Arts and Entertainment Books

If you are an opera fan, you will probably enjoy a lot of the behind the scenes anecdotes in this book. Most interesting for me were the parts that discuss working with high-maintenance divas and conductors (especially Karajan). There is also a very disturbing section about a stalker who followed Nilsson around the world for 9 years.

There are also many paragraphs of the form "In 19xx I performed such-and-such opera in such-and-such theatre alongside so-and-so who was a wonderful singer and so-and-so who was really good on stage etc etc." These get kind of boring --- except in those cases when the performers played practical jokes on each other. Because of the boring parts, I found it a little hard to motivate myself to read through the whole book, but there are a lot of good stories in there.

Nilsson fans will also appreciate the discography. She was an awesome singer.

This autobiography by Birgit Nilsson was originally published in Swedish in 1995 and in German two years later. This 2007 English translation of the German edition is by Doris Jung Popper, an American who was herself a former Wagnerian singer in Europe. It is for the most part in graceful, witty and seamless prose which catches the informal and down-to-earth way Nilsson spoke. We are taken from Nilsson's life as a farm girl in Sweden through her discovery locally, her schooling in Stockholm, her first breakthrough there and then internationally and her acclaim as the greatest Wagnerian soprano since Kirsten Flagstad. We get backstage stories about performances in New York, Milan, Stockholm, Vienna, London and, of course, Bayreuth. We read about her long happy marriage to Bertil Niklasson, a veterinarian. She shares funny and warm stories about her colleagues, not sparing those with whom she crossed swords -- most notably Rudolf Bing and, much more so, Herbert von Karajan, for whom she is particularly disdainful while admitting that he could draw magnificent music from his performers. She relates the details of her having to deal with her stalker, Miss N., a story well-known in opera circles but which may come as a surprise to some readers. One senses that Nilsson withholds some details in the interest of sparing the feelings of some opera world luminaries who are still with us. This reflects positively on her genuine concern for the feelings of others but might disappoint those who are looking for 'dirt.' There is a discography and a detailed chart outlining events in her life, as well as a compendious index. As well, there are over 60 black-and-white photographs from all periods of her life.

Warmly recommended.

Scott Morrison

This is a wonderfully entertaining read about a thoroughly gracious and unexpectedly humorous lady. I knew that she reportedly had a lively sense of humor, and this book chronicles that fact. It is especially nice to know that this book was not "ghost written," but was just translated from the Swedish.

At last an English translation of this wonderful biography. It is written by Ms. Nilsson herself - no ghost writer here. It is translated from the German edition, not the Swedish one. It also exists a Danish translation. In both the German and English translations some short episodes are deleted. The original Swedish version also exists as a talking book, with Ms. Nilsson herself speaking. The book is filled with lots of interesting details from one of the most spectacular careers ever on the international opera scene. Behind every word you can feel the sympathy and warmth of a really great but also earthbound star with great intelligence and - a great hearth. When famous film director Ingmar Bergman read these memoirs he tells in an interview that he had never laughed so much and so often when reading a memoir before. That says a lot. A must for all opera fans.

I was never privileged to meet or know Madame Nilsson personally, but her memoir, _La Nilsson: My Life in Opera_ makes me wish I could! She was a bright spot in the world and her death in late 2005 was a huge loss. I have certainly been an admirer of both her singing and of the woman herself for many years. I do own her earlier book, _My Memoirs In Picures_, which is largely a wonderful collection of photographs from her life and career, and whetted my appetite to know more about her. If you can find a copy, I recommend that book as strongly as I recommend this longer memoir.

That appetite has been mostly--if not completely--satisfied by La Nilsson, an easy, accessible and "can't-put-it-down" fascinating account of her life. This book is just what I would expect of Birgit Nilsson, unpretentious, friendly and conversational in tone, but awe-inspiring in terms of her artistry and long career; her great accumulation of knowledge and experience, and about comic moments onstage and off that made me laugh out loud. Some of the funniest of these deal with language barriers, and the difficulties of correctly interpreting foreign musical terms that were misheard, or misunderstood. She is never mean in spirit, although she doesn't sugarcoat her personal difficulties with von Karajan, and sometimes with Karl Bohm, and Rudolf Bing. But in all cases, she writes in detail about what she admired about them, too. She gave as good as she got in the area of verbal self-defense.

She writes warmly about all her many long-time friends and colleagues on the operatic stage, most notably Wolfgang Windgassen, Set Svanholm, Jon Vickers, Astrid Varnay, Leonie Rysanek, and Hans Hotter. She was a trouper through some harrowing experiences, and while she did not put up with a lack of professional consideration from anyone, she did not just wilfully indulge in "temperamental diva" behavior. No wonder so many of her colleagues loved and respected her!

Madame Nilsson also writes about her parents and her beloved husband, Bertil Niklasson, with great warmth, although she doesn't gloss over some of her frustrations with both parents during her childhood and adolescence. The twelve years she had to deal with her stalker, Miss N. filled me with sympathetic dismay, as I had no idea Madame Nilsson had had to endure that persistent, threatening intrusion into her life.

I highly recommend this memoir to any admirer of Madame Nilsson's in particular and of any interested opera fan in general for the insight into the career of one of the great singers of the 20th century in her own, very witty words.

Melissa Houle

Great book. A total insight to the tribute band world. The author uncovers all the good and the bad, and doesn't sugar coat anything. He also delves into the psychology of this scene which is great. The highlight of this book is when he mentions my band, "1988," in chapter three! (along with about 150 other bands!)

Yes, rock and roll, much like the priesthood, tends to weed out all but the most hardy and dedicated. If you have ever taken a serious whack at the game, then you owe it to yourself to read this book. You'll laugh, you'll cry... Well, okay, you won't cry, but you'll certainly identify with the ups and downs, triumphs, failures, dysfunctions, stresses, joys, and fiascoes that are a part of that life. And if you threw in the towel a long time ago, you might just pat yourself on the back.

There are a lot of books about famous rock bands, but not too many that describe what it's like to be an average working musician, whether in a tribute band or not. The "tribute band" aspect lends an extra degree of absurdity to the whole business, especially today, when rock seems to be going through another one of its periodic death throes. (Believe it or not, a lot of us thought rock died around 1975. Shortly thereafter, disco was declared dead. Then punk also kicked the bucket. Remarkably, they all keep going.)

Among musicians there has always been a divide between the "cover band" types and the "original" types. This is even more pronounced when it comes to "tribute bands." There are those who find the concept repulsive, while others take a pragmatic view: "Hey, if you can play music and make money, why not? Beats digging ditches."

Well, maybe not. Rock and roll is sometimes incredibly hard work. A passage from the book summarizes things: "The members of Sticky Fingers and the Blushing Brides faced near poverty, small crowds, exhausting cross-country drives, and indifference from their peers and the world at large, in exchange for a few dollars and the chance to be onstage for a few hours."

Still, a good gig in front of an enthusiastic (albeit drunk) crowd is one of life's greatest highs, so that keeps these guys going.

Nevertheless, there is something unsettling about middle-aged men putting on wigs and doing impersonations of aging rock stars. A couple buddies and I could have formed a killer Elvis Costello tribute band back in the 1980s, but I'm not sure I'd want to be doing that now. You have to wonder how long the phenomenon will go on. Will it end with the last of the baby-boomers? Or will the nostalgia of the future involve aging hip-hop wannabes doing impersonations of Snoop Dogg? Stay tuned.

In the meantime, all you old school rock 'n' rollers and other aspirants to fame and fortune should get yourself a copy of this book. You're guaranteed to get a kick out of it and maybe even pick up some tips. It's a fast and fun read.

Steven Kurutz is a first class writer who can weave a fascinating tale about a long misunderstood facet of American society: the tribute band. Anyone who has any desire to learn the machinations of this particular pop culture phenomenom would be well served by reading this book!

I picked up this book over the weekend and could not put it down until I was finished. Author Steven Kurutz captures "the sights, the sounds, the smells, of a hard-working rock band on the road" to quote "This Is Spinal Tap", with both hilarious and sometimes pathetic outcomes.

In the book, Kurutz travels cross country with two leading Stones trib bands, Sticky Fingers and Blushing Brides, and in documenting the highs and (very) lows, he manages to capture the humanity in what is becoming a dying industry - Live Music.

While reading this book one realizes that both Maurice Raymond and Glen Carroll (the Brides' and Fingers' Micks, respectively) are doing their thing not only because they crave the attention of being a faux Mick Jagger, but because they genuinely love the music of the Rolling Stones, even if it is being played to a handful of people in a dive bar.

And that being said, which is more rock and roll to you: A drunk singer shouting over too loud guitars to 50 sweaty drunks, or 100,000 people at the EnormoDome who paid $300 to watch the Stones on the JumboTron?

I choose the former.

If you're gonna buy one book on rock and roll this year, this is it!

Kurutz loves his rock and roll, and LIKE A ROLLING STONE revels in the good ol' days when rock was king and musicians drank and did drugs like there was no tomorrow. His affection for rock shows through in every line, and before you know it you're right there in the van with Sticky Fingers, the east coast's most popular Stones tribute band. In one way or another it's been around since the 1970s, and its present leader, Glen Carroll, is an irresistible subject, sort of like the Falstaff of the tribute world. Yes, he drinks too much and yes, he's a liar, and no, he's not really a good singer, but Kurutz' writing is so persuasive I wanted the book to come with a DVD so I could see Sticky Fingers in action at one of the rundown nightclubs or frat houses they're booked to entertain in.

Sometimes it's life at the top, but more often Sticky Fingers' erratic financing make for tensions within the band. All of this is really intriguing, but the problem is of course, that it's really not enough material to make a book out of, and one gets the feeling Kurutz did all this research and then halfway through realized he had enough for a great magazine article, but that he was going to have to add more storylines if he wanted to get a book out of it. Thus we go back in time and meet with the original tribute band, the Broadway cast of "Beatlemania." Thus we go on the road with a second Stones tribute band, the damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't Blushing Brides from Canada. Thus we are introduced to other sorts of tribute bands including some with real success stories, Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) which does the Grateful Dead, and ZoSo, the "ultimate Led Zeppelin experience." And in doing so, the focus of the book inevitably shifts away from Glen Collins and it becomes more about hardcore dollars and cents.

The cash nexus is never far from concern, yet what makes these tribute bands so endearing is that these guys aren't in it for the money--no, not really--they're doing something because they love it. And don't let me forget, also because evil life has got them in its sway.

The Queen of the Nile will soon be battling for historical significance with the Queen of Pop very soon. A unique take on the influence of Madonna beyond just hit records to a whole social expression that inspired other artists, feminism, and what it means to be an ambitious woman without apology.

Like so many, I find Madonna interesting. And I agree with the positive reviews of this book -- I really like it. The unique contribution here is the way the author discusses Madonna in ways that make "postmodern" an interesting, understandable, ans useful concept. And believe me, I am no fan of academic writing of or about the posrmodern. But this book can be highly and widely recommended.

Madonna:alot can be said about Her but Boring isn't one of them.thsi Book Explores the Many things that relate too the Artist&personna that is Madonna.this Book is Challenging&also puts Madonna into a Complete Perspective from start too finish.just like the Woman Herself it will keep you wondering more&what lays around the Corner.

In this book GC Guilbert shows how absolutely everything Madonna has ever done is packed with clever references. He doesn't mean that she's a plagiarist, far from it: she just uses her vast knowledge of (popular) culture, in a "postmodern" way. A fascinating read.

At last a book about Madonna that can be enjoyed by academics AND fans. There have been two or three collections of highbrow essays by various university eggheads that were a bit too hermetic. "Madonna as Postmodern Myth" is "intellectual" but crystal clear.The subtitle pretty much sums it up: Georges-Claude Guilbert does show the way the diva "rewrites" just about everything -- always cleverly -- and especially old Hollywood stars. Besides, it's a very feminist book, but a sexy feminist book (yes, it is possible). I'm sure every Cultural Studies professor is going to want to read it, as well as every Madonna fan who's ever wondered why it is exactly that makes her / him adore the "self-constructed" star, beyond the obvious: she's unique.

If you've read all their interviews you probably have read the book in its entirety. Still, I think it's worth a read--it arranges the quotes in sections which keep the quotes related. And it contains the sentences that you may have missed buried in a hefty paragraph, but which spring out on you when they are isolated on the page. A great book.

This book is simply a collection of quotes from the Manics.If you`re a fan you will love reading the toughts and theories of Nicky, James, Richey & Sean at their very best.If you`re not a fan, why not?

This book is simply a collection of quotes from the Manics.If you`re a fan you will love reading the toughts and theories of Nicky, James, Richey & Sean at their very best.If you`re not a fan, why not?

This book is simply a collection of quotes from the Manics.If you`re a fan you will love reading the toughts and theories of Nicky, James, Richey & Sean at their very best.If you`re not a fan, why not?

Your standard compilation of quotes from the boys. Especially apt for the Manics considering Nicky's big mouth, wee Sean's bitter take on everything and James' frankness. Very few bands merit a collection of "dumb-things-we-said-to-the-press" book, but MSP do.

One would not think that a book on Marilyn Monroe by Gloria Steinem could be any good. However, this book is that and more. A picture book published in 1986, with photogrphS by George Baris, both the text and the pictures are quite good. That is a rare combination. The pictures were taken in summer, 1962 by George Barris and continue all through the book. These pictures were never shown in close to their entirety before, so that was the main reason for the existence of this book. The photographs, especially the beach ones, are some of the best ever taken of Marilyn, looking relaxed and very girlish in the last summer of her life. She does not look like she had any problems at all, much less the ones she had. The photographs did need a showcase, and this book is a more than adequate one.

The text is surpisingly good for something that was written expressly for a photo book. Usually, in those cases, the text is neither good nore relevant. Mariyln Monroe and Gloria Steinem are an unlikely combination, but that does not mean that it diod not work. It did-fabulously. Gloria Steinem does a insightful job oif writing about Marilyn's life, and who she was. Gloria Steinem, although the queen of feminists, is not overbearing here. Marilyn Monroe was no feminist, but Gloria Steinem recognizes that, and interprets Marilyn Monroe from a feminist viewpoint without going overboard. She could so easily have overdone things as Mailer did in his book. This is Marilyn in a different light, but one that suits her. The comments are enjoyable to someone who is not remotely intetested in anything feminist. This is a good book, not just a curiosity that raises eyebrows.

i loved this book "marilyn " because of the most beautiful pictures of marilyn, these pictures were the last pictures ever taken of marilyn and they show the real true beautiful person and that is norma jeane and the glamor beautiful star marilyn monroe. these pictures show two people one the shy , beautiful, loveable, true, norma jeane and the funny , glamor, beautiful, free, loving marilyn monroe, but it really shows the true norma jeane in these pictures. this book is for the marilyn fans like me, but i am more than a fan of marilyn's , marilyn is my idol my icon and she is real . i reccomened this book to whoever loves marilyn. this is a collectible. what i did not like about this book is the author gloria she says marilyn had killed herself, which i DO NOT BELIEVE , which i beleive is not true, but i ignored that , but the pictures are amazing.

This is a beautiful photo expose' of Marilyn just six short weeks of her tragic and untimely death. As the first reader/reviewer has stated, this book was written with references to the stars' sexual abuse and family history, which lead to her emotional problems dating from adolescence. Gloria Steinem wrote this work without any 'bias' to this movie legend. I found her writing to be sensitive and understanding throughout. George Barris' photographs are as beautiful and will forever be timeless images of this very remarkable screen star of the 20th century throughout the next millenium. This book should be considered a "must have" for the Monroe fan and collector.

Gloria Steinem explores Marilyn's life through an empathic and feminist perspective in one of my favorite Monroe biographies. Ms. Steinem respectfully addresses the Marilyn's life within the context of her era and retrospectively. She also addresses the impact of Marilyn's childhood sexual abuse and family history on her functioning. Marilyn would likely be proud of this intelligent, compassionate, historical and cultural treatment. I place this book in league with biographies by Carl Rollyson, Graham McCann and Fred Lawrence Guiles. Of course, the timeless photographic images by George Barris accompanying the brilliant text are refreshing, delightful and touching. Steinem truly strives to understand Marilyn, celebrate her strengths and re-evaluate her for our times. Marilyn seems "to speak" through Steinem's insights and in Barris' photographs.

Having recently read the axe-grinding Marilyn Monroe "biography" by Ted Jordan, finding this gem by Gloria Steinem (with beautiful photograhps by George Barris) was such a relief. Whether kind or unkind, most Marilyn biographers are men; it makes sense that a woman (and a feminist) would have a much different understanding of her. Steinem pays much attention to the remaining Norma Jeane personality in the grown Marilyn, a little girl who was abandoned, abused, shuffled between the orphanage and foster homes, and married off at 16. This, Steinem writes, explains much of Marilyn's troublesome behavior: she still had the insecurities of Norma Jeane, but tried to get the love she needed by being the sex symbol Marilyn.

This larger sized paperback is split into chapters, for example: "Norma Jeane," about her childhood and background, and "Work and Money, Sex and Politics" about Marilyn's battles with the Studio, her marriages, and her affairs with powerful men. Each chapter is a complete essay unto itself. And the accompanying photographs, most taken by George Barris the month before her death, show a natural, cavorting, and thoughtful Marilyn at 36 years old.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone curious about the REAL Marilyn Monroe. In truth, she had many realities, but I think that Gloria Steinem captures the most important one.

I am also one of the few to own this very special final tribute to Marilyn Monroe. It sort of makes you feel as you were there as one of the mourners marking the tragic passing of this great screen legend and all too misunderstood human being. This is a perfect and tasteful tribute that Marilyn so richly deserves.

She was known personally to some as a kind hearted soul in search of the most basic things in life, such as love and acceptance. Marilyn could never have imagined the lasting effect she has had on the world almost 50 years later. A great Hollywood star and sex symbol yet, it is the fragile and all too human person underneath the makes us still care today. For any serious Marilyn fan or collector this book is a must have.

I own this book in uncirculated condition. I read it once and put it back into the box. This book will be extremely valuable in the years to come due to the extraordinarily few copies produced. I just put it away in my collection so it can remain in the same condition (new) as I acquired it. When I am old and gray I will put it up on EBAY and fund my retirement.

Scott K. Dolik

This is not just a book, it is a document! Also a testify to quiet this woman who claims to have been at Marilyn Monroe's funeral! Her name is June DiMaggio and she is nowhere seen in the well known group of mourners! Thank you so much, Mr. Wiener!You spoke from beyond, and helped me in defending the legend! You surely had respect and admiration for Miss Monroe. I read this in your preword. I look at your book each August 5th and feel as I am there. Your amazing photos speak louder than a fast and fake story, made up and printed in the Playboy! Highly recommended and worth each $ !!!
Mark Bellinghaus (...)

This is a rare book, only 275 of us can hold it... I think this is a perfect book, because the autor is respecting her model until the end. Don't think about finding some photos of MM dead body. You will only find pictures for the serious Marilyn Monroe collector. Nothing sensational, just a way to follow her a last time.

I found this book unique not only when I first reviewed and decided on purchasing it for my extensive Marilyn Monroe library collection, but, for its' contents. Basically, the way the book was arranged chronologically through each step by step event on Monroe's funeral procession. You see the uniformed officers (who are later to be identified as "Pinkerton" detective agency guards) that were instructed by Joe DiMaggio to prevent any people (who were not invited by DiMaggio and Monroe's Step-sister, Bernice Miracle from entering the cemetery during Monroe's funeral). The book is well illustrated, and unlike most of the other Marilyn Monroe books that I have, due to its' subject matter has a tendency towards the morose. Again, this book is very unique and will not be something that one can easily review and shelve away. I really got a sad and seriousness about it after reading and carefully reviewing it. The reader will also get a glimpse of "Monroe" in the morgue. However, the photographer, "Leigh Weiner" states that he did have the opportunity of photographing the "late" star's nude body on the marble slab but reserved and maintained a true respect for her by not including and publishing her photos in her final state of death. In closing, this book is and should be considered the final closing chapter in the tragically short lived career of the most unappreciated, envied, loved and missed movie legend of the 20th and without a doubt through the 21st century.

Memories For Maggie, is a real eye opener for America. Maggie's love for grunts, her willingness to let no obstacle stand in her way to acheive her own personal goal, "Take America to our servicemen and women on the battlefield, touch them with real love and let them know that America is proud of them" has reduced me to tears of joy and compassion. America has lost a a most valued treasure. Col. Maggie has made me proud to have been an Americian soldier, to have served my country overseas during the Vietnam War. I have but one regret, I did not meet her, nor see her perform, but I feel that I have known Maggie for a very long time

Noonie Fortin deserves a standing ovation for her wonderful book about a great American woman and patriot. Sincerely, Diana Dell, author, "A Saigon Party: And Other Vietnam War Short Stories."

Martha Raye fans will love this book. It's written in an easy to read style with a good balance of narration and dialog. I really didn't know very much about Martha Raye before I read Fortin's book. Now I feel as though I've known her personally. But the best compliment I think I can give this book is that when my husband, a Viet Nam veteran, saw what I was reading, he smiled and said, "Well, someone finally wrote about Martha Raye!" He was thrilled--as I'm sure other veterans are. He read the book and loved it. Fortin tells how this woman touched our American soliders. I'd recommend it for any adult or young person and think it would make a great addition to school and public libraries. Fortin is to be commended not just on her writing but her research.

Noonie Fortin is more than just an author--she is a gifted writer. She has captured the very essence of one of America's great unknown icons. When I say "unknown" I mean only to the non-military world; because those of us veterans who served in WWII, Korea or Vietnam knew her from her personal trips to battle fields around the globe. In Noonie's book, "Memories of Maggie--Martha Raye: A Legend Spanning Three Wars," she writes a moving tribute bio on someone I was once on stage with in Phu Loi, South Vietnam (in the spring of 1967). I know from my personal experience the warmth and care she gave and showed was genuine and not for any publicity photos or media attention.

Much of Fortin's book was used for a TV movie about Raye's life. It is a book that inspires and captures moments from a distant past when entertainers didn't protest wars and policy publicly but gave their time and energies to supporting the troops.

This was such a wonderful book to read that I have been asked to share my personal copy with several dozen nurses and friends. (I would advice you to buy your own copy and help the author!)

A book for all ages to read; it is entertaining and informative. When you put it down you will understand much more about why so many of us veterans loved this woman. The author does her memory proud as she presents a good view on the life and times of Maggie.

A must read. Given the MWSA highest rating!

Noonie wrote the book about Colonel Maggie that I once hoped I could have written, but could never have applied the dedication and skill that the author brought to the project. I'm glad I could be included in the book, both in text and photo, because it keeps me linked with this special, complex, unique lady who so influenced by life. My respect for her knows no bounds, and she will always be in my heart. Thanks, Noonie. Bruce Jones of Modesto, CA; Saigon Military Intelligence, 1967-1968; author of "War Without Windows" Vanguard Press and Berkley Publishing Group.

It's lovely to look at pictures of Morrissey online, but the experience is enhanced ten-fold when holding the photographs in your hands. Much credit to Sterling for capturing Morrissey's essence.

This book is really great if you are somebody who is really into Morrissey--or even if you have just a slight interest.You get to see the hard work of touring the world which is normally kept behind the hard-to-reach gates of backstage.A great book for anyone with ANY interest in the world of Moz.

After gazing at countless photographs of Morrissey, I still get that magical mysterious feeling whenever I see pictures of him. This book is definitely a must have. The world still won't listen.

This is a great book for those who not only enjoy Morrissey's music and songwriting, but who also like to look at him ;) Linder Sterling is an excellent black and white photographer who chose the Kill Uncle Tour- a prime time indeed- to showcase her work with him.

Linder Sterling, long-time companion of Morrissey, has here collected all her photographs of the star in question, all ranging from the time with The Smiths to his solo career. The photographs display Morrissey in different moods, all ranging from his superficial superstar egocentrecity to his extremely introverted vunerable self. A great book for the fans, or just people studying photography.

I don't have this book yet but I've read the excerpts...

I truly love Barry and Barbara also. I've always loved Barbara, ever since I was a little girl, I wanted her to be my sister. I've always thought that she's just as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. It truly shows...

Heh heh, and Barry could be my brother. I love Barry's writing. It's personal and friendly, the feeling I get from it is that he's a very nice man. I love his voice also, as well as his acting. He is multi-talented...

Barbara definitely is BELOVED (and Barry too)...

I'm a fan, always have been. And hey! People may find it hard to believe, but I don't even have a single one of Barbara's movies or albums!

I was very poor and never could afford to buy much of anything (except for food, well actually, I always have bought lots of books). Recently though, my financial situation has changed (I'm very happy to say) and I plan on rectifying my dismal lack of a collection, having recently also purchased an absolutely awesome stereo system (finally)...

And I plan on buying Barry's book too!

P.S. I just can't finish this without adding that Barry was the best Pilate that there ever was...

Being a Barbra Streisand fan, I loved how the book gave you a glimpse into her past, from an insider, it felt like I was really there experiencing it all with her! The best book I've ever read is "My Life with Barbra"

There have been many Streisand biographies. She's accomplished so much in her life. Barry Dennen's sweet book MY LIFE WITH BARBRA is a slice of Streisand's life. It's also a snap shot of Mr. Dennen's life and contains many personal details about him. Dennen tells a good story and has an ear for dialogue. Of course, there is no way Dennen could remember the conversations he quotes verbatim - but I don't think he claims to. Rather, his book is a sort of "misty, water-colored" memory of the days in Manhattan with Barbra Streisand. He catches Streisand's cadences very well, though.

It's nice to hear about Streisand from someone who knew her personally. Everything I've always suspected was true - at least in her early career. Barbra was sweet and tough, ignorant and brilliant, self-absorbed and giving. She was very taken with her "look" and it's interesting to read about how she concentrated on her makeup and clothes so much.

The most fascinating part of the book is Dennen's recollections of some phone calls from the "adult" Barbra in 1992 and 1997. We see Barbra as we suspect she is: a little burdened with stardom; obsessed with the truth and trying to control how others tell it.

This book is great! At the end, I was most impressed that, despite the years that lapsed between Dennen and Streisand's love affair and friendship, Streisand still kept in touch. I suspect she is a loyal friend, despite her eccentricities.

I found this book to be very enjoyable. I have long been a Streisand fan and have read many of her biographies, but this one, I would have to say is one of the best. Dennen takes us thru Barbra's early years, when she was just starting out as an actress, and describes his part in pushing her toward being the greatest singer of our times. This book is very sweet and I definately recomend it to any Barbra fan.

My Life with Barbra is an absolute must for anyone interested. No other book written about her can boast of such an intimate perspective. Mr. Dennen was there from the very beginning, even before she attempted to sing in public for the first time. If you're considering a Barbra book, make this the one.

coward's longtime companion graham payn probably comes as close to coward as anyone ever will. he manages to artfully weave the details of his own life with a plethora of new anecdotes -- and old -- about sir noel. the added bonus is the appendices containing previously unpublished coward works, including a tenth play [!] written for "tonight at 8:30".

well worth your time...

Over the course of forty years, South-African-born actor Graham Payn shared the life, love, companionship, and generous wit of that "playboy of the West End world," Noel Coward. This book is a loving and often frank tribute to this great man, who made so many people laugh for so many years, and who, in life as well as on stage, was the very epitome of the word "style". Payn begins with his first audition for Noel and the play Words and Music in the thirties, takes us through the war years, to the decidedly unforgiving (to Noel) fifties, when the critics turned against him en masse, to the triumphant sixties and "Dad's Renaissance" to an adoring public, through Noel's death and the demise of Noel's personal assistant (and fellow biographer) Cole Lesley, up to the present (1993) and the unveiling of a special tribute stone for Coward in Westminster Abbey by no less a person than the Queen Mother. If this book ended after Graham's 250-page-or-so lovely memoir, it would still be worth five stars, but there is more. Much more. In the roughly hundred pages that follow, Payn provides us with the complete Coward writings on theatre, many of which first appeared in the Sunday Times (and which, for my money, prove conclusively that Noel Coward knew more about theatre than any other person who lived in the Twentieth Century). There are also interviews with actresses Judy Garland and Judith Campbell, brief but penetrating portraits on some of the many important figures in Coward's life (including Rex Harrison, the Lunts, and Sir Winston Churchill), and much more. My one caveat that goes with my otherwise-unqualified recommendation is this: please read The Noel Coward Diaries first, so that you get a clear understanding not only of how Noel saw himself, but how he viewed many of the key figures in this book. (Author Payn plays, not surprisingly, a significant part in the diaries.) With these two books by your bedside, you'll have the best and most delicious kind of reading entertainment for many nights to come, and you'll say of Graham Payn's life with Noel Coward: "What a life, indeed!!!"

I read and reviewed this book for my on-line theater magazine -- The new off-Broadway musical about Coward's friendship with Gertrude Lawrence draws much material from this book as well so I found myself referring back to it for my write-up of that show -- both show and book are particularly timely as the Coward centennial celebrations get into full swing.

"An engrossing portrait of this world famous and immensely gifted man,chronicled so frankly by his closest friend...A most vivid account of his career after the Second World war" - JOHN GIELGUD"I greatly doubt if anything written about the Master will ever be as fascinating,as perceptive,as amusing or as touching as Graham Payn's loving portrait." - RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH"It's simply terrific !...So funny and so sensitive." - ELAINE STRITCH"Stories I never heard before bringing Noel vividly to life." - LAUREN BACALL"I greatly doubt if anything written about the Master will ever be as fascinating,as perceptive,as amusing or as touching as Graham Payn's loving portrait." - RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH"It's simply terrific !...So funny and so semsitive" - ELAINE STRITCH"Stories I never heard before bring Noel vividly to life." - LAUREN BACALL

Don't read this book unless you want to fall more in love with Noel Coward than you already must be to read the book in the first place. Mr. Payn has assembled a quilt of memoir, unpublished theatre writings by Coward, photographs, a beautiful reminiscence by one of Coward's leading ladies, and a recorded conversation between Coward and Judy Garland. The whole of the book gives a tender, honest, delightful insight into Coward, the people he loved, the perils and pleasures of his work, and the places he most enjoyed. Lovers and students of theatre will find great rewards in these pages.

It is a generous book; Mr. Payn shares with the reader all of the real stuff of knowing Noel Coward so well and for so long. He does not share intimate details of their relationship, but does share his deep love of the man himself. In short, Coward himself was a man who treasured good taste and true sentiment -- and it is fitting that his life-partner should offer this book in his honor.