We're delighted to share our thoughts on Susan Orlean's Rin Tin Tin: The Life And The Legend with you, and to offer an opportunity to win an autographed paperback copy of this marvelous book. See how to enter to win at the end of this post.
Earlier in the fall, Parental Unit spent a fascinating evening at the Thurber House here in Columbus, Ohio, where Susan Orlean held a reading and discussion about her New York Times bestselling book. After the reading, Parental Unit had two books signed by the author (both provided courtesy of the publisher), one for her and one for a lucky Bocci's Beefs reader. Parental Unit is a longtime fan of Ms. Orlean-she's read her pieces in the New Yorker for nearly two decades and loves (and taught in several of her writing classes) The Orchid Thief, one of Orlean's most popular books. It was made into the movie Adaptation and the magical Meryl Streep played the journalist, Orlean!
Since we're all dog lovers here, we already know how fascinating a book about a dog can be...but this story is about so much more than "Rinty" and his movie and television career. It's about the relationship between a special dog and the man, Lee Duncan, who believed in him unconditionally, set in the vast sweep of nearly 100 years of our history-from the battlefields of W.W. I through the present day. As one reviewer said, " Calling Rin Tin Tin the story of a dog is like calling Moby-Dick the story of a whale."
Orlean is known for her detailed research and in Rin Tin Tin, she shows off her skills: She spent 10 years researching and writing the book, sifting through rooms of Lee Duncan's papers, conducting countless interviews and even visiting the battlefield in France where Rinty was born and the graveyard where he's buried. As Orlean said during her Thurber House talk, she took "a crash course in 20th century history, movies and Hollywood...and wrestled it into a story."
And a deep and fascinating story it is... Did you know that in the 1920's when Rinty cemented his stature as a Hollywood icon, there were 80 other German Shepherd Dogs making silent films? But it was Rinty who made 27 silent films exclusively for Warner Brothers, and was known as "The Mortgage Lifter" because he brought in so much money. Our bottom line is this: We loved every minute of reading this book and encourage you to immerse yourselves in the enduring legacy of Rin Tin Tin. And if you want to read more about Susan Orlean, check out her website here: www.susanorlean.com.
Now on to the giveaway of one autographed copy of Rin Tin Tin: The Life And The Legend!
This giveaway will run from today, Saturday December 29, through Saturday January 12, 2013 at 8:00 pm EST, so you and all of your friends have plenty of time to enter! The one winner will be chosen by computerized random drawing and announced on the evening of January 12.
Here are the requirements to enter: No anonymous comments, please!
1. Sign up for our e-mail blasts and newsletters-see very top of left sidebar for the sign-up form.
2. Give this giveaway a shout-out on your Twitter or Facebook page by using the buttons below this post-easy!
3. Comment on this post and indicate in your ONE comment that you'd like to enter this giveaway.
Note: if you choose to enter, please promptly check back to see if you won and if you're the lucky one, please send us your home address ASAP
Good Luck!
