Unsinkable audiobook

Unsinkable is the definitive memoir written by film legend and Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds. This book offers a deeply personal perspective on Hollywood and its elite - from the glory days of MGM to the present. It shines a spotlight on this resilient woman whose talent and passion for her work have endured for more than six decades. Debbie Reynolds - legendary actress, comedienne, singer, dancer and performer - offers readers an intimate glimpse into her extraordinary life, spanning Hollywood's Golden Age to today.In her engaging, down-to-earth voice, Debbie shares private details about her various troubles; both with money and the type of men with whom she chose to spend her life. She invites readers into the close-knit circle of her family, speaking with deep affection and great honesty about her relationships with her children, Carrie and Todd Fisher. She looks back at her life as an actress working during the Golden Age of Hollywood - chronicling the highs and lows of her professional career.Debbie reveals anecdotes about her lifelong friendship with the legendary Elizabeth Taylor - as well as speaking of the period of years-long estrangement between them. She also shares stories about her experiences as the foremost collector of Hollywood memorabilia, intimate details of her three marriages and family life with her children. Here, too, are memorable stories about numerous celebrities, such as Ava Gardner, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Mick Jagger, Gene Kelly, and many more.Debbie also takes the reader on a delightful guided tour through her movies, sharing poignant, whimsical, often hilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Written with a frankness and a forthright honesty that has always been her trademark style, the woman known as "America's Sweetheart" - the remarkable Debbie Reynolds - writes a story of heartbreak, hope and survival; her own story. Picking up from where Debbie: My Life left off, Unsinkable: A Memoir features dozens of previously unseen photos from Debbie's personal collection. This is a revealing portrait of a woman whose determination is an inspiration.To be perfectly honest, I really didn't know all that much about Debbie Reynolds before I read this book. Oh, I probably knew the basics about her; Hollywood actress, had a public feud with Elizabeth Taylor over Eddie Fisher, mother of Carrie Fisher - but that was all just basically what I gleaned from reading tabloid press headlines as I went through the grocery store. What actually made me want to read her latest autobiography was hearing about the death of Elizabeth Taylor in March of 2011. I also have a copy of Debbie: My Life sitting somewhere on my bookshelf but I haven't located it yet.This was such an amazing book for me to read; I really felt for Ms. Reynolds and what she went through. In my opinion, despite being a Hollywood celebrity in her own right, Ms. Reynolds still lived a tremendously difficult life. She went through so much in her personal life - so much of what she experienced would probably have 'sunk' a weaker person - but not Debbie Reynolds!She has always come back stronger than before and her resilience is definitely something to be admired. I would give this book five stars. In my opinion, it deserves an A+!

UNSINKABLE picks up where DEBBIE MY LIFE (1988) left off. "At the time I had recently married my third husband," Reynolds writes. "My life was chaotic, but I was very happy. I called my new husband "brave, loyal, and loving." How wrong I was! When I read the optimistic ending of my last memoir now, I can't believe how naive I was when I wrote it." The majority of this book concerns Reynolds's many attempts (and millions of dollars spent and lost) trying to find a permanent home (casino/museum) for the vast collection of Hollywood memorabelia she's collected over decades. Along the way, her marriage to husband #3 crumbles when she discovers he's been stealing her money and has a long-time mistress. On the profession front, she recounts her years on the Las Vegas stage, and movie and TV roles (including her brilliant performance in Albert Brooks's MOTHER, her strained relationship with director Frank Oz on IN AND OUT, and her film reunion with Elizabeth Taylor in the TV movie Carrie Fisher wrote, THESE OLD BROADS, co-starring Shirley MacLaine and Joan Collins). The last 80 or so pages are spent looking back on each of her films with her giving a critical take and behind-the-scenes look at each. She remembers Bob Fosse in GIVE A GIRL A BREAK as an "amazing talent combined with blind ambition." He was her co-star and also co-choreographer (with Gower Champion). The set was a divided one--with director Stanley Donan and Fosse on one side and Reynolds with choreographers Gower and Marge Champion on the other. "During rehearsals, Bobby, who was so in love with his own well-endowed self, would come up behind me and press his "gift" into my backside to tease me. It was obvious he wasn't wearing a dance belt..." She comes up with a clever idea to put an end to it. She loved most of her co-stars--but not so much Leslie Neilson in TAMMY AND THE BACHELOR and Shelley Winters in WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN--and remembers working with master scene-stealers Thelma Ritter, Walter Matthau and Walter Brennan and learning from them. Carrie Fisher writes a loving introduction. AFter you read this book, you'll be filling your Netflix queue with Debbie Reynolds films.

I love Debbie Reynolds! She was a passenger on one of my flights to Las Vegas many years ago. Her hotel, now owned by another, was our layover hotel. She talked about how much she loved owning that hotel and how much she missed it. Little did I know then just how much heartache was involved. She signed autographs for our entire crew, each one with a special message. I loved reading about old Hollywood, especially the way she tells it. You may not agree with all the decisions she made along the way, but I think she is pretty courageous for sharing them and leaving herself open for criticism. I myself, have made choices I would go back and change if I could. Who hasn't? I enjoyed reading her recollections and think she is a sweet lady with a good heart!

This has a really interesting set-up: picking up right where she left off in her first memoir (which I will probably read sooner than later), getting into the gritty truth of her third divorce & failed dreams, and waiting until the 50% mark of the book to talk about her career.Reading the details of her biggest dream of owning a Hollywood memorabilia museum was so gut-wrenching. To see her work so hard and then it all failed... It's sad, but also a little inspirational. To see someone still be alive after giving up on a dream.

Debbie Reynolds had such a great speaking voice! It’s a shame she couldn’t have done more audiobooks in her time. Interesting life too, an interesting perspective to movie making history.

Picking up with where she left off from her previous memoir, Debbie: My Life, Debbie Reynolds laughs off where she left that book. Having just entered into her third marriage, Debbie had all the hope for a happy and settled future. However, she later discovers that what she put into the marriage, wasn't worth the effort, time, or money it would cost her later. Now, hindsight is, as they say, 20/20.Debbie is, if you'll excuse any puns, an open book. She painstakingly details her lows, of which she had many, and gloriously relives her highs. I was deeply touched by her clear perseverance against great odds financially and emotionally. Debbie approaches every part of her life in this book, and nothing seems to be skimmed through or forgotten. Around the ⅔ mark, she begins going through her acting credits, one by one. Never lingering on one movie or role too long, Debbie still manages to recount nearly every film experience she had—the good, the bad, and the ugly. She's forthcoming without being gossipy, she's blunt without resorting to smearing, and she's honest down to the bone.It was quite a loss to the world when this star left us, but thankfully she spent many hours in front of the camera and behind the microphone—and in that way, we can visit with her any time.Audiobook, as read by the author: Debbie's voice, as when any author reads his/her own work, adds that level of authenticity that could not be otherwise captured. She's conversational and friendly throughout and I enjoyed listening to this one immensely.

A story of a star from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Unsinkable brings us the inspirational tale of Debbie Reynolds, a woman who rose above the adversities that life offered…and soared. She truly excelled at finding the bright spots in her life, even though she was betrayed by the men she married.Her children, Carrie and Todd Fisher, are truly the lights of her life, and despite Carrie’s struggles with mental health issues and addiction, she, too, has managed to turn darkness into humor and creative accomplishments.There are also the stories of friendships, torn and mended, like the one between Debbie and Elizabeth Taylor. After Eddie Fisher left Debbie for Elizabeth, there would naturally be a rift between the two, but Debbie forgave Elizabeth and the two became friends and colleagues again, in a movie Carrie produced, These Old Broads. Debbie, Elizabeth, Shirley MacLaine, and Joan Collins portrayed former stars reuniting when one of their movies becomes a cult hit.Debbie’s efforts to create a museum for her astonishing collection of movie memorabilia, like costumes from films that spanned decades, became a pursuit that would lead her to explore many venues. When all efforts failed, she bravely did something she had never imagined she would do.Surviving a career that began with the studio system, facing betrayal and financial upheavals, and still finding a way to keep her sense of humor and grace is a testament to Debbie’s spirit. A fascinating story that kept me intrigued throughout. 4 stars.

I have to give this book four stars because of the great tidbits in it about life in Hollywood's Golden Age as well as juicy gossip about the rich and famous of 1950's Tinseltown. Debbie, who appears to be a Midwestern salt of the earth gal, was discovered in a talent contest at 16 in Burbank where her family had relocated, and groomed by Warner Brothers and MGM to be a dancer and musical star. She actually shared a studio classroom with her equally underage nemesis in training Elizabeth Taylor, who even as a school kid rebelliously hid out in the bathroom instead of taking tuition...no doubt plotting her next outrageous moves in the game of life. This book really comes to life in Debbie's description of MGM and Warner Bros in their heyday..they were both like little fiefdoms with everything in them from costume to carpentry shops as well as dance studios and acting classes. MGM even had its own orchestra. Debbie herself worked tirelessly for years trying to establish a museum for movie memorabilia only to see it auctioned off in 2011 in order to keep her creditors at bay. The less said the better about the 3 lousy husbands who cheated on her -one,Eddie Fisher, famously with the audacious ELizabeth--and bankrupted her. It has a poignant ending because Debbie claims to live happily ever after all this Sturm und Drang,but of course, we know died 24 hours after her troubled daughter Carrie Fisher did in 2016.Let's hope she is leading a chorus line in the sky in a musical written by Carrie. She deserved it. They deserved it.

A bittersweet memoir from a talented and much loved entertainer, mother and human being. I found myself teary eyed at some points reading/listening to this especially when she talks about her children, mainly Carrie. Things didn't always work out the way she would have hoped they would but the title says it all, she was unsinkable and just kept carrying on. The audible is read by Debbie and it's enjoyable to hear her laugh, sing and I can imagine rolling her eyes at some points. I think that this work, because it's her thoughts is more personal that a biography or work that is written by someone else. She talks about her marriages, relationships with others in the industry and her disappointments of not fulfilling her dream of a Museum to showcase her Hollywood Memorabilia that she collected for over 50 years. She also goes through her movies from the start of her career to the writing of this book and shares her memories from them. Very entertaining and enjoyable.

Added 3/12/14.I recently listened to an audible.com version of Unsinkable: A Memoir, written and read by Debbie Reynolds. I enjoyed the fact that Debbie Reynolds read her own bio. However, one reviewer commented that Debbie's reading wasn't very good and a different reader would have been better. I disagree. The reading may not have been perfect but Debbie's droll personality shone through the entire reading experience. That made all the difference to me.Debbie's life had its ups and downs but she had the fortitude to keep on going. I admire that. She's a talented lady with many talents but her greatest aptitude is her fortitude.I enjoyed her comments about all the show people she worked with.

What a delightful read! I'm reading all the biographies of people related to Carrie Fisher. It certainly sheds new light on their lives when told from different points of view!

I honestly don’t know how I stumbled upon this one: I think it’s a combo of watching “Will and Grace” where Debbie plays Grace’s mom and trying to get the most out of my free trial at Scribd. I absolutely loved this one. I wish I could have found her first memoir because I think it covered her early Hollywood years in depth. This one focused more on her third marriage, her Vegas hotel, and her attempts to fund a museum to house her Hollywood memorabilia collection. My favorite part was toward the end where she gave short, behind the scenes stories about each of her movies. Listening to this one on audiobook was like spending time with my grandma: just her voice, her breaking into songs, her wit…I really enjoyed this one. I think I might be a card carrying member of the Debbie Reynolds fan club after this one.