Steven Spielberg: A Biography - Hardcover

McBride, Joseph

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0684811677 ISBN 13: 9780684811673

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1997

Synopsis

A definitive portrait of one of Hollywood's most famous directors is based on extensive interviews with friends, family, and colleagues and explores the man behind some of the most popular movies of all time, including E.T. and Jurassic Park. 20,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

Writing a biography is tough enough when the subject is dead and the biographer must rely on a paper trail and recollections of contemporaries to relate the essence of the man or woman's life. When the subject still lives--and especially when he is as powerful as Steven Spielberg--a whole new set of problems emerge. For one thing, it's difficult to find anyone willing to criticize a man who pulls as many strings in the film industry as Spielberg; for another, how does one evaluate a career that is still in progress? If the definitive Spielberg biography cannot yet be written, Joseph McBride's Steven Spielberg: A Biography will suffice in the interim. Though certainly affected by the aforementioned constraints, McBride still creates an impressive portrait of the man behind Schindler's List, E.T., Jurassic Park, and many, many more.

McBride is especially effective at limning the contours of Spielberg's childhood. Born in 1946 to Arnold and Leah Spielberg, the young Steven endured both frequent moves and his parents' unhappy domestic life. These factors, combined with the anti-Semitism he encountered as a teenager, drove the introverted Spielberg to seek approval through filmmaking. In addition to exploring Spielberg's private life, McBride offers some perceptive criticism of his work. Anyone interested in the film industry and Spielberg's place in it will find Joseph McBride's Steven Spielberg a valuable resource.

From the Inside Flap:

An extensive updating of the major critical biography of an acclaimed director

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0684811677
• ISBN 13: 9780684811673
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 528