Bob Hope: A Life In Comedy

by William Robert Faith

Reporter: "What's it like to be Bob Hope?"Hope: "I wouldn't have it any other way."From Bob Hope's early career as an upstart among professionals like Jack Benny and Milton Berle in the rollicking world of traveling comedians, to his blazing success as a radio, television, and film star, this completely revised and updated version of William Faith's acclaimed biography takes a straightforward, appreciative, and very funny look at Hope's life and times on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Filled with anecdotes, photographs, and plenty of jokes, the book reveals the real Bob Hope from his boyhood in England and youth in Cleveland to his present status as a living legend-a full-blooded, authentic appraisal of the man and his humor, a comic institution who is also a brilliant businessman, manipulator of the media, and politically influential figure. And of course Hope is the man who brought laughter and cheer (and long-legged beauties) to GIs throughout the world. At a time when patriotic fervor has never been running higher it's worth recalling the singular tribute paid Hope by none other than John Steinbeck: "When the time for recognition of service to the nation in wartime comes to be considered, Bob Hope should be high on the list.... He gets laughter wherever he goes from men who need laughter." Happy 100th, Bob!

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

474 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1982

Reviews

[Cynthia Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive biography of Bob Hope. The book deals primarily with his professional life, but it does include more personal information.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written book about every stage of Bob Hopes career. It is not a tell all boook. It is geared for the most part to his career vs private life. He was an amazing man who was willing to put himself out there for the men and women who served our country. There was no place he would not go to serve as a comedian for our military forces. He had boundless energy. Quite an amazing man. The book can be kind of dry sometimes in that it goes into great deatail about all of his shows, movies and performances.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was b-o-r-i-n-g. Bob is such an icon and deserves a better written book. It's ironic that a guy who had great humor was written about in such a way that u could hardly find the humor in it. Am I harsh? Maybe, but it's BOB HOPE.

[Charles Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best, the most scholarly, of the biographies of Hope that I looked at. Very helpful to me in trying to write about Hope's benefit for Spring Hill College in Mobile in 1958 that wasn't mentioned in any of the book about him.

[Cws]

792.7

[Laura]

good

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was slow reading, but if you wanted to know about Bob Hope life then this is the book.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

read SOMETIME in 2009