DAVID JANSSEN - Our Conversations

ADVANCE READER COMMENTS

"I have been waiting for many years for anyone to write this book I have waited for someone who knew David Janssen well, to confirm or deny the countless rumors which surrounded him. Yes, it was well known that David drank. But WHY? Was it the demands of his fans who demanded so much from him, that they forgot he needed a life out of the limelight? Was it his family who required David to attend one party or function after another so they could enjoy the limelight in his shadow? DAVID JANSSEN-Our Conversations has given me the answers to many of my questions, and I like the way Michael Phelps has written this book. I felt as if I were sitting at the next table overhearing their conversation, or I was on an old fashioned "party line" listening to their phone calls. I hope many other fans will have such pleasure reading this book as I had. It is a very different memoir than that of Ellie Janssen's book, DAVID JANSSEN- MY FUGITIVE", which Mr. Phelps co-wrote with her." - - - Mrs. Lone Agri, a devoted fan. Odense, Denmark.

"WOW . . . DAVID JANSSEN-Our Conversations almost reads like a novel! Although I was aware of most of the facts of much of his life, the way it unfolds made me NEED to go to the next chapter to appreciate the emotional environment he lived in. In other words, I couldn't wait for his next call as much as Michael Phelps couldn't. As such, it becomes a real page turner. DAVID JANSSEN seemed enormously complex. I totally resented his calls to Mr. Phelps at any hour of the night. He unloaded his angst and really didn't want any of Mike's input on drinking, divorce, marriage, etc. On the other hand, his generosity and magnanimity was amazing. He truly had a blind spot with women, constantly making poor choices and not heading Mike's suspicions about their motives. His alcoholism was SAD but understandable. Ironically, having read his autopsy, smoking clearly accelerated his demise. I did not like "O'HARA" and even thought he was wooden in it. His choice of roles was up and down and not deserving of his greatness. I loved "ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH" and surprised it did nothing for his film career. Same for "WARNING SHOT". "HARRY O" was classic and Mr. Phelps' review of season One was great. The only problem I saw was some of the repetitive contents of the calls. As for me, like any good novel, I need to know the end. Mike, THANK YOU sincerely for allowing me to KNOW a man I have greatly admired for fifty years. Mr. Janssen would be proud of his drinking buddy." - - - Dr. Richard Peshkin, a loyal and dedicated fan, Boca Raton, Florida.

"I read DAVID JANSSEN-MY FUGITIVE by Ellie Janssen and Michael Phelps over fifteen years ago. I found that book somewhat informative in regards to Mr. Janssen's private life, but found it was mostly a biography of Ellie. Her affairs with Frank Sinatra and other men, her placing her daughters in boarding schools (which did not bode well with me) and her living her life in the spotlight that belonged to Mr. Janssen. Her book seemed to place every crack in their marriage solely upon David, his drinking and womanizing. Finally, after all these years, DAVID JANSSEN-Our Conversations, written by his non-Hollywood friend, Michael Phelps has given me a clear insight into the real DAVID JANSSEN, as he was off-screen. I clearly understand now, WHY he drank so much, and WHY he filed for a divorce from Ellie on their tenth wedding anniversary. It appears he was about to divorce his second wife when he met his untimely demise. I also understand why he appeared to age so rapidly in the last few years before his death. Alcohol and cigarettes does that to a human's body. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it made me feel like I knew DAVID JANSSEN personally, and now I understand my sorrow, not just at his death at the young age of 48, but how the women in his life made him, for the most part, miserable." - - - Margaret Bowers, a life-long fan, Beverly Hills, CA.

"DAVID JANSSEN-Our Conversations is a MUST READ for fans who followed DAVID JANSSEN from "Richard Diamond-Private Detective", "The Fugitive", "O'Hara-U. S. Treasury", "Harry O" and all his great feature film roles. This book gives fans a deeply intimate insight into DAVID JANSSEN'S innermost thoughts, his pain and suffering in his marital life, his fears regarding his career and what a solidly kind and compassionate man he truly was. So sad he was called home so young." - - - Leonard Stern, a "Fugitive" fan, Mt. Kisco, NY