The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin

Customer Reviews:

Confused & Confusing.......2005-12-08

A unhealty stew of a book. While there are a few interesting insights, it is poorly integrated with little or no logical development. It reads like a poorly edited Master's thesis. Too much gossip, second and third-hand reports, and gross speculation. Gerwhwin's impact on both popular and "serious" music is severely understated. Probably the best part of the book is the picture section.

I have mixed feelings........2005-07-01

Though I enjoyed this book tremendously, it was a guilty pleasure. Gershwin's musical life has been thoroughly documented in other books, and comparatively Joan Peyser doesn't fall too short in keeping us sufficiently well-informed of Gershwin's musical development in this book. However, her strong suit is Gershwin's personal life, and she raises some interesting theories in that area, some which seem very well-researched and others which seem to be little more than hearsay, though I give her credit for doggedly digging up such obscure hearsay. However, nothing revealed by this hearsay seems out of character for Gershwin based on what we know from earlier more scholarly biographies, so it comes across as quite believable, and answers some of the juicier questions many of us have had about Gershwin's private life. In that sense, its a real page turner.

The principles of scholarly nonfictional writing dictate that an author doesn't print information that didn't come from one or several reliable sources. Peyser has flouted that principle throughout this book. She frequently presents tantalizing bits of insider information that she obtained from a lone source, or worse yet from a person quoting another person, and in at least one memorable instance, a person quoting another person quoting another person (whew)! Having said that, essentially there are only two new theories that she pushes in this book. One, is that Gershwin had a subconscious masochistic streak in him that caused him to gravitate towards people of a cruel, insensitive, selfish, even sadistic nature (mainly because his mother was such a person), and the other, that it is a FACT, not rumor that Gershwin fathered an illegitimate son. The theory about Gershwin's masochistic streak is interesting, but it really matters not whether the reader buys it or not; it's merely an interesting thing to point out. But the theory about Gershwin's illegitimate son carries more weight, and deserves a closer look.

Other biographies, notably Charles Schwartz' 1973 biography have mentioned the alleged son and his claim to be Gershwin's progeny, immediately making the disclaimer that there is no evidence to prove or disprove his claim. Peyser, on the hand, dives head first into this controversy, throws out every bit of information on the matter that she can dig up, from solid proof to secondhand hearsay and let's the reader decide whether or not it is true. Is this responsible journalism? Probably not. Does it mean that the story is nothing more than an outlandish fabrication? No, it does not. From what we do know as fact about Gershwin, the story is quite plausible. We do know from numerous reliable sources that Gershwin was a sexual tyrannosaurus, going through scores of women in his short life. We also know that in the 1920s and 30s the use of contraception in casual sexual encounters, when it was used at all, was pretty much limited to the condom, which most men detested, and few carried around with them. We also know from old medical records, that a dancer who appeared in George White's Scandals of 1927, one of Gershwin's musicals, gave birth to an illegitimate son in 1928 who bore a striking physical resemblance to George Gershwin, even growing up to be afflicted with the same premature male pattern baldness as George Gershwin. All coincidence? Possibly. But based only these facts alone, it is not hard to believe that Gershwin fathered at illegitimate child. It would be harder to believe that he did not. The odds were certainly against him. When one factors in Joan Peyser's hearsay from friends and employees of Gershwin, it seems almost a certainty.

I do believe there are certain exceptions to the principles of scholarly journalism, however questionable and unsavory they may be. One exception is when clear factual information simply does not exist to prove a theory, and the best proof an author can come up with is sketchy and vague, e.g., Tchaikovsky's homosexuality. There is no solid proof to back up this claim OTHER than hearsay, and yet it is mentioned in all modern biographies of Tchaikovsky, and generally accepted as fact by the public. Another exception is when factual information exists but is withheld by its source, forcing the author to dig around the source for any scrap of information to corroborate what is likely true (why else would the source withhold evidence)? Such is the case with Gershwin's alleged son. In all likelihood, there is more than enough evidence to prove or disprove his legitimacy (or illegitimacy, as the case may be). If that evidence could prove his claim to be false, the Gershwin family would have come out with it years ago. So it is reasonable to deduce that the information they will not share with biographers proves the alleged son's claims to be true. It is understandable that family members as wealthy and influential as the Gershwins would seek to guard the image of so great an historical figure as George Gershwin, but it is also understandable that Peyser, sensing that she is onto something, would quote other sources less credible than the Gershwin family to make a case for an important matter in the life of her subject.

I sense that this author has a good nose for sniffing out the truth behind a story (though I can't prove it) even if what she finds cannot prove her to be right. Intuitive journalism, you might call it. I admit that this biography lacks the stamp of responsible journalism, and carries with it a whiff of lasciviousness, yet on the other hand, I believe she is barking up the right tree in most cases, even if she can't prove to our satisfaction that there's really anything up the tree.

If you're really interested in Gershwin's life, from soup to nuts, then you have to read this book, even if you disagree with every word of it.

Certainly Not Trash.......2005-05-25

This is much more than trash. I found it an unholy but compelling stew. This biography seeks to unmask Gershwin legends while touching on Gershwin's family, 20th century music trends, Broadway, popular song, and the zeitgeist. Granted, it does not tie these things together with any sort of elegance.

Peyser is not afraid to shoot from the hip. Sometimes she overextends and misses...sometimes she is truly persuasive about the players' psychology and motivations.

It's a weird read, combining the recollections of a 101 year old Gershwin family member with observations on Stravinsky's development as a composer. But I'm glad I read it. And I respect this author for doing what she could to record the recollections of people decades after the events. That, in itself, is no mean scholarly contribution!

Finally, I feel obliged to note that this author seems very indebted to Jablonski's *Gershwi*.

Garbage In - Garbage Out.......1999-11-16

This book proves the old computing adage! It's too bad the author doesn't have any solid research to back up the wild claims she makes about Gershwin's life. Too bad there isn't less than one star on amazon.com ratings, this book deserves far less.

Reads like a bad supermarket tabloid........1999-01-18

This book seems like an overt attempt at character assassination. If the author wants us to believe most of the "new material" that is presented in this book it's going to take more documentation than third or fourth hand rumor and gossip.

Surely there is a lot more complexity and depth to George Gershwin's character than we have had in previous biographies, but this trashy book doesn't convey that. For example, we are now to believe that Gershwin was a sadist because the author heard that from someone, who heard it from someone, who had it second hand from someone who heard it from George's psychologist? Puh-leeeze!

In my opinion, the author presents a lot of negative points about Gershwin without citing credible sources to back up the claims. I felt I was reading a diatribe from someone with a personal axe to grind, rather than a scholarly or well researched biography.

Let's hope a new generation of biographers don't cite this work as their source material for future biographies of Gershwin. It's trash.

Customer Reviews:

Silly, self serving wannabe.......2006-02-06

This book was a gift from a friend who knew how much I admired the talent of the great Gene Kelly. Instead of reading about this amazingly talented visionary, I found a bio of a woman who, while valiantly proclaming herself an intellectual, strings together vapid stories of stars she met, parties she attended and men who adored her. The image she creates is a yet another left leaning limousine liberal with a taste for five star hotels, exotic vacations and Beverly Hills House parties. She may have toasted the Soviet Union on New Year's Eve, but she sure enjoyed those capitalistic goodies. She talks about her concern for the down trodden, but Betsy takes good care of Betsy. The man she calls her "second and eternal hisband" (producer Karel Reisz) she apparently snatched away from his family, which included three small boys. Nice show of concern, Betsy! Pass on this one, folks. If, like me, you are a Gene Kelly fan, you will enjoy renting "Singin' in the Rain" so much more than this tripe.

Betsy Blair is a born writer!.......2003-12-31

This is an absolutely brilliantly written book. If you're looking for a bio of Gene kelly, this isn't it. But if you want to read about an endlessly fascinating woman, run to the bookstore. Totally beguiling!

a rare, lively and moving tale.......2003-09-15

I loved, loved, loved this book, for several reasons.

First, it distinguishes itself from the hoards of Hollywood memoirs in that it is completely and uttlerly honest -- as honest as the day is long. Betsy Blair seemed bent on telling us a tale of fame, fortune and success, all without the hazy gauze so typical of Hollywood memoirs. Her eye is specific and sharp, her insights into people and places are clever and frequently dead on, and her honesty is so forthright, that she is able to freely admit she is the only one in the story who truly misbehaves.

Second it is a great theatrical tale. Blair, a talented and ambitious young woman, catches the eye of Gene Kelly, she was just 17, he was not much older, while hoofing it up at a New York nightclub. Their subsequent marriage and Gene's rise to movie stardom is magical and dreamy. But Blair knows this well, and she never loses her sense of self. Her ability to see her own life though her eyes, that of a hardworking and insightful actress, and not as someone who was born to win, lends an air of respectability and weight to the book that I very much admired. When the marriage fails, in part because of her of inability to live in such a wonderful cocoon, the sense of poignancy is deep, it also rare in such books.

Her later years, in Europe, as an actress and political activist, are some of the most interesting in the book. To leave one of the world's great movie stars is a feat in and of itself. To build a new and exciting life, as an actress. mother and then wife to one of the great realist film directors, Karel Reisz, makes it a thoroughly modern story, inspirational for all women who dream that both beauty and satisfaction in life can be there for the taking.

"I Love Lucy" without the humor........2003-08-26

The above detailed reviews all match my own opinions of this book,
and are generally better written than the book. What a ditsy dame!
The Hollywood frou-frou is from an old fan magazine, or some
such automatic input. Her perceptions of herself are just as
vague and silly. One would only read this in desperation to
try to find out more about Gene Kelly, genius of the dance.
Slim pickings indeed! And not even an "as told to" entry.
This book is without value on any level.

"I Love Lucy" without the humor........2003-08-26

Average customer rating:

Extraordinary
Special moments revisited

All That Matters: A Mother's Memories
Janis Hogan
Manufacturer: Cumberland House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 1581820836

Book Description

"All That Matters" by Janis Hogan is a collection of more than 35 stories that will touch your heart. From the joy of your firstborn child to the pain of divorce, from cherished memories of your parents to the excitement of your first date, this book details the experiences of life through the eyes of mother Janis Hogan. She conveys emotions that touch women and men alike as she reminisces about her childhood as well as her sons'. All That Matters: A Mother's Memories" is a beautiful hardcover book that chronicles the life lessons of a mother and her two children.

Customer Reviews:

Extraordinary.......2002-10-01

This book reminds us that the most important moments in our lives are day-to-day, minute-to-minute.

Special moments revisited.......2000-03-29

This book is not just for mothers (although for them it is a must). It is for anyone who looks beneath the surface of experience to the lessons learned from it. As Janis Hogan limns each significant moment in her past with her precisely defined prose images, the reader is drawn into the picture as an eyewitness--even more: as a participant. We rejoice and mourn with her, stand awestruck or are simply touched to the heart. Her moments become our moments, but what is more important she evokes the special moments in our own lives, the wonder of the human experience, our relationships with our parents, our children, our spouses, our friends: how they have transformed us and caused us to grow. It is a book for all those who rejoice in living.

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THE MEMORY OF ALL THAT
BRYAN FORBES
Manufacturer: HARPERCOLLINS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0002258323

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The Memory of All That
Betsy Blair
Manufacturer: Elliott & Thompson Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 190402730X

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THE MEMORY OF ALL THAT
Ruth LATTA
Manufacturer: General Store Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IZZ3L8

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The Memory of All That

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Memory of all that: Canadian women remember World War II

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The Memory of all that: Canadian women remember World War II

Manufacturer: General Store Pub. House
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin

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Fascinating Gershwin

The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin
Joan Peyser
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQIH5Q

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Gershwin.......2007-08-02

Joan Peyser presents a revealing new account of the intriguing life of American composer George Gershwin. Startling, and always well-documented, Peyser describes the life of this American musical icon of the 1930's, whose compositions include "Rhapsody In Blue", "An American In Paris" and the unforgettable "Porgy and Bess". Peyser, a frequent New York Times contributor and past editor of the distinguished journal "The Musical Quarterly", is well known for her acclaimed biographies of musicians Leonard Bernstein and Pierre Boulez. A great read - fascinating and very worthwhile.

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The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin
George] Peyser, Joan [Gershwin
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KVODH0

Customer Reviews:

Well worth the re-print.......2007-09-22

Reprinted by a British firm that specializes in such things, this is a well-written, well-researched book on the Strauss family and other contemporary musician-conductors. Without being pedantic, it provides pertinent [sometimes little-known] facts in a reader-friendly fashion. I hadn't known until recently, for example, that performances of the Waltz King's waltzes and polkas are based on orchestral arrangements of 1- or 2-piano reductions--all the original orchestrations having been lost for years. The only clue that one is reading a high-quality photocopy-based reprint are the very rare check marks and other marginalia that someone forgot to expunge before the copying was done. Well worth the price.

JOHANN STRAUSS FATHER AND SON: A Century of Light Music.

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JOHANN STRAUSS FATHER AND SON: A Century of Light Music.
H.E. Jacob.
Manufacturer: Garden City NY: Halcyon House, 1948 reprint.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KIGQVO

Average customer rating:

Johann Strauss, Father and Son: a Century of Light Music
H.E. JACOB
Manufacturer: The Greyston Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GP0C0W

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Johann Strauss: Father and Son; a Century of Light Music
H.E. Jacob; Translator Marguerite Wolff
Manufacturer: CROWN PUBLISHERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKH5IG

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Johann Strauss, Father and Son: A Century of Light Music.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IC4VMI

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The New York Times Daily Crossword Puzzles Volume 72: 50The New York Times Daily Crossword Puzzles Volume 72: 50The New York Tim

The New York Times Daily Crossword Puzzles Volume 72: 50 Mid-Level Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times
The New York Times
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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The New York Times Will Shortz's Funniest Crossword Puzzles: From the Pages of The New York Times

ASIN: 0312352603
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Book Description

The leading series of crossword books from the top name in crosswords: now with fifty percent more puzzles than before! Volume 72 in the ever-popular Daily Crosswords series from The New York Times features seventy-five moderate-level, midweek crosswords from Will Shortz. With: Stay-flat spiral binding for easy solving Edited by crossword great Will Shortz.

Customer Reviews:

The New York Times Daily Crossword Puzzles Volume 72: 50The New York Times Daily Crossword Puzzles Volume 72: 50The New York Tim.......2006-08-31

I bought this for my mother who is an avid crossword fan. She reports that she is really enjoying it. It is hard enough to challenge her, but still doable.

Average customer rating:

Valuable Handbook for Reaching Employees

Corporate Conversations: A Guide to Crafting Effective and Appropriate Internal Communications
Shel Holtz
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Crisp: Communicating with Employees: Improving Organizational Communication (Crisp Fifty-Minute Books)

ASIN: 0814407706

Book Description

Everything a company says sends a message to its employees. Organizations that communicate well with their employees boast higher profitability, better customer acquisition and retention, and enhanced reputation. Without a strategically managed employee communications strategy, results suffer.

Corporate Conversations is a comprehensive guide to crafting and delivering vital internal messages. The book covers a broad range of issues, including:

* the four types of corporate and business communications (human resources, business-related, legal, and informal) * how to communicate bad news * managing employee-to-employee communication * how to measure the impact of internal communications

With valuable strategies for aligning all business correspondence with the company message, Corporate Conversations shows professionals at all

Customer Reviews:

Valuable Handbook for Reaching Employees.......2003-10-12

Today's employees want to be informed, included, and even consulted regarding corporate decisions, directions, activities, and issues. If they are not connected with their employer, people will leave the organization to seek employment opportunities where they can be more engaged. Anything and everything a company can do to relate more closely with the people who matter will make a difference.

An experienced corporate communicator, Holtz emphasizes that internal communication in a company is much more than just publishing a newsletter or magazine for employees. The behaviors communicators influence are "the ones that would support the company bottom-line business efforts." There's more to this process than reporting birthdays, babies, brides, and bowling scores. Employees must be reached with compelling, understandable, and credible messages that are easy to access, grasp, and absorb.

This easy-to-read handbook explores a number of facets of employee communications. Readers will learn about the types of communications, planning, and traditional communication tools. More modern approaches of online communication are discussed, along with insights into the sustainability of the communication process. Holtz devotes chapters to special situations such as communicating bad news, and change. Chapters on organizing and budgeting, as well as measuring the value of communication, provide some professional tools that will be useful to the reader.

The value of the book is enhanced by appendices on messaging policies and resources, as well as a good index. The text, written in a relatively conversational style, is seasoned with case studies from two fictitious companies-one that does communication right, and one that misses the mark. The book is current and is designed with enough white space to make it comfortable to read and benefit from.

While I might have organized the chapters a bit differently, that's an easy task for a wise reader to accomplish. The content is here-valuable for the newcomer to the field, the seasoned professional who could benefit from a refresher, and the manager or executive who just needs to learn and appreciate a little more about how to communicate more effectively with a workforce that's hungry for information and interaction.

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For pros or novices, this guide to internal communication delivers.(bookmark)(Book Review): An article from: Communication World
Josh Byerly
Manufacturer: International Association of Business Communicators
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000AJPMKE
Release Date: 2006-07-14

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Communication World, published by International Association of Business Communicators on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 675 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: For pros or novices, this guide to internal communication delivers.(bookmark)(Book Review)
Author: Josh Byerly
Publication: Communication World (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: International Association of Business Communicators
Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Page: 12(1)

Article Type: Book Review

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