American Legends: The Life of Doris Day

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: Deborah Fennelly

"I've been through everything. I always said I was like those round-bottomed circus dolls - you know, those dolls you could push down and they'd come back up? I've always been like that. I've always said, 'No matter what happens, if I get pushed down, I'm going to come right back up.'" - Doris Day

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

It goes without saying that few people have a career spanning eight decades, yet that claim to fame is occupied by the legendary Doris Day, who got her start in show business as a singer in a big band in 1939 and has not let up since. From there, Day went on to record dozens of albums and hundreds of songs, winning a countless number of awards on the way to being one of the 20th century's most popular singers. One of those recognitions came just a few years ago in 2011, when Day, by that time nearing 90 years old, released a new album that charted ninth in the UK Top 40 Albums, making her the oldest singer ever with that distinction.

Her musical career would've been impressive enough, but Doris Day is just as well known today for her film career, which wasn't so bad itself. Though her time in Hollywood was much shorter in comparison to her music career, she nevertheless managed to reach the top in that industry as well.

©2012 Charles River Editors (P)2015 Charles River Editors

Pretty Good

This is a decent overview biographical sketch of Doris Day. I would say it is pretty much as advertised. I mostly liked it. There is a bibliography at the end that would allow for more study. Thank You…

A Short Narrative

Just a short narrative about her life. A 30000 foot view. Quick and no real details. A bit disconnected.

Too short

To short but I liked the fine details on her personal life. But the person reading seemed to me a times to be 2 different people

Great book

Great book, if you're a Doris Day fan you don't want to miss this one.

her spirit

I think despite her troubles, she always got back up.she humble and honest to a fault.