Born Leslie Townes Hope in Eltham, England on May 29, 1903, "Bob Hope" became an enduring, iconic symbol of America around the world. He 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 book 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.
Far more than a funny man with a funny nose, Bob Hope became the most
recognized profile and talent in the world. Indisputably, and in the entire
history of show business, no individual traveled so far -- so often -- to
entertain so many. Bob Hope lived to be 100 years old, passing away on July 27,
2003. Entertainer of the century, indeed.
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“Bob Hope was an entertainment colossus,
shrewd and influential well beyond show business. Richard Zoglin’s biography
captures it all—the public and private Hope.” (Tom Brokaw)
“This beautifully written volume is, at last, the book about Bob Hope. Zoglin covers everything: the early life, the sky-rocketing triumphs in every medium, the life-risking—and ego-feeding—patriotism that spanned the globe, bringing laughter (and gorgeous ladies) to our troops in wartime, the wealth, the women, the quirks, the warts, the temper, the cheapness, the touching generosity, the fabulous talent and the genius-managed career." (Dick Cavett)
"Richard Zoglin's fascinating biography is as close as we're ever going to get to one of the most opaque human beings ever to become justifiably world-famous. Bob Hope lived so long that it's easy to forget how original he was, not to mention brilliantly funny and attractive. It's all here: the women, the politics, the amazing career, the selfless devotion to American soldiers, the unexpected empathy, and, thank God, the laughter." (Scott Eyman, author of John Wayne)
About the Author
Richard Zoglin is a contributing editor and
theater critic for Time magazine. His book Comedy at the Edge: How
Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America is considered the definitive history
of that seminal era in stand-up comedy. Zoglin is a native of Kansas City,
Missouri, and currently lives in New York City. His late wife, Charla Krupp, was
the author of the bestselling books How Not to Look Old and How to
Never Look Fat Again.
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