This book is full of wonderful ideas and suggestions. The topics are numerous and well organized, but the graphics look dated and some are very poorly drawn. I would use the book as a possible resource but disliked the pages designed to be copied and completed in the class.

In this book, we learn that, among other things, Bing's partner in the Rhythm Boys was named Harry "Berris"...... That Bing made "4000 different recordings"....... That Bing's famous singing rivalry known as the "Battle Of The Baritones" was with Rudy Vallee..... That another popular singer of the early days was Russ "Colombo"..... That Bing's mother was born in Canada..... That Bing's lung operation in 1974 was due to cancer..... That Bing's appearances on the "Hollywood Palace" TV show consisted of hosting "once a month, between 1968 and 1970 ...., sharing the role with George Burns, Martha Raye, and Judy Garland"........ That in 1962, Bing recorded "Let's Not Be Sensible" for a film soundtrack, "...but for reasons no one could adequately explain, the last word of the song, 'love', was mangled on tape...." and that Bing refused to re-record it because he was a "star", so .."Michael Holliday, a Crosby sound-alike, was brought in to finish the line for him......" This book further reveals that all of Al Jolson's legendary 1940s radio appearances with Bing were on Bing's series, "The Kraft Music Hall", and that Bing's very first TV appearance was "...as the guest of Jack Benny's first special in 1953...." WHEW!!!! What a bunch of junk! Folks, every single fact I've just related comes randomely from the pages of this half-baked un-researched hatchet-job, and is totally wrong!! What's more, These are just errors I picked at the last minute, thumbing through the book as I was composing this review: there are so many more! I've read hundreds of entertainment bios in my life (including others by Freedland), and NEVER have I encountered such a lame work with so many blatant errors of fact, chronology, and spelling (the spelling errors listed above for "Berris" and "Colombo", are not random typos, but are mis-spelled every time the names appear in the text!) How did this get published? Of course, the piece is also a hatchet-job, featuring alusions and conclusions re: Crosby's behavior that have absolutely no basis in fact. You want Crosby? Order Gary Giddins' new masterpiece "Bing Crosby- A Pocketful Of Dreams - The Early Years", and you'll get the REAL Bing, in a scholarly, analytical epic that makes this howler look like the misbegotten little essay that it is.

This book is loaded with mistakes! Some are not even close to being accurate! Has some nice photos though, but not worth the money!

I was looking forward to an accurate biography of my favorite singer, Bing Crosby, and, as the title promises, this was supposed to be full of illustrations too. Sadly, I was disappointed on both accounts.

Upon reading Michael Freeland's version of Bing's life and career, I couldn't help but feel that Mr. Freeland gave The Old Groaner several digs along the way. I guess you don't have to be a fan of your subject to write a biography. There were several blatant errors in the text. Among these was a captioned picture of Gary Cooper presenting Bing with his Oscar while, on the same page, Mr. Freeland writes that Bing received that little statue from Bob Hope. Also, for some reason, the print is very large. Even though the book boasts 127 or so pages, it would have only been about 75 pages with regular print. I don't known if this was done because the author thought that older folks (with deteriorating eyesight?) would have more of an interest in this book. I am in my 30's so maybe I don't fit into the Mr. Freeland's concept of a typical Bing fan.

As for the illustrations, they were slightly spartan considering the title of the book. I was anxiously anticipated pages and pages of both color and black & white pictures depicting Bing in all stages of his life and career. Although there weren't enough pictures to suit me, I do have to say that the pictures included were of good quality ( althought none in color other than the one on the back cover) and many were ones that I had never seen before.

All in all, I did gleen some additional information concerning Mr. Bing Crosby but I would certainly take much of what was written here with a grain of salt. The 40+ black & white pictures will be a continual source of enjoyment for me.

If you are looking for a good EMT book, I would take my business over to the Brady series. Did the editor actually look at this thing? I would have to say no! Forget about it, move on.

For the most part the book is very educational & easy to follow. Although there are many misspelled words, wrong or conflicting answers. Also, many topic areas taught aren't the way it is in the "real" world. To me it didn't look like the auther did much proof reading prior to it being published. Hopefully, there'll be a better book on the market soon.

this book cost an arm and a leg ha ha ha ho ho he

This is one hundred pages of pure fluff, poorly arranged, dismally presented and written apparently in the span of six days. Bing Crosby was a towering figure in American entertainment for thirty years, his influence upon Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como, Pat Boone and scores of other singers is glaringly obvious. He was also an Academy Award-winning actor who starred in some of Hollywoods most stellar movies. This book simply doesn't do justice to Bing, his life, talent or the monumental impact he had upon popular culture.

The Bing biography to own and cherish is Gary Giddon's recent Bing book, available on Amazon. That books swings, this book is a dismal and shoddy job, worthy of an elementary school report, not a published book.

If you think you'd like to learn something about the hymnwriter Fanny J. Crosby, don't read this book. Instead, opt for the old standard, Fanny Crosby by Bernard Ruffin, or for Don Hustad's more recent look at Crosby's life. Neptune's book is simply not worth reading, much less owning. The title page bills it as "the most complete history ever written," a risky claim to say the least. It is poorly written ("At the age of three mother and I moved. . .", p. 29), indifferently punctuated, and riddled with errors. Was Fanny Crosby really the personal friend and spiritual mentor of every president during her lifetime? Come on! She met several presidents, generally on formal occasions when she rendered a "poetical address", but only her acquaintance with Grover Cleveland approached close personal friendship. See page 179 to discover that Grover Cleveland was a great Union general who is buried on New York's Riverside Drive! You're unlikely to find that in print anywhere else. The book's one redeeming feature is its collection of photographs. Neptune claims the book is part of her larger response to an urge God placed in her heart in 1996 as she lingered at Fanny Crosby's grave: "Pick up the seed that has been buried here. . . plant it and bring it back to life for My Glory." She steps back into 1914 to interview Crosby. The technique may work for her regular Crosby impersonations, but it does not succeed in this book. If I could assign it less than one star, I would.

Why would anyone want to listen to dark, dreary stories of the undead, Angels that drink blood, this book was very misrepresented in the title. "Deamon" fantasies is much more appropriate. I was looking forward to a spiritual uplifting, instead I threw all the tapes and box into the trash, right where it belongs.