Barbra Streisandi elu

by James Spada

Her voice has defined the sound of music for a generation. Now Streisand: Her Life puts it all on the record--from her short, hard climb to the top to her obsessive need for control to the amazing men in her life, including Ryan O'Neal, Warren Beatty, and Don Johnson.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Film, Music, Biography Memoir

First published October 1, 1981

About the author

As a thirteen-year-old kid in Staten Island, James Spada started the first Marilyn Monroe Memorial Fan Club. He produced four bulletins and one yearbook a year for four years, when he had to disband the club due to lack of money.

In college he founded EMK: The Edward M. Kennedy Quarterly, and worked as an intern in Senator Kennedy’s Boston office in 1970.

At 23 his first book, Barbra: The First Decade (The Films and Career of Barbra Streisand), was published. He followed that up with the authorized book The Films of Robert Redford. He went on to write illustrated coffee-table books about Streisand, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, Katharine Hepburn, Bette Midler, Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty, and Jane Fonda.

In 1987 his first non-pictorial biography, Grace: The Secret Lives of a Princess, became a major international bestseller. He followed that up with intimate biographies of Peter Lawford, Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, and Julia Roberts.

His writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, People, Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, The New York Times Book Review, McCall’s, the Los Angeles Times, the London Sunday Express, and many other publications.

In 2010 his first work of fiction, Days When My Heart was Volcanic—A Novel of Edgar Allan Poe, was published.

In recent years he has become equally renowned as a photographer of the male nude. His first collection, Black & White Men, was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award as the Best Visual Arts Book of 2000.

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From "Black & White Men" published in 2000:
Over the past several years, Jim has also become known for his evocative black-and-white studies of the male nude. He has had three one-man exhibitions, most recently in January 2000 at the prestigious Gallery One at the New England School of Photography in Boston. "I've been taking pictures since I was a teenager," Jim says, "but it took a back seat to my celebrity books. Now I d like to be known as a hyphenate, a writer-photographer. Photographing people is very much like writing about them, except that I'm creating the portrait with light rather than words. Light is as much a subject for me as the model."

Reviews

[Silverspringsrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Streisand has been the subject of so many trashy, inaccurate bios. Spada really does an admirable job, especially in his recreation of her painful childhood years. The closest book yet to being the definitive Streisand bio.

[JacQuelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was impressed with James Spada's bio on Barbara. She has been a favorite of mine after I saw her on Ed Sullivan's many moons ago. She was unique and her voice was like nothing I had ever heard before. Spada gives you an inside view of her personal and professional life. He neither makes her seem perfect or imperfect. He has researched her life and career thoroughly so you can have an understanding on how she got to be one of the most gifted performers to grace our world, i.e., voice/albums, touring/concerts, movies .. both acting and directing, TV specials, etc. Add into that an insider's view of her personal life and you get an interesting portrait of this talented artist.

[Ilze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Streisand is an amazing woman: Who else managed to keep the limelight for as many decades as she did?

Perhaps because I can identify with her, one thing that sticks out in my mind (and I even photocopied the page to remind me of its truth) was when Streisand stood in front of 1 000s of people, had already received who knows how many prizes, but it was her mother's attention that she craved. When they wheeled her mother down the aisle to see Streisand perform and she asks: "Am I good enough now, Mama?"

[Laura Van Wormer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how Goodreads works but this listing was for the brand new eBook that is based on the 1995 New York Times bestseller, but has a whole other book ADDED to it, bringing Barbra's life up to date through November of 2012--and these reviews listed are from ages ago! I hope people read it because, trust me, there is no more comprehensive and even-handed chronicle of Streisand's entire life than this.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved James Spada's celebrity biographies but this is one of my all-time favorites! Once again Mr. Spada goes behind the scenes and gives the reader a look inside Ms. Streisand's life and loves. Plus, loads of pictures and extra tidbits make it a very enjoyable read! I highly recommend it to any celebrity biography lover or Barbra fan....great gift too!

[Sally Edsall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the strongest part of the book was the early years - growing up in Brooklyn, and the determination to build an acting career. I was surprised that it was almost a revelation to Barbra that she might make a career out of singing, undertaken in order to keep the wolves from the door. I'm not an obsessive fan by any means but I found this book about a woman who is such an icon a good and meaty read. I kind of admnire her "obsessive" single-mindednessto achieve what she wants in her art. Not a hagiography, but a respectful look at an interesting and complex woman.

[Di Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

DiAnne

Love the bok I am a huge fan love her music and what a voicaamazing I could,nt put it dow amazing WELLDoneBarb.ra. x

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a revelation, a no-holds barred biography of Barbra's life ... sometimes sad, sometimes funny but quite shocking at times in her treatment of people ... I suppose the desire for perfection is quite strong, but it was certainly an eye-opener to the star that is Barbra Streisand.

In case anyone is in doubt, I loved it none the less. YEs it was sad at times, particularly the constant struggle to prove to her mother that " (she) ... had a real job .. " & it just shows what hard work & dedication can do.

Miss Streisand is still the greater female singer around ... & one can tell why after reading this book!

[Grethel Ulang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbra is truly an amazingly inspiring talented woman - a real genius. Hers is a life filled with rejection, discrimination and insecurities which were often misunderstood. But her determination surpassed all those hardships with humor. She is one of a kind. And James Spada made me feel so close and love her even more now.

[Fanny Brice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It turns out that be and Barbara Streisand actually have a lot in common! It was very interesting to hear about what her life was like when she was little and grew up to be one of the biggest stars in the whole world!

[Vallin]

Of course I'm inspired!

[Debbie Duran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early history of this multi-talented woman. Another high energy lady who just kept pushing the envelope. Made me go back & watch some of her early films, like "A Star is Born" & "Funny Lady".

[Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked it very much. I specially enjoyed to read Barbra's early years in New York, when she used to sing at the Bon Soir.

[Joyce Lillis]

Beautiful history of Barbra's incredible journey.

[Jessica Forsyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

very cool at first but then it gets very monotonous. she's super successful. we get it.

[Jonas Stephan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

God so good Corking