Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FABULOUS BOOK ABOUT FABULOUS PEOPLE! TOP OF THE LINE!!, September 18, 2007
What a magnificent book on divas and their world. I enjoyed every chapter of it. The author knows his craft. He blended the serious aspect of the world of showbiz with the humouristic faces and scenes hardly known to the public. At the beginning, I thought I was reading an encyclopedia, a textbook written for college students and professors and I became reluctant in continuing the reading. But when I reached chapter two, I knew this book is something else; a most interesting and unusual chronicle of the legends and the starlets as well. I kept reading and reading, and all of a sudden, I realized it is 5 in the morning. I could not put it down. It is like a magnet. It attracts you. You will love it and you will love the people, Maximillien de Lafayette wrote about. It is very positive, lively and extremely well written and intelligently discussed. To me, this book is one of the most comprehensive published works on entertainment and those who brought to our stage, so much fun, drama and excitement. I could easily say, this is the best book of the season. Best book on showbiz and divas, that is! Get your copy! -Review by Richard Sand.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ENTERTAINMENT: DIVAS, CABARET, JAZZ THEN AND NOW. A triumph! Absolutely fascinating., December 28, 2006
Out of the over one hundred books Mr. de Lafayette had written, "ENTERTAINMENT: DIVAS, CABARET, JAZZ THEN AND NOW" is my favourite. There has never been such a book. Many books exist about classical music and rock'n'roll, but Jazz and Cabaret? Never! The first of its kind! In this book you will find stories about the greatest American and International divas that you have never heard about before. Starting with the likes of Mata Hari and Mistinguett, Ana Held, Fay Templeton, and others of the golden era, to such living legends as Gloria Loring, Amanda McBroom and Diva Marlene VerPlanck whose picture graces the cover of this mammoth book - over seven hundred pages and weighs a ton - to new and emerging talents of the young and ambitious who will carry the torch of Jazz and Cabaret as it should be carried into the future. You cannot put the book down. Stories of gigolos, hustlers, shady characters of the night, greedy booking agents, struggling artists, gossip and altercations between great stars - it is so amusing, entertaining and satisfying, you will go on reading for a long time. And The pictures speak for themselves. The book is beautifully illustrated, so well that you feel you know the characters personally. But don't think it is a frivolous book. Serious history of music, from the Colonial era and the cotton fields of America, to the last gig of a star in Manhattan, all this material is written in depth and encyclopaedic wealth of knowledge. One of the most unusual characteristics of this book are the interviews. The author interviewed zillions of mega stars and asked them the same questions, intentionally, as if each one was the only interviewee. Published in the book, the reader will understand the differences in character and persona, and the way of life of all those stars, because each answered the questions differently. To summarize, this is a not-to-miss book. It should be in the home of everyone who is interested in music, both professionals and those who simply love Jazz and Cabaret and want to immerse themselves in the lore and history of the genre. It will also teach you what make a diva tick! Buy it!
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Deal, December 26, 2006
Potentially an interesting book but very poorly presented for the price. I don't think I've read a book before which has so many misprints. The worst example - "Eddie Gomet" (for Eydie Gorme). Naturally, I bought the English language version.I presume there is a French version as the author is French. No translator is credited and virtually none of the misprints can be blamed on linguistic misunderstanding. Any proof reader that may have been employed was apparently extremely poorly qualified for the job. The book runs to 694 pages and could have been shorter by half. I started to tire of it by the halfway mark. I may be missing the point (perhaps the work is intended for academics), but it seems the author couldn't make up his mind whether to write a narrative or an encyclopaedia. The publishers have a nerve to set such a high retail price on this book, in this presentation.
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