introductury essay, full of useful background information and utilizing a plethora of quotes from a variety of sources, this term-paper length chapter (along with a very nice photo section) pretty much consists of the sum and parcel of the entire book. There is an epsiode guide with detailed plot summaries for all 116 episodes, but Rosin appears to have copied this verbatim from Columbia/Screen Gems promitional material. Since those original materials were based on shooting scripts and story outlines and not on the actual on-screen results, many contain inaccurate plot details and plot elements unpresent in the actual episode. Rosin acknowledges this when he gives notice ""A conscientious effort was made to ensure that each episode summary was as accurate as possible. However, in some instances, minor plot details and descriptions may have been revised that I was unaware of." Huh? Has Rosin seen all the episodes or not? One would expect an author writing an in-depth study of a television series to do the following: (1) Attentively watch each individual episode of that series, (2) Write their own episode summaries for the book and not just copy them from pre-extant sources, and (3) provide their own observations and critical commentaries on each individual episode. This is what good televsion scholars such as Marc Scott Zicree, Ed Robertson and John Kenneth Muir do with their respective highly-polished and thorough books on various television series. Rosin's book comes out looking very deficient when compared with one of those three authors.
I don't wish to be to terribly negative as I am excited that there is ANY book out there devoted exclusively to this marvelous and unjustly-neglected program. However, I felt it incumbent upon me to point out the relative lack of substance it contains. I've read an as yet unpublished manuscript of a book on the series by another author, and that one does a much better job of analyzing each individual epsiode and the cultural impact of the series as a whole. This particular Route 66 fan can't help but wish that that one had been the manuscript issued between the professionally printed covers instead.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Router, April 20, 2007
This review is from: "Route 66" The Television Series 1960 - 1964 (Paperback)
Here is the consumate book on the trendsetting TV series. I spent my early years watching the two guys collar crooks and rescue fair damsels then leap into their sleek Corvette and race on down the road. I never met George Maharis but got to know Martin Milner quite well. It was fun sitting around listeneing to his yarns about the series. Rosin does a wonderful job of reminding us of those enthralling episodes.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A road that should be more traveled, April 5, 2007
This review is from: "Route 66" The Television Series 1960 - 1964 (Paperback)
What a treat to read Jim Rosin's book on one of the most unique "ground-breaking" TV shows ever presented. His access to many of the original cast and crew gives this offering a credibility beyond question.
Each one of the shows stars (Milner and Maharis) and several of the guest stars are interviewed and give a good deal of personal insight on what made this series work--and work so well (who would have ever thought that Milner actually broke Lee Marvin's nose!).
I was especially thankful for the complete show-by-show synopsis. This is great for those of us who would like to order copies of our favorite episodes.
If you were a fan of "Route 66," you're going to love this book--its history, its photos, its story-telling. If you never saw the show, get ready, because after reading this little book, you're probably going to become a fan.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
DVD ~ Martin Milner
DVD ~ Martin Milner
DVD ~ Martin Milner
DVD ~ Martin Milner
DVD ~ Michael Wallis, Bobby Troup Martin Milner
