Eternal Troubadour: The Improbable Life of Tiny Tim

Tiny Tim fans [as well as popular music aficionados] rejoice! At long last, THE book about all things Mr. Tim has arrived, and we are the richer for it.From his New York beginnings where the seeds of musical interest were planted by endless hours of listening to crooners from the turn of the [last] century to a long, hard climb up the success ladder in Hollywood and beyond to his final years of working and living in the mid-west, Mr. Martell and Ms. McDonald have exhaustively chronicled the life and times of the 'eternal troubadour,' as the late Martin Sharp called him.In one volume, the authors have gathered together the recollections of dozens of insiders, along with Tiny Tim's own unique perspective on his life and times.It is a journey through a short, fully lived life that I suspect will become THE source for the last word on the wonderful world of Tiny Tim.

I play ukulele. Inevitably people of a certain age will disdainfully look at me and mention Tiny Tim. I was aware that Tiny was not all that he appeared and at other times exactly what he appeared. Was he perhaps Asbergers before we had a term for it?This is an amazing account of his life, based on many author-conducted interviews, historic interviews and Tiny's own extensive diaries. The authori provides insights into the man that a single novelty record and a few odd appearances on laugh-in and talk shows can reveal.He reminds me of Ignatius Reilly from Confederacy of Dunces, my favorite novel. He was quixotic in his quest for a big comeback yet hoisted himself by his own petards at every turn.Whatever you may think of Tiny Tim, this is well worth a read. The understanding you will get is well worth the time. Well written and entertaining. RIP & God Bless Tiny Tim!

Tiny was loved by many. I believe Vickie truly cared for him. But, how can one untie a knot that his parents (mother) put in his mind through his younger years. His voice was so strong, his tenacity stronger. I believe he truly cared for women, but not the way a man loves his wife. He had a dream of love that didn't include sexual activity. He used rules to control what he could not offer to Vickie or Sue. He was the most complexed person I've ever met. And probably the smartest. His mind was amazing. A wonderful kind sweet man, who could not handle love ... he didn't die lonely, Sue did all she could to love and support him. Angels on earth tried, Angels in Heaven succeeded. Great book, although a few stories are alittle different than what actually happened. Love this book.

Incredibly detailed account. The author is clearly a true fanatic. Over 100 interviews, several years of diary entries are sourced, this is an exhaustive account. I personally liked the journalistic balance in which the biography was written. It was in a sort of cold, "just the facts, ma'am" manner, which I like. The author took no liberties as to his/her opinions. Most often, the only reflections are merely to observe from others' quotations who knew him.One thing I also appreciated, was that it seems as if equal balance was given to the entire life of Tiny Tim, whereas other biographies tend to focus on the juicy stuff and gloss over the rest of it. The fame of 1968 was, to me, not so much more interesting than the rest of his life, and I was glad that there was so much more comprehension going on after that throughout these pages. Eternal Troubador was definitely a page-turner, and is recommended for anyone with even a vague interest in Tiny Tim, outsiders, or anachronisms in general. The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was because there must've been around 3 dozen grammatical errors and typos, about 10 per 100 pages, even in passages regarding his death. Also, as Dr. Demento suggested, where's the index!?!?If you can get past that, you'd surely enjoy the book.

Justin Martell did a amazing job on this book. He deserves so much praise for all the work,research and interviews he did for the project. I came into the book cold Turkey not really knowing anything about Tiny Tim. Besides the Information and interviews that were on The Last Drive In. When they played Blood Harvest. The more I read this book the more fascinated and intreqed I came to wanting to know more about the enigma Tiny Tim was. The more I read the more I gained a apprection and respect for him. The book has so much in it. This could easily be turned into a movie or a Short Tv Series. So much info and interviews as well. So much behind the scenes and so much insight. I believe Eternal Troubadour the Improbable Life of Tiny Tim will be one of the books that will stand out as one of the greats. I can't wait to see more from Justin Martell.

Johnny Pineapple sez 'Aspergers syndrome' I never liked Mr Timmy Tim (as we call him) till i read his Obit in the NY Times "Tiny Tim, Singer; Flirted, Chastely, With Fame" I realized then he was the mother of all (hippy generation) Freaks. Nuttier than squirrel dropping, AND smarter than Encyclopedia Britannica.I was disappointed their weren't more story's from 'Mr Plym, Life as we knew it' -the only other serious work in Mr TT that Ive read (so far) I cant wait for the movie, based on this bok NARRATED by Weird Al ! Tiny Tim KING for a Day -Cheers.

Its good as far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough, because Tiny Tim's manager linked to both Cosa Nostra and the Kray Twins, as well as the birth of an LSD export business in London aimed at NYC. But NYC cops raided his manager's home and discovered codes hidden in record albums and then it was merely a matter of following the trail back to London. In the end Tiny Tim's manager ended up in a British prison where one of the Kray Twins beat him to a pulp, because he was a fellow inmate.

An in-depth appreciation of a true outsider artist who crashed the mainstream sensationally, piercing the hearts of 40 million viewers. Striving to stay true to his muse, his love of early 20thC American popular music, and struggling with the demons attendant on such stardom, Tiny wins our hearts with his sincerity.

Not finished reading it yet and dont want to finish it! Despite the criticism on typos! Thoroughly enjoying it. I just thought of Tiny as the singer, a unique insight into his life and rise to fame.

Absolutely fantastic account of the life of Tiny Tim. Full of incredibly candid insight into the enigma that was Herbert Khaury. Author Justin Martell does a fine job in this respectful portrait without sugar coating an already fairytale story of Tiny's enormous fame and the many pitfalls surrounding it. A must read for any music lover and avid fans alike. Highly recommended!

Feels a bit raw. There are more typos and mistakes than I would expect from a published book, but it's still such a brilliant collection of stories about such a wonderfully fascinating figure that I cannot give it any less than 5 stars. Perhaps, as a long-time Tiny Tim fan, I'm a little biased, but I am enjoying this more than any non-fiction book I've read in a very long time.