No Regrets: A Biography of Edith Piaf

A much told and retold story but this version is pretty concise, complete and entertaining. A must for anybody who loves Piaf and her music.

If a person has a History bent...this should be read.

Review of "NO REGRETS: A BIOGRAPHY OF EDITH PIAF" by Carolyn BurkeI grew up listening to and admiring French pop music, always trying to sing along with the proper words, hoping to become immersed in the French language while studying it in high school. The songs of Edith Piaf were tops, oh so French, iconic. Her life as a free, though tormented, spirit, haunted me in the bohemian 1950s, and although I knew almost nothing of her real life, intimations of her living a louche and druggy existence abided and acquired a patina that seemed to be a widely held notion.Carolyn Burke's biography of Piaf rubbed away decades of this fuzzy thinking. Reading it was like watching a burst of magnificent fireworks rear up into the night sky and release streamers of words and music that mesmerize. Burke's book gives us easy access to the world of this great talent with new depth and heart. She details the real events of the Little Sparrow's life, dispelling myths, focusing on Piaf's gifts of talent, generosity of spirit, enormous energy for love, life and expression with specific references to the words of her songs and their origins.Here is Piaf's life drawn without sensational headlines--how she functioned as a force of nature, a sensual woman who was a tireless lover of men, a woman who pushed herself constantly to the edge of her energy store, a woman whose consequent ill-health caused her to make bad choices and become addicted to various medications. Burke's book delves into the complexity of Piaf's relationships with family, friends, songwriters, and lovers. The result is wholly memorable--a serious, yet entertaining and inviting book--the tiny woman behind the voice and songs still touching our hearts.

A book for those with a genuine interest in the complicated life and loves of Edith Piaf. She somehow transcended the crossover from French music hall to popular entertainer, through the 1920’s until the 1960’s, constantly requiring, desiring, the adulation of her fans. Evoking similarities with Judy Garland, there runs a vein of sadness and isolation with these incredibly gifted performers- the sense of being surrounded, sometimes, by the wrong kind of friends, those who seek to shine in the aura of the fame and everything that accompanies such a life. The main confusion stems from the many conflicting accounts of Piaf’s life - who said what and when, who she deemed her closest allies, and yet at the heart of her story remains a spirited, fascinating and genuinely warm individual who just wanted to be noticed. Suffering family rejection from an early age, I get the feeling that she wanted to make her own family from her set of friends and entourage. To live through these exciting times in Paris of the 20’s through to the late 60’s, what a remarkable historical period this must have been. A tribute to a legendary chanteuse and her star shines still over montmartre.

One of the problems with trying to get a sense of Edith Piaf's life and influence is that previous (auto)biographies are rather self-serving and one-sided, so you're never sure whether you're getting a dispassionate view of this remarkable chanteuse. So it was very refreshing to read a biography that tries to take a detached view of her life, despite the fact that the author is largely having to rely on papers rather than interviews with Piaf's contemporaries. My major criticism is that there is a bit too much chronology (especially in respect of the bewildering number of lovers in her life), and not enough analysis. To get to a five-star rating, I would have liked more depth about why and how Piaf struck such a chord with audiences then and now; what her legacy is on French and other music; and more about her impact in the US, rather than just a list of her appearances on the Ed Sullivan show for example. So I'd recommend this book, but I just wish it had gone a bit deeper in its treatment of Piaf as an individual, and her music as a lasting legacy.

Edith Piaf's life story....very deep and sometimes difficult to read, a lot of French, sadly I don't speak! However, as a huge fan of the woman and her voice, I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it...only for Edith Piaf fans though.

This has to rate in the top 3 biographies that I have read.As well as just the right level of detail, the atmosphere of life with Piaf was vivid.The only adverse comment would be that some more historical context early on would have helped.But I would have "No Regrets" about recommending this book to anyone interested.

A good read. A bit short on details if he private life but a great insight into the singer’s life.