I have read a lot of bios from lawyers, agents and casting agents in showbiz recently. This one is about Norman Brokaw who worked himself up from mailboy in the 40s to CEO of talent agency William Morris.
But let´s face it - we are less interested in the people behind the scenes than about their clients. And author Joel Brokaw started off with a big disadvantage: His father did not want to talk about his work when he was younger and in old age, when he was ready to contribute to his biography, he suffered from dementia.
So stories about wildly divergent clients like Donna Summer, Mark Spitz, Gerald Ford or Kim Novak did not dig too deep. All seemed to be nice people who got great representation from Norman and loved him for it.
More behind-the-scene-stories would have been appreciated - whenever they had problems, they phoned Normand and he took care of things but we never found out how.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

First off I want to say that the title is a little misleading. I thought this was going to be a whole book about this man's experience driving Marilyn Monroe. But that is not what you get. You get one small chapter about it. The rest is about the agent and the many clients he had in his lifetime. Though I felt cheated by the misleading title, it really was an interesting read, There are stories about the agent and client relati0nships which many may find interesting. Norman Brokaw represented a lot of famous people when they were first getting their starts in their careers. This is written by his son so a lot of what Norman may have felt is speculation as the son states that Norman was not one to talk bad about his clients.

This book was okay but I was expecting something different. The title would have you believe that there is more story to this story than there was so I was kind of disappointed but it was a quick read and an entertaining romp through the entertainment world.

Biography of Norman Brokaw who worked his way up from mail room clerk to CEO & Chairman of the William Morris Agency. Along the way, Norman worked with a host of stars & famous people from Marilyn Monroe & Elvis to Donna Summer & Dick Van Dyke. Known as a man who would do his utmost for his clients, keep their confidences, & never say a bad word about anyone, Norman was a popular & well-respected man. His private life wasn't quite so settled though.

I'd never heard of Norman Brokaw before seeing this book for review but it turned out to be a really interesting read. One of the 'old school' members of Hollywood, Norman Brokaw was notoriously closed-lipped about his experiences & unfortunately many of them were not recorded before he began to show signs of developing dementia. Of those that appear in the book though, I will say that although the book is titled 'Driving Marilyn', Marilyn herself appears very briefly. I was almost disappointed. It's a very readable biography though written with humour by his son, & with a great deal of affection. 4.5 stars (rounded down)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Globe Pequot/Lyons Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Oh this book was SO good! I was so intrigued by this story of all the famous people he drove and his insight on them all. What a great book! Highly recommend.

The life and times of Hollywood agent, Norman Brokaw as related by his son, Joel. Brokaw had an interesting and varied career and rubbed shoulders with many big names. Despite this, I only found the book intermittently interesting.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lyons Press for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
This was a very good biography about Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw written by his son. I had never heard of Norman Brokaw so it was interesting to read about him, and what a big influence he had in Hollywood. He seemed the type of guy that would do anything for you. He started in the mail room and worked his way up to agent. I learned a lot along the way, and visited google a few times to find out more. If you like reading about Old Hollywood, this book is for you. It is well-written, and will keep your interest right from the start.

Joel Brokaw - Foreword by David Geffen, Driving Marilyn The Life and Times of Legendary Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw, Globe Pequot|Lyons Press, October 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Joel Brokaw has woven an absorbing story of his father’s professional and domestic life. While at times giving way to concerns verging on criticism about his father’s domestic conduct Joel Brokaw’s approach is overall generous and understanding, ensuring that the book is fair to the impressive professional whose life as a successful agent to high profile figures becomes a story of a man of substance and big-heartedness towards his clients. This is an engaging and warm story at the same time as one that provides an extraordinary insight into the world of celebrities and their agent.

Norman Brokaw’s story of three marriages, six children, desire to maintain financial control over his family, seeming lack of interest in their day to day lives, and eventual decline into dementia is one thread in this book. As a thread, woven throughout Brokaw’s professional life, it is a gentle reminder that people are not one dimensional rather than making an insistent comparison with the concern that he showed towards his clients. Joel Brokaw’s approach is such a joy, he is honest about his feelings, recognises his father’s virtues, and ensures that his reputation remains intact. In particular, the section about Bill Cosby, for whom Brokaw Senior was agent, is sensitive to the judgments about Cosby, recognises that some people believe that his agent must have known about him, but argues convincingly that this is not necessarily so.

Norman Brokaw’s beginning in the mail room of the William Morris Agency provides an example of the detail and thoughtfulness that goes into this book. Rather than leave it as a hackneyed ‘rags to riches’ event, Brokaw provides background to the way in which the mail room worked to enable senior staff to assess the young people who worked in this capacity. The advent of television, actors’ move from large screen to small screen and vice versa and the expanding role of an agent from collaborating with actors to working with political figures is another thread in the book. In the case of Norman Brokaw, attention is drawn to the ways in which an agent could expand their role to be a much-loved mentor. The latter supported by numerous of Brokaw’s clients, and in David Geffen’s introduction where he is described as a person who nurtured relationships, expecting nothing in return.

Famous figures appear on almost every page, part of the story rather than contrived appearances to demonstrate the author and his father’s own importance. Joel Brokaw ensures that each figure is relevant to the ideas he is voicing about the work of an agent, the circumstances in film, television, and political life. This is part of the charm of this book. It is a story of a sphere in which Brokaw’s father was a major figure but while it is his story, it is also a story of that world.

The acknowledgements are informative, there is an index and endnotes. Together with the accessible writing and the spirit behind the work, Driving Marilyn The Life and Times of Legendary Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw is an engaging and professionally researched tribute.

Joel Brokaw does a great job in writing this, it had me wanting to read about Norman Brokaw. It really brought Norman to life in this book, it was a well written biography and I enjoyed getting to learn about him from Joel Brokaw.