BOB HOPE: My Life in Jokes

Linda Hope, who assembled this volume, clearly understands her father, Bob, and that his life can best be told through his jokes. To read them is to know how he felt on personal and political issues, and their topical, satiric nature makes them more biographically relevant than old material from most other comedians. Linda opens the book with a brief summary of her dad's life (he will turn 100 next month). Ten sections follow chronologically, from Hope's childhood to the present. Cracking about his birth, "when the doctor slapped me, I thought it was applause," the comedian sets the stage for a self-portrait of a man who adored performing and making people laugh above all else. In his 20s, he spoofed early show business bookings, after which he describes meeting singer and future wife Dolores Reade as "love at first song." From this point, the legend grows increasingly familiar, with references to the Road pictures and Hope's first appearance, in 1939, hosting the Academy Awards. Considering the current political climate, his recurring tours entertaining troops through WWII and the Korean War are of particular interest ("I was offering time and laughs—the men and women fighting the war were offering up their lives"). Another line is a humorously accurate testament to Hope's longevity ("I've been with NBC so long. I was here when the peacock was just an egg"). The quality of the jokes range from gently amusing to side-splitting, mildly sharp but never mean-spirited. After reading them, it's easy to understand Hope saying he'd like to live his life all over again because "it's been a hell of a ride." Photos. (May)

Forecast:Given the mainstream media's current rage for supporting war and Hope's history as entertainer to the troops, this book could get lots of coverage from a nostalgic, patriotic angle.