Product Description

This unauthorized biography recounts Speilberg's childhood, education, career, philanthropic endeavors and his latest filmmaking efforts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1889143 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
That adversity is the mother of invention certainly holds in the life of the most successful filmmaker of all time. Born in 1947, Spielberg grew up as a harassed Jew in a WASP suburb of Cincinnati. Fascinated by film from an early age, he used his sisters as actors as he made movies as a teenager. Rejected at the prestigious UCLA Film School because of insufficient grades, in 1969 he directed his first movie, Amblin', which won awards at the Venice and Atlanta film festivals and was brought to the attention of executives at Universal Studios. His first professional job was directing Joan Crawford in a segment of Rod Serling's Night Gallery TV series. He first hit paydirt with The Sugarland Express and in 1975 would become an artistic and financial success with Jaws, which was followed by Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Sanello (Cruise: The Unauthorized Biography) chronicles behind-the-scenes stories about the making of each Spielberg picture. He also looks at the director's marriages to actresses Amy Irving and Kate Capshaw. Although the author tends to psychoanalyze Spielberg over his emerging sense of Jewish identity and the making of Schindler's List (for which Spielberg won an Oscar for best director), this is a solid, fast-paced bio. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Spielberg often ranks at or near the top of Hollywood's power list. The world's most successful director, he also heads his own production company and recently helped form the potential entertainment conglomerate DreamWorks SKG. This book traces Spielberg's career from apprenticeship days to the triumph of Schindler's List. Unfortunately, the author seems less interested in Spielberg's work than in speculation, gossip, and trivia regarding Spielberg's failed first marriage to actress Amy Irving and his second marriage to actress Kate Capshaw. The book has too many sneering asides on critics and performers, doesn't give enough detail on individual films, and quotes Look magazine in 1979 (it ceased publication years earlier). A truly outstanding book on the director has yet to be written, but libraries should consider Douglas Brode's The Films of Steven Spielberg (Carol Pub. Group, 1994), a good introduction to basic themes in his work. This superficial book is not a necessary purchase.?Stephen Rees, Levittown Regional Lib., Pa.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Any with a prior interest in Steven Spielberg's movies and efforts will welcome this in-depth biography which probes both his career, film contributions, and personal life. Sanello's coverage exposes the personal influences which helped form Spielberg's films and unique style: chapters provide a revealing portrait of the man's controversies, tumultuous relationships, and career challenges. -- Midwest Book Review

Customer Reviews

Superficial and disappointing
Unlike weightier bigraphies like Kevin Brownlow's terrific "David Lean" or Simon Callow's 'Orson Welles-The road to Xanadu," this book feels like author Sanello didn't look much further than magazine articles and trade clips for research. According to the dust cover, he had over half a dozen interviews (7? that must have been exhausting!) with the director himself and a handful of stars (though never really truly substantiated), but it doesn't seem like he thought about interviewing parents, siblings, co-workers, crew members, etc. for any more details or elucidations about this icon of American pop culture. His obvious admiration and fawning over his subject distracts from any possible objectivity and also grows tiresome. The book offers a basic overview of the director's life and work but not much in terms of how he works, communicates, or thinks. For example, there's almost nothing about his relationship with pivotal Amblin producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. Didn't they ever argue, or disagree about anything? How were projects brought in to the company and what was Kennedy and Marshall's thoughts about their boss? There is also no insight from production designers or cinematographers or writers or producers he worked with. For more than just a cursory look at this director's career (up to 1995) look elsewhere.

Spielberg
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critics - oh well
I got the 1996 edition of this book from the library that is somewhat shorter than the 2002 edition. This book is a great beginning - sharing enough to get a good feel for the humanity of Spielberg.

Details on the process of Schindler's List, the most impacting film I have ever experienced, I was great full to learn. Birthing the Shoa Foundation, what a magnificent thing to learn Spielberg is the catalyst, via Schindler's List. Also editing Jurassic park while shooting Schindler's, I found a powerful view of massive endurance.

Of people I have studied, Churchill is one of my favorites. In the film arena I am sure Spielberg is up there with Churchill in significance. However, Churchill is a pinnacle reason Hitler failed. There are massive numbers of books on Churchill's life, some more enjoyable than others. I am sure there are many more books on Spielberg- this one is a good beginning.

I caught the tail of an interview on television called "Spielberg on Spielberg." I was `wowed' with how tender Steven Spielberg presented himself and wanted to catch the whole piece. I could not find it anywhere. Calling my library this book was one of the few books they had. It's a great fast balance read.

I generally limit my reading to biographies, history, business, and data I have involvement. This biography is refreshing and easy. I have no doubt for the volumes of actions Steven Spielberg has made- no book of roughly 300 pages can make a dent in details. This book is a fine overview.

I read the critics of this book- oh well. The speed, balanced and endearing view of Steven Spielberg, a multifaceted gift to our world - this book has been well worth my time, even the 1996 edition. This book certainly reads smoother than half the biographies I've read.