Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography

How do you solve a problem like Julie? You don't because she does not pose much of a problem to most. This bio is well written and follows Julie Andrews long and distinguished career on and off stage. The author is true to form on labeling it an intimate biography as he clearly is a fan and there wasn'tmmuch dirt dished up here. But then it is Julie Andrews and it would be difficult finding much dirt as she is quite careful about not showing any. And because of this we are never quite sure we know who this woman really is. Some glimpses though, her difficult childhood, her rather bizarre first marriage, and the slings and arrows along with the accolades she accumulated. The challenge in Julie's career came early as she had such show more unprecedented success with "My Fair Lady", "Mary Poppins", and "The Sound of Music." The voice was never the issue for her, none like it really, it was the type casting as the well scrubbed nanny. After these came attempt after attempt to make her into the sexy Julie which just did not work with the popularity in the public view. Many flops and yawners made up this body of work some with the collaboration of her new husband, Blake Edwards. Not until "Victor, Victoria" did she see some success, but a real stretch in believability. Her accomplishments in her musical career however have never been in question as she is pretty much one of a kind. The unfortunate outcome of her throat surgery is truly sad but it is also hard to imagine that a period of decline would have still ensued anyway. show less

I would be one of the multitude who love the Sound of Music and see Julie Andrews as a symbol of great British things. I didn't know a lot about her, though, so this book was very interesting.

She started out at very young age singing with her family. then later went out on her own to sing in broadway plays and then was lead in many motion pictures: Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and The Princess Diaries.