Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball - Softcover

"A wonderful and poignant book. . . . [Kanfer] gives a superb picture of how [Lucille Ball] changed television." -David Thompson, The New Republic

"Elegant, entertaining . . . engaging and immensely readable." -The Boston Globe

"Oh what a love story. . . . Kanfer does an excellent job of explaining why Lucy and Ricky Ricardo still reign as cultural icons today." -USA Today

"A delightful. . . . Encyclopedia Lucytania, guiding us through every possible detail of the woman's history and legacy." -San Francisco Chronicle

"Sprightly, affectionate . . . lushly detailed. . . . With a sharp sense of pace, and a storyteller's sense of character and drama [Kanfer] weaves a history not just about one brilliantly talented woman, but also about the remarkable and strangely enduring love affair between Lucy and Desi Arnaz, and especially about the raw and unformed medium of television that the two of them did so much to shape and create." -Wall Street Journal

"Liberally sprinkled with interesting tidbits. . . . What makes Ball of Fire an unexpected pleasure-and a rarity among Hollywood biographies-is Kanfer's almost novelistic appreciation of how Ball evolved emotionally through her 77 years. . . . We're projected back into the star's personal world, and it's as human as our own." -People

"An informative and interpretive biography. . . . The details recounted here are fascinating." -Chicago Sun-Times

"A crisp writing style, an abundance of anecdotes . . . [and] fresh insights. . . . A sympathetic but clear-eyed [portrait]." -Atlanta Journal Constitution

"Captivating. . . . The final third of the book is pure Hollywood tragedy." -Los Angeles Magazine

"Ball of Fire is a memorable portrait of its subject in all her gifted weirdness." -Washington Post Book World

"While paying close mind to the details of an astonishing career, Kanfer also illuminates the inner turmoil. . . . [He] gently conveys how great [Lucy] was and how small she could be." -New York Daily News

"Ball of Fire does convey a vivid sense of [Lucy's] fearlessness. Stefan Kanfer has the whole heroic story." -New York Times Book Review

A portrait of the redheaded comic icon discusses her lonely childhood, discovery of her comedic talents, marriage to and divorce from Desi Arnaz, runaway successes on the "I Love Lucy" show, and her painful final years. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.