EMILIO PUCCI: The Astonishing Odyssey of a Fashion Icon, fascinating man's interesting life well told

EMILIO PUCCI: The Astonishing Odyssey of a Fashion Icon
TERENCE WARD and IDANNA PUCCI
St. Martin's Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$17.99 ebook, available now

Rating: 4.25* of five

The Publisher Says: The Drama of War and Postwar Italy Through the Life of One of Its Most Celebrated Icons

When people think of fashion designer Emilio Pucci, it is of his bright, swirling colors and easy, freeing fabrics, and everyone from Sophia Loren to Jackie Kennedy donning the eye-catching dresses that personify La Dolce Vita. What few know about Pucci, however, is that before creating his world-famous fashions, he played a critical role in the war against the Nazis, risking his life to smuggle out to the Allies one of the most important documents of World War II.

The authors bring to life Italy’s darkest and brightest days, with the extraordinary Emilio Pucci at its center. Italy at the end of the war was broken, and Florence, which the Pucci family had called home for seven centuries, lay in ruins. Pucci returned home bruised in body and soul, having endured trials that would have broken many, but, like Italy itself, rose from the ashes, and went on to design some of the most exuberant fashion of all time. He helped usher in a new era of creativity in Italy, which again became a mecca of fashion, art, design, film, and more.

A host of supporting characters—including Mussolini’s daughter and Allen Dulles, and, most importantly, the timeless city of Florence and the mythic island of Capri—enrich this compelling narrative that will draw readers of all kinds, from war and history buffs, to fashionistas and fans of espionage thrillers along with the millions of readers who devour books about Italy and her many charms.

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My Review: Born in the Kingdom of Italy midway through World War I, Pucci was in the prime of his life during WWII becoming a flyer in the Royal Italian Air Force; he was an aristocrat, deeply in the circles familiar with Mussolini and was his daughter Edda Ciano's BFF. He was responsible for the Ciano Diaries reaching Allied hands and Edda Ciano escaping the Germans' tender ministrations as the daughter of a traitor to the German cause. (Husband Galeazzo not so much; murdered by the Gestapo.) Pucci was himself tortured by the Gestapo as a follow-on consequence of being involved with Edda and her family. No great revelations were given by him, apparently.

It interested me that Idanna Pucci, his niece, co-created the story told herein. Pucci's daughter Laudomia maintains the Pucci archives; her mother Cristina is still living; how is it neither of them chose to write this fascinating story? It's possible the Idanna Pucci, being their elder, simply had more perspective; and she is an author of four decades' standing and her husband Ward (ten years her junior) slightly less duration at twenty-plus years. The couple have also produced documentaries.

It is clear Pucci deserves this attention because he was always somewhere interesting as world events unfolded. Never central, but frequently spotlighted, as he was after the frankly horrifying 1966 Florentine floods when he was instrumental in getting the US fashion industry as well as the general population to volunteer in the monumental cleanup as well as donate money and material aid. It is no exaggeration to say the assistance provided at his behest changed many Florentine lives.

Pucci's stamp on the pop culture of the 1960s was immense, as well. His color palette and choices of fabrics for his collections were widely emulated. He was well-enough known that my kid-self knew his name. I saw his work knowingly, because Braniff was my mother's preferred airline and their stewardesses (it's what they were called in those days) proudly discussed their suits as designed by Pucci. It accords well with the 1937 Reed College graduate's entire life spent in very classy social life...he designed the Reed College ski team's togs...and reinforces the perception of him as a member of a global elite.

It was a very interesting read that felt less like a biography (despite its chronological organization) than it did a family chat. If I'd been invited to an Easter feast in Palazzo Pucci, this is the kind of knowledge I'd've expected to come away with. Only here it's in depth and extensively footnoted.

Fashionistas, Italian and WWII as well as 1960s culture's history buffs are strongly encouraged to get themselves a copy. I suspect the most disappointment will be felt by the fashionistas, as that genre's devoted readers are not always terribly interested in name-dropping outside their area of fascination. Pucci being who he was, a staid local politician as well as a trendsetting designer, there are many diversions from purely the fashion world. It is, I promise, worth all y'all's time to venture a bit outside the boundaries of subject-matter interest. On all sides of Pucci's fascinating life's activities.

TO THE STARS: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu

TO THE STARS: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu
GEORGE TAKEI
Pocket Books
$8.99 ebook, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Best known as Mr. Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise™ and captain of the Starship Excelsior, George Takei is beloved by millions as part of the command team that has taken audiences to new vistas of adventure in Star Trek®—the unprecedented television and feature film phenomenon.

From the program’s birth in the changing world of the 1960s and death at the hands of the network to its rebirth in the hearts and minds of loyal fans, the Star Trek story has blazed its own path into our recent cultural history, leading to a series of blockbuster feature films and three new versions of Star Trek for television.

The Star Trek story is one of boundless hope and crushing disappointment, wrenching rivalries and incredible achievements. It is also the story of how, after nearly thirty years, the cast of characters from a unique but poorly rated television show have come to be known to millions of Americans and people around the world as family.

For George Takei, the Star Trek adventure is intertwined with his personal odyssey through adversity in which four-year-old George and his family were forced by the United States government into internment camps during World War II.

Star Trek means much more to George Takei than an extraordinary career that has spanned thirty years. For an American whose ideals faced such a severe test, Star Trek represents a shining embodiment of the American Dream—the promise of an optimistic future in which people from all over the world contribute to a common destiny.

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM THE GOODREADS M/M GIFT EXCHANGE. THANKS!

My Review: The fascistic turn new Trek has taken has a hard job erasing the original series' legacy, as there are still some dollars to be extracted from the nostalgia for those bygone, halcyon days of TOS (The Original Series in Trekspeak), of inclusion and celebration of human decency over disgusting, primitive violence and hatred of Others.

Thirty years ago, this book stood out. Nowadays, it's a bloody unicorn. See my review of They Called Us Enemy for the expanded and more self-focused story of Takei's childhood experiences with US racism and exclusion.

This is the story of Takei the man, the actor, the ground-breaking Asian role model. What it isn't, to the moaning of superfans of TOS, is a gossipy tea-spilling tell-all about the shenanigans behind the scenes of TOS. I was mildly miffed by this on my 1990s read; but this is a re-read, and it's been an entire generation for news to have filtered out about this fact, so no pearl-clutching from me.

Takei does not shy away from discussing his on-set conflicts with Shatner, of course, because they're part of his ground-breaking for actors who aren't white. He stood up for the integrity of his vision of Sulu. That would've been unthinkable even ten years earlier. Better contracts for actors! Imagine! The entertainment industry, like all capitalist enterprises, demands workers sacrifice for the profits of the owners. Takei stood against that; his actions might be small, but they were in concert with others, and had a real impact on the well-being of those across the industry who were also not white.

I mostly reveled, if I'm honest, in the opportunity to hear Takei's voice in my head as I read his conversational writing style. Of course, in the 1990s, the conversation didn't include even a whisper of his now-public gayness. He came out when the legalization of "gay marriage" was vetoed by Arnie the Terminator; around the was when Proposition 8 began being mooted. Never think, babyqueers, that straight people are your friends. Anything "granted" to you by their charity is something they can, and will, take away. May take them a long time, may take them a week, but anything they can take away they will eventually.

Would his very open (in fandom, anyway) secret have caused a stir had he discussed it in 1994? You bet! Remember how very different the landscape was then: AIDS was still a death sentence, though it was now deferrable to those who could afford the meds. There was the travesty of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" that the inexperience and indifference of the Clintons gifted us with wreaking havoc; also the indefensible "Defense of Marriage" Act. The social landscape was not such that the revelation to the normies that George was a big ol' 'mo would've done more good than harm...to the book, to the franchise, to his inclusion in the Star Trek/industrial complex of convention appearances and tat-sales.

I understood that then, I'm more clear than ever about it now, and I urge those unhappy with this decision made by a stranger they do not know personally to accept a perspective check from one who was there, who knew that landscape intimately.

He had our backs when the chips were down and his voice really counted. Let go of judgment, let the past be the past, accept that now things are different in part because of a brave man who's lost it all more than once in his life.

ADELE IS LIFE: A Superfan's Guide to All Things We Love about Adele, clever, cute, informative for juvenile readers

ADELE IS LIFE: A Superfan's Guide to All Things We Love about Adele
KATHLEEN PERRICONE (illus. Lauren Mortimer)
Epic Ink (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$19.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Adele Is Life is a beautifully illustrated guide to the singer’s all-encompassing music and incredible life. Welcome Daydreamers to this all-encompassing superfan book on everything there is to know and love about the modern icon that is Adele.

From being raised by a superwoman single mother in South London who introduced her to music, to when she discovered her favorite blues singer, Etta James, to recording her first album 19, to becoming the Queen of Heartbreak, Adele is one of the most popular soulful performers of her time. Gathering her incredible life story, music, and fan culture all in one place, Adele Is Life details everything you need to know and cherish about her.

This Daydreamer’s essential guide includes:

A full biography, encapsulating her early life through becoming a mother and one of the most soulful singers of her generation.

A full discography of Adeles’s music, including tours, and inspirations for her songwriting for some of her most popular songs like “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” and “Hello.”

A very Adele A to Z, covering her alter ego, famous fans, tattoos, music videos, hair secrets, and more.

Other incredible details and unfiltered moments, including her love for simple things such as wine and McDonald’s and her love for Queen Bey.

Her favorite music and playlist go-tos.

Hold on to your hearts as biographer Kathleen Perricone takes you on a fan-tastic journey through everything Adele.

The Modern Icons series takes you on a journey through the lives and legacies of cultural icons who have shaped our world, from fashion to music to media. With original illustrations and meticulously crafted prose, this series captivates and enlightens, offering a glimpse into the personalities whose unparalleled charm and authenticity have left an indelible mark on popular culture.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: It had not occurred to me even once that there were very young fans of Adele. I can hear her songs in my head just by reading the titles; I assumed that meant she was utterly uncool to teens.

Apparently I'm wrong. I'm glad to be wrong in this case because I really like Adele, the performer and the persona. As a role model for young women, and as training for what to expect from women in life for boys, the culture hasn't served up many more honest than this one.

The book is illustrated with art by Lauren Mortimer instead of photos as I'd've expected. That might be an issue for some readers/purchasers; I found the art pleasant but no more. At the price, however, a photo book about a celebrity would be impossible.

On to the art:

The phases and stages of Adele's career are all here. There's also a discography for the more obsessive fan. of course...a musician/performer's biography without one would be a travesty:

A book geared toward a young fan of a terrific musician and positive celebrity presence. Recommended gifting, so long as you're clear it's about her and her music not about the concerts and the performing parts in art or photos.

TAYLOR SWIFT: Album by Album, a Swiftie's dream book

TAYLOR SWIFT: Album by Album
Kase Wickman & Joanna Weiss & Moira McAvoy
Motorbooks International (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$30.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Taylor Swift: Album by Album follows the megastar from her roots as a country artist to her transition into pop and finally into the cultural phenomenon touring today, covering both her music and her extraordinary life. If you’re a passionate Swiftie who wants to know EVERYTHING about your favorite icon—especially her music—this luxuriously illustrated deep dive should take center stage.

Featuring fresh insights from all eleven studio albums—from Taylor Swift to The Tortured Poets Department—Taylor Swift: Album by Album mines her life, lyrics, and music like nothing else before it. This book also features several chapters on all the Taylor’s Version albums released to date, with panel discussions from noted Swift scholars accompanied by vibrant photography that captures Swift in each and every era, from an aspiring country musician to the dominant global force she is today.

Swift’s artistry, awards, and accolades are hard to encompass, from the youngest artist with a No. 1 song on the Hot Country chart to the first recipient of Billboard’s Woman of the Decade award. Swifties will find that and more inside, including:

Fresh insight into her lyrics, life, and loves from her earliest days as a recording artist

Tons of sidebars that explore her influences, lyrical references, musical knowledge, and more

Details on album personnel, special guests, awards, and tours

A special section on the Taylor’s Version albums that explains how they came about and why they matter to Taylor and scores of Swifties everywhere

Taylor Swift: Album by Album is more than just pretty pictures; it’s a door into how and why this talented musician continues to inspire fans around the world. Young or old, OG or new Swiftie, this book has it all.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Honestly, I wonder why I'm bothering to help awareness of anything to do with Taylor Swift...her fandom knows about this book, and likely has bought a copy the second Quarto announced it.

I'm aware of two Swiftie wannabes here in my building full of old people. You know someone on the Swiftie spectrum, unless you only interact with religious groups that prohibit contact with popular culture. (In which case, how are you online? you naughty thing!)

So,well, enjoy some Swiftieness on me:

If you're wondering what the fuss is about, this is not the book to pick up. This cultural phenomenon is not dissected but celebrated in these images and snippets of anecdotal, or analytical opinion, extant conversations.

If you're not a Swiftie I can't see this exciting you. If you love a Swiftie, be sure they don't already have one before purchasing. If they don't, odds are excellent they will love this demonstration of your awareness of their devotion.

The fashion *is* fun to gawk at....

WILLIE NELSON: All the Albums, astounding record of US pop culture, 1962 until today

WILLIE NELSON: All the Albums
GEOFFREY HIMES
Motorbooks International (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$40.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Willie Nelson: All the Albums is a sprawling career retrospective of an American treasure, viewed through his 100-plus solo and collaborative albums. Journey through Willie Nelson’s rebellious, prolific, and enduring career with this richly illustrated tour of the beloved singer-songwriter’s 100-plus albums.

Few musicians or celebrities are as widely adored as Willie Nelson. The legendary Texas singer-songwriter is still recording and performing music well into his nineties. In this photo-filled coffee-table gift book, noted country/roots/Americana music writer Geoffrey Himes traces Nelson’s entire career through the lens of his albums, examining:

Nelson’s influences and early career as a songwriter

The circumstances of each album’s writing and recording

Studio musicians and personnel

How each album fit into Nelson’s career arc and the evolution of his craft

In addition, Himes offers a sidebar for each album that includes:

An image of the album sleeve

Recording and release dates

Single releases

Chart positions for singles and albums

Along the way, read about Nelson’s film roles, notable collaborators, famous Fourth of July picnics, iconic Martin guitar “Trigger,” and involvement in causes like Farm Aid, biodiesel fuels, and marijuana legalization.

The text, together with more than 250 images of Nelson on- and offstage, make for a unique and visually entertaining celebration of an American treasure who has transcended America’s increasing polarization to become a national treasure.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Well, you know who 92-year-old Willie Nelson is, or you're not from the US. Everything in this book is meant to tie in to one of his astounding discography.

Think about this man's life a minute. Born in the worldwide Great Depression of 1929-1939, a midlist country studio musician until moving home to Texas and returning to mostly performing instead of mostly recording, falling into fame by being his loudmouth, abrasive-to-authority self in the next fifteen years...struck down by the IRS mid-fame, but even that turned into huge success. All during his carrer he's penned the hits time and time again.

on the road again

early days

himself today

All that life...all that living. And we have spent our lives during his. Sometimes knowing and hearing about him, other times not so much (unless you've lived in Austin any time after 1972). There are not that many people, let alone entertainers, who can say as much. Dick van Dyke springs to mind, one hundred this year. But...well...anyone else?

There are lots and lots of photos, facts, and details in this book. They're designed to delight the fan, not make converts. The music needs to do that lift. We can revel in them, should we be fans; or we can gift the book with so many of them to one who will. I doubt many of us have to hunt far to find a Willie Nelson fan.

It's prime time for gifting goodies...this one will be a hit, tree book or ebook.

TOM PETTY: The Life & Music, beautiful object, beautiful career to celebrate

TOM PETTY: The Life & Music
GILLIAN G. GAAR
Motorbooks International (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$55.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: A unique and lavishly produced celebration of the iconic rocker, Tom Petty: The Life & Music examines an extraordinary career through the lens of 75 key events and releases.

Experience the extraordinary career of beloved rocker Tom Petty with this richly illustrated slipcase edition.

Twenty-eight Billboard Top-10 singles, induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a string of best-selling studio albums … nearly a decade after his passing, Tom Petty remains one of rock’s most beloved figures. In Tom Petty: The Life & Music, veteran rock journalist Gillian G. Gaar reveals this rock icon through 75 career releases, performances, and accolades. This luxuriously produced collectible edition features a slipcased hardcover format; stunning concert and candid offstage photography; images of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period ads; and more.

Through the decades, Gaar covers it all:

Petty’s childhood in Florida and early band, Mudcrutch

All 13 studio albums, including those with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist such as the breakouts Damn the Torpedoes and Wildflowers

A selection of his greatest singles, like the rock standards “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “Free Fallin’”

Relationships with notable rock figures such as Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Johnny Cash, and Stevie Nicks

Legendary gigs, from his first SNL appearance to his 2004 performance with Prince and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and his Super Bowl halftime performance

and much more

Beginning with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1976 self-titled debut LP and continuing right through the band’s final release, Hypnotic Eye in 2014, Tom Petty is one of the most beloved performers and musicians in rock ’n’ roll history, influencing countless acts for decades.

This book is your unprecedented retrospective of Petty’s life and art, from teenage Florida rock ’n’ roll enthusiast to international star and celebrity.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: No one really needs an introduction to Tom Petty, not born after about 1975 or so anyway. He's been part of the landscape since debuting in 1976 with "American Girl" and "Breakdown." You've just been earwormed, I'll bet.

The facts of Petty's life are not detailed so much as related to the events relevant to his musical career. Part of the charm of a book like this is the photographic component:

in the studio making magic

It's a design-heavy book; I'd be aware of the fact that formatting on a tablet might flow differently than is always obvious. I'd wager the book would not work on a Kindle or small tablet at all. It feels like, at this price-point, you'd do best to opt for a tree-book. I mean, look:

Southern Accents

Damn the Torpedoes

Full Moon Fever

The beauty of the thing is its presence...opt for the old ways in this case. The documentation of a career like Tom Petty's is well worth some shelf space for a fan. I'm reasonably sure most of us don't hate his music, but a gift like this is going to someone very fond of the man and his sounds indeed.

His legacy in the culture's pretty solid. It's clear he was a very well-known and beloved figure.

There won't be another like him. That means we should treasure him, treasure the memory of the musician because we still have the music.

The lost documentary...what a dream....

RANDY TRAVIS: Storms of Life, probably his most autobiographical song title fits well

RANDY TRAVIS: Storms of Life
DIANE DIEKMAN
University of Illinois Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$34.95 hardcover, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Randy Travis’s 1986 breakthrough put him at the forefront of Nashville’s new traditionalist sound and, in the words of Garth Brooks, saved country music. The singer’s warm baritone and all-time classic songs like “Forever and Ever, Amen” landed him atop the charts sixteen times. His cross-genre appeal brought a level of multiplatinum success that no country artist before him had ever achieved.

Diane Diekman’s biography follows the life and career of one of country music’s most beloved figures. Steered from a troubled path as a teen, Travis served a long apprenticeship under manager and future wife Lib Hatcher before being rejected by the Nashville music industry as “too country.” The single “On the Other Hand” and his smash debut album did away with the doubters and began a dominant four-year run that stretched into ongoing success as a recording artist, trailblazing live performer, and actor in film and television. Diekman uses dozens of interviews and in-depth research to fill in the details of Travis’s pre-fame life and his enormous impact on country, popular, and gospel music. From there, she pivots to telling the story of the singer’s difficult divorce from Hatcher, subsequent problems with alcohol and run-ins with the law, and the challenges he overcame in the aftermath of a devastating 2013 stroke.

Informed by a wealth of new research and interviews, Randy Travisis the first in-depth biography of the country music legend.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A rough start in life is, more often than not, the end of a person's hopes for more than the bare minimum from the society we live in. There are not many who can say they've overcome legal trouble, drug and alcohol addiction, and gone on to change the face of US popular culture...Travis all but singlehandedly revitalized country music at a time when it was lost in the wilderness.

And all this with no slowing of the hard parts. His manager/first wife was eighteen years older than him, also his guardian and married to someone else when they met and began their affair. The way that would get him canceled today...! The truth is he was in love with Lib Hatcher for all the many shifting and fleeting reasons one person falls in love with another. That really emerges from this biography, because it's never stated that way. Author Diekman isn't spilling celebri-tea in this book. She presents lots of facts as context for the (eye-opening) events of Travis's life. He emerges from these pages a lot clearer than a cursory review can convey.

I myownself have always loved his country music more than the gospel side of his career. (Surprise!) I get a lot more clearly why he sings religious music than I did before, but I still don't want to listen to it. His faith seems to be the crutch that helped him rise above the ravages of addiction. Like all crutches, it fails occasionally. These are not events Author Dieckman glosses over, or dwells on particularly. The details of Travis's life aren't stinted, particularly his all-important career (which is the reason we care about the rest of his life)...perhaps too much so for a casual fan's interest to stay focused. Don't be afraid to skim the days and dates.

I'm glad to say that Author Diekman pays quality attention to Travis's music in its social, as well as personal, context. I was reinforced in my fondness for his song "On the Other Hand," my personal favorite of his songs. It gives the chronological organization of the book more verve than that technique often does. I noted a heavier emphasis on the events of his earlier career over later events; it could be I was responding to my familiarity with his post-fame life, or could be a calculated decision to foreground the lesser-known roots of the tree we see.

I'm going out on a limb to say I think the main audience for the read is the existing fan. I can't see someone only mildly interested in country music wanting to commit this kind of attention to someone they were not already familiar with.

A good gift, then, for your fan giftee. Not the most general of audiences, but usually clearly visible on the Yule list.

AIN'T NOBODY'S FOOL: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton, a fine book about an amazing woman

AIN'T NOBODY'S FOOL: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton
MARTHA ACKMANN
St. Martin's Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$15.99 ebook, preorder now for delivery on 30 December 2025

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: A larger-than-life new biography of country music legend and philanthropist Dolly Parton.

In Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton, Martha Ackmann chronicles the life of an American Original. From her impoverished childhood in the Smoky Mountains to international stardom as a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist, Dolly Parton has exceeded everyone's expectations except her own. During a time when the Beatles set the standard for contemporary music, Dolly appeared on a local country music television show that her high school classmates thought was pure cornpone. The day after her high school graduation, she boarded a bus for Nashville, but record executives turned her down. One said her voice sounded like a screech owl.

When Dolly finally got her foot in the door, her talent and focus catapulted her to the top of country charts, the pop world, and movie stardom. Yet her success came at a price. Shunned by many in Nashville who saw her ambition as a betrayal of her country music roots, Dolly became the target of death threats, lawsuits, and a judge who threatened to throw her in jail. She nearly collapsed on-stage and later succumbed to depression that pushed her to the brink, but she refused to be counted out and came back stronger than ever developing Dollywood, the amusement park that became the economic engine of East Tennessee, and founding the Imagination Library that provides free books to children around the world. Her philanthropy to health organizations led to creation of the Moderna COVID vaccine. And, finally, she returned to her roots, recording bluegrass albums that became the most celebrated of her unparalleled 60-year career.

Ain't Nobody's Fool is a deep dive into the social, historical, and personal forces that made Dolly Parton one of the most beloved and unifying figures in public life and includes interviews with friends, family members, school mates, Nashville neighbors, members of her band, studio musicians, producers, and many others. It also features never before seen photographs and unearthed documents shedding light on her family's hardscrabble life. More than anything, Martha Ackmann's fresh and animated new book proves Dolly Parton knows just who she is and she ain't nobody's fool.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Author Ackmann, she of The Mercury 13, knows how to present the stories of women in powerful positions without triumphalizing or trivializing their struggles, obstacles, and successes. Miss Dolly deserves no better biographer.

As a longtime fan of the woman, and one who came to appreciate her musical talents despite not much liking the genre she's performed in for decades, I enjoyed my time spent here. It was a lot like renewing my acquaintance with someone once dear who's been out of touch. A couple years ago I reviewed an illustrated book about her career, DOLLY PARTON: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life, with a similar degree of pleasure.

What I most enjoy about reading the life and times of Miss Dolly in this book is the context, the societal setting of her triumphs and her struggles. The way the book is written is to offer a fan a history lesson sweetened by a favorite celebrity's life experiences. This is, to me, a strength...I'm alway interested in why and how before what. The greatest stregth of the read is the very clear-eyed assessment of the whys and hows...overcoming misogyny to make a huge mark in the music and entertainment industry, overcoming depression and isolation to turn notoriety into lasting fame...all while using her celebrity to serve, to help, to lift others higher than they could have reached on their own.

It is inspiring, humbling, enlightening.

What an ordinary person would've done when faced with those obstacles is...surrender, collapse, give up. It's a mark of Miss Dolly's indomitable spirit and drive that she collapsed but rebounded; failed but got up to do it again, only better; got rejected, but went where she was wanted, instead of curling up in a ball and crying until the cows came home. It's not luck alone that makes someone successful, and this book makes that so very clear you can see it from space.

As a biographer of a living person Author Ackmann took full advantage of the mountains and mountains of information our modern age makes available. The notes are copious, but you can ignore them if you like. I myownself was delighted to see them because the force of nature that is Miss Dolly deserves all the ink spilled on her doings in television production, literacy programs, the music and theme-park industries...the list is impressive.

What you won't get in this work is celebri-tea. There's nothing breathlessly revealed, no salacious little gossipy nuggets. This is a biography about a very serious, focused, driven person whose successes span more than sixty years and counting.

It is respectful. That is refreshing, warranted, and welcome.

I left the read more uplifted than entertained. Again, to me, a feature not a bug. i think it's a great Yule gift for your Dolly fan, for anyone who feels ground down and needs uplift without treacle, for someone who admires women's success stories.

Pretty much anybody not into toxic masculinity, then.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND BORN TO RUN: 50 Years, FIFTY. YEARS. *sob*

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND BORN TO RUN: 50 Years
SEAN EGAN
Motorbooks International (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$50.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run: 50 Years is the definitive story of one of the most enduring, appealing, and groundbreaking rock and roll records of all time.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s masterpiece of American rock ’n’ roll with this handsomely produced and stunningly illustrated volume.

Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run: 50 Years is the definitive story of a landmark album in American rock music. In 1975, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band released what would become their breakthrough album and arguably the most lauded album of Springsteen’s long, illustrious career. Born to Run has sold over 9 million copies and counting and continues to inspire musicians and music fans young and old from around the world.

In this book, music journalist Sean Egan takes a deep dive into one of the legendary musician’s most famous albums on its 50th anniversary. Chapters cover Springsteen’s career prior to 1975, track-by-track analyses of each side, the studios where it was recorded, the supporting tour, and The Boss’s career after the LP. Illustrated with performance and off-stage photography as well as memorabilia, the book is presented as a slipcased hardcover.

Springsteen fans new and old can expect:

A deep dive into how the album came together and why it is regarded as a masterpiece

Track-by-track analyses of the studio cut as well as insight into the many disregarded tracks and ideas leading up to its recording

Historical insight and analysis about the state of rock in the mid-’70s and how Springsteen assembled a wildly talented group of musicians in the E Street Band

The story of the battle between Springsteen and Columbia Records after his previous albums failed to ignite the public’s passion

And much, much more

This display-worthy book is a must for every Bruce Tramp’s collection.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: You already know if you're the audience for this deep dive of a book. You're not? Do you know someone who's a Springsteen superfan (I object to using "tramp" in this context)? Someone who was over, say, twelve in 1975? Then you know someone who would get a kick out of this heavily illustrated deep dive into an era-defining album and artist.

It's the photos, I already know, that will get this book into your Yule gifting pile to be wrapped:

contents; history

...but who ever thinks of Bruce Springsteen without thinking of concerts and the great musicians he has and continues to work with:

It's a very exciting revisit to the glory days. I know it's a hefty price tag; but really, can you get better value than a revisitable book about a formative event?