The New York Friars Club Book of Roasts

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!!

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.

If you happen to be one of the unfortunate souls who hasn't heard of the Friars Club, then buy this book and get with the program! This book is guaranteed to make you the most popular person at those boring cocktail parties, supplying you with some of the funniest, totally true moments in Friars Club Roast history. Now you can tell people what really happened at the Whoopie Goldberg Roast... or which woman snuck into the once all-male roasts dressed as a man... and who got mad at whom for saying what.Finally, some of show business' best kept secrets and juiciest behind-the-scenes tidbits are revealed in one of the funniest books on shelves today. Author Barry Dougherty somehow manages to turn a show business history lesson into a rip-roaring riot of a read in this easy-to-read-while-you're-waiting-for-your-laundry-to-dry book. The anecdotes are priceless and guaranteed to make you laugh for days later. And Dougherty has such a delightful writing style you'll find yourself passing this gem on to friends and foes alike. There are few secrets in show business... and now, there are even fewer!

What a fun, funny book! Picked it up after seeing the author on TV--I think Entertainment Tonight. Not just for those interested in the history of The venerable NY Friars Club, but for anyone who gets a kick out of those ribald comics who inhabit it ...The dinners and roasts over the decades haven't changed ALL that much except for the progressivly risque language and other verbal hi-jinx, according to the knowledgeable Dougherty(and pretty amusing guy too), but what he captures in the interviews he seems to have personally conducted with some recent attendees--from Jason Alexander to Red Buttons--is the 'spirit' of the Friars' fetes and the laugh-outloud insider-type anecdotes they provide.I think anyone who likes comedy--from the Seinfeld era to Berle era, -- old & young --well not too young there's some blue material in the book!--will really like NY Friars Club Book of Roasts...