A 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.
The book provides more detail and context. Purdum stresses both Arnaz’s underappreciated talents as a producer and showbiz entrepreneur and the couple’s enduring bond, which survived even their divorce and remarriages to others ... The biography offers a fascinating play-by-play of the sitcom’s development ... Empathetic.
This overdue and welcome biography, from a journalist with established bona fides in biography, is deeply researched and clear-eyed about Arnaz’s talents as well as his struggles with alcohol and what today, Purdum says, would be called a sex addiction ... Often surprising ... Especially good in its exploration of how the show came to be.
Purdum’s deeply researched, insightful and enjoyable biography, gives Arnaz his due as an entertainer and a savvy businessman ... With sympathy but open eyes Purdum chronicles Arnaz’s descent into alcoholism, which sapped his creative energy and the goodwill he had established over the years.
