Mr. A. Whiteside 2008-10-31

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

At first,I found this book to be a bit slow and felt that it had been written with an eye towards the American market.Gradually though,I was won over by Julie Andrews very interesting early life and the shocks she tells of.There may well be an element of disappointment when you realise that she doesn't discuss her film career at all,but her life growing up during World War 2 is compelling and interesting.

This auto-biography is an honest account of her life and is filled with various accounts she may well have kept hidden.The fact that her beloved father wasn't her biological Dad,possible incestuous intentions from her step father,the fact that she never really trusted her mother,the stigma of alcohlism around her step father and her mother.Julie pulls no punches here and deserves credit for her approach to this book.There are many points of interest about her life on stage and the many people she worked with such as Rex Harrison,Richard Burton and Roddy McDowell.She also shows she has a fine sense of humour at times.

I have no problem at all in recommending this fine book and it certainly makes you relish the prospect of a follow up that delves into her life in the movies.I feel that the inevitable sequel will be even more interesting.

Annabel Gaskell 2008-10-26

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

This was a lovely showbiz memoir to read - Julie has the ability to see the good in everybody and make friends wherever she goes. This first volume of memoirs stops at the point Walt Disney was poised to make her an Oscar-winning megastar, but is no less interesting for that. I hope there will be volume two before long as I'd love her take on the first two films I saw at the cinema which were a soundtrack to my childhood - Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. But enough of that, back to her early years...
Julie had an interesting childhood in Surrey, as her vaudeville entertainer mother split with her father quite early to take up with her Canadian stage partner. Once they realised that Julie had a voice very early on, her path was set and she entered the world of showbiz. Soon she was supporting her mother's side of the family as her stepdad fell into alcoholism and her mother not being able to cope.
Meanwhile, her loving Dad was a refuge of calmness for her - and remained so even after she found out he wasn't actually her biological father. This was something her mother threw into conversation one day - Julie was very level-headed about it and after meeting him wrote saying she didn't want to develop a relationship.
Her squeaky clean image as the virginal teenager with a glorious voice served her well on stage, managing complex arias with ease. Eventually she was spotted for a TV variety show, leading to recruitment for her first starring role on the London stage as the original Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Despite having no real acting experience she made the role her own, repeating it on Broadway, but famously lost out in the film to Audrey Hepburn as the studios wanted a film star, not a film unknown.
She eventually married her childhood sweetheart Tony Walton, with whome she had corresponded throughout the war. He was a skilled theatre designer and his career fitted nicely with hers. So next she went on to play opposite Richard Burton on Broadway in Camelot and the rest, as they say, is history.
Her image is no accident. From reading these memoirs, I think she grew up that way having seen some of the downsides early on and rejected them. As she blossomed it stayed with her - and of course made her fortune. She has barely a bad word to say about anyone really except her stepdad - but even then explains it away as an effect of his alcoholism. She obviously does have a fun-loving side (there is a lovely photo of her posing with Nureyev), but realising that her voice was her career - chose not to abuse it and moderated her activities accordingly. This book was a lovely read with some great photos - and so much better than any misery memoir!

Ms. S. Jones 2008-05-12

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

If your a fan of Julie Andrews, however big or small, read this. She's had such an interesting life, so far. I feel this is a very honest book and for that reason alone deserves to be read.
I think the book was maybe aimed at the American market, as she explains some very British things, that you just know. As with an earlier review I hope there's a part two.

scarlett 2008-05-04

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

This book was written with real heart!Reading about Julie Andrews home/work life was really interesting.Loved every minute detail of it.There wasn't any wasted moments,only wished there was more of it(plus photos).Really can't wait for the next instalment(hope it's not too long!!!)