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nicholaspoe_'s review
3.0
This was an interesting and fair look at Bing Crosby's early years.
My only issue is that Giddins has a tendency to get lost in the weeds. I don't need to know the plot of every movie Bing ever made. I don't need to know the intricate details of every piece of art he had a hand in. I am far more interested in the story of Bing: who he was and what got him to that point.
Giddins does touch on that stuff, and when he does it is the most entertaining and engaging portions of the book, but it's too rare. He seems focused on the character of Bing Crosby, the public persona and the parts he played in film and recording. I wanted to look beneath the veneer at the real Bing more often than Giddins did.
My only issue is that Giddins has a tendency to get lost in the weeds. I don't need to know the plot of every movie Bing ever made. I don't need to know the intricate details of every piece of art he had a hand in. I am far more interested in the story of Bing: who he was and what got him to that point.
Giddins does touch on that stuff, and when he does it is the most entertaining and engaging portions of the book, but it's too rare. He seems focused on the character of Bing Crosby, the public persona and the parts he played in film and recording. I wanted to look beneath the veneer at the real Bing more often than Giddins did.
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