Piaf [Hardcover]

Margaret Crosland (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two decades after her death, Edith Gassion, the Parisian singer known as Piaf, remains a mystery; even the plaques that mark her places of birth and death are false indicators. Crosland, a British author who has written biographies of Cocteau and Colette, tries to dispel the legends (Piaf's birth on a sidewalk and her miracle cure from blindness, for example), presents the ascertainable facts and conveys the unique quality of her singing. Stating that a catalog of Piaf's songs is infinitely more absorbing than a list of her love affairs, Crosland nevertheless describes her many relationships with men and asserts that Piaf's whole life was a long attempt to assert her tyranny over them. Disappointingly, however, this well-balanced biography does not come alive. Included is an excellent discography of Piaf recordings available in Britain. Photos not seen by PW. October
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Artists from two divergent facets of the entertainment world are represented by these new titles. Piaf, the first non-French biography of the legendary singer, succeeds in discarding the myths and half-truths promulgated by other biographers and by Piaf herself. Piaf's path was self-destructive; her constant bouts with alcohol and drugs and her attempts to manipulate the men she loved form a pattern which would only end with her death at 48. But Piaf's fame transcended her unique vocal talents; she became what she sang, a monstre sacre idolized by fans all over the world. Crosland uses both interviews and Piaf's recorded legacy in analyzing the life and work; the result is a fascinating, well-balanced and factual biography that captures the essence of Piaf's tormented life. Appendixes include a complete discography. Eric W. Johnson, Univ. of New Haven Lib., West Haven, Ct.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Coronet Books; First Printing edition (October 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340348259
• ISBN-13: 978-0340348253
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,234,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars la vie en rose, September 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Piaf (Paperback)

Even though Edith Piaf herself faded into a history and became less famous in our generation, most of her songs are still alive in people's heart. Her songs like "La vie en rose" or "Autumn Leaves" have been sung by many famous artists in many different ways. If you still don't know who Edith Piaf was, think about recent Intel's TV commercial which a college kid boils water on a empty pot and takes a digital photo of it, then sents it to his mother for asking some money. The background music of that commercial was one of Piaf's songs "Non, je ne regrette rien". Even her songs and her career were like life of roses, her personal life itself was awful. This book introduces you almost forgotten French legend who was once known as a queen of French music industry...Great book. m.o.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars dry writer, sour grapes, June 18, 2007

By 

Mitchell Gordon (Guerneville, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Piaf (Paperback)

I started reading both the Margaret Crosland and Simone Berteaut biographies simultaneously, and quickly gave up on the Crossland. She's not an interesting writer, did not know Piaf especially well, and takes pains to dismiss Berteaut as a writer and a person, which sounds like sour grapes to me given the previous success of Berteaut's book. The Berteaut biography, in contrast, is a very rich piece of storytelling from start to finish (and there was no shortage of stories to tell), written by Piaf's closest companion for essentially Piaf's entire life, and a marvelous read.

No comparison.