Judy Garland: The Secret Life of an American Legend

I LOVED this book. I am working an encyclopedia of great women musicians of the 20th century and in doing research this was one of the first biographies I read and it is the best so far. It dismisses all the flowery wordage biographers like to use to put action into a story and make it more dramatic, it reads like a documentary and I like that. Proof is in the bibliography which is one of the more extensive ones I've seen on Judy. Shipman's book reads like a documentary, which I love, and yet I often found myself hungry for more. I kept waiting for the next comeback and when it hit I swelled with joy and when she fell again I felt a loss. This book creates a clear chronology of a life lived so we can not only see the downward spiral of a women troubled by drugs and drinking and self-esteem but see the audience who loved her and the people who loved her and hated her through it all. Furthermore it is written NOT as an expose like some many other books (you know thes ones that sound like the paparazzi wrote it). Mr. Shipman's purpose is not to slander Ms. Garland or dig up shocking "dirt" but to show her as complicated and as human. Some people see her as a saint and do not like it when that image is soiled. I knew nothing about her other than as "Dorothy" and that she was an alcoholic and bi-sexual. Now I see her as person just like me and I gained a new appreciation for her and how despite her choosing to lie to therapists, to continue taking drugs and drin, she lived the life she wanted the way she wanted. Even when she was broke she refused to live less than a star, even when they said she had to quit the stage for good she didn't, she chose her life and she may have hated some of it but you cannot deny she chose it. Shipman made it clear that even as a child she knew she was going to be a star and she lived her life how she wanted and in front of the public. And for that I think Judy Garland is one the greatest people I've had the pleasure of meeting. Now the other reviews are quiet troubling as they seem to have missed the point of the book, stopped reading when he brought out the "dirt", or didn't read it at all, and more likely just don't want their saintly image of Ms. Garland tainted. That and they have no qualms with what Shipman says of everyone else in Ms. Garland's life but when he point out her flaws all hell breaks loose. I say in order to love a life you have to live it good and bad and this book helped me do that without glossing over anything. Now, here are some quotes from other reviews that are wrong: Austin Brown wrote, "One reviewer states this book to be "The truth"! Ha! Hey, how about actually reading other books written on Judy Garland, (as I have), and you will see the error of your convictions. This piece of filth has so many entirely erroneous facts!" Okay what facts are erroneous and how do you know those other books are correct who are their sources and did you check their bibliographies? Shipman

To those people who claim that Shipman does indeed hate Judy need to take a closer look. His book is rich in documentation that supports his research. Furthermore, you can telll he was a devoted fan that can still be objective regarding her talent and her misgivings and faults. We have to remember the duress that Judy endured, the people who abandoned her when she most needed help, the promises of the studios to give her time off to replenish her energy and the monstrous effect of Louis B. Mayer. No wonder Liza has problems of her own. She was affected first hand. This review is fair to the artist without tarnishing her talent and accessibility to the public, as well as her warmth. A great read!

This is an excellent book, with page after page of wonderful reading. I found this book to keep me interested from one page to the next. I definitely recommend reading this book. Of course, if you can't take the "Truth" about one of your favorite Hollywood stars, I'd advise reading elsewhere. But for all the facts, get this book.

This is an odd, yet interesting book on the life of Ms. Garland. Considering Mr. Shipman's credentials, it cannot be just dismissed. A large book (515 pages of actual reading is substantial!), I was unable to put it down when I first read it and yet, it speculates so much on an aspect of her personal life, that it really does require a second reading in order to digest all that he claims to be fact. Not that it's a "trash" novel, but it does make a fan of Ms. Garland's stand back and take a look at what it claims to be fact. Still, worth buying and reading, possibly reading more than once.