Customer Reviews

All His Jazz: The Life And Death Of Bob Fosse

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

"All His Jazz" is compelling for the blow-by-blow account that it gives of Bob Fosse's unparalled career. It is probably one of the more comprehensive and insightful books about show business that has been written. The main problem with the book lies in his subject matter, which one would think would be untenable for a biography. Bob Fosse and those around him (with the exception of very few) come across as arrogant, self-centered, and certainly self-destructive. Hey, let's face it. Truth certainly can be stranger than fiction, but it kept me from really getting into the book on a personal level. I ended up angry more than sympathetic and incredulous more than intrigued. The other problem I had with the book is a noble one, but exposes the flaws all the same. There really are not enough photos to supplement the narrative. The only reason I say this is because so much attention is spent on the details of Fosse's career, that it is a shame there are so few photos representing his amazing stage career. We can all go rent the movies if we want to see what they are about, and it might not be a bad idea to watch "All That Jazz" (which, by the way, is one of my all time favorites) before picking up a copy of this book.

Martin Gottfried has done a superb job of illuminating Fosse's life and work; I cannot imagine a better biography. He shows a complete understanding of the issues that informed Fosse's creative genius and creates a fascinating narrative which intertwines his life and his work. I picked this book up after having seen and loved the revival of "CHICAGO" on Broadway and have been transfixed by the book. I am a great admirer of Fosse's film work as well -- most notably ALL THAT JAZZ -- and found Gottfried's behind the scenes accounts of the movies gripping. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who is interested in Fosse, choreography, or the development of an artist. I'd give it ten stars!

I'll tell you right off the top, I'm not a huge fan of Broadway musicals. Mostly I'm a fan of Fosse because of his films, which rank among my favorites. But regardless of any of that, Fosse's personality and his life make him a fascinating subject for biographical study.

Gottfried's book is heavily detailed, describing the events of Fosse's life, exploring his work and his personal realtionships, and really getting inside the man's head, all the while maintaining a very readable, and appropriately jazzy style. There's also enough quoted dialogue to keep the book flowing almost like a work of fiction.

A great read and an informative one. Highly recommended to fans of Fosse and his work, or those simply interested in one of the most intriguing of showbiz lives.

Bob Fosse, in this reader's opinion, is, besides the greatest director\choreography of musicals, the greatest choreographer that ever lived. His brilliant, simplistic style has entertained millions and has shown an inpact in current pop culture.
Mr. Fosse himself was a fascinating man. A slightly short, mumbling chainsmoker, his many demons included alcohol, drugs, paranoia, sex and women. Mr. Gottfried lets us know about those demons. However, he gives interesting accounts of all of Fosse's work for stage and screen.
This book is excellent, but to truly learn about the genius that was Bob Fosse, this reader recommends Mr. Fosse's autobiographical film "All That Jazz."

Maybe I'm biased: I'm a shrink. I lived in New York in the early 80's. I knew some of the people mentioned in the book. But this was the most fun I've had reading since Letters from a Nut. Full of tidbits about a raft of celebrities. Another reviewer complained about the lack of pictures. Why stop there? We need all the films, too. Must watch All That Jazz again ASAP, AND try to get my hands on Sweet Charity and Cabaret. A great ride!

All His Jazz: The Life And Death Of Bob FosseNot many writers can deal with a large volume of detail and still maintain reader interest. Mr. Gottfried can and does. That said, I did note two places where a bit of proofreading would have been useful. The first is relatively minor: the corner of Franklin and Highland is in Hollywood and not West Hollywood. The second was annoying for personal reasons. In the movie, All That Jazz, Frankie Mann played the comic who talks about the stages of dealing with death, not the individual cited in the text. Why is this annoying to me? Frankie Mann (stage name for Frank Schreiber) is my cousin. I lost track of him in the late 1950s and was pleasantly surprised to see him pop up twenty years later in this movie.

This book is one of , if not the, greatest books I have ever read. It reads so wonderfully. I read it in three days. It just flew off the pages. I can't give this book enough praise. FOSSE FANS READ THIS BOOK!!!!!

The shame about this terribly written book is that it will discourage a good writer from writing a good biography of a fascinating man. The sentence by sentence writing is so difficult to understand that it makes one doubt the veracity of anything the writer says. This is the man responsible for a terrible book on B'way Musicals which had something like 3.000 errors in it. If you're interested, then force yourself to get through his clumsy prose. I just feel sad for his editor; what torture it must have been. Avoid-someday someone will write a good one.

The book is very thorough and does give a very accurate blow by blow description of every moment in Bob Fosse's life. If you love the man and want to relive his life for him, read this book. On the other hand, if you are trying to do a paper, you might want to start reading this about 6 months before your paper is due. It is very hard to weigh through the many, colorful words and facts in this book in any small amount of time. I will someday read this book for pleasure but right now, after only reading three chapters (though be very interesting), I am totally jazzed out! phew!