[.ca] The New York Friars Club Book of Roasts: The Wittiest, ... (ISBN 0871319608)

Some of the funniest and most x-rated roast moments:
The only reason why I almost didn't give this five stars is that this wonderful book actually isn't just a collection of the funniest roast moments from the New York Friars Club. It is partially a HISTORY of various roasts through the years. Well-written and well-organized, from the standpoint of LOTS of zingers the fun truly begins about 75 pages into the book. Before that there are wonderful accounts of the early roasts but not a lot of jokes. Not all of these laugh-out-loud (I mean REALLY laugh out loud) lines in this book are x-rated, but quite a few of them are. Dougherty also offers memories from some of the celebrity participants, which put some of the ribbing and behind the scenes stories (and egos) in focus. It's a GREAT approach...and it does work. But don't expect a mere collection of jokes listed by subject -- the emphasis here is on a given roast and the participants. In fact, in the index you will find names of performers, not subjects. Roast victims included such names as Al Jolson, Sophie Tucker, Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra, Phillis Diller, John Travolta, Stephen Seagal, Drew Carey and many many more. The three roasters who made me roar the most were comedians Milton Berle (he will be missed -- something about Berle was a running joke at the club for years), Red Buttons and Buddy Hacket. I highlighted the jokes I liked as I read them so when I want a big (and guilty r-or-x-rated) laugh I can go back and re-read them. There were LOTS of markings in this book, and almost every line I marked is a winner. But be forewarned: this is not just a book of jokes and one-liners, but a fascinating history as well as a laugh-packed volume.

A Great Book!:
I came across this delightful tome in the B & N bargain bin a few weeks back and what a bargain it was!! Mr. Dougherty has managed to do something that no one else has done before him: capture the humor, drama, class and uniquenees of the legendary New York Friars Club. Contained within its pages are hundreds of fascinating and obscure behind-the-scene tidbits about the Club itself (we get all of the history of how it came to be), and the great men and women who have been immortalized at Friars events over the years: Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle, Humphrey Bogart, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Lewis, and Dianna Ross to name just a few! I can only imagine what a treat it must have been for Mr. Dougherty (and his research team) to go back through the Friars voluminous archives, listening to all of the legendary roasts and dinners and flagging the most interesting and funny moments. Not to mention all of the amazing black & white photos that were taken through the years!! In logging on to write this review today, I see that Mr. Dougherty has a new book about the Friars Club - a celebration of their 100th Anniversary! And in 1-2 shipping days I am confident that I will be in for another treat!!