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 If you want to add items, please email
me all the publication and purchase information. Biographies are listed
in the order of how much I know about them. Clicking on titles links to
details and the option to purchase it at Amazon.com.
If you link from this site to Amazon.com and purchase it there, you will
help support Cole Wide Web, a community service. Although it's not a book,
by popular request I additionally list one biography below in video format.
Are you looking specifically for sheet music?
The
Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter
Kimball, Robert, 1992, Da Capo
A "must have" for any true Cole Porter fan or music researcher. This
is an excellent collection. Of particular note is an awesome "phrase index"
to look up common phrases and quotes in order to find what song contains
a certain popular lyric. Includes detailed copyright information for those
who want to use the lyrics.
A
Cole Porter Discography
Rimler, Walter, 1995, N Charles Sylvan.
An excellent comprehensive discography. This includes old and rare
recordings. Finding old and rare recordings might prove difficult and/or
impossible, but at least you will know what to look for. A complete reference
for collectors.
Catalog
of the American Musical
Tommy Krasker, Robert Kimball , 1998, John M. Ludwig
Intended for research purposes. It lists only the shows and has no
information on songs written for films or for parties or special occasions,
etc. It has a one page summary of the information known about the show
and where to go to find the material and then it breaks the score down
and tells you where to find the individual songs.Includes musicals of
Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rogers &
Lorenz Hart. Also available in hardback.
Note that there is an web-based official Cole Wide
Web biography of Cole Porter that you can read online.
Cole
Porter: a Biography
Schwartz, Charles, 1979, Da Capo Press
This is the most commonly available biography in bookstores. If you
want more information about the famous people and beautiful parties, this
is the place. In my opinion, this book is painfully written, but the parties
and sexual liasons are well documented.
Cole
Porter, A Biography
McBrien, William, 1998, Albert A. Knopf
The publisher was nice enough to send me a copy of this new biography.
I haven't read it yet, but a quick scan of it looks promising, and it's
been well reviewed by book reviewers. (give it a try)
Red,
Hot, and Rich, an Oral History
Grafton, David, 1987, Stein and Day
A non-linear read of his life. This is composed of snippets of text written
by people in Cole's life. This is nice because it contains much of the
information that the other biographers use, but without bias or speculation.
You're
the Top:The Cole Porter Story
VHS Video Tape. Also on DVD
Disc 1998, Winstar Entertainment
A video biography, hosted by singer Bobby Short. It follows much of
Cole's life and includes many snipets of performance. This is an entertaining
watch for those who know little about him, but it only scratches the surface
of his life, focusing on celebrating his music than examining or revealing
the complexities in his real life. 56 minutes long. A good gift, but not
a great biography.
Genius
and Lust: The Creativity and Sexuality of Cole Porter and Noel Coward
Morella and Mazzei, 1995, Carroll & Graf.
As the title implies, this book talks at length about how sexuality
in general, and homosexuality in particular, influenced these composers.
Noel
and Cole: The Sophisticates
Citron, Stephen, 1993, Oxford Univ.
I have no info about this book. Do
you?
Travels
with Cole Porter
Howard, Jean, 1991, Harry N. Abrams
Pictures and letters from two years of Cole's life, 1955 and 1956. The
letters are primarily those from Cole to the author, and the pictures
include places Cole went (or pictures he took) which don't necessarily
have Cole in them. This is not strictly a biography, but includes some
biographical info. May be out of print.
Welk:Salute
to Cole Porter
Lawrence Welk , VHS Video Tape. 1998
I have no info about this video. Do
you?
Cole
Porter : 20th Century Composer of Popular Songs
Paul Salsini, 1972 ,Story House
I have no info about this book. Do
you?
Cole
Porter
1989, Hal Leonard
I have no info about this book. Do
you?
You're
the Top : A Love Song by Cole Porter
Katrin Thomas, Pamela Prince, Jane Handel,1972, Simon
and Schuster
A small gift book with words from the song You're The Top, with photos
of New York City. I've seen it, and do not recommend it either for collectors
or as a gift.
Cole
Gill, Brendan, 1971, Hot, Rinehart, and Winston
A thorough layout of pictures from his life interspersed with lyrics from
all his songs, including the old ones from high school and college.
The Life that Late He Led -- A Biography of Cole Porter
Eels, George, 1967, G. P. Putnam's Sons
One Cole Wide Web visitor says, "Good book, illustrated, Good list of
works, shows and casts.".
The Cole Porter Story
Hubler, Richard G., 1965, World Publishing
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