Kings of Madison Avenue: The Unofficial Guide to Mad Men

by Jesse McLean

“’Mad Men’ beguiles like a Christmas catalog of all the forbidden vices … a sleek, hard-boiled drama with a soft, satirical core.” — New York Times “The year’s best new show.” — Time Magazine ”If this is the future of TV, the future’s looking good.” — USA Today Not since a certain mob boss battled anxiety attacks has a series tapped into the zeitgeist with such speed. And yet, this sophisticated show about 1960s Madison Avenue advertising house Sterling Cooper has surpassed even The Sopranos in cultural resonance. From critical reviews that swoon over the elegant storytelling to fashion designs that pay homage to the sleek sensibility, everyone is talking about Mad Men. Fans of creator Matthew Weiner’s show enjoy not only the high-calibre storytelling but the ironic view of recent history. As such, they thirst for a companion volume that will deepen their understanding and appreciation of the show. Kings of Madison Avenue provides detailed episode guides, cast biographies, and rich sidebar content (how to party like the Mad Men and a travel itinerary for the perfect Mad Men Manhattan weekend). But because the fans of this show are also connoisseurs of history, this book offers further historical context not often available in companion guides, such as influences of the show (Sex & the Single Girl author Helen Gurley Brown, Revolutionary Road’s Richard Yates, Billy Wilder’s The Apartment), or historical touchstones intertwined in the storylines (the landmark ”Think Small” Volkswagen Beetle campaign, the Nixon/Kennedy presidential campaign, the creation of Lucky Strike’s “It’s toasted” slogan). A series that not only sketches the cultural landscape with skill but has also taken a place in that very landscape requires a guide that reflects the breadth and depth of this effect. Kings of Madison Avenue: The Unofficial Guide to Mad Men is just that book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Tv, Pop Culture

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book but I think you have to be a big Mad Men fan to truly enjoy it. However, if you've never seen the show and are a history buff, there are tons of historical details regarding events that took place in the 1960's.

This book only covers the first 2 seasons of the show and it's been on for 5 seasons now. I've been a huge fan from the start, so this book was right up my alley. It includes cast bios of Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, January Jones and Robert Morse. I knew a lot of the info about these actors already but there were some things I didn't know.

I also liked the recommended reading and viewing sections of the book, such as "The Apartment" and "Lover Come Back; plus The Feminine Mystique and Sex and The Single Girl. The author describes how Matthew Weiner (the series creator) was influenced by those books and movies.

Roger Sterling's critique of the movie "The Apartment" - "Oh, please. A white elevator operator? And a girl at that? I want to work at that place." If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it!

Some quotes from the book -

"It's Don Draper's World and we just live in it."

"Happiness is the smell of a new car.. a billboard at the side of the road screaming that everything you're doing is okay...that you are okay."

Don Draper - "I have a life and it only goes in one direction... forward."

This book includes cocktails of note that the Mad Men would be drinking. Recipes are included at the end of each section. At the end of the book, the author gives his suggestions on "How to party like the Mad Men" and an itinerary for touring the locations highlighted in the show.

Other trivia -

Jon Hamm won the Golden Globe for Best Lead Actor but has never won the Emmy for Best Actor - incredible! He really deserves to win every award he is nominated for!

John Slattery who plays Roger Sterling so brilliantly, has stated that he has a fairly cynical sense of humor. He directed at least one episode of the series so far. Christina Hendricks (Joan) on Slattery: "He's got such a sense of humor and charm...that while he's saying these horrible things you can't keep your eyes off him."

Joan shows Peggy the latest in office technology, the IBM Selectric, "so easy a woman can use it."

Burt Cooper is influenced by Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged - I think he gave a copy of the book to Don to read.

Quote from Bobbie Barrett - "This is America. Pick a job and then become the person who does it."

Roger Sterling's philosophy - "Do I need to remind you of the finite nature of life?" Like the song says, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think.

Quote from Joan to Peggy, "In a couple of years, with the right moves, you'll be in the city with the rest of us. Of course, if you really make the right moves, you'll be out in the country and you won't be going to work at all."

Quote from Don Draper - "It's your life. You don't know how long it's going to be, but you know it's got a bad ending." And - "I have been watching my life, it's right there. And I keep scratching at it trying to get into it... but I can't."

Creator Matt Weiner was influenced by Helen Gurley Brown's classic book, Sex and the Single Girl. Her book lead to the popular TV shows, "That Girl" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Helen Gurley Brown left her hometown, moved to the big city and reinvented herself, just like Don Draper and Peggy Olson.

Quote from Vincent Kartheiser (Pete Campbell) - "Mad Men was one of those pilots where I read it and after I was done I wanted to read it again. There was this swagger about the script that was different from so much I had read in the last few years. I knew it was something I could do."

I recommend this book for Mad Men fans but maybe those who haven't watched the show yet will be inspired to watch after reading it. Every season is now on DVD. I just starting watching season 5 and I can't wait for season 6 which they are working on right now.

[jmbadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

La primera part del llibre és imprescindible perquè augmenta el plaer de la sèrie explicant-ne les referències. La segona part - un recull d'assaigs de filosofs, psicòlegs i publicistes sobre la sèrie - és bastant heterògenia, però prima el discurs inintel-ligible de l'erudit que no adapta el discurs al públic al que s'adreça.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In depth and educational, a good read if you're a fan of the show.

[Alex Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the same vein of similar Canadian-made film/TV criticism books, Kings of Madison Avenue takes a critical look at Mad Men through episode summaries of the first two seasons, interspersed with essays and critiques.

The book is a generally brisk affair, devoting three-to-four pages for each episode while pointing out various elements or scenes that worked (or didn't), critical analysis of themes that ran throughout the episode/season and some wry commentary on various character moments, landmarks and references. The book ends with a couple essays detailing how to live a "Mad Men-esque lifestyle" through parties and tips.

To start with, this is not the kind of book that would appeal to a casual fan. This is for the type of fan who has memorized every last detail about Don or Peggy, and wants a reference guide to follow along with while they watch the episode. To that end, it pretty much is a glorified episode guide, with a whole lot of trivia peppered in.

The humor can, at times, get really kitschy, especially in the final chapter talking about how to hold a Mad Men-inspired party. That said, it's a decent read and will illuminate references and trivia you probably didn't know before, but not exactly something you'd sit down to read in one shot.

[Baul De · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que no os engañe el hecho que el libro fuera editado en 2010, cuando la serie acabó en 2015. Aunque sí se hecha de menos un análisis de todas las temporadas de la serie (igual una nueva reedición ampliada podría solucionarlo), el libro ahonda lo suficiente en Mad Men como para entender bien su filosofía, contexto que representa y cómo funciona tan bien, que el tiempo no ha caducado el contenido del libro. Se puede leer de dos formas: uno, la explicación capítulo a capítulo y personaje a personaje que realiza McLean de las dos primeras temporadas.

Un verdadero análisis que descubre sin tapujos los engranajes de los brillantes episodios. Una nueva manera de ver la serie, mucho más rica y plena. Por otro lado, la segunda parte del libro la conforman once análisis de expertos que hablan de todo Mad Men: el lenguaje narrativo que utiliza, su estética, su refinada recreación histórica, el mundo de la publicidad en el que se fundamenta. Absolutamente todo. Guía de Mad Men es una lectura obligada no ya para los amantes de la serie (ideal para un segundo visionado mucho más consciente), sino para todo aquél que quiera conocer a fondo las series que conforman esta tercera edad de oro de la ficción televisiva.

Toda la reseña aquí: https://goo.gl/gR8bjL

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up the rating. Only covers the first two seasons and really I don't care much about the summaries except for context to the rest of the discussion. So they are needed but should be shorter. It is the other things - background history, sites, and ad campaigns that make this have real value. If you want to add (or re-visit) your knowledge of the '60's and how it connects to Mad Men this is worth checking out.

[John Barclay · Rating 3 out of 5]

You always knew that this was a bit of a lightweight book, but it does have a lot of interesting insights into aspects of the show. Lots of detail in the background is highlighted and many interesting side stories. The trouble is that it's pretty superficial in the end. The appendixes (in particular the one about throwing a Mad Men party) show just how light this is, even with the references to Peer Gynt and Frank O'Hara.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but it could have been stronger and had more depth. It's mostly summaries of the episodes with mild analysis, historical tidbits, and drink recipes thrown in. The summaries were slow going and became tedious to read near the end. The additional information could have been increased; it was what I most enjoyed.

[Phyllis149 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been obsessed with Mad Men for a while, I looked forward to read this. All in all it was an interesting read, but I would have preferred the summaries of the episode to be shorter and instead the political and social context to be further elaborated.

[Salina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, Im currently reading this book, so far i like this....

[Magen Fong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book for fans of the show, gives some historical context and fun facts about the actors, etc. I got it from the library and it expired before I finished, but it was fun nonetheless

[Martin Bihl · Rating 3 out of 5]

To read my review, please visit: http://the-agency-review.com/kings-of...