Streisand: In the Camera Eye (Barbra Streisand)

Yes, you can. Well, in this case anyway. Judge a book by its cover. I’m not sure if the saying originated as “You cannot judge a book by its cover” or “You should not judge a book by its cover” but whatever the original verbiage, no need to worry about that when you pick up ‘Streisand: In the Camera Eye”. Intrigued as you will be by the Cecil Beaton portrait on this book’s cover, the intrigue lies ahead, in this collection of photographs masterfully curated by best-selling author James Spada and given the kid-glove production it deserves from book publisher Abrams.Although the 170 portraits and candid shots of Miss Streisand can speak for themselves, Spada writes a breezily engaging commentary tracing the star’s career that brings you from page to page, and has taken the time and care to speak with some of the photographers and shares their thoughts and insights, fully rounding out the experience of stargazing.If the camera loves Barbra, it must be stated that she, in turn, loves the camera. She must. Not as a narcissist but as an artist who understands and obliges whatever medium in which she is presently engaged. To some it might seem a long jump from standing in front of your bathroom mirror to sitting for Cecil Beaton or Francesco Scavullo but for Barbra it appears to be a lovely, graceful step. Or as Beaton, who designed the sets and historical costumes for “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever” is quoted in the book says, “She is an ideal mannequin and compelling actress in elegant period costumes. Her face is a painting from several historical eras. She is a self-willed creation.”And Spada works well to remind us that there were two people in the room, and includes many insightful comments from those photographers with whom he was able to speak.When Barbra Streisand joined Instagram in August of 2014 she made news. Network, cable, basic-cable, bloggers, tweets - you name it, she made it. In this era of selfie-portraits and snap-chats and file sharing and photo-shopping and photo-bombing and cloud hacking and everything else I haven’t mentioned, the idea of a beautiful, coffee table book illustrating the career of a beloved movie star might seem a bit quaint. Well, what’s wrong with quaint? I, for one, have grown a bit tired of seeing laptops, gaming controls, bowls of potpourri, cutting boards and whatever else is crowding the tops of coffee tables these days. You might as well display a worthy book on it, now that everyone is drinking their coffee on the streets anyway.So go ahead, judge this book by its cover. And when the judging is over, slip off the dust jacket and relish the hardcover “case” photo by Craig D. Simpson. Your coffee table will thank you.

Yes of course, if you're a Streisand fan to any degree, this book is a must have. But if your interests reside in the fields of photography, fashion through the decades or costume design, this book will also be of interest to you. This large-size hardbound coffee table book is filled with so many rare and beautifully taken photographs by some of the biggest names in photography. It is a seven-course meal for the eyes! So many of the pictures have never been published before. Even those few that the hard-core fan might have seen before have been meticulously reproduced in this book so that each and every one is represented in its highest quality. I have many Streisand picture books and biographies. Many! I might even have all the national and international books on her that are and were available. None of them hold a candle to the quality of these pictures! And I would venture to say, none of them have the quantity either, especially full-page and color photos compared to this one. This is definitely a stand-alone celebrity picture book!To make this book even more of a keepsake, Spada gives us beautifully written background stories to each section; wonderful facets that reflect upon different periods of her life -- little mini bios. And some of the actual photographers are quoted here, giving recollections of their moments with the star. Unique perks for a picture book like this! I love reading about the history behind pictures. And what better sources than the photographers themselves! There are also many wonderfully insightful quotes from people Streisand worked with during the times these pictures were taken, including Barbra herself! These additions help bring you even closer to each of the moments so beautifully captured here and then personally chosen by Spada -- the camera and photographers aren't the only ones with an excellent eye for uniqueness and beauty.Bottom line...This is an exceptionally exquisite collection of beautifully reproduced photographs of one of the most beloved and acclaimed entertainers of our time. This very reasonably priced book lovingly captures rare moments in time throughout Streisand's five-decade-plus career in front of the camera eye, on and off the set. Folks, this is heirloom material, a true treasure chest of entertainment history through gloriously produced pictures for generation after generation to gaze upon and enjoy for years to come. Buy this book for yourself and one for a gift (or two or three)! The holidays are right around the corner!

Like Streisand, Mr. Spada obviously believes in truth with a capital T. I'm a real stickler when it comes to dates, times, accuracy in general. Mr. Spada has written not only one of the most accurate photo-books on Barbra Streisand, but it's clear that he admires his subject. But not to the point of gushing. He keeps his words more in fact than opinion. The informational text that accompanies the photographs, (some very rare and never before published), is written with respect and truthfulness. He doesn't omit the bad reviews or poor sales that occasionally (but rarely) occurred in Streisand's career, rather, he includes the actual text of that review. But instead of a poorly written book by a part-time author who doesn't actually like Streisand or her work, Spada clearly adores her. It has always been my opinion that if you don't like someone personally you shouldn't write a review or book about that person. It's subjective. Liking one's subject is best because then you can objectively write facts, even if they sometimes aren't in the subject's best interest, at least they're true. James Spada has done that. That's why this book is almost perfect. You don't have to be a Streisand-obsessed fan to buy this book. Just a mere interest in the life and career of Barbra Streisand, probably the most talented person multi-hyphenate in show business of the past sixty years.

Really wanted this book for my mum for Christmas she is the ultimate Babs fan! To see this was currently unavailable to buy new I saw it was available from Amazon Warehouse & at 1/2 the price it was worth a shot there was slight damage to the cover at the bottom of the corner but apart from that it was in great condition!

Having been influenced by my Mother growing up Barbra Streisand was very much part of my childhood, so when I came across this book I knew it would be the perfect gift for her. It did not disappoint the photographs charting her early life and successful career were stunning even in the large size that this book forms, it did not lose quality and my Mum was very chuffed with it too so win win.

Beautiful book by Spada who continues his cataloguing of Streisand's life and career. Wouldn't have minded a few more from the Beaton session, but these are well covered in Streisand Though the Lens so perhaps the reason he left many from this out. Still a fabulous book for any fan though

Excellent value

Great book.