Merman [Hardcover]

Ethel merman & george eel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1978

Ethel Merman, Broadway's queen of musical theatre reigned for decades, tells about her fascinating life in this fast-moving autobiography, which is packed with surprising anecdotes and brimming with humor. Sixteen pages of black and white photographs from Ms. Merman's personal collection accompany the entertaining text.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (May 15, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671227122
• ISBN-13: 978-0671227128
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,139,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lively reading, May 21, 2007

By 

Mark Andrew Lawrence "Theatre Reviewer" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

It's as if Ethel is sitting there telling you her life story. It's a bright lively read and if she fudges a few details and glosses over some of the seamier stuff it is certainly more open and honest that most stars' autobiographies.

This was released in 1978 - 6 years before her death so it does cover most of her life. Fill in the rest with Bob Thomas' I GOT RHYTHM: THE ETHEL MERMAN STORY.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inaccurate and selective - but a 'class act', August 16, 2006

By 

Elizabeth G. Melillo "gloriana" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Merman: An Autobiography (Paperback)

I'm nearly embarrassed to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this autobiography, largely because its details (particularly regarding Ethel's private life) are highly selective and sanitised. Still, as a long time fan of Ethel Merman's, I found it a very tasteful presentation, and a pleasant survey of her career, even if there is little detail about the shows themselves.

Brassy though Ethel was known to be, I truly believe she sought both to present her life in excellent taste (that is putting it mildly - she gives the impression she was a virgin at 30) and to reminisce with warmth (making her marriage to the volatile Bob Levitt seem so rosy that one wonders why they ever divorced.)

It is a pleasant 'read,' and has a nice flavour of an elderly lady with an exciting life presenting the details as she would have liked the public to know them.

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Lady!, June 8, 2009

By 

Julie A. Ball "Julie Ball" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Merman: An Autobiography (Paperback)

I loved Ethel Merman all my life and still enjoy her singing and acting to this day. However, this book was really boring to me, except for the parts about her marriage to Ernest Borgnine. Those were hilarious! She is a wonderful lady and classy from head to toe. I just thought the book went into too much detail about studio background stuff that I don't really have interest in. Someone else may enjoy it though. It was good to read how she developed her strong personality. She is missed by us all.