From Publishers Weekly
Garner, a 20-year broadcasting veteran, has penned numerous multimedia books (We Interrupt This Broadcast; And the Crowd Goes Wild; Echoes of Notre Dame Football; etc.). Here, he channel-surfs through decades of television productions, focusing on 36 landmark moments in news, sports and show business. Each event or show gets four to six pages, and the book is illustrated throughout with hundreds of photos and stills. Opening with Lucille Ball's 1952 comedic commercial for Vitameatavegamin, the fun continues in the entertainment section with Elvis's debut and famous final episodes of shows, from M*A*S*H to Survivor. Among the television news coverage is Nixon's "Checkers" speech and resignation, the JFK/Nixon debates, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the O.J. Simpson case, the 1997 Baby Jessica rescue and, of course, September 11. In the sports arena, Garner covers the Bobby Riggs/Billie Jean King tennis match, Muhammad Ali with the 1996 Olympic torch and Tiger Woods shattering golf records. The accompanying DVD and two audio CDs contain slickly edited clips and interviews, plus informative narrations by Walter Cronkite (news), Bob Costas (sports) and Dick Van Dyke (entertainment). The package is neatly stitched together by a clever contents page that cross-references the book's page numbers with specific DVD and CD tracks. Few will be disappointed by this anecdote-laden compilation, although readers with good memories are certain to have their own key missing moments from television history.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-A compilation of 35 landmark moments from more than 50 years of television, this book is divided into three sections: entertainment, news, and sports. Entertainment highlights 12 shows, from the I Love Lucy "Vitameatavegamin" episode to the first season of Survivor. The news coverage includes the Kennedy Assassination, the marriage and funeral of Princess Diana, and the events of September 11. Sports ranges from the first "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" of Wide World of Sports to Tiger Woods's triumph at the Masters in 1997. While most students will consider three-quarters of these events ancient history, Garner includes a clear, concise historical context for each piece. For most of the segments, he provides information and anecdotes through original interviews with the writers, producers, or stars. Each section is filled with stills and photographs, many in color. The accompanying DVD and CDs provide clips from the actual programs, hosted by Dick Van Dyke, Walter Cronkite, and Bob Costas. An entertaining overview of television and its effect on the second half of the 20th century.
Jane S. Drabkin, Chinn Park Regional Library, Woodbridge, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jane S. Drabkin, Chinn Park Regional Library, Woodbridge, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
