As a huge Astaire fan I thought this was a really interesting and enjoyable read

Amazing! Wish it were still in print!

Although I love and adore Fred Astaire, I think he would have been better served having someone else write this. I did learn a lot about his early life, pre-film, but there was a lot of details left out. He touched on how hard it was to do the dance sequences, but I would have liked more info there, and although you learn his first wife Phyllis has headaches and surgery for them, he never actually tells you what she was diagnosed with and died from.

All in all, though, a quick read. Oh, and it was written in like 1940s, I think, so it doesn't cover his second marriage.

I only read this once, while I was waiting out a rainstorm, when I ducked into a little library annex at the American Embassy in Vienna, in 1972. It was a slim little book, gracefully written but not very forthcoming--just as one would expect from Astaire.

Delivered exactly what I expected from it.

I'd already read a partial biography of Fred, so I knew to expect some glossing over in this book, and there indeed was a lot of it, - but it made for a pleasant read.

The sort of vibe Fred gave out while dancing and/or singing is present here as well. I think he struck a good middle ground between screen Astaire and real Astaire, letting us know there was hard work in his craft, and just what a worrier and a bit of a bore he was, without the book itself ending up to be boring or on the other hand featuring too much "unpleasantness". Just the right tone.
I think he was the master of that, really. On screen as a presence, as a dancer and as a singer. And, apparently, as a writer as well.

(I believe he actually wrote this himself, by himself, though I'd assume somebody gave it a once-over afterwards. But it seems authentic. Sometimes a bit meandering or jumping between unrelated things. As I think somebody's actual memoirs would be.)

And I guess having spent his life surrounded by 3 women he by all accounts loved deeply (mother, sister, wife), the conservative & Republican Fred actually managed not to sound sexist at any point in the book (unlike my dear Buster Keaton), so I considered that a lovely bonus. (Ain't it sad.)

An autobiography of (in my opinion) one of the best dancers of all time. It was interesting though, that Fred talked a lot about his movies and the people he worked with but glossed over the personal, both good and bad. Still, what a wonderful life he lead and what a seemingly pleasing person he was! Now I want to go get all of his films and watch them all over again to just marvel at his work.

Quite dry and professional, which is not really what you want from an autobiography. But also interesting to hear about his workmanlike approach to dance and filmmaking.

Fred Astaire is one of the greatest entertainers and this book tells if his trials and triumphs. You will see the fabulous Mr. Astaire in a new light! Really recommend this book!

I enjoyed reading this book and hearing about how he and his sister got started in show business.