Lady Gaga: Behind the Fame [Paperback]

Emily Herbert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 2010

Queen of Pop, superstar, maverick and fashionista; Lady Gaga is one of the most recognisable and sensational pop stars for a generation. A true original, Gaga found fame the hard way, playing the grimy bars and burlesque shows of New York City, before finally relocating to Los Angeles to begin work on what would become her debut album The Fame. Constantly en vogue and always in the public eye, this is the biography of the rise of Gaga, from her early life as a teenage protégé, to her life as one of the most respected musicians and most recognised entertainers on the planet. This audiobook lifts the lid on Lady Gaga. Find out all you ever wanted to know about the eccentric star.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Emily Herbert's Lady Gaga: Behind the Fame adds to the already familiar growing-up-Catholic-school-girl backstory, new insight into Gaga's artistic vision and business savvy." - Ms. Magazine Blog

"If you're a super fan you have already had an exciting week with the release of the next great American classic Lady Gaga: Behind The Fame by Emily Herbert. Yes, after only a few short years of public awareness and on the cusp of her 24th birthday, Lady Gaga born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta already has a tell all biography." - HomoNeurotic.com

"I get dozens of galleys and review copies of new books every day as part of my job, but one stood out today...lots of the photos are fun, although a few are a little scary." - St. Petersburg Times Arts Blog, Critics Circle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Emily Herbert is a highly successful journalist and author. Having written for a host of newspapers and magazines, she has a unique insight into the lives of the stars and the inner circle of celebrities. Emily lives in London. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Overlook TP (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590204239
• ISBN-13: 978-1590204238
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #389,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From One Little Monster to Another, March 9, 2010

By 

Evelyn Quisenberry (Medford, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady Gaga: Behind the Fame (Paperback)

As someone who considers herself one of Lady Gaga's little monsters, I was surprised that Herbert's book had plenty of facts I wasn't aware of and answered questions that have been the dispute of rumor and hearsay. She pulls most of her information directly from quotes in Gaga's interviews and seems to know what she's talking about. Who knew that not everything could be uncovered by hours spent trolling the internet? I appreciate finally having a detailed account of Lady Gaga's career from pre-Gaga to this January all in one narrative instead of assembled in my brain from a hodge-podge of articles. The best part of the book though is definitely all the photographs! Again, I was surprised to find unfamiliar images nestled among the iconic ones. Go get your claws on a copy!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tells everything, reveals nothing, April 19, 2010

By 

Braden Pickering (Maricopa, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lady Gaga: Behind the Fame (Paperback)

Despite having sold millions of records and becoming a household name through her own will and creativity, the fact is, Lady Gaga is still a relatively "new" celebrity, so I was somewhat skeptical about how informative (or necessary) a full-on biography could be at this point in her career. But intrigued as I am by her and her music, I picked it up with an open mind in hopes of learning more about the woman herself, getting behind the mystique she so carefully veils herself in publicly. Heavy with quotes and page after page of gorgeous color photographs, this is a great reference tool for fans. However, in the end I don't feel like I necessarily learned anything new or came any closer to understanding the "meaning of Gaga," so to speak.

That's not to say it wasn't entertaining or well-researched, because it obviously was, but I felt like the author never fully broke through the wall that separates the reader from the subject matter. Lady Gaga's (aka Stefani Germanotta) privileged upbringing is glossed over in a matter of pages, and for as much as she mentions heartbreak and the love-vs-fame theme, no further details are given about her personal/love life. I guess I was just most interested in seeing the transformation from Catholic school girl to pop exhibitionist, but that connection was never clearly made. It's almost as if this girl fell right out of the womb as the Lady Gaga persona we know today. Then again, I get the feeling that's how she wants to be perceived. It's just too bad the author couldn't add a new spin on it to make her somewhat relatable. Humanized may be a better word. On the other hand, I can appreciate the attention that was paid to the music itself, which can easily be overlooked when writing about such an eccentric personality, so it does work as a really good resource in that respect. Plus it does paint a good picture of her dynamics within the music industry and the song-writing process.

Mixed feelings aside, was it worth a read? Yes. The pictures alone are worth the price, lol, and it was fairly well-written with a heaping of interview material from the Lady herself. But I think we need to wait a few more years before we get anything real substantial as far as life stories go. Meanwhile we can sit here all day and discuss whether or not Lady Gaga truly is the loner workaholic who revels in the avant-garde, or just another pretentious, gimmicky pop tart, because this book sure doesn't help in deciding one way or the other. She's just as much of an enigma by the last page as she is on the first. Like I said, I suspect that's the whole point. Nevertheless I'll give it the benefit of the doubt with 4 stars because it is the most comprehensive Lady Gaga book to appear on the market so far.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gagariffic, March 9, 2010

By 

Carol Madsen (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady Gaga: Behind the Fame (Paperback)

I bought this book because of the shiny cover and the loads of photos, but was please to find it was really well-written too. Really explores the enigma that is the brilliant Lady Gaga. Loved it.