This book is much better than it really has any right to be. I was expecting an informative but fairly lightweight overview of what the authors (also key actors) make a very good case for being the best TV show of all time. Instead, reflecting The Sopranos' place in our culture, it's an in-depth portrait of not just that series but also of the challenges of producing film-quality drama on TV at the beginning of the century. There are insights here about writing (in particular), acting, directing, casting and the sheer attention to detail that went into creating The Sopranos. It can be a little self-congratulatory and uncritical at times (and could have been edited down) but it sent me back to the show which is surely the intention. Recommended and not just for fans of the series.

I adore "The Sopranos", and this was exactly what I wanted from a book of this nature.

Fascinating, insightful, and fun, I can't recommend this enough to any fans of the show.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Hands up- I can’t call myself a Sopranos mega fan, but we did binge watch all 6 series straight off and really enjoyed the show.
Woke Up This Morning gave a great insight to the workings of the long running show, hearing from the actors, writers and directors spilling the beans on the shows background and processes, with some witty anecdotes thrown in.
I’ve already gone back to start series 1 epi 1 and am looking forward to watching it through again! Well worth a read if you enjoyed the show.

Thoroughly enjoyable oral history of The Sopranos mainly culled from interviews/chats done on the authors Talking Sopranos podcast. They do a mostly good job of linking guests and friends and moving through the seasons from the start. It does occasionally feel a bit self-congratulatory ... although it is a bit hard to fault them for that given, ya know, The Sopranos! Very little about things that went wrong or any issues behind the scenes or issues between the cast but I suppose circumstances rule that out.

Well worth a read for anyone who likes The Sopranos.

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!! I am a huge fan of The Sopranos and this book is full of fascinating stories, facts, photos and behind the scenes info from the authors/actors, and from the rest of the cast of the show, along with the creator David Chase and loads more. This is the perfect book for a Sopranos fan.

I quite enjoyed this book, I do like the Sopranos, so early on in the book it was good to find out more about them and hear their stories.

I have to admit that I somehow only watched The Sopranos for the first time earlier this year (I don’t know how it took me so long but it did!) but when I finally got to it I adored it, it jumped right to the top of my favourite TV shows ever list! So when I spotted this book all about the making of The Sopranos with interviews with the cast and behind the scenes info I knew I had to read it. I really enjoyed this book. I believe it’s based on a podcast which I haven’t listened to so I’m not sure how much of the story in the book is new. I loved finding out more about the making of certain episodes and how the show was cast. It’s a definite must read for fans of the show!

As a fan of the Sopranos I couldn't wait to get stuck into this book and I wasn't disappointed.
Woke Up This Morning gives a personal behind the scenes look at the show from the people who were closest to the action. The various cast and crew members are engaging in sharing the memories they have and I thoroughly enjoyed the sharing of them. Highly recommended for fans of the show.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A great book for fans of The Sopranos - lots of insight into the creation of the show, the secrets of its success and behind the scenes anecdotes.

However, stay clear if you’ve already listened to the podcast - it felt like a lot of the stories were taken verbatim from the show, and that spoiled it a little for me. I was really hoping for some extra insights but they just weren’t there.

An essential read for fans of The Sopranos, Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos (the title taken from the credits song for the show) has been published off the back of the success of Michael Imperioli (who plays Christopher Moltisanti) and Steve Schirripa (Bobby Baccalieri)'s "Talking Sopranos" podcast. They tell the story of the casting, writing, directing and producing - as well as the acting - by talking to crew and actors involved in the making of the seminal tv series, from the pilot right through to the final season. The book is crammed full of anecdotes and previously unheard trivia which are engaging and entertaining in equal measure.

This would make a great present for any Sopranos fan. I would caveat this by saying if you've listened to the podcast then maybe don't bother with this book - I've only heard snippets (never having listened to a full episode - out of laziness rather than lack of interest!) but it sounds like some sections are just taken verbatim from previous episodes, and it doesn't sound like there'd be much new content if you'd listened to a lot of the show. Highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of the show!

I am a huge fan of The Sopranos and Michael Imperioli in particular so this tome is ideal for me. I listen to Talking Sopranos so I was familiar with a lot of the stories collected in this book but this did not affect my enjoyment of it as a whole. If you don’t listen to the podcast then there will be a plethora of insider information to greatly enhance your experience of the show. Overall, if you’re a fan of The Sopranos (and who isn’t?!) then this will not disappoint.

It's clear this book is full of love - a must for any fan and a great gift (I've already purchased a copy as a gift for my father, a Sopranos superfan). I wish there was more of a focus on the legacy of the show rather than the lore, and what showrunners/writers would have done differently were the show to come out today, but it is still a great companion to an unrivalled, game-changing show.

My thanks to Fourth Estate for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos’ by Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa in exchange for an honest review.

I so enjoy this kind of retrospective book about tv series that have been important to me.

I bought its unabridged audiobook edition and combined reading and listening. Given that it is an oral history it was perfect for an audiobook adaptation as the words on the page come alive when they were spoken by the authors and their interviewees.

This book was Inspired by the authors’ globally successful podcast, Talking Sopranos. In its pages they cover the development of the pilot, each of its six seasons with details about significant episodes, the cast and their characters, the music, and many behind the scenes anecdotes.

Following the main text there is a picture section that contains candid photos and other mementoes; most of these were provided courtesy of Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa. These personal photos gave a sense of the camaraderie on and off set.

Overall, these components added up to an enjoyable and comprehensive history of this groundbreaking television series.

I came to The Sopranos late though I quickly fell under its spell. As a result this proved a very informative book and also a great deal of fun. I had already been planning to rewatch the series from the beginning and this book with its peeks behind the scenes and other details added to my enthusiasm to revisit The Sopranos.

‘Woke Up This Morning’ was fantastic and is bound to be a huge hit with Sopranos fans. Its hardback edition would also be a perfect gift for the same.

You'll enjoy this book if you're a fan of "The Sopranos" - even if you're not a "super fan".

I enjoyed reading this, great to hear back-stories and get behind-the-scenes insider knowledge about the show - from writers, casting agents, actors and others involved in the show. The book shows clearly how James Gandolfini (RIP) was not just the main character, but had a role in helping other cast members, writers and producers.

I needed to check up on some of the actors' names at times (apologies that I didn't immediately recognise some of them!) - I expect that if you've listened to the podcast that this is based on that wouldn't be an issue!

It's amazing to think that a TV series that started over 20 years ago is still being talked about, watched, and enjoyed by so many people! It was ground-breaking in so many ways, and opened the doors to a new way of making TV, so we should all be grateful for that!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

“The Sopranos” tv show first aired on HBO on 10 January 1999 and changed the face of television. Over 14 years since the show finished in June 2007, people are still talking about it, re-watching the show and discussing theories, particularly around “that” ending. Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa, who played Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri respectively, started a podcast, “Talking Sopranos” just as the pandemic hit back at the start of 2020. “Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos” is the book born of that podcast and is due out in ebook format on 2 November 2021 and hardback on 11 November 2021.

Despite how long ago the show aired and despite the fact my Dad and brother were huge fans I came very late to “The Sopranos”. I actually only watched it for the first time back in 2014 when I finally gave in and bought the box set so I could binge watch it. I absolutely loved it. So much so that when my Dad and I went for our second trip to New York in 2015 we booked a Sopranos tour and took in all the big sights from the show around New York and New Jersey.

Having recently watched the prequel movie, “The Many Saints of Newark”, I was in a big Sopranos mood when the email came through from NetGalley about this book so I immediately requested a copy and was thrilled to have been approved. On starting the book I also started listening to the podcast as well and as a newcomer to the show, who has only watched it once, I was learning a lot and it’s definitely put me in the mood for a re-watch of the show now.

The book is basically a condensed version of the podcast. It doesn’t go through every episode in detail but rather summarises each season and touches more on some of the big episodes for each season. Passages from guests who have appeared on the podcast have been put into the relevant section for the episode or series they relate to so it makes it flow a little more chronologically.

It’s quite a quick read as it’s laid out in more of a script format, obviously taken from the podcast, so the pages aren’t really heavy with text. There are introductions on each chapter with a bit more background from Michael and Steve as well, which I found really interesting. You can really see their friendship and the banter between them in their interactions.

They have obviously had guest appearances on the podcast from most of the main cast with one obvious exception. James Gandolfini’s presence is felt throughout the book with stories from Michael and Steve as well as the other guests and my overwhelming takeaway was what an amazing person he must have been. He took his role as Tony Soprano extremely seriously and saw himself as the leader of the cast as well as the characters on the show. He looked out for everyone and took the time to make sure everyone felt appreciated despite the pressure he felt at being the figurehead of the show.

I think it’s sometimes easy to forget there were only 6 seasons of “The Sopranos”, although season 6 was kind of done in two halves, but it made such an impact and definitely managed to leave fans wanting more rather than overstaying its welcome.

This book would be an absolute joy for any fan of the show, no matter how many times you’ve watched it there would be sure to be something in there for everyone.

This is definitely one for The Sopranos fans.

It is a dialogue going over anything you ever wanted to know about all elements of the supremely successful and unforgettable series.

I think a full cast narration audiobook would take it to the next level!

I felt like I was reliving all of my favourite episodes as I read through this book. Also getting to know the characters on a different level too.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars from me however I need to put this in context - this is only because I have listened to every episode of the Talking Sopranos podcast these two did, and so basically I had heard all the stories before.

I’d highly recommend this book for those who haven’t heard the podcast because you learn so much about the actors and back room staff, great stories, an insider book really about how people for their roles, their relationships when filming etc.

An oral history of The Sopranos, which suffers simply because I recently read an oral history of The Wire. And just as The Sopranos was very good but The Wire exceeded it, so with their attendant books. Bear in mind that accident of timing in what follows; bear in mind also that this one spins out of a podcast, and I basically hate podcasts, that sense of peering through a window at a bunch of mates hanging out together. Even when, as here, they're not just some random assortment of chortling bods, but people who have a useful insider perspective: Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa, who played Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri in the show, and in the former case also wrote for it. Here, and I presume on the podcast, they talk to various other cast and crew from the series, and don't get me wrong, there's some really good stuff. We were never a gangster film household, so I had never clicked that, when it started, Lorraine Bracco as Dr Melfi was the big celebrity. Stories about who nearly got cast in various parts always open up fascinating counterfactuals (Jackie Aprile as Tony?), and there's all sorts of fascinating little bits about things like which character was most popular with audiences at the test screenings (and simply that there were test screenings), or the various backstories actors created for their own characters, some of which appeared on screen, and others not so much. The connections to David Chase's own life, and in particular the inspiration for Livia, crystallised in Nancy Marchand's line – "I trust that this creature that I'm playing is deceased." The notion that two of the key writers were fresh from Party Of Five, of all the none-more-network shows. Hell, even the story about Rodney Dangerfield's balls, not that that one is strictly relevant. But simply from being presented as transcripts of interviews, rather than the more structured style of most oral histories, it can't escape a certain sense of a self-congratulatory love-in. A well-deserved one, for the most part – it was bloody good TV, especially at the time, when only Oz had really blazed that trail, and that in a much more constrained visual style. But this brings with it a certain sense that what they gain in access, they lose in a willingness to ask uncomfortable questions. Compounded, of course, by the looming central presence of James Gandolfini no longer being with us, meaning that there'll be passing mentions of his being more difficult to work with in later seasons, but an understandable lack of eagerness to follow that up in much detail, with the book much keener on stories about his (many, undoubted) achievements and kindnesses. Elsewhere, there are glaring absences, not least Tony Sirico, who played Paulie – of the main players, probably the one with the background closest to the world the series portrayed, but also the one everyone else seems to have found the hardest work.

And I'm still not over Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Tony's daughter Meadow) now being as old as Edie Falco (her mother Carmela) was when they made the show. Bloody hell. Time, eh?

(Netgalley ARC)

A book for hard-core fans of one of the best tv series - ever! Accessible and full of interesting insights.
Thank you to netgalley and 4th estate for an advance copy of this book

It's now been over twenty years since the Mafia TV drama, The Sopranos was first broadcast on HBO. The series aired from 1999 to 2007. It is now widely regarded as one of the greatest shows ever made and ushered in a new golden age of TV drama.
Now, with The Many Saints of Newark Sopranos film prequel on general release, series cast members and friends, Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa have expanded their popular Talking Sopranos podcast into a fascinating book featuring interviews with most of the cast and crew. Inevitably one voice is tragically, unavoidably absent, the actor, James Gandolfini, who played family patriarch Tony died in 2013. But this remains a fascinating and compelling read for anyone interested in the making of this groundbreaking series.