Other Book Reviews:
THE OFFICIAL TV WESTERN ROUND-UP
By Neil Summers and Roger M. Crowley
Publisher: The Old West Book Shop
When I set to work on my own book, SHOOTING STARS OF THE SMALL SCREEN: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TV WESTERN ACTORS for University of Texas Press, Austin, I had no idea that two other scribes, Neil Summers and Roger M. Crowley, were at work on their own book about this genre. So when mine was published, I held my breath before checking out their publication: what if we had each written the same book?
Great minds working in the same direction, that sort of thing . . .
So be advised that I was happily surprised when I got my hands on a copy of the ROUND-UP book and learned that while it covers precisely the same ground - the TV Western genre - as my book, it does so from an entirely different angle, which legitimizes both works . . . also legitimizing the notion that a reader/owner of either would not merely duplicate what he already has in hand by opting to pick up the other.
Whereas my book is compact in size but rather long, for the sake of including as much verbal information as possible, ROUND-UP is an oversized coffee table book, and a notably handsome one at that. While my book features analysis of the shows, the stars, etc., with minute details on each, the Summers-Crowley book provides a striking showcase for some of the most beautiful ‘stills’ (photographs) I’ve ever seen of our heroes and their adventurous situations. (My own book features a succession of small images to illustrate the ideas; clearly, they are secondary to the written material).
Any or all of the ‘shots’ in ROUND-UP - glossy, gorgeous - are suitable for framing. Then again, who would ever want to cut up a book as breathtaking as this one? Unless, of course, you purchase two . . . which wouldn’t be a bad idea!
One shot in particular caught my attention: Nick Adams as ‘Johnny Yuma’ in THE REBEL. A similar shot in my own book looks good; the one in ROUND-UP is, simply, take-your-breath away great. I’ve never seen this singular shot before, and I collect pictures from the old TV Westerns.
That’s true of many of the shots included in ROUND-UP; many of them are as unique as they are strikingly presented here.
Some others are the stock publicity shots that we fans have indeed viewed before, though I’ve never had my hands on such crisp, fabulous copies of them.
Happily, the book covers a wide variety of shows, from old to new, including some rare ones that most people may have long since forgotten, giving the volume a fine verisimilitude.
The emphasis, though, is on our all-time favorites. Just looking at the images as they are enshrined here brought back wonderful memories for me, as it will for you.
Douglas Brode
By Neil Summers and Roger M. Crowley
Publisher: The Old West Book Shop
When I set to work on my own book, SHOOTING STARS OF THE SMALL SCREEN: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TV WESTERN ACTORS for University of Texas Press, Austin, I had no idea that two other scribes, Neil Summers and Roger M. Crowley, were at work on their own book about this genre. So when mine was published, I held my breath before checking out their publication: what if we had each written the same book?
Great minds working in the same direction, that sort of thing . . .
So be advised that I was happily surprised when I got my hands on a copy of the ROUND-UP book and learned that while it covers precisely the same ground - the TV Western genre - as my book, it does so from an entirely different angle, which legitimizes both works . . . also legitimizing the notion that a reader/owner of either would not merely duplicate what he already has in hand by opting to pick up the other.
Whereas my book is compact in size but rather long, for the sake of including as much verbal information as possible, ROUND-UP is an oversized coffee table book, and a notably handsome one at that. While my book features analysis of the shows, the stars, etc., with minute details on each, the Summers-Crowley book provides a striking showcase for some of the most beautiful ‘stills’ (photographs) I’ve ever seen of our heroes and their adventurous situations. (My own book features a succession of small images to illustrate the ideas; clearly, they are secondary to the written material).
Any or all of the ‘shots’ in ROUND-UP - glossy, gorgeous - are suitable for framing. Then again, who would ever want to cut up a book as breathtaking as this one? Unless, of course, you purchase two . . . which wouldn’t be a bad idea!
One shot in particular caught my attention: Nick Adams as ‘Johnny Yuma’ in THE REBEL. A similar shot in my own book looks good; the one in ROUND-UP is, simply, take-your-breath away great. I’ve never seen this singular shot before, and I collect pictures from the old TV Westerns.
That’s true of many of the shots included in ROUND-UP; many of them are as unique as they are strikingly presented here.
Some others are the stock publicity shots that we fans have indeed viewed before, though I’ve never had my hands on such crisp, fabulous copies of them.
Happily, the book covers a wide variety of shows, from old to new, including some rare ones that most people may have long since forgotten, giving the volume a fine verisimilitude.
The emphasis, though, is on our all-time favorites. Just looking at the images as they are enshrined here brought back wonderful memories for me, as it will for you.
Douglas Brode