Customer Reviews

Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied With String--My Autobiography

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved this book! It's a truly delightful story, told in typical "Crawford style," with candor, wit, warmth and a great deal of hilarity. Anyone who appreciates Michael Crawford's ability to "embroider a tale" will thoroughly enjoy his autobiography. Stories of his early life with his mother and grandmother are shared with deep tenderness and reverence and woven all together very personally. The chronicle of his professional journey--from the boys' choir, to a starring role in a British TV comedy and on to his fantastic success as the original Phantom of the Opera--includes many touching, and many uproariously funny accounts. I found myself laughing out loud in several places, and to the point of tears in others. I appreciated Crawford's willingness to be deeply personal and to share candidly about both his trials and triumphs. In the end, it's clear that success did not come easily to him; he worked very hard for it. Michael Crawford's usual generosity with his audience carries through to this sharing of his life story. Touching, inspirational, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Michael Crawford's autobiography is so well-written that it's easy to forget the author is a massively talented actor and singer. His self-deprecating writing style is easy to read and relentlessly enjoyable, whether describing hilarious moments or poignant periods in his life. The reader does not have to be Phantom fan to appreciate the trials, tragedies and triumphs that have shaped Michael Crawford: the lessons he learns -- and shares -- will be familiar to Everyman. This is a great book, worth sharing.

Born in secret, Michael Crawford remains a well-kept secret tome after reading his autobiography he wrote himself about himself.

So many times I wanted to ask Michael Crawford, "how did that make you feel?"

When I finished Michael Crawford's biography, I just wanted to give him a hug. I got the feeling that he's tiptoed over life thus far, never really wanting to get into it with abandon. And at the very end when he made the effort to reach out from his heart, the response was "Michael who?"

Ironically, Michael Crawford's book left me asking, "who are you really, Michael Crawford?; what do you dream for yourself, Michael Crawford?; and, most importantly, what do you need to do to give you the confidence you say you lack to marry again, if marriage is what you seek?"

So, with all these questions left at the end of the book, why the 5-Star Rating? Because the first rule of the author is to make you care about the characters. I came to care about Michael Crawford and the wonderful woman who spent half of her 99 years on earth loving him unconditionally.

And,it took great courage for this singer/actor to write his own book, in his own words, exactly as he remembered it.

Though I've not read many autobiographies, this has without a doubt been the most entertaining that I've read thus far; indeed, at times it is simply hilarious. Michael Crawford's career is meticulously chronicled from its beginnings (he started out as a child performer) through to and including the international super-stardom he achieved with his coveted role as the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical, The Phantom of the Opera. In the process, he tells of his short and disillusioning stint doing Hollywood movies in the late 60s/early 70s. He recounts the huge television success he had in Britain in the 70s with Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (and the hilarious upshot--hilarious for us, that is--of being nationally recognised as and taken for a disaster-prone half-wit!). Crawford went on to forge a name for himself in the 70s and 80s as a formidable lead in musicals (the culmination of which was, of course, his role as the Phantom). Greatest of all, though, was the tremendous honour of receiving an OBE in 1987.

Crawford, who was born in 1942, is extremely candid--even quite personal at times--as he recounts his life story, and sharing the limelight with his professional life are the many recollections he shares about his personal life. There are a great many happy and humorous memories (and even some embarrassing ones), but he doesn't hold back from sharing with us the painful memories as well--like his mother's unhappy marriage to his step-father, or the death of his beloved mother and grandmother.

What really makes this autobiography stand above the others I've read are the many humorous anecdotes that infuse Crawford's recollections of both his personal and professional life. He was a practical joker and a bit of a clown as a child--traits which he continued (thankfully!) to embrace wholeheartedly as an adult. That combined with his love for daring stunts result in some absolutely hilarious experiences that are rendered all the more enjoyable for being so engagingly told.

This 329-page hardcover has 24 pages of black-and-white photos, many of which are from Crawford's own private collection. There are photos of Crawford as a baby and as a child, photos of his mom with her first husband (who sadly died in the war after only a year of marriage), photos of his grandmother with each of her two husbands, photos of his two daughters at different stages in their lives, photos of his then-wife, and photos of Crawford--shots of him with his various co-stars or shots of him in his various productions--from the many stages in his career. Though published in 1999, Crawford ends his story in 1990, following his last appearance as the Phantom in Los Angeles. It would've been nice if he'd brought things up to date, but I suppose one cannot fault him for wanting to end his story on what has been (at least to this point in time) the apex of his career.

In conclusion, I heartily recommend this delightful autobiography to all fans of Michael Crawford. His engaging style reveals a man who is a very capable story-teller, and he certainly has no shortage of entertaining stories to tell.

I have never laughed so much while reading a book in my life. Some of the stories told are hilarious. I enjoyed learning about Michael Crawford's life. If you have any interest in Michael Crawford, I advise you to get and read this book. You won't be disappointed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mr. Crawford takes such delight in telling the many funny anecdotes and doesn't hesitate to be frank about his personal failings. His show biz career seems to have wound down in the new millenium, too bad. This along with the video The Fantastic World of Michael Crawford, are treasured mementos.

I agree with another reviewer that the first part of the book dealing with Mr. Crawford's childhood was the best and that I was hoping for more details about his work in various shows, but I really liked the book. I found it to be warm, funny, and well told. It made me laugh more than once and brought a tear to my eye in the more touching parts. Although not as much as I would have liked, there are a lot of back stage details and insights about the productions in which the author has appeared. I regret that this book has not been publicized in the US. It is available mainly online, and I believe that a lot of Americans are missing out on a good read because they don't know it is available.

Item in excellent condition and arrived on time.

I have long been enthralled by the beauty of Mr. Crawford's choir-boy voice, and humourous anecdotes he tells a la Mark Twain style. I've developed a healthy respect for most British entertainers who first became internationally famous in the mid-to-late 1960s because they are the more celebrated "children of the Blitz" that the average American reads about in history class, who, aside from what they may have done to ruin their own lives later on, are lucky to have lived to maturity thanks to Hitler's bombs. When I watch British antiwar movies from the Vietnam era such as "How I Won the War", I see Michael, and arguably the World's Most Famous Battle of Britain Baby, John Lennon, using the nightmares that were their early lives to make Americans rethink what we were doing to others. As for the man himself I'm already familiar with most of the warm-hearted platitudes in the book, and I would agree with the reviewer who stated that details of certain medical examinations,etc. could have been avoided. At least he's enough of a gentleman to spare us the full details about the infidelity that destroyed his marriage. For my part, I remain greatful to Mr Crawford; several years ago, after I wrote to his fan club, a stuffed doll of Corneilius the Badger, the character he voiced in "Once Upon A Forest" was sent to a local children's hospital, so I can personally vouch for the work he does on behalf of children. I myself have received three letters from Michael, which enables me to vouch for the man's personal generosity towards his fans. All in all, this bio is a pretty warm-hearted, expressive piece, just like the singer's voice itself.

This book is my favorite book of all time. Michael is the best! He truly wrote a wonderful book. I love it! I loved reading about his childhood . It was so interesting. Really,the whole book is very interesting. If you are a fan of Michael's, please read this book. Michael, Thank you for writing this book. Please write another one soon!:)