John Holmes, a Life Measured in Inches (Paperback)

~ Jennifer Sugar (Author), (Author), William Margold (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"The tree of life represents the roots of man. The branches are the different directions a man can take, live or exist. When you're dead, those that you leave behind will put you in a part of that tree. It represents what was, what is and what will be. It's eternal." -- John Holmes. Most people might, understandably, predict that the world’s first porn star was a woman, but they would be wrong. John Curtis Holmes was just a simple country boy from Ohio when he moved to California in 1964. It was the infancy of hardcore, so in Holmes' wildest dreams, he could not have predicted the turbulent ride on which he had embarked by publicizing his private parts. With the fame he achieved by playing his most famous character - a gun toting detective named Johnny Wadd - came money. Holmes was pleased to spend it on his wife and mistresses, but soon was in over his head after he became addicted to cocaine. Unfortunately for Holmes, in the years that followed, his addiction led him into several desperate choices - including setting up a robbery at the home of Ed Nash, a powerful L.A. nightclub owner. The robbery resulted in one of the most gruesome, unsolved, multiple-murders in Hollywood history. Amazingly, before his untimely death in 1988, Holmes regained his momentum, remarried and rebuilt his life and career. However, the grave consequences of his addiction, his association with the Wonderland murders, and his AIDS-related death made him an infamous figure in pop culture. Digging past the stigmas, John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches - the first biography about John C. Holmes - unearths the human being behind the penis and proves that there was more to him than could be measured in inches. This biography includes material from the authors' new interviews with: Laurie Holmes, Bill Amerson, Bob Chinn, Julia St. Vincent, Detective Tom Lange, Detective Frank Tomlinson, Paul Thomas, Ron Jeremy, Seka, Marilyn Chambers, Candida Royalle, Rhonda Jo Petty, Dr. Sharon Mitchell, Bill Margold, and many others! John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches also includes 114 reviews of John's most notable feature films, 86 loops synopses, 3 photos sections with rare nudes, and a 21 page comprehensive filmography.

Product Details

• Paperback: 584 pages
• Publisher: BearManor Media (August 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593933029
• ISBN-13: 978-1593933029
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #281,951 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT Book!, August 11, 2008

By	K. Dimmick "kdimm" (TN. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well, I finished reading "Inches" yesterday and want to say that this is a VERY good, in depth,well researched biography of John Holmes that takes the reader from Holmes's child hood in Pataskala Ohio to his death from AIDS in California 43 years later .

The amount of detail in the stories told by various people who knew him over the course of his life was very extensive with a lot more additional information on Holmes in front of the camera and also his private life, than any of the video documentaries on his life that I have seen over the past few years.

My own main thrust of interest about Holmes since I was a young 18 year old in Southern California when the WONDERLAND killings happened in 1981, has been this crime and also the double life that Holmes had led in the years previous to this. I have read just about everything pertaining to the WONDERLAND murders, and seen every documentary made, but there were many things in "Inches" that have never been included in previous projects on his life....MANY things.

One of the things that really does stand out in the book in my own opinion are the stories that Sean Amerson told. This guy really loved John a lot growing up and I think that while everyone missed him when he passed,Sean may have been the one who missed him most of all.

Great book Jennifer and Jill! If this could have been any better, I don't know how.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive Bio on the Biggest Porn Star, September 8, 2008

By	J. Scull - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After having watched Boogie Nights and Wonderland I really wanted to read a biography about John Holmes and was disappointed that there wasn't one available. Then low and behold one appears on Amazon.com! I immediately picked it up and was extremely impressed.

It is written as an oral history so the authors weaved John's life story around long quotes from the people who actually knew John. I prefer that over those biographers who just make up all kinds of stuff about their subject and never say where they got the information from.

This book gives you John's complete story starting with his childhood and ending with his death of AIDS. It presents John in a fair light never descending into tabloid territory with its coverage of his many negative deeds but also not shying away from talking about them. After reading this bio I got the impression that John was a deeply flawed man but also had a very big heart. It gave me a much better idea of who John was than either movie.

The book also includes lots of rare photos of John along with some of the essential classics. It also has a very in-depth movie review section in case you feel like checking out some of his work after you read the book.

This book is perfect for any Holmes fan as it includes lots of new stories and is also the perfect (and only) place to start if you are just getting into the Holmes scene and want to find out the true story of The King.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling biography of the ultimate cult figure, August 22, 2008

By	Brad Paulson - See all my reviews

John Holmes, the face of 1970s hardcore movies, is the subject of this incredible in depth biography which examines not only the man's career but his personal life before, during, and after his life was tragically cut short due to HIV.
Compiling new and old interviews with his family, friends, co-stars, and directors, John Holmes - A Life Measured in Inches is the crucial work for anyone interested in either Holmes or the American sex industry in the 1970s.
Authors Jill Nelson and Jennifer Sugar never over-editorialize their subject and instead allow all of their interviewees to speak freely. What's more is that the book neither serves as a complimentary piece or a condemnation of Holmes, his career, or his personal life but rather tries to make all sides of every issue heard allowing the reader to interpret Holmes life on their own.
Written almost as a back and forth dialogue between the various interview subjects and the authors own comments, the book is a compelling read which draws its audience in.
What's more is the authors have included a full filmography and partial looporgaphy as well as over 50 detailed reviews of features Holmes appeared in. Additionally, there are two photo sets.
Anyone with even the slightest interest in 70s hardcore or Holmes, the man must check this out.