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Mary Ellin Barrett
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Irving Berlin: A Daughter's Memoir Paperback – April 27, 2009

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 55 ratings
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Written by his eldest daughter, this touching memoir shares the life of the man behind some of the nation’s favorite songs, including “God Bless America,” “White Christmas,” and “There’s No Business Life Show Business.”

Irving Berlin: A Daughter’s Memoir is an affectionate, intimate, and frank memoir of America’s most famous and enduring songwriter of the century including exclusive photos.

“A dramatic and wonderfully touching book. It is the first biography that really gives you a sense of who the mysterious Irving Berlin really was. — Michael Feinstein
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 27, 2009
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1439170967
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1439170960
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary Ellin Barrett is an American writer and the eldest daughter of American compost, Irving Berlin. She majored in music at Barnard College. Through her career, she worked for notable many publications, including Time Magazine and Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster (April 27, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1439170967
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1439170960
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 55 ratings

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Mary Ellin Barrett

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
55 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jerry Rothschild
5.0 out of 5 stars Good reading
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2010
Verified Purchase
We attended the Sunset Syncopators free jazz concert the first Sunday in June where Jim Jones dedicated the entire evening to compositions by Irving Berlin; It was at the Palos Verdes library; hence the book reviews; we bot the book; my lady friend was delighted; it is well written; Amazon is a good place to buy anything; the shippers are doing their thing also; the price is right and she loves to read. There are no losers here. Jerry R in Inglewood
3 people found this helpful
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Janice Nepon-Sixt
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
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I loved this book. It was interesting and moving and has led me to many enjoyable movies and wonderful songs.
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J H Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars You Will Love Irving Berlin Even More After Reading About His Life!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
This biography of Irving Berlin is by his oldest daughter and it is just wonderful. If you love any of his hundreds of brilliant songs you will love to read about his life as well. His daughter is a gifted writer and she beautifully tells the story of Mr. Berlin's musical and family life. It's extremely entertaining and highly recommended by me!
3 people found this helpful
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Lynne
5.0 out of 5 stars Irving Berlin, Composer, Businessman, and loving Family Man
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
An insightful , personal review by Berlin's daughter ,presenting the man against the backdrop of family and friends, as well as business associates. Well written, with warmth ,humor, and touching love of a daughter for a father.
One person found this helpful
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Molly
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read for a musical theater person
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2015
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I had to read this book for a college paper and thought because of its use for academia it would be booring. I was wrong. Many know the story of Irving Berlin, but when told from a family members perspective it takes in a whole new light.
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Ralph Cinque
1.0 out of 5 stars Contains none of what you're looking for
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2012
Lots of people can sing, and lots of people can play instruments, but very few can write music. And the number that can write it at the caliber of Irving Berlin is exceedingly small. I would say that he was one in a million, but that would be a gross understatement. There isn't one in ten million who could do what he did.

So, when you read about a person like Irving Berlin, a gifted genius, you want to know where the genius came from. How did he get started in music? When did he write his first song? When did he realize that he had a talent for it? At one point did he know that he could do it? Who were his inspirations as a child? What was his education and training in music, both formal and informal? Did his career involve any kind of lucky break?

None of these questions get answered in this book. The author starts when Irving Berlin is already a successful, world-famous composer. What about his childhood? What about his evolution into that rarified world? How did he transition from Russian immigrant to one of the most famous musical figures of all time?

The book says nothing about those things. It's more about the author (his daughter) and her mother than it is about Irving Berlin. You learn nothing about his method, his approach, and his grasp of songwriting. You get none of what you want, and lots of stuff about relatives, in-laws, family vacations, blah, blah, blah.

Doesn't the author understand that, for us, it's about his gift, his talent, his music? How could she be so egotistical as to put 1000x more about her childhood in the book than about his? And when I say 1000x, I am not exaggerating because she had practically nothing about his childhood. What a waste.
One person found this helpful
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NANCY L. COUNTS
5.0 out of 5 stars a very good book
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2015
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I really liked that it was his daughter who wrote this book. It was great and a fun read. Enjoy
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Ann Harriman
4.0 out of 5 stars Dreaming of a White Christmas.
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2017
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I recently saw a one-man play about IB based partly on this book. I was so fascinated that I wanted to read it - and thoroughly enjoyed it. An amazing man, an amazing family, and an awesome legacy of music and musical theater.
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Top reviews from other countries

BarbaraTaylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Irving Berlin book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2011
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This was a fascinating read. Great to have his daughter's perspective on Irving Berlin's life and work. Look forward to reading another biography about this talented man.
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