soireadthisbook's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
I was looking for something to listen to in the background of life and this was the perfect book. The exciting times of Tina Brown’s triumph at Vanity Fair. The backdrop of NY in the 80’s and the magazine world was glamorous and the perfect peak into the past.
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
5.0
In 1983 Tina Brown was a celebrated editor of UK society glossy 'Tatler. The indulged daughter of comfortably middle-class parents had graduated from Oxford and with a talent for words, networking and editing had turned around a moribund publication. When SI (Si) Newhouse, the owner of parent company Conde Nast, asked Tina to consult on his ailing magazine Vanity Fair she was both excited and concerned. Pitching her ideas to Newhouse Tina was catapulted into the New York media jungle where business was just as important as content. This book covers the 9 years Tina Brown worked with Vanity Fair, a time when professional acclaim had to be balanced with family life.
I loved every page of this book! Tina Brown was an aspiration to me as a young woman starting out in publishing in the early 1990s, a clever woman who had taken on the world. I moved out of publishing fairly quickly and reading this book I can see that what I felt was the personal issues I had with the industry were exactly that - I did not want to compete in such a business where you are only as good as your last deal. Brown tries to play down the ruthless aspect of her nature but it breaks through often. She has no compunction about moving people on and says what she feels about friends and colleagues. Although essentially a diary of the 1980s it is interesting to see that Boris Johnson is mentioned and Donald Trump is a regularly recurring character, whilst I have no doubt that Brown cam across them I wonder if they have been left in through the editing process to give a little piquancy and 'nowness'. The most moving parts are when Brown talks about her child G and his problems and also about her sadness at the rampaging of AIDS through the gay, liberal New York arts scene in the 1980s. Altogether a nostalgic romp from an inspirational, if not always likeable, woman.
I loved every page of this book! Tina Brown was an aspiration to me as a young woman starting out in publishing in the early 1990s, a clever woman who had taken on the world. I moved out of publishing fairly quickly and reading this book I can see that what I felt was the personal issues I had with the industry were exactly that - I did not want to compete in such a business where you are only as good as your last deal. Brown tries to play down the ruthless aspect of her nature but it breaks through often. She has no compunction about moving people on and says what she feels about friends and colleagues. Although essentially a diary of the 1980s it is interesting to see that Boris Johnson is mentioned and Donald Trump is a regularly recurring character, whilst I have no doubt that Brown cam across them I wonder if they have been left in through the editing process to give a little piquancy and 'nowness'. The most moving parts are when Brown talks about her child G and his problems and also about her sadness at the rampaging of AIDS through the gay, liberal New York arts scene in the 1980s. Altogether a nostalgic romp from an inspirational, if not always likeable, woman.
mkesten's review against another edition
4.0
As editor and reviver of Vanity Fair Magazine, Tina Brown got to meet gazillions of celebrities that most of us only dream of meeting let alone sharing dinner with. So reading her Diaries is a potent exercise in ENVY. Her diaries also introduce us to a bunch of celebrities we never heard of, and that makes her Diaries even more desirable.
That she sat through hundreds of these dinner without touching a drop of alcohol is incredible. By her own admission, Brown is allergic to alcohol. As one commentator put it, these diary entries couldn’t have been so detailed if alcohol was a mainstay of her diet.
Her excitement at making the “big bucks” and living in the New York-Long Island bubble is contagious. Boy, if I were in her position I would have jumped right in. Clearly, her talent has taken her far.
And that talent extended to some very funny and moving writing.
As a mother she suffered from not knowing what was keeping her son from adapting to school and normal home life. In those days, Asperger’s Syndrome was barely understood.
That she sat through hundreds of these dinner without touching a drop of alcohol is incredible. By her own admission, Brown is allergic to alcohol. As one commentator put it, these diary entries couldn’t have been so detailed if alcohol was a mainstay of her diet.
Her excitement at making the “big bucks” and living in the New York-Long Island bubble is contagious. Boy, if I were in her position I would have jumped right in. Clearly, her talent has taken her far.
And that talent extended to some very funny and moving writing.
As a mother she suffered from not knowing what was keeping her son from adapting to school and normal home life. In those days, Asperger’s Syndrome was barely understood.
lauratyrone's review against another edition
4.0
I really love reading anything Tina Brown writes, and listening to the audiobook is like having a gossip session with your smartest and cattiest friend. It's kind of surreal to be immersed in the unbridled optimism of that era, especially now, but it's also a refreshing escape. She's great at making the minutiae of anything seem not only vitally important but wildly interesting. I started this book with a vague familiarity with Vanity Fair and ended it extremely invested in everything that's ever happened at Conde Nast, and I can tell that this will be a repeat read for me.
awin82's review against another edition
4.0
I found this very interesting. I love Vanity Fair and it was fun to find out what went on behind the scenes. Also, she has some priceless comments about our Unindicted Co-Conspirator-in-Chief who was as big an asshat in the 80s as he is now. If you're a fan of Tina Brown, Vanity Fair or both, you'll enjoy this book.
kbuckley's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
sophielr's review against another edition
4.0
Breezy, juicy, gossipy and surprisingly politically relevant at times - aka perfect holiday reading.