Customer Reviews

Eleanor Powell: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts)

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This type of book is more like a research paper than a biography of a major star, and one of the great dancers of the period. The Bio is a dry review of who she was and what movies she performed in, but lacks any of the material that makes her a living woman with feeling and talent. It would have been good for a graduate paper for an MA degree, but not much more. Any one can compile facts. The secret of a great biography is the making of the subject come to life. Even as a MA study, I would only give it a B-.

The written content is very comprehensive but the presentation woefully lacking, especially in a volume offered at this price. There is a single photo, of terrible quality. The text looks as if it were typed on an old manual typewriter. The binding, a cheap-looking slick bright green (NOT what is pictured on the amazon website), would be more suitable for a kids' book from K-Mart. The publisher says the book is now printed only when a copy is ordered, and that they have no control over quality. If you are interested in an exhaustive review of the career of Eleanor Powell and don't care how the volume looks, you will probably be happy with this book.