I Loved Lucy

by Lee Tannen

Book Overview

Few people knew America's comic sweetheart Lucille Ball the way Lee Tannen did. Lee first met Lucy as a child but cemented their close and enduring friendship as an adult. During the last ten years of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312287534
• ISBN13: 9780312287535
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 239 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

The best book on Lucy that I've ever read...

... and I've read most of them! I sort of expected this book to be some tabloidish tale, an exploitive expose' about The Queen Of Television Comedy. I was completely wrong and am not ashamed to admit that. It was one of the only books about Lucille Ball that I had not purchased. I ran across it one day at the library so I checked it out. I ended up purchasing the book for my collection before I even finished it. The glowing letter of endorsement from Lucy's daughter Lucie Arnaz that graces the back cover should have been enough for me to make the purchase upon its release! Tannen dishes a lot of dirt here, but it's nothing that Lucy would necessarily be mad at him for revealing. His words give Lucy fans a complete idea of what Lucy's last years were like. Stories about how Lucy desperately wanted to make the movie "Driving Miss Daisy" (Lee says she would have been all wrong for it, and he's right); her disastrous last two projects (the TV movie "The Stone Pillow", and the failed ABC sitcom "Life With Lucy"); her obsession with backgammon and game shows (she loved Vanna White of "Wheel Of Fortune"), plus a lot of other stories let us in on a Lucy we never really knew. As the star of one of the world's most popular TV shows, most people would think that Lucy lived a grand life of luxury. She did, but she seemed mostly unaware that it was so grand- and that it could have been even grander. She did not enjoy change. Her homes are described in detail, down to what the furniture looked like. It's all extremely riveting, especially for anyone that is a fan of Lucille Ball. The thing that makes this book so wonderful is that you truly get a sense that Lee Tannen REALLY did love Lucy. He didn't write this book to cash in on anything. He just wanted to share a side of Lucy with her fans that they didn't know about before. She does't come out smelling so perfect at all times, but this book certainly will not tarnish anyone's image of her. If you have any interest in Lucille Ball at all, this is a book that you will not want to miss out on. It was extremely hard to put down.

Lucy, Lee And Her Last Decade

The author takes you where few have been, up close and intimate with Lucy. It is evident from page one and woven throughout, that this book could only be written by someone that shared a special love with a special person. Written in a smooth, flowing, humorous style, the anecdotes almost forbid you to stop reading. It is an account of this icon's last ten years of her life that is a must read whether you were a Lucy fanatic or not.

Up Close and Personal

This book is absolutely sensational for anyone interested in a behind the scenes peek into the private life of a very public lady. It read like the wind, made me laugh and made me cry. Lee Tannen has done a terrific job of giving us a simple story of friendship with a very complex star. It's obvious that Lee Tannen loved Lucy and the love was totally reciprocated. Don't miss it!

BUY AND READ THIS BOOK..WHAT A BLAST!

Just when you thought you new EVERYTHING about Lucy... SURPRISE! This book takes us on an amazing journey through the last decade of her life.If you ever wished you could have gotten a chance to meet and spend time with Lucy..when reading this book it's like YOU ARE FINALLY THERE! And some of the adventures he takes you on with her...they are hysterical - in a Manhattan movie house watching "Terms of Endearment;" on the slopes of Snowmass, Colorado and mostly around her favorite backgammon table in Beverly HIlls! What a trip she was! And after reading this book I love her even more!I couldn't put the book down....started before lunch, broke for dinner.. and finished around 2am...IT'S JUST THE KIND OF LAUGHTER I NEEED AFTER THE HELLISH MONTH WE HAVE ALL JUST GONE THROUGH IN AMERICA!