Cosby: His Life and Times Hardcover – September 16, 2014

An Amazon Best Book of the Month, September 2014: Woody Allen famously said that only creators of serious works get to “sit at the grown-ups’ table.” Comedians, in his self-loathing view, were childish, lesser, not to be respected. Perhaps one of the greatest achievements of Mark Whitaker’s Cosby is how forcefully it disproves that notion. According to this detailed and generous account, Bill Cosby, for all his goofy faces, physical comedy, and earnest philosophizing, has done more to change cultural attitudes than just about any “serious” actor ever could. Whether at a Greenwich Village club that also showcased Bob Dylan, or on the beloved 1960s TV show, I Spy, or on his wildly successful eponymous sitcom (1984-92), Bill Cosby became what Whitaker calls entertainment’s Jackie Robinson, smashing racial barriers, teaching hard truths to the black community, leading the way. (Comics as diverse as Richard Pryor and Jerry Seinfeld have acknowledged their debt to Cosby.) Whitaker dutifully takes us through Cosby’s life, from his youth in the Philadelphia projects, through his years at Temple University on a track scholarship, to unimaginable financial success and fame, to the tragic death of his only son and the complications of his 50+ year marriage to the elegant and stalwart Camille Cosby. But if some of the less savory parts of his history—the alleged womanizing and perfectionist temper tantrums—are a bit glossed over, the portrait that emerges here is of a guy who has worked tirelessly and earnestly to change the race conversation in this country, one silly bit at a time. – Sara Nelson

“Whenever I think of why my life as a comedian happened, the first name I think of is Bill Cosby. I know certain religions forbid idol worship. If anyone ever told me I had to stop idolizing Bill Cosby, I would say, ‘Sorry, but I’m out of this religion.’ So if you want to join the Religion of Cosby, as I did back in 1966, Mark Whitaker’s wonderful new book would be our Bible.” (Jerry Seinfeld)

“Cosby always makes things look so easy. This compelling book tells us it wasn’t always so. A revealing, honest look at my favorite comedian.” (Billy Crystal)

“If I was America’s ‘sweetheart’—turning the world on with a smile—then Bill Cosby was and still is our ‘best man.’ In his masterly telling of a great storyteller’s story, Mark Whitaker reminds us why we all love Bill Cosby.” (Mary Tyler Moore)

“Mark Whitaker has written a terrific book about one of America’s greatest cultural heroes. Comprehensive and compelling, by turns moving and hilarious, Cosby brings powerfully to life the story of the most influential comedian of our times.” (Stephen L. Carter)

“Mark Whitaker’s take on Bill Cosby is intimate, revealing, generous, and honest. He does what the best biographers do—fuses historical fact with the narrative of a fine novel and polishes everything with an objective eye. This is the biography Cosby so richly deserves.” (Bob Spitz)

“Bill Cosby has contributed more to comedy, television, education and humanitarian causes than any person I know. Actually any hundred people I know. And he’s still funny. It’s really not fair.” (Dave Letterman)

“Bill Cosby is a modern American troubadour, a griot and a comic genius. This revealing book evokes the world that inspired his artistry, tells us how much it has cost him and makes us grateful that he has been willing to pay the price.” (Wynton Marsalis)

“A smart, revealing biography of an iconic American funnyman. . . . A fascinating look at a complicated genius.” (People)

“Whitaker’s wonderfully thorough biography of America’s most accom­plished comedian provides context and depth as he analyzes Bill Cosby’s work.” (New York Times Book Review)

Fluid, admiring, packed with detail and anecdotes.” (Wall Street Journal)

“Invaluable . . . Whitaker makes a convincing argument that issues of race and politics have preoccupied Cosby throughout his life.” (New Yorker)

“Whitaker’s clear-eyed, fair-minded and deftly written book takes up all the momentous stops of Cosby’s life’s journey . . . by allowing us to see Cosby’s tumultuous life in full, Whitaker’s book makes it possible to imagine Bill Cosby being regarded as one of the first prophets of what optimists of all colors believe will someday be a “post-racial America.” (USA TODAY)

“Absorbing . . . makes a persuasive case for Cosby as a groundbreaking comic and a quiet but far-ranging pioneer of black advancement.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Readable, thoughtful life of the brilliant comedian and . . . an eye-opening book and a pleasure to read.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“Provides an in-depth look at the triumphs and tragedies of a man who has kept America laughing for decades.” (New York Daily News)

“This is a compelling look at a man who has had a major impact on American race relations and television and whose “Cosby effect” helped prime the nation for its first black president.” (Booklist (starred review))

“An insightful, well-researched exploration . . . a generous portrayal of a complicated yet ultimately compassionate man.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Editor’s Picks (Ebony)

“Written with the entertainer’s cooperation, it is admiring but not fawning, honest but not lancing, with a narrative drive that matches the soaring arc of Cosby’s career . . . [Whitaker] has a masterly command of detail . . . a must-read for the comedian’s fans, and a book that will reward anyone interested in comedy, television or the wellsprings of popular culture.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

“A solid, well-researched reminder of Cosby’s impact on the pop-culture landscape.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

“Cosby: His Life and Times tells a quintessentially American tale of adversity and triumph, influence, betrayal and—yes—lots and lots of laughter.” (Boston Globe)

“The book is at its strongest when the author puts Cosby’s comedy and to education into a broad social and cultural context.” (Washington Post)