Apocalypse Now Book: The Making of Coppola's Epic

From Library Journal
Freelance writer Konstantin, a public affairs officer with the California Highway Patrol and a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, has drawn on his lifelong interest in American Indian history to compile this interesting collection. It boasts over 5000 important events, ranging across 5000 years and organized chronologically by calendar day. The focus is on geographical North America but stretches from Panama to the North Pole, and the subject matter is extensive, ranging from initial settlement to contemporary political activism and governmental legislation affecting native peoples. Brief biographies of North American Indian leaders, chiefs, and explorers are also included. The appendix offers a fascinating list specifying the meanings of various tribal names (plus a list of alternative spellings), as well as different tribal words for the months of the year, the moons of the month, and the seasons. Konstantin's sources (which are not cited but are presumably those that appear in the bibliography) include hundreds of books, journals, reports, and discussions with members of different tribal groups. But while the collection is certainly exhaustive, the almanac style of presenting the material day by day makes this work best suited for informal browsing. Serious researchers will need to start in the alphabetically arranged subject index in order to find the day(s) with the information relevant to their interest. Ultimately, Konstantin's magnum opus updates Chronology of Native North American History, edited by Duane Champagne, though it does not have as much prehistory. It could also supplement Encyclopedia of North American Indians, edited by Frederick E. Hoxie, and Harvey Markowitz's Ready Reference: American Indians, which offer more information per subject. Recommended for larger academic reference collections and specialized American Indian research and reference collections. Dale Farris, Groves, TX Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.



"When you've seen "Apocalypse Now Redux," you should read Peter Cowie's "Apocalypse Now Book" ...It has far richer detail."


Book Description
A cinematic legend: The making of Francis Ford Coppola's epic about Vietnam and the folly of war, based on unprecedented access to Coppola's private archives. The movie took years to be filmed and edited, and was the subject of endless stories, rumors, and speculation. At a screening at Cannes in May 1979, Francis Ford Coppola said simply, "There wasn't a truthful thing written about [the film] in four years." That year at Cannes Apocalypse Now won the Palme d'Or, going on from there to worldwide acclaim and etching itself in the memories of audiences with unforgettable sequences like the dawn helicopter attack scored to Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" or Lt. Colonel Kilgore's chilling "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." Here, generously illustrated with evocative stills from the film and revealing photographs from the set, is the story behind the movie where Vietnam met Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It is the extraordinary saga of Coppola and his crew and actors-who included Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Harvey Keitel, Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, and Harrison Ford-battling hurricanes in the jungles of the Philippines, the calamity of a lead actor's heart attack, crises both psychological and financial ...and in the end giving rise to a modern film classic.


About the Author
Peter Cowie has been with Variety since 1989 and is now Senior International Advisor to the publication. He lives in London.


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Freelance writer Konstantin, a public affairs officer with the California Highway Patrol and a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, has drawn on his lifelong interest in American Indian history to compile this interesting collection. It boasts over 5000 important events, ranging across 5000 years and organized chronologically by calendar day. The focus is on geographical North America but stretches from Panama to the North Pole, and the subject matter is extensive, ranging from initial settlement to contemporary political activism and governmental legislation affecting native peoples. Brief biographies of North American Indian leaders, chiefs, and explorers are also included. The appendix offers a fascinating list specifying the meanings of various tribal names (plus a list of alternative spellings), as well as different tribal words for the months of the year, the moons of the month, and the seasons. Konstantin's sources (which are not cited but are presumably those that appear in the bibliography) include hundreds of books, journals, reports, and discussions with members of different tribal groups. But while the collection is certainly exhaustive, the almanac style of presenting the material day by day makes this work best suited for informal browsing. Serious researchers will need to start in the alphabetically arranged subject index in order to find the day(s) with the information relevant to their interest. Ultimately, Konstantin's magnum opus updates Chronology of Native North American History, edited by Duane Champagne, though it does not have as much prehistory. It could also supplement Encyclopedia of North American Indians, edited by Frederick E. Hoxie, and Harvey Markowitz's Ready Reference: American Indians, which offer more information per subject. Recommended for larger academic reference collections and specialized American Indian research and reference collections. Dale Farris, Groves, TX Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.


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