We loved Don Rickles. I grew up watching him with my parents and grandmother. I am so glad I read this book because it really told his life story not just the crass public story.

Don Rickles: Merchant of Venom was a great read by Michael Seth Starr. Don Rickles is considered to be the world's greatest insult comic. He was an honorary Rat Pack member who defied political correctness. He was an equal opportunity comedy roaster who would skewer presidents, royalty, celebrities, friends and fans. Thsi book brings you from the rise of his career in the 1950s to the late in life resurgence from the Toy Story franchise. His career included film, television and stage. I enjoyed reading this book and cant wait to read more by the author.

I really didn't enjoy this story very much. I was expecting a little more humor but it was a little bland.

Don Rickles was such an interesting person, and so funny! This is a pretty good biography of him, but for someone with such a storied career, I just wish it was longer. Starr did touch on all the important parts, but I still wanted more. I would recommend this to someone that wanted to get a general overview of Rickles, not sure how well it would be received by a huge fan.

I requested this book hoping it would be funny and maybe include some historical background, but I found myself bored. The author reports on different stages of Rickles' life, but rarely offers more than a "by the way" about the historical context. It's clear the author is a big fan of Rickles and I wish he had interrogated what shaped rickles into the man he was, rather than offering a pretty bland blow-by-blow.

Such a great book about a great entertainer. Get this for all your family and friends who love the golden era of entertainment.

The audiobook really adds flare and is fitting for the funny man that Don was.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook about Don Rickles. It was interesting to hear about what entertainment was like and how comedians worked, where they worked and how they became famous.

I enjoyed this biography of the life and career of comedian Don Rickles. He was known as what we would call now an "insult comic:", someone whose style is to insult those in the audience in a funny way. Rickles also worked in movies and television to some success. He had a a close relationship with Frank Sinatra and spent some time in Las Vegas entertaining. I was surprised to hear that Rickles performed a few towns down from me at least 3 times over the years, as an actor in the first run of "The Odd Couple" and also as a comedian. The narrator was pretty good - the voice didn't take anything away from this story, which can happen with audiobooks. Though he had some questionable racist tendencies, I was interested in hearing more about the time period that Rickles was coming up as an entertainer and of his career itself.

A wonderful in depth biography about the perceived meanest man in comedy. Surprise! He was one of the kindest most loving people and revered by those who knew and loved him. He was an entrepreneur, actor, a comedian, a family man, a friend, a mentor and so much more. On stage, he had a viper like tongue. Off stage, a true kind gentleman who made the world a better place. A great listen.

Are you a fan of Don Rickles? If so, then you should definitely read or listen to this book. This is the first comprehensive look at the man as a whole, not just his career as a comic. This was at times touching, at times hilarious, but all together a wonderful book and look at this wonderful human.

Don Rickels legendary career lasted over 60 years. He was a comic, husband and father. His no-holds bar comedy addressed things that should have offended everyone. He was friends with Johnny Carson, Bob Newhart and Frank Sinatra.

I enjoyed this audio. It was an in depth look at his life. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but he was a sweetheart in life, which I found fascinating considering his comedy insulted everyone and they laughed while he offended them.

This audiobook is well-narrated by Johnny Heller.

This is a professional biography of the seminal insult comic and auxiliary member of the Sinatra-led Rat Pack. He rose to fame and notoriety at a time when Las Vegas was smaller and seedier, so the story of that Mob-tinged period of Sin City is highlighted here, as well as the nightclub scene of the time. Rickles is seen to try and balance a lucrative if controversial career at the nightclub mic while put time and energy into his first dream of being a movie star which was largely frustrated by incorrect roles, bad choices, and difficulty moving from improvisation or memorizing lines. Another two-fold aspect of his life explored here is a kind, generous nature offstage of a family man devoted to his mother. Working to the very end and finding fame as Mr. Potato Head across four Toy Story films, it feels from this telling that Rickles high level of skills applied in a way not to survive contact with an oncoming train of political correctness is a time capsule and will not be repeated.

Love the title and love the narrator who really brings the words to life. I can see the Jewish section of Queens where he grew up, the Las Vegas, Florida, and upstate New York comedy circuits, and the Los Angeles movie / TV areas. I admit I loved the early years the best — I love hearing about New York in the 30s to 50s where his mom was the “Jewish Patton” and he got his start as THE insult comic who could get the bigwigs to come back to his show to get roasted again and again.

Well written in the clear and humorous style that befits its subject.

A Who's Who crossed with running history of the entertainment industry from the 1950s to the 1990s. We also see his humble beginnings, climb to fame, and painful times along the way. The narrator's raspy voice recounts various highlights of the great comic's life and connections to history along the way. Biographies aren't my usual wheelhouse, but this one sucked me in with all the connections this veteran had to the rest of the entertainment world.

I enjoyed this look back at one of the greatest comedians of the modern era. Since I only got to see part of Mr. Rickles' career, it was interesting seeing what he had to go through to earn his status as the greatest insult comic of all time. While there was the obligatory name dropping involved in this type of project, it was interspersed with enough storytelling that it didn't feel overwhelming or distracting.

As far as the audiobook, I have always liked Johnny Heller as a narrator. However, Mr. Heller did mispronounce several celebrity's names - Chevy Chase, Gavin MacLeod, and McLean Stevenson. Since I listened to an ARC audiobook, hopefully it will be corrected before the final version is released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was an okay read for me. I will admit that at the beginning of this book I didn't know much about Don Rickles and this book corrected that problem for me.

This was a highly informative book that did a great job detailing Rickles' life and the comedians of his era. It also did a great job describing the trials and tribulations that he experienced on his rise to fame.

My only issue with this book was that where it was informative, it also in places read like a history book. Other than that, it was a good read that I would recommend to others.

Thank you for providing me an advanced copy of the audiobook o”Don Rickles” in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to the story and leave my review voluntarily.