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JIMMY BUFFETT

THE MAN FROM MARGARITAVILLE REVEALED

Jimmy Buffett, the author of pop music hits such as ``Margaritaville,'' chose wisely when he refused to authorize this rambling biography. Eng, author of The Satisfied Mind: The Country Music of Porter Wagner (1992) includes a letter from Buffett near the beginning of the book urging the author not to finish the then-uncompleted work. The letter's inclusion suggests that Eng has written a no-holds- barred biography—which might have worked even without the cooperation of its subject. But Eng is a ``Parrot Head,'' or devout Buffett fan, and so Buffett's lack of input in the book puts the author, and the reader, back in the 100th row. Buffett's music is heavily influenced by sailing, the Caribbean, and its history. Eng includes much to connect Buffett to lore of the last two centuries. But fanciful, unsubstantiated speculations and reckless leaps across history are more confusing than elucidating. Other more modern references are also stretches. One footnote compares Buffett to John Lennon because both had ``childhood seaport backgrounds.'' Another section claims ``William Faulkner's beach-boy casualness was partly Buffett-esque—he went unshaven and wore a rope instead of a belt.'' Eng includes short political and historical vignettes, such as the assassinations of Kennedy and King, to limited effect. Musings by Buffett and those who know him—musicians, former classmates—are often lifted from interviews with other journalists. The biography covers all the bases: family history, childhood, early struggle, musical success, the ``Parrot Head'' phenomenon, love and marriage, the successful fiction efforts, business deals. But Buffett and those around him never come alive. Descriptions of Buffett's prickly manager, Irving Azoff, are the most entertaining sections. Buffett's ``Parrot Head'' followers will certainly pick this up off the shelf. But many will probably put it right back down. (16 pages b&w photos, not seen)

Pub Date: Dec. 20, 1996

ISBN: 0-312-14635-3

Page Count: 368

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1996

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THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE

50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...

Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").

Pub Date: May 15, 1972

ISBN: 0205632645

Page Count: 105

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972

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NUTCRACKER

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

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