Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography - Softcover

Ford, Carol M.; Dee Young; Linda J. Groundwater

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1943201048 ISBN 13: 9781943201044

Publisher: Am Ink Publishing, 2015

Synopsis

Since his untimely death on June 29, 1978, Bob Crane's unofficial biography has become akin to a broken record. Like a skip in the acetate, his murder and the scandal that grew from it have been the repeated focus of attention, to the exclusion of nearly everything else. Over time, the line between fact and fiction blurred, and his life story became distorted. All perspective on Bob Crane as a human being was lost, and he became nothing more than a two-dimensional cartoon character without depth, understanding, or definition. Now, nearly two hundred people who knew the Hogan's Heroes star personally and better than most (family; friends as far back as elementary school; colleagues in radio, television, theatre, and film) have spoken out on Bob Crane's behalf, and in many instances, for the first time. Within the pages of this book, they share their memories and thoughts about a man whom they knew as an exceptional and talented musician, a genius in radio, a sharp-witted comedian, a gifted actor and director, a man driven to success, a doting and loving father, a loyal friend, and a kind and gentle spirit with a sunny personality, a man who, while not perfect, was vastly different from how he has been presented over the decades. Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography balances the scales and sets the record straight, providing a full and complete history of Bob Crane, clarifying who he really was, and just as importantly, who he was not.               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deluxe, expanded hardcover edition contains:

• Exclusive, never-before released historical documents chronicling Bob Crane's life and career.
• More than 200 family and professional photographs, many exclusive, courtesy of Bob Crane's family, friends, and colleagues.
• 660 pages containing first-hand accounts from nearly 200 people from Bob Crane's life.
• A pre-print of Bob Crane's original signature.

All editions contain the same editorial content. The softcover contains fewer photographs and documents than the hardcover. The electronic edition contains editorial content only (no photographs).

About this title

From the Author:

This project has been far more than just researching, writing, and publishing a book for me. It has been nearly a life-long journey. I first discovered Hogan's Heroes in the mid-1980s when I was just fourteen years old. Hogan's Heroes quickly became my favorite television show, and Bob Crane was my favorite among the cast. There was no Internet in 1985, so I didn't discover any details about the life and death of the show's star right away. But soon, I did learn about Bob's unsolved murder, and I was crushed. And my little, fourteen-year-old self made a promise that somehow, some way, I would fix it and make it better. As a kid, I had no idea how I was ever going to do that. But that didn't stop me.
 
This inexplicable determination to "fix it" grew. On weekends, other kids went to the movies or to the mall; my parents took me to the county library to "research" Bob Crane. Over the years, I started to understand who Bob Crane really was, and the more I understood,the more tenacious I became. When Linda Groundwater, Dee Young, and I crossed paths and began collaborating on this book in 2006--a project Linda started in 2003--all of the pieces started to come together.
 
It took a little while, but now, more than thirty years later, I have finally made good on that promise. 
 
This unbiased work took twelve years to research (officially), across two continents and many time zones. It contains the first-hand accounts from 200 prominent individuals from Bob's life--many of whom I am humbled and honored to now count as a part of my own life. To all of them and to everyone who contributed and/or supported this endeavor, I extend my deepest gratitude and thanks. And to all of you who choose to learn more about the talented, complex, and remarkable man Bob Crane was, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of so many who cared so deeply for him. 
Author proceeds will be donated to various charities (to be determined) in Bob Crane's memory. Thank you for your support!
 
--Carol M. Ford
Author, Bob Crane: TheDefinitive Biography  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Co-Researchers/Co-Authors of Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography
 
Dee Young
Dee Young maintained an impressive career in radio and at WICC-600 AM for forty years as the Assistant Business Manager for WICC 600-AM and WEBE-108 FM, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In January 1976, Dee was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet Bob Crane on the day he was in Bridgeport to help WICC celebrate the station's 50th anniversary. She remembers him and the overall experience of his visit fondly. Dee has been instrumental in the research and development of Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography. She brought a wealth of radio knowledge and history spanning several decades to the book, and her network of radio colleagues, including several key individuals who worked alongside of Bob at WICC and/or knew him well, has allowed for a rich illustration of Bob's early career in broadcasting.
 
Since 2011, Dee has also assisted Carol Ford with Bob Crane's nomination for the National Radio Hall of Fame. WICC is an official sponsor of the nomination.
 
Linda J. Groundwater
Linda J. Groundwater is a former freelance writer and American radio news journalist. She has worked as a news reporter and anchor for WSMN in Nashua, New Hampshire,and the now-defunct WKBR in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she also acted asNews Director. She was also employed with WCAP in Lowell, Massachusetts, doing their morning drive news reporting. She earned her BA degree with Honors inCommunications/English in Rivier College (now Rivier University), Nashua, NewHampshire. Linda relocated to Australia with her husband Paul in 1994, and following the birth of their son Andrew in 1996, she began working in banking and finance. She is currently a Retail Lending Specialist for the Bank of Queensland, Capalaba, and has nearly twenty years of experience in banking management.
 
In 2003, Linda took an interest in learning more about Bob Crane. She believed there had to be more to his story than his starring role on Hogan's Heroes,or his murder and the scandal that grew from it. Using her journalism skills,she began to reach out to people from Bob's life with the intent to gather information to produce a more balanced biography. Early contributors/supporters included Bob's cousin Jim Senich and Reverend Edward Beck, who applauded the effort. From there, the list grew steadily. Dee Young and Carol Ford became involved in the project in 2005 and early 2006, respectively, and together,they amassed a collection of interviews and memories from 200 people from Bob's life specifically for Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography (then with the working title Flipside: The True Story of Bob Crane).
 
Also an actress, Linda performs professionally as well as in local community theatre in the Queensland area. She is also Vice President and Publicity Officer for the Mount Cotton Drama Group. Linda's faith, her family, loyal friends, and her German Shepherd named Midnight are all most important to her. She is especially proud of her son Andrew, who is pursuing his professional acting career in both Australia and the United States.

About the Author:

Carol M. Ford has twenty years of experience in the publishing industry. She earned her BA degree with Honors in English/Liberal Arts from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) in Glassboro, New Jersey. She is currently the Director of Editorial Services, an editor, and a managing editor for Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc., a health care association management, marketing, and publishing firm located near Philadelphia. Working with leaders in the nursing community, she oversees the production of several clinical peer-reviewed nursing publications, including scholarly journals, as well as nursing textbooks and specialty health care publications. In addition to her deep understanding of the subject and writing skills, her extensive knowledge of publishing for the health sciences has equipped her with keen investigative and research skills, ensuring the final publication of the book, which was thoroughly researched for twelve years, is evidence-based. In 2011, Carol also nominated Bob Crane for the National Radio Hall of Fame. She will continue to spearhead the efforts for his recognition in the National Radio Hall of Fame and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well.

About this edition

• Publisher: Am Ink Publishing
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1943201048
• ISBN 13: 9781943201044
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 668