Product Description

Earl Hamner, a Virginia native, is one of America's best-loved storytellers, but he has never been the subject of a full-length study. EARL HAMNER: FROM WALTON'S MOUNTAIN TO TOMORROW fills that gap.

Hamner once said, "Even though families are said to be shattered these days, and God is said to be dead, if people can revisit the scenes and places where these values did exist, possibly they can come to believe in them again, or...to adapt some kind of belief in God, or faith in the family unit, or just getting home again." This vision of what makes for a whole life permeates all of Hamner's work. It is present in the novel SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN, upon which THE WALTONS is loosely based, and in his screenplays, such as the work he is perhaps most proud of, CHARLOTTE'S WEB. It is even present in such unlikely places as the eight scripts he contributed to the classic television series THE TWILIGHT ZONE and in the tales of cold-blooded betrayal and boundless ambition depicted on FALCON CREST.

In EARL HAMNER: FROM WALTON'S MOUNTAIN TO TOMORROW, readers will discover the integrated nature of his career. A pervasive theme runs throughout Hamner's work, that of a man forever taking a backward glance to his roots for direction in the way of what makes life worthwhile. Upon learning that this book was being written, Hamner told one of his friends, "I can't imagine anyone wanting to read a book about me, much less write one about me." Readers of this book will find Hamner's doubts indeed misplaced and will discover a delightful individual who has enjoyed a long, accomplished career as a storyteller, laboring for a worthy goal: that posterity may know of an age and a people whose legacy has not, through silence, been permitted to pass away as in a dream.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #202212 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-01
• Released on: 2005-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 293 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781581824551
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Once immensely popular, TV's The Waltons is sometimes recalled by today's cynics as an overly idyllic portrait of characters too optimistic to be believed. But in fact, the series closely paralleled the early life of its creator and his family. From Walton's Mountain to Tomorrow traces Hamner's Depression-era upbringing and its effects on his prolific career. It explores his fascinating contradictions: an impoverished by happy childhood in rural Virginia, followed by a move to opulent Los Angeles, where he also conceived the salacious prime-time soap series Falcon Crest. (Hamner once joked that the fashionable decadence of Falcon Crest represented his 'wicked-side,' noting the disparity between the famous TV creations that became his signature.) But as this biography deftly demonstrates, what all his works have in common is a mark of the enduring family values he clearly holds so dear." --American Profile Magazine, February 2006

About the Author
JAMES E. PERSON JR. is the author of RUSSELL KIRK: A CRITICAL BIOGRAPHY OF A CONSERVATIVE MIND, and THE UNBOUGHT GRACE OF LIFE: ESSAYS IN HONOR OF RUSSELL KIRK. He has also contributed more than one hundred essays, articles, and reviews to scholarly journals and journals of opinion. He lives with his wife and two children in Northville, Michigan.

Customer Reviews

An interesting book about an important man
Jim Person, who has written three books and over one hundred articles, has a gift when it comes to analyzing, comparing, and critiquing works of literature. In this book he is also gifted with his subject, Earl Hamner. Largely because he is such a humble man, most people do not know much about Earl's career or the extent of his works. If his name sounds familiar, it is because it appears in the opening credits of one of the most beloved series ever on television, The Waltons. Not only was Earl the creator and one of the principal writers of the show based on his life growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains during the Great Depression, it was his distinctive voice that opened and closed the show. But The Waltons was a mid-career project; you will be surprised to learn in this book how much Earl has done before and after it, across genres. After keeping a journal while he was growing up, he started his career writing radio scripts, has penned nine books, wrote eight Twilight Zone scripts, was the creator of another long-running series Falcon Crest, and was the screenwriter for the animated film Charlotte's Web. In addition, Earl produced or, according to Person, was the "guiding hand" for a number of other series and specials including Brewster Place, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, and a PBS presentation called The Ponder Heart.

As Person describes in this critical biography, much of Earl's work is influenced by his upbringing. Throughout Earl Hamner's award-winning career, he has maintained his personal integrity, an air of gentility, and even that distinctive Virginia Scotch-Irish accent. But despite his conservative roots, he embraces all aspects of life. He has spent most of his life on the west coast, has traveled extensively, and clearly loves people. He is a sensitive writer who is not afraid to write heartwarming and inspiring stories from which, although he maintains that it has never been his intent to instill lessons, you will learn none-the-less.

Throughout the writing of this biography, Jim Person and Earl Hamner apparently became fast friends, and it's easy to see why. Earl was amazed that Jim was able to capture the essence of him so easily but, in my opinion, it's because the two men are so much alike. At this point I must confess that I am friends with both of them and it's easy to see why they "get" each other. Both are great writers but, more than that, they are great guys: fun-loving, hard-working, principled, and above all, humble.

Cumberland House did an outstanding job putting the book together with photos of Earl, his childhood home, and his beloved mountains on the cover, and many never-before-seen photos sprinkled throughout the book. This is a great read. If you are not already familiar with Earl's works, Earl Hamner: From Walton's Mountain to Tomorrow will make you want to investigate them, and to check out more of Jim Person's writings as well.

Like Reading About One Of The Family
Earl Hamner,Jr. is as familiar to some of us as our own father, or grandfather.He has been a part of our lives for as much as the last thirty or so years,since his book "The Homecoming" aired as a made for tv Christmas movie,and the long running series,"The Waltons" took over our living rooms every Thursday night.
The series was based on Mr. Hamner's life growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains during the depression,and the stories related to many of us,having touched on our families and their histories,stories that were told to us by our parents and grandparents,and some that lived through those times themselves.
Earl had a special gift in his ability to tie that world in with ours,reminding us even still today the meaning of family.He could even make those without a family feel like they were part of one.
Mr. Person's book not only presents a great tribute to a great man, but his writing also has the ability to make the reader feel as though they are reading about one of thier own family,but with some surprises along the way.If I had only one comment about the book it would be that I only wish there were more pages to read in it! Great job,Mr.Person!

Great bio for fans and generally....
Having been a fan of The Waltons during the 1970s, I was interested in learning about the shows creator Mr. Hamner. The biography by Mr. Person gives Mr. Hamners life and work a detailed and interesting treatment without being academic.

The book portrays Mr. Hamner as a unique and gifted individual who took his rural upbringing and used it as the basis for a highly successful tv series. Other parts of the book were also interesting and portrayed the writer as a well rounded person with wide ranging interests.