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Rating:  -
Having been a personal friend for over 15 years of a surviving niece of Russ Columbo, I have heard many wonderful stories about this talented man's life as well as having shared in her many calls with Tony Toran wherein she provided firsthand family history accounts during his painstaking research for this book. Of course, I anxiously awaited publication of A PRISONER OF LOVE... and I was not disappointed. Mr. Toran's research was impeccable, and his book is a true and accurate tribute to Russ Columbo. In addition to Russ Columbo's life, readers will be treated to wonderful tidbits about the fascinating era of the 1930's and its up and coming stars. I know for a fact that Tony Toran poured his heart and soul into this book, and as a fellow author, I was very saddened when I personally learned that Tony passed away from natural causes(and not from an automobile accident as has been erroneously reported by others) before he could go on tour to greet Russ Columbo fans and to share his many anecdotes with them. I hope that fans of Russ Columbo will read, appreciate and truly enjoy Tony's labor of love as much as I have.
Rating: -
The author of the book Tony Toran did an excellant job writing this book! For someone like me who only had a "romantic" idea of what it was like for a person trying to get into show business Tony Toran goes into such accurate and detailed information about Vaudville and the very early beigings of motion pictures. The book is SO VERY WELL DETAILED about Russ Columbo and the years of his trying to become well known and the problems Russ incurred. The author also did a great deal of research into alot of the myths and rumors involving Russ and Bing Crosby. Tony Toran went to great lenghts into the so called 'accidental' shooting of Russ. The author contacted experts in the field of ballistics, he contacted family members of Russ Columbo to dispell the myths surronding him. I honestly can't find the right words to describe what a good book this is. Tony Toran brings into light what it was really like for those wanting to get into show business. The names of the famous entertainers, producers ect. reads like a 'who's who' of the show business world. The book kept my attention.
Rating:  -
This book was obviously a "labor of love" by author, Tony Toran, and he clearly spent years researching his subject. "A Prisoner of Love" contains much arcana that has not been printed elsewhere, and as Toran had the imprimatur of several of Columbo's surviving family members, the book includes several rare photos and bits of information on Russ's early years. The biggest problem with the book is that it seems very cheaply produced, and the photo reproduction throughout is remarkably poor. Also, one more "once-over" by a proof-reader would have been a good idea, as there remain many typos. Still, it is an excellent addition to the other 3 Columbo books that have come out in the past 5 years (prior to that, there were none). The strangest "twist" to this book's release is that, after spending years researching and writing his book, Tony Toran didn't live to see its release. He was killed in an automobile wreck just prior to the book's release in 2006. The Columbo "curse," it seems, goes on...
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