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    Hope: Entertainer of the Century
    Hope: Entertainer of the Century
    Hope: Entertainer of the Century
    Audiobook17 hours

    Hope: Entertainer of the Century

    Written by Richard Zoglin

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    About this audiobook

    Born in 1903, and until his death in 2003, Bob Hope was the only entertainer to achieve top-rated success in every major mass-entertainment medium, from vaudeville to television and everything in between. He virtually invented modern stand-up comedy. His tours to entertain US troops and patriotic radio broadcasts, along with his all-American, brash-but-cowardly movie character, helped to ease the nation’s jitters during the stressful days of World War II. He helped redefine the very notion of what it means to be a star: a savvy businessman, pioneer of the brand extension (churning out books, writing a newspaper column, hosting a golf tournament), and public-spirited entertainer whose Christmas military tours and tireless work for charity set the standard for public service in Hollywood. But he became a polarizing figure during the Vietnam War, and the audiobook sheds new light on his close relationship with President Richard Nixon during those embattled years.

    Bob Hope is a household name. However, as Richard Zoglin shows in this revelatory biography, there is still much to be learned about this most public of figures, from his secret first marriage and his stint in reform school, to his indiscriminate womanizing and his ambivalent relationship with Bing Crosby and Johnny Carson. Hope could be cold, self-centered, tight with a buck, and perhaps the least introspective man in Hollywood. But he was also a dogged worker, gracious with fans, and generous with friends.

    Hope is both a celebration of an entertainer whose vast contribution has never been properly appreciated, and a complex portrait of a gifted but flawed man, who, unlike many Hollywood stars, truly loved being famous, appreciated its responsibilities, and handled celebrity with extraordinary grace.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateNov 4, 2014
    ISBN9781491586235
    Author

    Richard Zoglin

    Richard Zoglin is a contributor to Time magazine and the author of Hope: Entertainer of the Century, Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America, and Elvis in Vegas: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show. A native of Kansas City, Zoglin currently lives in New York City.

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    Reviews for Hope

    4/5

    40 ratings6 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Very thorough examination of Bob Hope's life and career. Sometimes a bit brutal, the book is jam packed with quotes and quips. I'm a long time fan of Bob's but learned many things about him from this publication.
    • 4/5
      What a life. Lots you knew about him and many new things as well. He was an institution. Malcolm Hillgartner is the best narrator for this work.
    • 3/5
      A extensive and well researched overview of Bob Hope’s career, but I felt it was missing something. It didn't really explore the man behind the brand. It is obvious that the more successful he became as “Bob Hope” the less that Leslie Townes Hope mattered. The book, while acknowledging his ego-driven work-ethic, his reliance on other people for his material, and his hypocrisy about relationships, also brushes over them and never tries to get at the roots of the legends and stories that Hope built up about his own past. If you want to know what Bob Hope did, this is an informative volume, but if you want to know why he did them, it might disappoint.
    • 3/5
      What an amazing entertainer! I actually saw Bob Hope perform in Charlotte, NC, many years ago when he was probably in his 80’s. What a wonderful performance, much better than some legendary performers. Richard Zoglin in his book Hope relates the good and the bad of Bob Hope. Bob Hope started in vaudeville and went to radio, movies, and television. Bob Hope also entertained military from WWII until Vietnam. What man could maintain Bob Hope’s level of activity for so long and so well. Bob also presented the Oscars for many years and hosted many celebrity galas. I learned so many hidden facts concerning this icon—a womanizer and a Scrooge. I enjoyed the stories and the pictures and learning about the development of entertainment.
    • 4/5
      I tend to shy away from biographies, believing them to be fawning hagiographies or ruthless hatchet jobs. My Zoglin is obviously a fan of his subject, but isn't afraid to show a bit of Mr. Hope's less alluring side. I've always been a fan of Bob Hope, even though he was well into his 7th decade by the time I was born (one of my fondest memories was when he and Delores came through the drive through of In N Out Burger and he signed my hat), and it's nice to know a bit more about his skeletons. Still a fan, viewing him less as a saint and more as a human being.
    • 4/5
      Not sure if this book will appeal quite as much to those who don't remember watching Hope on television for many years, but it is a meticulously researched biography and makes a very strong case for remembering Hope and noting his contributions to the 20th century and the development of comedy. The end drags a bit as Hope should have retired but didn't, but as part of a biography it's useful to know the full character. Well worth reading.