Victoria Beckham was born in 1975, making her 28 when she wrote this book back in 2002. What is with celebrities making a quick buck these days writing about their relatively short lives? Surely she can't have had that many life experiences to write about, let alone fill out a 517 page paperback ... Read review
Learningto Flyis a rather apt title for Victoria Beckham's autobiography as she spreads ... more
her wings and embarks on a solo career without the safety net of the Spice Girls. The well-trodden story of the girl group takes up less time than you would expect ...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Learning to Fly is a rather apt title for Victoria Beckham's autobiography as she spreads ... more
her wings and embarks on a solo career without the safety net of the Spice Girls. The well-trodden story of the girl group takes up less time than you would expec...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Learning to Fly is a rather apt title for Victoria Beckham's autobiography as she spreads ... more
her wings and embarks on a solo career without the safety net of the Spice Girls. The well-trodden story of the girl group takes up less time than you would expec...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Learning to Flyis a rather apt title for Victoria Beckham's autobiography as she spreads ... more
her wings and embarks on a solo career without the safety net of the Spice Girls. The well-trodden story of the girl group takes up less time than you would expect...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
From the time when, as an eight-year-old girl, she saw the movie Fame, Victoria wanted to ... more
be a star. There was a line from the title song that stayed with her - 'I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly'. This book describes her journey from lonely teenager to international star.
Advantages: A very interesting insight into the world of WAG Disadvantages: You might end up hating her more
Victoria Beckham was born in 1975, making her 28 when she wrote this book back in 2002. What is with celebrities making a quick buck these days writing about their relatively short lives? Surely she can't have had that many life experiences to write about, let alone fill out a 517 page paperback book! But somehow she managed it. To give her credit, she did it rather well.
If you don't know Victoria Beckham,... where have you been in ... ...local newsagents, it's more than likely the she will be mentioned in more than one womens magazine, scrutinizing her very slight figure or analysing her fashion sense, or maybe you could find her in a newspaper with her husband footballer David Beckham, in endless stories about their 'marriage being on the rocks', their latest purchase, their latest getaway.. the list is endless! The Beckhams are no doubt a well established household name and perhaps ... more
Victoria Beckham was born in 1975, making her 28 when she wrote this book back in 2002. What is with celebrities making a quick buck these days writing about their relatively short lives? Surely she can't have had that many life experiences to write about, let alone fill out a 517 page paperback book! But somehow she managed it. To give her credit, she did it rather well.
If you don't know Victoria Beckham,... where have you been in the past decade?! I suggest you go down to your local newsagents, it's more than likely the she will be mentioned in more than one womens magazine, scrutinizing her very slight figure or analysing her fashion sense, or maybe you could find her in a newspaper with her husband footballer David Beckham, in endless stories about their 'marriage being on the rocks', their latest purchase, their latest getaway.. the list is endless! The Beckhams are no doubt a well established household name and perhaps a phenomenon. They appear to have their finger in every pot and it is therefore no surprise that Victoria jumped on the bandwagon and wrote an autobiography, or should I say, co-wrote.
At the beginning of her book, her acknowledgements for those who helped her write it is fairly long. Seven people in fact. I therefore feel it is unfair to give her the full credit for the way in which this book is written. It flows well and is very easy to read. It is quite descriptive in places and I felt as though I was there as events are described. You feel as though you are actually hearing her thoughts. All in all, very well written... she obviously paid somebody a large sum of money.
As for the content, it is fairly varied. She goes into a lot of detail about her childhood, growing up, her aspirations and ambitions. Now, this woman is like marmite. You either love her or you hate her. I was the latter. So I thought to myself, I'll buy this book and give her a chance, wipe the slate clean of any pre-judgements and then decide after reading if I like her or not. Unfortunately, despite the fact that this book is a reasonably good read, I still dislike her. I think it's because I can't relate to her. When talking about her childhood, she just sounds spoilt. She talks of her dad taking her to school in a Rolls Royce and being embarrassed of it! How her parents paid for this.. how her parents paid for that.. how she went to a state school and felt different to everybody else. Talk about being snobbish! What annoys me about this book is that she calls her Mother 'Mummy' and her Father 'Daddy' - is it just me or does anybody else find that slightly unsettling that a 28 year old calls her parents by those names? Maybe it is just me.
You'll never believe it.. but.. shock horror! Victoria Beckham was bullied because of her weight, and it wasn't her lack of weight she was being bullied for. She always aspired to be a dancer, and of course mummy and daddy paid out for dancing lessons and mummy made her costumes for her etc. etc. but Victoria claims that she was on the chubby side.. and yet I'm sure that somewhere in the book she said that at her largest she was a size 12. A size 12! Thanks a lot Victoria. Nothing like telling all your readers who are size 12+ are fat. When first joining the Spice girls she was told to lose weight. And what a great example to set to younger readers. Yeah thats right - only eat vegetables and you too can weigh next to nothing. There's actually photos of her before she started to lose the weight and she looks really healthy and radiant. It was all downhill from there.
Joining the Spice Girls was what threw Victoria into the public eye, and reading it back, what they got up to, where they went etc. it really lets you see the other side to the phenomenon that was the Spice Girls. I was once a young fan myself when they were in their hayday and it was a bit of a blast from the past. I never knew that Geri was the main (wo)man behind it all with the charisma and energy that got them through.
Then there's David Beckham, Victoria's better half. She talks about how they met and how they managed to keep it secret for so long. And then the bragging sets in, David bought me this and had it delievered here and there and oh how wonderful.. I'm not jealous at all! Unsurprisingly she talks in detail about the allegations made against David in that he cheated on her with this model and that model, and in all fairness, you do start to feel sorry for the woman. But surely its to be expected if you're going out with one of the most lusted upon men in the UK?! Poor David in all of this was treat like he'd murdered somebody. She even says that deep down she knew he was telling the truth and yet she still treated him like crap.
Back in 2002 Victoria had only one son so far, Brooklyn. She talks about her pregnancy and how she coped as well as the birth. She talks about life as a working mother, juggling her solo career with parenthood, hiring a nanny etc. All very interesting stuff I can assure you. :-/
What is certain, is that she and her family are very close and this becomes even more apparent when her family's security is jeopardised by somebody they welcome in with open arms. I won't give too much away! I do feel sorry for the Beckhams in that they are under constant threat, either from football hooligans shouting abuse, death threats sent to their home or hearing of plots to kidknap Brooklyn. But surely that is all part of the parcel of being famous?
One thing I found strange is the fact that Victoria makes a concious effort to try and show the reader that she does have a sense of humour. And yes, in interviews with Parkinson and Ali G for example, she has cracked a few jokes, made a few witty comments etc. and maybe she is actually funny once you get to know her. It just makes no sense that whenever you see her in pictures and in video footage - she NEVER smiles. I was expecting there to be some big explanation as to why she never looks happy. She sort of touched on it, claiming that people shout horrible things to her, and call her 'posh spice' which she no longer likes, but I've seen footage of her signing autographs and the like, and she has the face of a slapped backside. Even on her website there is footage of her looking sour. I suppose it just goes to show that despite all the money and the glamorous lifestyle, it can't be all that happy.
Speaking of glamorous lifestyles.. nothing like name-dropping some A list celebrities! Elton John is a good friend of theirs and conveniently lets them use his various properties around the world to holiday in. She also stayed in Donatella Versaces house too.. and countless other famous people are mentioned but I just can't remember. In one part of the book she makes a list of things that have been claimed about her, and she sets them straight. Instead of making her sound fairly normal, she just sounds even more stuck up. For example, 'it was claimed that she spent £60,000 a year on having her hair done. The truth: the cost of having her hair done is practically nothing. If im not working, then Tyler my hairdresser does it for free. Why, when we could easily afford to pay him? Because it's good publicity for him.'
And then she brags of the £1 million paid for the exclusive photographs of for her wedding, which actually paid for the wedding itself. She should have given it to charity in my opinion. In fact, she may be ambassador to charities, but does she mention her work at all in this autobiography? Hardly.
To conclude this review (perhaps more of a rant) this book does make an highly interesting read and don't be put off by my low opinions of this woman. You should buy it and judge for yourself. I got my copy off E-Bay for about £3.
Advantages: Gives us true insight Disadvantages: Sad very very sad and still a lot of people wont believe it
We have all been there, we have all done it, and to this day, no one really knows why! Love them or hate them we all slate the Beckham’s but for what?
Well I have always been a fan, you will see that from one of my earliest ever reviews, and it is still interesting to read the comments and people making their judgemental comments! David & Victoria are not idols of mine but they are two people that I rate very highly in British society and I do admire ... ...take great pride in themselves. What better role models do we need?
I recently borrowed “Learning to Fly” Victoria Beckham’s Biography / Autobiography can never remember which is which?
I am able to say that this is a fabulous read and was one of those books I find hard to put down! Nose stuck in it with a cup of tea and a biscuit.
Victoria now thinks it is time that the world gets to hear her side of the story and puts her life to us on a plate. ...
Squidget 25.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Learning to Fly - Victoria Beckham
Advantages: Fantastic read, bite sized, gives an insight in to her life Disadvantages: None
...whilst at dance school and learning how to sing properly. I did find the book to be very interesting reading and it was great to learn more about the forming of the Spice Girls as I was always a fan when I was younger and I got to read lots of stories about the good times and the bad times as well as the 'truth' behind Geri leaving the band (which broke my heart at the time!). The book is very well written and it does not gloss over the bad sides ... ...seem to have forgotten about once they've made the big time. Victoria seems to be very open and honest about the bad side to herself as well as her true eating problems and she does not attempt to make her whole life sound rosy. It's also lovely to hear her take on motherhood and having her first son and trying fiercely to protect him. The book was a fantastic read & one that I would recommend. I picked it up for the bargain price of 30p in my local ...
katyeverett 24.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Learning to Fly - Victoria Beckham
Advantages: Great read, moving, changes your opinion of VB Disadvantages: Seems to have a VERY bias opinion of ex Spice Girls-don't really see the whole picture in parts!
So many people slate Victoria Beckham and I can't see why-I have always thought she was great! Not only is she married to the sexiest bloke alive (other than my boyfriend!) she has great fashion sense and is a nice person!
This book proves it, included in the book is her route to stardom with the Spice Girls, her ordeal with the kidnapping threats-which truely is moving. It turns out her bodyguard-one of the only people she thought she could trust, ... ...relationship with David and Brooklyn, the hell she went through with the tabloids and the "kiss and tells".
Irony and humour is used from a first person perspective all throughout the book-she constantly takes the p*ss out of herself, for example "You have to remember though-I'm the Spice girl who doesn't sing" She takes what the tabloids say, and just turns it around. Why should it bother her? Throughout this book, you see an insight into the softer ...
AtomikPink 20.09.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Learning to Fly - Victoria Beckham
Advantages: Good insights, girly gossip Disadvantages: Ends abruptly
I don't know anything about football and apart from looking posh I don’t think Victoria contributed much to the success of the Spice Girls.
But curiosity has got the better of me. As of a few years ago the Beckhams live a mile down the road from me in Cheshire and consequently I have bumped into them (especially David) quite a few times. My opinion of them began to change as I saw Victoria in my local M&S picking up underwear (much tinier than mine) ... ...and waiting patiently in the (long) queue. I have been amazed how much normality they have managed to maintain and how completely besotted they are about each other. Therefore when I went into Tesco and saw Victoria’s autobiography ‘Learning to Fly’ at a bargain price of £3.84 (rrp. £6.99) I took it as an omen. The quote on the front cover by the Daily Mail accurately describes the book:
‘Extraordinary …. Compellingly honest, devastatingly frank ...
zippyfi 20.05.2003 (21.05.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Learning to Fly - Victoria Beckham
Advantages: Excellent book which is hard to put down. Disadvantages: The book finished suddenly.
Whenever someone mentioned Victoria Beckham's in the paper again or on the news i always replied hasn't she got enough attention or enough money! It was jeolousy really!!
I was then told by a friend that her book was really good and it really opens your eyes into what her and her family go through in day to day life. (things what we take for granted)
I purchased this book from a book sale for £7.00 , i understand you can buy it from all different ... ...£15.00 so look out for the offers.It has an attractive front cover with a picture of victoria on the front, it also has 12 chapters which are quite long but each one very good. The actual print of the text is of medium size, so it's not too small to read.
The book starts off with victoria describing her backround life when she was younger and even the first chapter is good and you can't put it down.The book tells you how she met david and what trouble ...
loulou81 07.11.2002
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Advantages: Enlightening, a must for cricket fans and human interest readers. Disadvantages: Long chapters.
of English cricket.
The deciding of the title of his autobiography, along with a friend, gives an insight into his wit and sense of humour, something which is evident in abundance throughout the book. Having said that he didn't want a silly title such as Dickie Bird's 'My Autobiography', Fred's comment being "What sort of title is that? It's an autobiography, what else could it be?" Or VictoriaBeckham's, called 'LearningtoFly', his comment being "Sounds like a training manual, I bet that confused a few would be terrorists". Fred's own choice was suggested 'tongue in cheek' as, 'The Best Bloody English Fast Bowler That Ever Drew Breath.'
After the brief opening aforementioned 'brush' with 'the establishment', his story then begins with his birth in 1931, in the small mining village of Stainton, in God's own county of Yorkshire. His ...
Product Information for "Learning to Fly - Victoria Beckham" »
Product details
Author
Victoria Beckham
Title
Learning to Fly
Genre
Biography
Type
Non-Fiction
ISBN
0141003944; 0718144910
Manufacturer's product description
Since she was eight years old Victoria wanted to be a star. This autobiography covers her childhood, marriage and motherhood, the Spice Girls and her current career.
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