
Bob Hope
A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of Actors)
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $3.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
-
By:
-
Hourly History
About this listen
Bob Hope was the kind of entertainer who only comes along once in a lifetime. Spanning the decades, he worked through just about every era of the 20th century. Hope grew up doing his best vaudeville routine and ended up performing far and wide with the USO during World War II and the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq. In later life, he slowed down a bit, but he still found time to perform both in movies and in person. When he felt that certain patriotic call of duty once again during the Gulf War of the 1990s, he did not hesitate to hop aboard the USO bandwagon once again.
Bob Hope lived to be 100 years old before his globe-trotting finally came to an end in 2003. This book takes a look at the life and legend of Bob Hope—the king of comedy—from beginning to end.
©2022 Hourly History (P)2022 Hourly HistoryListeners also enjoyed...
-
Dean Martin
- A Life from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dean Martin was a natural entertainer, known not only for his singing ability but also for his great showmanship on the stage. With Martin, it wasn’t just about the song—it was about the whole package. With songs such as “That’s Amore” and movies like Rio Bravo, he took the world by storm. Later, Dean Martin, along with other famous entertainers such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., forged the ultimate group of performers: The Rat Pack. No one could keep Dean Martin’s spirit down for long. This is his life—this is his story.
-
-
Monotone narrator or A I?
- By Dave on 01-28-25
By: Hourly History
-
Native American History
- A History from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Mike Nelson
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Until surprisingly recently, most history books noted that America was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. The truth was that by the time that Columbus arrived in America, people had been living there for more than 12,000 years. This is the story of the gradual rise, sudden destruction, and slow recovery of the native people of North America.
-
-
And we call ourselves civilized!
- By Steven Ray Hill on 02-24-20
By: Hourly History
-
Bing Crosby
- A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of Musicians)
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bing Crosby was a real legend. Celebrated across the country and beyond, he was essentially America’s first superstar. With catchy tunes, a catchy name, and a laid-back, charming personality that everyone just seemed to love, Crosby was a star both on and off stage.
By: Hourly History
-
Rosalind Franklin
- A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of Women in History)
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rosalind Franklin was what can only be called an overlooked genius. Although she was not fully credited for the feat at the time, her work led to major breakthroughs in our understanding of DNA. In fact, she took the first X-ray photo of DNA in all of its double helix glory. By the time her former colleagues were being showered with accolades for results they made at least partially based on her findings, Franklin would not be around to see it. Sadly, it’s believed that her use of X-ray equipment gave her terminal cancer, cutting her life short at age 37.
-
-
Covers the facts
- By Freda St on 08-21-24
By: Hourly History
-
Seminole Wars
- A History from Beginning to End (Native American History)
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Europeans who came to the New World did not land upon a continent devoid of people. Yet to the Spanish, French, and English who traveled from their countries in search of gold and land, the native populations already living on the North American continent were an inferior race. Enslavement, eradication, and imprisonment were the just fates, they felt, for any who could keep them from attaining the wealth they sought.
-
-
All the Info
- By Pwilly13 on 05-21-24
By: Hourly History
-
Teresa of Avila
- A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of Christians)
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first female Doctor of the Church, Teresa of Ávila, was a visionary who took matters of reform into her own hands. Even when the church authorities came against her, she stood her ground and held fast to her convictions. In so doing, she managed to persuade the Catholic powers to come around to her point of view. Teresa was not someone who took “no” for an answer; she charted her own course in life.
By: Hourly History
-
Dean Martin
- A Life from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dean Martin was a natural entertainer, known not only for his singing ability but also for his great showmanship on the stage. With Martin, it wasn’t just about the song—it was about the whole package. With songs such as “That’s Amore” and movies like Rio Bravo, he took the world by storm. Later, Dean Martin, along with other famous entertainers such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., forged the ultimate group of performers: The Rat Pack. No one could keep Dean Martin’s spirit down for long. This is his life—this is his story.
-
-
Monotone narrator or A I?
- By Dave on 01-28-25
By: Hourly History
-
Native American History
- A History from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Mike Nelson
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Until surprisingly recently, most history books noted that America was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. The truth was that by the time that Columbus arrived in America, people had been living there for more than 12,000 years. This is the story of the gradual rise, sudden destruction, and slow recovery of the native people of North America.
-
-
And we call ourselves civilized!
- By Steven Ray Hill on 02-24-20
By: Hourly History
-
Bing Crosby
- A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of Musicians)
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bing Crosby was a real legend. Celebrated across the country and beyond, he was essentially America’s first superstar. With catchy tunes, a catchy name, and a laid-back, charming personality that everyone just seemed to love, Crosby was a star both on and off stage.
By: Hourly History
-
Rosalind Franklin
- A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of Women in History)
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rosalind Franklin was what can only be called an overlooked genius. Although she was not fully credited for the feat at the time, her work led to major breakthroughs in our understanding of DNA. In fact, she took the first X-ray photo of DNA in all of its double helix glory. By the time her former colleagues were being showered with accolades for results they made at least partially based on her findings, Franklin would not be around to see it. Sadly, it’s believed that her use of X-ray equipment gave her terminal cancer, cutting her life short at age 37.
-
-
Covers the facts
- By Freda St on 08-21-24
By: Hourly History
-
Seminole Wars
- A History from Beginning to End (Native American History)
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Europeans who came to the New World did not land upon a continent devoid of people. Yet to the Spanish, French, and English who traveled from their countries in search of gold and land, the native populations already living on the North American continent were an inferior race. Enslavement, eradication, and imprisonment were the just fates, they felt, for any who could keep them from attaining the wealth they sought.
-
-
All the Info
- By Pwilly13 on 05-21-24
By: Hourly History
-
Teresa of Avila
- A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of Christians)
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first female Doctor of the Church, Teresa of Ávila, was a visionary who took matters of reform into her own hands. Even when the church authorities came against her, she stood her ground and held fast to her convictions. In so doing, she managed to persuade the Catholic powers to come around to her point of view. Teresa was not someone who took “no” for an answer; she charted her own course in life.
By: Hourly History
-
Marilyn Monroe: A Life from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Sean Tivenan
- Length: 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She vigorously played the dumb-blonde stereotype in her movie roles, but there is nothing at all dumb about Marilyn Monroe. Born to a single mother who suffered from severe mental illness, the odds were stacked against the girl originally named Norma Jeane from the very beginning. She became a ward of the state and bounced around from foster home to foster home. The fact that she rose from such impoverished beginnings to become one of the top-billed acts in Hollywood speaks for itself.
-
-
Take note: 55 mins long
- By Alicia D on 04-25-23
By: Hourly History
-
Audie Murphy
- A Life from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Audie Murphy was a movie star, writer, and one of the most decorated soldiers who ever lived. He was barely 18 years old when he was shipped off to fight Fascists in Italy during World War II. As he himself would later liken it, he went “to hell and back” and lived to tell the tale. In this book, we will dive deeper to bring you the man behind the medals. Here is a telling of the life and legend of Audie Murphy in full.
-
-
Nothing.
- By Capitalview on 07-24-24
By: Hourly History
-
Abraham Lincoln: A Concise History of the Man Who Transformed the World
- One Hour History US Presidents, Book 1
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Jimmy Kieffer
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abraham Lincoln's determination to hold the North and South together would ultimately lead to the bloodiest war in American history, the abolition of slavery, and his own untimely death from an assassin’s bullet. But to see Lincoln solely as a tragic figure consumed with the strife of mid-19th century America is to miss meeting him as a man who never allowed himself to be defeated by adversity, grief, or turmoil.
-
-
great book
- By Michael fields on 05-11-19
By: Hourly History
-
Love, Lucy
- By: Lucille Ball
- Narrated by: Lucie Arnaz
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Love, Lucy is the valentine Lucille Ball left for her fans—a warm, wise, and witty memoir written by Lucy herself. The legendary star of the classic sitcom I Love Lucy was at the pinnacle of her success when she sat down to record the story of her life. No comedienne had made America laugh so hard, no television actress had made the leap from radio and B movies to become one of the world’s best-loved performers. This is her story—in her own words.
-
-
What a great book
- By SCOTT on 07-11-18
By: Lucille Ball
-
If You Ask Me
- (And of Course You Won't)
- By: Betty White
- Narrated by: Betty White
- Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It-girl Betty White delivers a hilarious, slyly profound take on love, life, celebrity, and everything in between. Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White's wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. If You Ask Me mixes her thoughtful observations with humorous stories from a seven- decade career in Hollywood. Longtime fans and new fans alike will relish Betty's candid take on everything....
-
-
I'd ask Betty!
- By Lizz on 11-30-11
By: Betty White
-
Elvis and Me
- By: Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
- Narrated by: Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The inspiration for the major motion picture Priscilla directed by Sofia Coppola, this New York Times best seller reveals the intimate story of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, told by the woman who lived it.
-
-
What a story!
- By Pen Name on 08-28-22
-
Robin
- By: Dave Itzkoff
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in Mork & Mindy and his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations - all with mercurial, tongue-twisting intensity as he inhabited and shed one character after another with lightning speed. But as Dave Itzkoff shows in this revelatory biography, Williams’ comic brilliance masked a deep well of conflicting emotions and self-doubt.
-
-
Disappointing but worth a read
- By Joe Moore on 05-18-18
By: Dave Itzkoff
-
Hope
- Entertainer of the Century
- By: Richard Zoglin
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 17 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in 1903, and until his death in 2003, Bob Hope was the only entertainer to achieve top-rated success in every major mass-entertainment medium, from vaudeville to television and everything in between. He virtually invented modern stand-up comedy. His tours to entertain US troops and patriotic radio broadcasts, along with his all-American, brash-but-cowardly movie character, helped to ease the nation's jitters during the stressful days of World War II.
-
-
Overall an excellent book
- By Henry on 01-16-15
By: Richard Zoglin
-
American Legends: The Life of Nat King Cole
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Alex L. Vincent
- Length: 1 hr and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Among the most recognizable and iconic vocal artists known to American society from the mid-20th to the 21st century, baritone Nat King Cole is indelible in the nation's consciousness for such hits as "Mona Lisa" and "Ramblin' Rose" as well as for his rendition of Mel Tormé's famous "Christmas Song", with the opening line known to millions of American households: "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire."
-
-
Nat King Cole
- By Deedra on 12-06-15
-
William Powell: The Life and Legacy of One of Early Hollywood's Most Acclaimed Actors
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Bill Hare
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While actors like Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant remain household names, and actresses like Greta Garbo are still widely remembered, few had careers that enjoyed the success of William Powell. In a career spanning several decades, Powell would receive three Oscar nominations for Best Actor for critically acclaimed movies, so it is somewhat ironic that he is mostly remembered today for his association with the more famous Myrna Loy. Together, they starred in 14 films, including the 1934 box office hit, The Thin Man.
-
-
Poorly slapped together
- By Anonymous User on 11-03-24
-
You Might Remember Me
- The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
- By: Mike Thomas
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Both joyous tribute and serious biography, Mike Thomas' You Might Remember Me is a celebration of Phil Hartman's multi-faceted career and an exhaustively reported, warts-and-all examination of his often intriguing and sometimes complicated life - a powerful, humor-filled and disquieting portrait of a man who was loved by many, admired by millions and taken from them far too early.
-
-
I Will Remember You Phil Hartman
- By Roxanna on 12-19-14
By: Mike Thomas
-
Get Happy
- The Life of Judy Garland
- By: Gerald Clarke
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She lived at full throttle on stage, screen, and in real life, with highs that made history and lows that finally brought down the curtain at age 47. Judy Garland died over 30 years ago, but no biography has so completely captured her spirit - and demons - until now. From her tumultuous early years as a child performer to her tragic last days, Gerald Clarke reveals the authentic Judy in a biography rich in new detail and unprecedented revelations.
-
-
A good book, but...
- By Donna Deal on 08-27-21
By: Gerald Clarke