- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Scribner (Dec 4 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0743222911
- ISBN-13: 978-0743222914
- Product Dimensions: 24.3 x 16.2 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 499 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #811,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Imagine having both your legs amputated below the knee. Picture yourself relearning to walk, finally making it to the disabled Olympic games and winning 18 gold medals and 14 world records. Then envision yourself becoming the first disabled person ever admitted to the National College of Physical Education. Ronan Tynan has done all this and more, and he explains how he overcame such adversity in his moving art biography, Halfway Home: My Life 'til Now. As Tynan (now one of the popular Irish Tenors and currently planning a U.S. tour with his two partners) says, "Faith is the bird that fells the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Tynan is best known in this country as a member of the Irish Tenors, but he has achieved much more. Readers expecting the usual singer biography will be delighted and transfixed by his extraordinary life story. Born with focamelia, a bilateral congenital deformity, he nonetheless trained as a competitive rider and jumper as a boy. Then at age 20 he had his legs amputated below the knee and went on to win 19 gold medals and set 14 world records in the Paralympic Games. He was also the first disabled person ever admitted to Ireland's National College of Physical Education. Although he sang as a child and won several competitions as a treble, he put music aside for other pursuits and only began to study voice in his early thirties, whereupon he had immediate success. Tynan's style is simple and direct, certainly not artful, but his physical and emotional bravery is so compelling that it doesn't matter. This genuinely inspiring story is being published to coincide with a major U.S. tour of the Irish Tenors; expect demand. Highly recommended for public libraries. Kate McCaffrey, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Big Man With A Big Voice And An Ego to Match?,
By A Customer
This review is from: Halfway Home: My Life 'til Now (Hardcover)
I am a huge fan of the Irish Tenors and so waited anxiously for this book to appear in our local book store. While I found the first half of the book to be an excellent read and found the story of how Ronan, though the love and good sence of his parents, was encouraged to go beyond his abilities to reach for the stars, the second half of the book was difficult to get through. There is no doubt that this man is really an inspiration to others with disabilities, but halfway through the book you find there is little information about others that helped him in his journey and the book becomes all about his Ego - it was a struggle to finish the book as I could not believe the long winded accounts of what he would do next. I would have liked to have read more about his association with the Irish Tenors and his travels there .. instead all you got was Ronan crowing from the rooftops with an Ego the size of Ireland itself. I almost expect any follow up book to announce that he can now walk on water! Very disappointed in this book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow, what a man!,
By "kbb6122" (Manchester, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Halfway Home: My Life 'til Now (Hardcover)
The saying, "Truth is stranger than fiction." has to apply to this moving biography of Ronan Tynan's. His life so far has been filled with more trials and tribulations than any one person I have ever heard of...and he's only 43 years old!!!!! What can possibly happen to him in his next 43 years to top this??? I can only hope he keeps us up-to-date with another fascinating book. As a singer, he is the best. I have been lucky enough to see many of his solo concerts and many of his concerts with the Irish Tenors, and all are as exciting and pleasurable as this book. The man is just a wonder.Good luck, Ronan, in all you endeavor, and please keep your fans up to date on all your activities. You are truly an inspiration to us all.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Book Filled With Humanity and the Richness of Life,
By Charles H Barney "A North Country Boy" (East Amherst, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Halfway Home: My Life 'til Now (Hardcover)
"Truly, an inspiring book" - I have seen that phrase on more book jackets than I care to count over the years. Perhaps some were truly inspiring to certain people. This book is universally inspiring. I can't imagine anyone, from any walk of life, not being moved by Ronan Tynan's story.He may be well-known to many people or a total enigma to others. He is now known in the great opera houses of the world as a tenor with few peers. To most of us he is known as one of the The book is as unpretentious as Dr.Tynan, beautifully written,
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Authors
- Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians
- Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Irish
- Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Medical
- Books > Entertainment > Music > Biographies
- Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Opera
- Books > History > Europe > Ireland
- Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
