13/4/2018 10:03 am  #26


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Today marks the 6 month (or half year if you prefer) till publication date!!!!! I am so excited!

 

02/7/2018 6:44 am  #27


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

I have been sent an advance galley proof and the book is a masterpiece.  Superbly written, the incredibly detailed research is bolstered by access to many personal letters from the war years which have been released by Kathryn Crosby. This book tells us far more about Bing’s tremendous contribution to the war effort than we have ever known before and this was at a time when he was making his most successful films and records. The problems with his marriage and his relationship with Joan Caulfield are considered in depth. It’s a book all of you will want and will find hard to put down. The chapter about Bing's time in France in 1944 in particular is breathtaking!

Last edited by Malcolm Macfarlane (02/7/2018 6:45 am)

     Thread Starter
 

02/7/2018 7:02 am  #28


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

That is great news, Malcolm! I follow Gary Giddins on Facebook and the reviews posted there of people who have read advance copies are equally positive as your views. Thank you for sharing them on the forum!
I'm really looking forward to the book!

Last edited by frans (02/7/2018 7:02 am)

 

02/7/2018 7:49 am  #29


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Hooray!

 

02/7/2018 11:23 am  #30


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Thank you so much for the update Mr. Macfarlane! I am so excited for Nov 13th. If you ever want to give us any other morsels of info we'd love them! Thank you again!

 

07/7/2018 5:37 pm  #31


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Just ordered my pre-release copy fro Amazon.com--what a pleasant surprise to find it available! I remember when "Pocket Full Of Dreams" arrived--I almost couldn't put it down. It's so crammed full of info, I still find myself re-reading it from time to time, or fact-checking some item that comes to mind. Great resource!
And, of course, many thanks to Gary Giddens.

 

11/7/2018 5:47 am  #32


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

The publication date for BING CROSBY: SWINGING ON A STAR: THE WAR YEARS, 1940–1946, the second volume of award-winning critic and scholar Gary Giddins’s eagerly anticipated Bing Crosby biography has been moved to October 30, 2018.

     Thread Starter
 

11/7/2018 8:57 am  #33


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Two weeks earlier - welcome news! :-)

 

11/7/2018 11:05 am  #34


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Now that is great news!!!!!!

 

12/7/2018 12:14 pm  #35


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

This should be a wonderful book on Bing. With a decline in book sales lately we need to really get behind this so we get to see a volume 3!

 

14/7/2018 6:15 pm  #36


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

I agree with you Lee.

The decades between books has made me concerned. I think in the old days anyone would have bought a book on Bing, but with his original fan base dying off, I think the book's sales will be limited to be devoted fans and maybe academics. I am worried that the sale of volume 2 could hurt the chances for a volume 3.

I am really interested in the later part of Bing's career as well.

 

22/7/2018 12:15 pm  #37


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

I keep checking Mr Giddins site as well as amazon and publisher's weekly but the date remains the same - Nov 13th. I hope the new date of Oct. 30th is correct, two weeks less to wait is fine by me!!!!

 

23/7/2018 10:28 am  #38


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Amazon has changed it - October 30th!!!!

 

23/7/2018 6:22 pm  #39


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Mine is ordered through Amazon! Can't wait.

 

30/7/2018 5:17 am  #40


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

So much negative assumption about the 3rd volume!!!  Why assume that it hasn't already been written?!?
It's entirely possible that Mr. Giddins finished writing the entire book and was asked to split it into a 2nd and 3rd volume by the publisher.  Better to release a 600-page book than a 1,500-page one.  If that's the case, Volume 3 will follow within a year or two.  

 

30/7/2018 12:59 pm  #41


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Greg wrote:

So much negative assumption about the 3rd volume!!!  Why assume that it hasn't already been written?!?
It's entirely possible that Mr. Giddins finished writing the entire book and was asked to split it into a 2nd and 3rd volume by the publisher.  Better to release a 600-page book than a 1,500-page one.  If that's the case, Volume 3 will follow within a year or two.  

Really???? It has taken DECADES for us to get Volume 2. And there were some periods during that time when Bing was in resurgence. Now who knows when/if Vol. 3 will ever see the light of day?


All the best,
Paul M. Mock
 

30/7/2018 3:08 pm  #42


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

I also think it's a little idealistic to think that Mr. Giddins has written the whole book and is simply splitting it into installments. The reality is that the writing of a biography as thoroughly researched as this is a massive undertaking that takes a long time. If we add to the equation the fact that the market is not as big for a book on Bing as it would be for a book on, say, Frank Sinatra or JFK, I can understand that people may wonder whether Vol. 3 will ever see the light of day. I do hope it will, and written by Mr. Giddins, who is a fantastic, knowledgeable writer and has done a marvelous job telling the Bing saga. Yet if, for whatever reason, Mr. Giddins never gets around to writing Vol. 3 (which I hope he will) someone else will need to pick up the pen and complete this outstanding project. The question is, will there be a publisher for such a book if too much time goes by?

 

30/7/2018 6:43 pm  #43


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

This is only my opinion, but with regard to the possibility - or otherwise - of the eventual appearance of Vol. 3, I think there might actually be MORE of a market for a book about Bing covering his later years.

Although we might find it distasteful, the questions raised by “The Hollow Man”/“Going My Own Way”, etc., etc., do still rear their heads even now, and to have these issues dealt with by Mr Giddins in his characteristically thourough and balanced way might well find a wide enough serious readership to justify publication.

We’ll just have to wait and hope...

 

30/7/2018 6:48 pm  #44


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

I don't know how much effect this would have on the delay of the upcoming War Years book, or any book that would follow, whether to Bing's passing or some other point in his life, but I do remember there being some discussion about the delay due to the fact that the Crosby family had opened the archives of Bing's basement to Gary Giddens to augment his other research. Even if Mr. Giddens had basically finished his manuscript, there would be time needed to rewrite his manuscript based on these new details, not to mention how much time it took to rummage through everything, which I have heard is quite voluminous.  

 

18/8/2018 2:34 am  #45


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

From a post in another Forum from one who had read the advance copy of the book.  NOT MY WORDS!!!! 

Just finished reading the book. It is very interesting in that to me Gary made a conscious decision to downplay Sinatra as much as possible. As for Dick Haymes he is barely mentioned. I don't know how Gary can write about the war and not deal in any substantive way with the rise of Sinatra.

Perhaps Gary is off-handedly making the case that the rise of Sinatra had no effect on Crosby's career or his dominance during this period. But if so he should have presented a case for it instead of making it by glaring omission.

He has Bing and Fred Astaire being interviewed on the set of "Blue Skies" and the reporter asks Bing about Sinatra. Of course it is hard to tell from the written word how something is said but Gary has Bing replying "I'm not worried....Como is more formidable competition". The reporter then turns to Astaire and asks him how he feels about Gene Kelly. Before Astaire can respond Bing says sarcastically "Well everyone has to have their Sinatra".

Gary offers no judgments or opinions about Bing in Part 2. I guess we will have to wait for Part 3 for Gary to finally weigh in on where he stands regarding Bing but something tells me I may be disappointed at the end of this trilogy.

Gary presents a Bing Crosby blissfully unconcerned about what was going on home just as he appears to be unconcerned about Sinatra. Yes Bing was patriotic and wanted to entertain the troops. But it appears that WW2 just gave him another opportunity to stay away from home as long as possible. Yes the affair with Joan Caulfield is discussed but when Cardinal Spellman of NY and other Catholic religious leaders point out to him that the world's most famous Roman Catholic cannot even contemplate divorce he ends the affair. There are from letters Dixie's father counseling Bing to have her committed but this is also something he would never do. His mother would never have spoken to him again.

You finish this book somewhat saddened but as Gary offers no guidance you really don't know what to think.

Perhaps this will all be tied up in Part 3. I hope so but I have my doubts. It appears to me that Gary has become enamored of the James Kaplan school of noncommittal biography.

I understand there will be a CD of radio performances from the war years.

Last edited by paulmock (18/8/2018 2:35 am)


All the best,
Paul M. Mock
 

18/8/2018 9:06 am  #46


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

An interesting review you have found, Paul Mock, thank you for sharing it. Three remarks I'd like to make:
- I think if Gary Giddins should write about the impact of Bing on individual colleague performers, however important, he would need 30 volumes, in stead of 3. :-) This wish of this particular reviewer simply doesn't seem to match with the concept of mr. Giddins' biography on Bing.
- The reviewer seems to be in need of mr. Giddins personal thoughts about Bing's life and/or guidance about what to think while reading the biography. Alas for him, that's is not the concept of this biography. Thought-provoking, yes. Guidance: no. As far as the 'guidance' aspect is concerned, it should be pointed out that professionally written biographies have no place in the category of 'self-help books'.
- What a comforting thought it is to know that reviews, however well-voiced,  are just the opinion of  o n e  person.

Last edited by frans (18/8/2018 9:09 am)

 

18/8/2018 12:01 pm  #47


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Thank you for sharing that review, Paul.
However the writer seems to lack the ability to form his/her own conclusions from facts.
Surely the best biographers should present the facts in a fair and balanced way with possible observations about motivations where justified.
However, to reach certain types of conclusion suggests that they are starting out with their own "agenda" and that in turn implies that facts could be presented in a slanted way to prove a case one way or the other. In turn that reduces the value of the work as it will be seen as biased in whatever direction.

As the to views on Sinatra I agree with Frans - the work is large enough in breadth and depth as it is - it is about Bing, not about his many contemporaries or "rivals". But in any event, during the years in question (up to 1946) was Sinatra really such a "threat". He was vastly popular but arguably with a younger, possibly mainly female following and had not yet developed the more "family" based following that Bing had acquired. I hasten to add that I was a little too young at the time to remember (!) but certainly get that impression from contemporary accounts.



 
 

 

18/8/2018 2:00 pm  #48


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

frans wrote:

- What a comforting thought it is to know that reviews, however well-voiced,  are just the opinion of  o n e  person.

And that is exactly how ALL reviews should be viewed by any one person no matter their alleged "status" regarding the subject.
 
I wish more people looked at reviews in that light as opposed to being "The Word". 


All the best,
Paul M. Mock
 

18/8/2018 6:52 pm  #49


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

Nice to see you agree, Paul. I've already seen quite a number of reviews on the biography; many of which are posted on Gary Giddins' Facebook page. It makes me wonder how many review copies have been sent out. Keeping in mind that all these reviews are the opinion of one keeps reading them interesting without annoyance creeping in.

Last edited by frans (18/8/2018 6:52 pm)

 

19/8/2018 4:50 pm  #50


Re: Gary Giddins - Volume Two

I agree that no reviews of anything should be read as "The Word," but simply as the opinion of the writer, however well or badly informed he or she is. When I read a review, I try to do it with that thought in mind, even if it isn't always easy or even possible to do so. In any case, when I am reading a review, what I am interested in seeing is whether the writer looks at the subject with a critical eye, whether he or she is discerning the positive from the negative. After all, that is the original Greek meaning of the word "criticism": to create a system of positive and negative values regarding an issue.

 

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