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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 6, 2024
Over the last year I have been alternating seasons of M*A*S*H* and Columbo. It has been hard after ever season of Columbo not to just start the next. I am just about to finish season 8. I because fascinated with Peter Falk while watching these made for TV movies. I want to read Falk’s autobiography Just One More Thing, but there is no eBook edition so I know it will take me a while to get around to reading it. Once I started reading this I could hardly put it down. It was as compelling as an episode of the show itself. We know the ending but reading this book we encounter the start, the beginning and the middle, before we get to Falk’s decline with dementia.
The pacing of this biography is as well-crafted as the best of the Columbo episodes. We get clear insight into the man, his love of his craft and his life. The book does not sugar coat anything. It is clear about the cause of his divorce, his late night partying with friends, and how often he was his own worst enemy. It also shows the caring and compassionate side. The man who wanted to do what he did well. It follows his bohemian youth travelling the world, and often getting into one bind or another. And it clearly shows he would do almost anything for a friend.
I knew he did other acting but was unaware of just how much. And this volume seems to give inside information on almost everything he was in. The book is well researched, the authors did over 100 interviews, and drew heavily from peter’s own biography and the book Columbo Phile - A Casebook by Mark Dawidziak. For fans of Columbo or fans of Falk in general this will be a fascinating read. Some of the stories of his capers are laugh out loud funny. And some are much more sombre.
The pacing of this biography is as well-crafted as the best of the Columbo episodes. We get clear insight into the man, his love of his craft and his life. The book does not sugar coat anything. It is clear about the cause of his divorce, his late night partying with friends, and how often he was his own worst enemy. It also shows the caring and compassionate side. The man who wanted to do what he did well. It follows his bohemian youth travelling the world, and often getting into one bind or another. And it clearly shows he would do almost anything for a friend.
I knew he did other acting but was unaware of just how much. And this volume seems to give inside information on almost everything he was in. The book is well researched, the authors did over 100 interviews, and drew heavily from peter’s own biography and the book Columbo Phile - A Casebook by Mark Dawidziak. For fans of Columbo or fans of Falk in general this will be a fascinating read. Some of the stories of his capers are laugh out loud funny. And some are much more sombre.
April 7, 2021
I loved this book !
This book about Peter Falk was so interesting. The.research into Falk:s life is extensive and delivered in an easy to read style Any Columbo fan will enjoy this book !
This book about Peter Falk was so interesting. The.research into Falk:s life is extensive and delivered in an easy to read style Any Columbo fan will enjoy this book !
April 7, 2018
I am a big Peter Falk fan and this book did help me track down some t.v. appearances I have never seen. However, this was the WORST editing of a book I have come across in many a year. Many typos; facts and stories repeated several times, often on the next page. I found the narrative was set up in a very amateurish way. Very frustrating book to read and not a credit to the great Mr. Falk.
March 26, 2024
Enlightening and charming dive into the life of Peter Falk. Naturally it has a lot of Columbo in it but not as exclusively.
It gives a much more rounded view on the complex persona that was Falk - warts and all and for a true aficionado of cult tv, it provided some fine detail on stories I'd already heard on the grapevine or from my own research over the years.
It gives a much more rounded view on the complex persona that was Falk - warts and all and for a true aficionado of cult tv, it provided some fine detail on stories I'd already heard on the grapevine or from my own research over the years.
July 5, 2018
As a Columbo fan, I am drawn to the person who created one of the most compelling characters in television history. So this book is a natural read. Moreover, it has a simple and straightforward narrative style that befits the man. Peter Falk was like his character in many ways; meticulous, eccentric and social. At the same time, there were dark edges, with dashes of selfishness and obsessiveness. Beyond Columbo is an enjoyable book and most readers won’t be disappointed. That said, much of it reads like a recitation of his career and roles, and less about the inner workings of the actor. There may be another biography for another day; one that fully unpacks Falk’s complexity. But in the meantime, this gets us started. Recommended with a cigar and a bowl of chili.
February 6, 2018
Very interesting book!
Held my attention and gave me great insight to my favorite detective. When Columbo was on our house became a quite movie theater, so everyone could admire his cunning plan to trap the villain. I have the complete episodes DVD's that we still enjoy to this day!
Held my attention and gave me great insight to my favorite detective. When Columbo was on our house became a quite movie theater, so everyone could admire his cunning plan to trap the villain. I have the complete episodes DVD's that we still enjoy to this day!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews