Neal Gabler Books

This epic biography offers an immersive journey into the life of Ted Kennedy, exploring his complexities against the backdrop of liberalism's decline and political morality's erosion. As the youngest of nine, Kennedy initially seemed unlikely to succeed, lacking the natural gifts of his brothers. However, after winning a Senate seat at just thirty, he became a pivotal legislator in American history. Enduring the traumas of his brothers' assassinations, he dedicated himself to the mission of an active government, championing the New Deal's ideals during his Senate tenure. His legislative legacy includes two thousand laws in areas like health care, education, and civil rights, aimed at aiding those in need. Despite the challenges posed by the Reagan-era push for limited government, he persevered, driven by empathy for the suffering and his own sense of inadequacy. Yet, he was not immune to personal failures, with the Chappaquiddick incident marking a significant turning point. As controversies mounted, he grappled with maintaining his influence. This first volume of a two-part narrative, based on extensive research and interviews, chronicles Kennedy's extraordinary life and legislative achievements, offering a profound exploration of a man committed to a better America.

From the author of Catching the Wind, acclaimed as one of the great biographies of our time, comes the second volume of the definitive biography of Ted Kennedy. In this installment, Kennedy emerges in 1975 as a powerful voice advocating for the poor and working-class amidst America's shift toward conservatism. No longer overshadowed by his brothers, he embraces his role as a leading liberal, propelled by the progressive ideals they championed. However, as the decade progresses, he faces challenges from the moderate Jimmy Carter, who prioritizes budget-balancing, and later from Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, who harness the discontent of the white working and middle classes, reshaping American politics for decades. Kennedy's mission to support the vulnerable becomes increasingly difficult as the notion of individual responsibility overshadows communal responsibility. This volume chronicles how he navigated these turbulent times, using his legislative skills to combat threats to the nation's most disadvantaged. While grappling with personal and political challenges during a conservative rise, Kennedy ultimately reestablishes his influence, becoming the "Lion of the Senate" and earning respect from both parties as an extraordinary legislator. Neal Gabler offers profound insights into Kennedy's fight to sustain liberalism in an era determined to quash it, illuminating the complexities of the great American century and one of

The definitive portrait of one of the most important cultural figures in American history: Walt Disney. Walt Disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape, iron determination and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films–most notably Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi. In his superb biography, Neal Gabler shows us how, over the course of two decades, Disney revolutionized the entertainment industry. In a way that was unprecedented and later widely imitated, he built a synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise. Walt Disney is a revelation of both the work and the man–of both the remarkable accomplishment and the hidden life. Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography USA Today Biography of the Year

The definitive biography of this remarkable man.

An enthralling appreciation of the monumentally gifted popular artist and cultural icon who challenged Hollywood's standards of beauty and glamour Barbra Streisand has been called the "most successful...talented performer of her generation" by Vanity Fair, and her voice, said pianist Glenn Gould, is "one of the natural wonders of the age." Streisand scaled the heights of entertainment--from a popular vocalist to a first-rank Broadway star in Funny Girl to an Oscar-winning actress to a producer and director. But she has also become a cultural icon who has transcended show business. To achieve her success, Brooklyn-born Streisand had to overcome tremendous odds, not the least of which was her Jewishness. Dismissed, insulted, even reviled when she embarked on a show business career for acting too Jewish and looking too Jewish, she brilliantly converted her Jewishness into a metaphor for outsiderness that would eventually make her the avenger for anyone who felt marginalized and powerless. Neal Gabler examines Streisand's life and career through this prism of otherness--a Jew in a gentile world, a self-proclaimed homely girl in a world of glamour, a kooky girl in a world of convention--and shows how central it was to Streisand's triumph as one of the voices of her age.

Hollywood gilt seit seinen Anfängen als eine Traumfabrik, die mit ihren Bildern tief ins kollektive Unbewusste eindringt. Doch wie begann alles? Wer sind die prägenden Figuren dieser Erfolgsstory? Kaum bekannt ist, dass die Gründer Hollywoods fast ausschließlich jüdische Emigranten aus Europa waren. Neal Gabler verfolgt die Lebensgeschichten von Harry Cohn, William Fox, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Jack und Harry Warner sowie Adolph Zukor, die als Studiogründer den Aufstieg Hollywoods und des Films maßgeblich beeinflussten. Trotz ihrer unterschiedlichen Wege in die Filmbranche fanden diese Männer eine verlockende Möglichkeit in der noch jungen Industrie, die keine sozialen Schranken kannte und mit wenig Kapital zugänglich war. Die „Hollywood-Juden“ zeichneten sich durch ein Gespür für den sich entwickelnden „amerikanischen Traum“ aus und schufen die Organisation, um diese Träume auf Zelluloid zu bannen. In ihrem Streben nach Anpassung schufen sie ein „eigenes Reich“ und gleichzeitig ein mythisches Amerika auf der Leinwand, das bis heute wirkt. Gablers detailreiches Werk bietet einen respektvollen und bedeutenden Beitrag zur Kultur- und Sozialgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts.

Die Verwandlung des Lebens in Entertainment ist eines der großen Themen unserer Zeit. Ob es nun um Clinton gegen Kenneth Starr auf der politischen oder O.J.Simpson auf der juristischen Bühne geht: Die öffentliche Meinung hat sich total der Macht des Entertainment unterworfen.§Gabler weist nach, daß die Prinzipien des Show Business nicht nur in der Werbung sondern im ganzen Wirtschaftsleben Fuß gefaßt haben und mit ihrer eigenen Logik das "Profil" und das "Image" der unterschiedlichsten Rollenträger unserer Gesellschaft geradezu diktieren. Das entscheidende Medium in dieser "Republik des Entertainment" ist natürlich das Fernsehen, das als erstes Nachrichten zur Unterhaltung machte und damit das Entertainement zum einzigen Maßstab erhob, einem Diktum, dem sich allmählich auch die Zeitungen beugen mußten.§Die Grenze zweischen Stoff und Geschichte, Tatsachen und Deutungen verschwimmt, und dem einzelnen geht die Authentizitätin und Sebstbestimmung verloren. Das Leben ist zum Film geworden.