
Desi Arnaz
The Man Who Invented Television
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Narrated by:
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Todd S Purdum
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By:
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Todd S Purdum
About this listen
An illuminating biography of Desi Arnaz, the visionary, trailblazing Cuban American who revolutionized television and brought laughter to millions as Lucille Ball’s beloved husband on I Love Lucy, leaving a remarkable legacy that continues to influence American culture today.
Desi Arnaz is a name that resonates with fans of classic television, but few understand the depth of his contributions to the entertainment industry. In Desi Arnaz, Todd S. Purdum offers a captivating biography that dives into the groundbreaking Latino artist and businessman known to millions as Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy. Beyond his iconic role, Arnaz was a pioneering entrepreneur who fundamentally transformed the television landscape.
His journey from Cuban aristocracy to world-class entertainer is remarkable. After losing everything during the 1933 Cuban revolution, Arnaz reinvented himself in pre-World War II Miami, tapping into the rising demand for Latin music. By twenty, he had formed his own band and sparked the conga dance craze in America. Behind the scenes, he revolutionized television production by filming I Love Lucy before a live studio audience with synchronized cameras, a model that remains a sitcom gold standard today.
Despite being underestimated due to his accent and origins, Arnaz’s legacy is monumental. Purdum’s biography, enriched with unpublished materials and interviews, reveals the man behind the legend and highlights his enduring contributions to pop culture and television. This book is a must-hear biography about innovation, resilience, and the relentless drive of a man who changed TV forever.
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Story
Submersed begins with an investigation into the beguiling subculture of DIY submersible obsessives: men and women—but mostly men—who are so compelled to sink into the deep sea that they become amateur backyard submarine-builders. Matthew Gavin Frank explores the origins of the human compulsion to sink to depth, from the diving bells of Aristotle and Alexander the Great to the Confederate H. L. Hunley, which became the first submersible to sink an enemy warship before itself being sunk during the Civil War.
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Baddest Man
- The Making of Mike Tyson
- By: Mark Kriegel
- Narrated by: Mark Kriegel
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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On an evening that defined the "greed is good" 1980s, Donald Trump hosted a raft of celebrities and high rollers in a carnival town on the Jersey Shore to bask in the glow created by a twenty-one-year-old heavyweight champion. Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks that night and in ninety-one frenzied seconds earned more than the annual payrolls of the Los Angeles Lakers' and Boston Celtics' players combined.
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Tyson…..badassss
- By Lyn on 06-06-25
By: Mark Kriegel
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Charlottesville
- An American Story
- By: Deborah Baker
- Narrated by: Deborah Baker
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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In August 2017, over a thousand neo-Nazis, fascists, Klan members, and neo-Confederates descended on a small southern city to protest the pending removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. Within an hour of their arrival, the city’s historic downtown was a scene of bedlam as armored far-right cadres battled activists in the streets. Before the weekend was over, a neo-Nazi had driven a car into a throng of counterprotesters, killing a young woman and injuring dozens.
By: Deborah Baker
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Buckley
- The Life and the Revolution That Changed America
- By: Sam Tanenhaus
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 31 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Majestic in its sweep, rich in ideas and argument, and packed with news and revelations, Buckley vividly captures its subject in all his facets and phases—founding editor of National Review, the 20th century’s most influential political journal; syndicated columnist and TV debater; ally of Joseph McCarthy and Barry Goldwater; mentor to Ronald Reagan; wisecracking candidate for mayor of New York; and bestselling novelist and memoirist.
By: Sam Tanenhaus
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Classic Monsters Unleashed
- The Unleashed Series, Book 1
- By: various, James Aquilone - editor
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel, Paul Woodson, Tim Campbell, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Stories of famous monsters in a new horror anthology featuring Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Jonathan Maberry, Ramsey Campbell, and many others.
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Extremely disappointed! Dull and Uninspired!
- By R. Busby on 09-06-22
By: various, and others
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Hollywood Vampires
- Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine
- By: Kelly Loudenberg, Makiko Wholey
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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An explosive new book on the infamous trial Depp v. Heard, Hollywood Vampires paints an intimate picture of what was really going on behind the viral headlines between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, with never-before-told stories from their inner circle.
By: Kelly Loudenberg, and others
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The De Palma Decade
- Redefining Cinema with Doubles, Voyeurs, and Psychic Teens
- By: Laurent Bouzereau
- Narrated by: Dani Martineck
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Among a crop of fresh filmmakers including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola revolutionizing Hollywood in the ’70s, Brian De Palma—a director from Philadelphia with a few social satires under his belt—charted a cinematic path unlike any of his peers. At times he was unfairly dismissed as a Hitchcock copycat; other times he was misunderstood for his peculiar mix of sexuality, humor, music, and violence. But, over the course of ten years, he created a new cinematic language.
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A must for De Palma fans and cinephiles. Outstanding reader!
- By David FL on 09-19-24
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A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever
- The Story of Spinal Tap
- By: Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and others
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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For the first time, director Rob Reiner and cocreators Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer provide the full behind-the-scenes story of the making of the groundbreaking mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap and its upcoming sequel.
By: Rob Reiner, and others
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Peace Is a Shy Thing
- The Life and Art of Tim O'Brien
- By: Alex Vernon
- Narrated by: Shawn Compton
- Length: 21 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Featuring over one hundred interviews with family, friends, peers, and others—not to mention countless exchanges with Tim O'Brien himself—Peace Is a Shy Thing provides a nearly day-by-day, gripping account of O'Brien's thirteen months as an infantryman in Vietnam and gives equal diligence to reconstructing O'Brien's writing process.
By: Alex Vernon
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Laughs, Luck...and Lucy
- How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time (With "I Love Lucy's Lost Scenes" and Rare Lucille Ball Audio)
- By: Jess Oppenheimer, Gregg Oppenheimer
- Narrated by: Ivan Cury, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Jess Oppenheimer, "the brains" behind I Love Lucy, weaves this wonderfully entertaining tale of how his life experiences led him to create the iconic sitcom. Packed with humorous behind-the-scenes stories of stars like Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, William Frawley, Jack Benny, Douglas Fairbanks, and Fred Astaire.
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The Best Behind the Scenes book on I Love Lucy!
- By PML on 12-17-23
By: Jess Oppenheimer, and others
Todd S. Purdum delivers a thoroughly researched and engaging biography that captures both Desi Arnaz’s personal journey and his revolutionary impact on television. Having followed Purdum’s work from his New York Times political reporting through his explorations of Broadway and entertainment, I’ve come to appreciate his ability to make complex subjects accessible and compelling.
As expected with any serious Arnaz biography, readers get substantial insight into Lucille Ball’s life as well, making this really a dual portrait of one of entertainment’s most famous couples. Purdum skillfully weaves together early 20th century Cuban history, the development of the television sitcom, and Arnaz’s pioneering work in creating the modern TV studio system through Desilu Productions. His journalist’s eye for context serves him well.
A real plus: Purdum, a true storyteller, narrates the audiobook himself with a clear, easy-to-follow delivery that makes for comfortable listening.
Whether you’re interested in classic television history, the early days of the entertainment industry, or simply want a well-told story about two remarkable people, this biography hits the mark.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys quality biographical writing.
Excellent Biography of a Television Pioneer
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