With Gandolfini, Jason Bailey has crafted a compelling portrait of a complicated man, grounded in stunningly meticulous research and told with grace and nuance. Gandolfini finely threads the gulf between the James Gandolfini audiences knew on-screen and the man he was in real life. Tracing the relentless amount of workalong with personal demonsthat led an ordinary, working-class guy from New Jersey to craft such affective, culture-defining performances, Baileys portrait leads all of us to a deeper understanding and appreciation of James Gandolfinis tragically shortened but powerful body of work, and compassion for the man behind it. * Carrie Courogen, author of Miss May Does Not Exist * Jason Baileys richly reported biography of actor James Gandolfini is both entertaining and poignant, perceptive and vibrant. Best of all, it gives us the thing weve all been missing most: more time with the brilliant actor. You want to savor every anecdote, every insight and cherished memory shared by his friends, colleagues, and the entire Sopranos family. A true gift." * Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout and Beware the Woman * The word sensitivity recurs throughout Jason Baileys wonderful, comprehensive, insightful biography of James Gandolfini, describing its subject as a man, a co-worker, and a great artist. Its a word that applies to Baileys work as well. With rigorous reporting, deft storytelling, and the insightful eye of a great critic, Bailey renders James Gandolfini on the page with great sensitivity, never sugarcoating his faults, but also paying tribute to his immense gifts. We should all be so lucky as to have our life stories told with such grace, honesty, and care. * Isaac Butler, author of The Method: How the 20th Century Learned to Act * The superb writer Jason Bailey brings a potent combination of critical acuity and humane empathy to his portrait of a superb performer and a terribly complicated man. We may never be able to know James Gandolfini in full, but Bailey brings us as close as were likely to get. * Glenn Kenny, author of Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas and The World Is Yours: The Story of Scarfa * Baileys thoughtful, thorough bio plunges into the contradictions that defined Gandolfini. At once an unlikely star and an undeniable, once-in-a-generation talent, the Gandolfini captured here is at once forceful and stormy but also gentle and generous. No one else could have played Tony Soprano, but both Gandolfini and his talent extended well beyond that character and the show that made him a star. * Keith Phipps, author of Age of Cage * Jason Bailey doesn't spare telling the unflinching details of James Gandolfini's sometimes troubled life, but he does it with a necessary dose of empathy that makes this biography a guide to better understand the man, his work, and where the lines between the two blurredand sometimes didn't." * Jason Diamond, author of Searching for John Hughes and The Sprawl * Jim Gandolfini believed that viewers would never find him as fascinating as Tony Soprano. Jason Baileys magnificent, empathetic biography proves otherwise. * Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz, authors of The Sopranos Sessions * "A surprisingly moving biography, a piece thats fueled by not just the artistry but the shared humanity of the author and the subject." * RogerEbert.com * "Show[ s] another side of Gandolfini: a hard-driving, obsessive character actor who fretted over line memorization and sought out projects and roles that cut against what naturally became a tough-guy persona." * Los Angeles Times * "Bailey does a masterful job ... Bailey is a perceptive film critic and an equally perceptive biographer. Much has already been written about Gandolfini and The Sopranos, but Baileys fresh approach yields new insights. Consider this book a must-read." * Booklist * "A fast-moving, entertaining bio of a Hollywood mensch ... Displays a respect for Gandolfinis craft and a sympathy for his sweet and salty nature off-screen." * Kirkus Reviews * "Incisive ... A detailed account ... A riveting look inside the mind of a towering talent, this is a must for Sopranos fans." * Publishers Weekly * "Richly entertaining." * New Jersey Monthly * Jason Bailey's James Gandolfini biography is insightful and thorough, and clearly told with love but without sentimentality. It's so rewarding that I can almost forgive it the hundred hours in front of the TV it's about to cost me. * Mark Harris, author of Mike Nichols: A Life * "Judicious and deeply reported." * The Washington Post * "Bailey writes with a hunger to uncover the true essence of James Gandolfini. that never spills into salaciousness." * Empire (****) * Bailey gives an intelligent account of his subjects life and work without dipping into the sewer. Bailey, a freelance film critic and historian, has turned what might have been a deficit into a strength. He includes the trickier aspects of Gandolfinis life, but he does it without prurience or scandal-mongering. * Wall Street Journal *
