Judy Garland: A Biography

Wow. What a truly tragic life Judy Garland had, controlled and destroyed by those that put her at the top, but loved more than any star by the fans. This is a riveting read, written by someone who knew the sad starlet. A must for an biography fans.

I enjoyed this biog. Nothing new here about her early years, but covers her later years very thoroughly. Quick and easy read.

I’ve always been a fan of Judy Garland. As a little girl, I loved Meet Me in St Louis, Summer Stock and all of her other musicals. I was always in awe of her talent.Then just recently I saw the movie ”Judy” with Rene Zellweger and was very shocked by how they portrayed Judy Garland in the movie. The movie was very good but I was saddened by the fact that she took so many drugs.Then I read this book. First I felt very sad for her and then I got angry because I felt that she was weak. And then by the end of the book I was heart broken for her. What a terrible time she had. She was used by so many people in her life. She was so very strong and courageous. This book is so well written and it shows the tragedy of her life. Judy Garland was an amazing women and Anne Edwards did a wonderful job telling about her.

I've never been a true fan of Judy Garland, I enjoyed her voice and the movies I had seen but never was a devoted follower of her Hollywood career like I had those of some of her peers. I certainly never knew the tragic story behind that immense talent only recently becoming aware of the fact that she died at such a young age (47). This book tells the story of how she was used by so many people in her life, people who should have been looking out for her, people who were duty bound to keep her safe but failed to do anything more than exploit her talent. Throughout her life her self worth was based on her ability to perform in front of audiences and cameras, her studio got her hooked on pills at a young age, an addiction that slowly wore her down, destroyed her, and killed her. Even as she was weakening at the end she was continually forced to perform, "just one more show" an empty promise of endless last shows. She died too young after too sad a life. Judy Garland's life is a true tragedy.

I was surprised at how young Judy Garland was when she began performing. She was manipulated by her mother into working to support her family beginning when she was a child. I empathized with her and to some degree can identify with her addiction (am a recovering alcoholic). She seemed to be fighting an uphill battle. Was incredibly talented. This biography explains what she went through from her perspective, and includes comments from those who worked with her and knew her.

I’ve read a dozen Judy Garland biographies and I’ve known about this one for decades. I just never chose to read it. I had read bad reviews. And the original paperback cover, with a drawn picture of Dorothy on it, made it seem like a throw away book for teens.It is in fact very good and very much for adults. It’s one of the better bios out there on her, despite getting some filmography listings and some dates wrong. The author’s arm chair psychoanalysis of Judy rings true to me and is empathetic.

My mother told me this book was depressing but I didn't realize how depressing it was till I read it.To top it off the copy of the book I got was screwed up it seemed to have all the chapters thought.Some of the same chapters more then once.I was mostly thinking while reading about Judy Garland was even though she had a low self-esteem most of her life in some ways she was strong she had a fighting spirit and I really admire her for that.I thought of a cat as well because so many times she was close to death and bounced back from it.How many people can you say did that?She didn't truely have happiness and joy in her life unless she was with her dad who ended up dieing when she was young,when she had her children,and toward the end when she left the movies and went out on her own.I liked hearing the stories behind the movies she was in as well most of them I have never seen only The Wizard Of Oz where she was cute as a button.If you can handle reading a book that is mostly depressing and want to learn more about Judy Garland this is the book for you.

Anne Edwards has written an intimate picture of Judy Garland. Anne's focus is Judy's history as a victim of her mother, her husbands, and most of all of L.B. Mayer. Judy was their ticket to wealth and success. Ultimately, the tragedy of Garland is that she never felt the love from those close to her. Audiences adored her (for the most part), but Edwards demonstrates that this wasn't enough for the broken and fragile Judy. Talent abused, talent wasted, but talent, nevertheless. Great companion to the movie, Judy.

There have been so many words written about Judy Garland, the most naturally gifted and talented performer that has ever graced the stage, that it’s hard to sift through the writing to come to your own conclusion about her tragic life. And boy, was it tragic. That she ever managed to get herself up and onto a stage after the way that she’d been unfairly treated is a sheer miracle. This book moves swiftly through the early years of the Gumms’ Vaudeville Act with the ever present pushy mother Ethel, through the start of the controlling years by Mayer at MGM ( the root of many of her problems, I think); to be addicted to pills and crash diets at such a young age can never be a good thing, and this book unravels all of the pain, hurt and feelings of abandonment that Judy Garland must have felt. However, it is such a well observed piece of work, that the celebration of just how ridiculously talented Judy was comes across throughout the book. Astounding voice and a sense of performance like no one before of after her, as a reader you can almost be in the audience of some of the big shows at Carnegie Hall or The Palace, ( in fact you really wish you had been), and it is the enduring spirit of the woman that truly shines through from the start to the very end. Yes, she attracted the wrong kind of men, yes, she only ever really wanted to love and be loved, yes she got fired for her behaviour on film sets, but this was purely as a result of how appallingly she had been treated by those closest to her. It’s a fascinating, if painful, read and one to recommend for most Judy Garland fans as a reminder of the incredible legacy she has left behind.

I bought this for my mum for Christmas after going to see the film.She had read other books about Judy Garland but she said this one was a page turner and it was so sad how she was used abused. She said this was by far the best account of her life. She couldn’t put it down

Well researched in depth book about Judy. Judy never had a chance when the studio got her hooked on all kinds of pills. Seems so many people let her down. So very talented, emotional and complex. A wonderful person in so many ways but could not escape her abused childhood. A true legend and star. Rest in peace Judy. You deserve it.

An extremely detailed account of her depressingly sad life and the appalling way in which she was treated like a piece of meat by the film industry and indeed her own family at times. Very interesting and illuminating but she never really had a chance to have a fulfilling life. If you want to know all about her, read this.

I bought this for my mum on Mother's Day. I read it before I gave it to her!! I thought it was excellent and so sad. It really shows how celebrities were just money machines - and how she wasn't really protected from it all.