Learning to Fly

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Victoria Beckham

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Pages: 528 (Paperback)

ISBN: 0141003944

Pub: Penguin Books Ltd

Pub date: 2002-07-04

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13845

Editorial Review:

Learning to Fly is a rather apt title for Victoria Beckham's autobiography as she spreads 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 in this book as Victoria uses it more as a platform to redress the balance of the rumours, gossip and allegations in the tabloid press. And boy, are there plenty of them to get her teeth stuck into. Victoria is open and honest throughout the book and comes across as a reasonably level-headed person and not simply a pouting clothes horse with a taste for designer labels. In fact, Victoria tries a little too hard to dismiss her glamorous image, thus destroying a little bit of the mystery that made her one of the two most talked-about Spice Girls (along with Geri). Unfortunately, for someone who condemns the press for the interest they show in every trivial detail of her life, she is more than happy to push those same trivialities here. So we have to wade through a lot of unimportant detail before we get to the meaty stuff, but there's plenty of that. The early days of the Spice Girls makes for interesting reading, particularly her catty comments towards the unseen sixth Spice Girl Michelle ("she had less rhythm than a cement mixer") and her first encounters with David Beckham are made all the more interesting in that we know what happened next. If there's one thing that comes over it's her love of her husband and her son, a love that was strengthened by the death threats and kidnap attempts. But the book really moves up a gear as Victoria slowly comes to realise someone very close to them has betrayed them and used his position within the Beckhams' inner circle to make a quick buck. That betrayal obviously hit home very hard and one can't help, perhaps for the first time, to understand some of the pressures she faces on a daily basis. There are plenty of lighter moments though, such as her brief romantic dalliance with 80s teen movie idol Corey Haim, which ended with her booting him out of her car. A glossy, fun and entertaining read, this book shows that while she may be Learning to Fly Victoria Beckham has her feet on the ground and the world at her feet. --Jonathan Weir

Reader Reviews:

Not for those who want to get inside Posh's mind (0/0 people found this helpful)

I enjoyed this book but I couldn't help feel at the time that parts of Victoria's life have been edited to appear less shocking/gossipy. I felt that Posh still managed to be secretive at the same time as telling her story so it felt like a documentary of the events that had occurred. Her thoughts on her own life are incredibly limited it's more about interaction with others so it seems a bit weird when she expresses what she feels/thinks. She saves us the graphical details too which I'm sure that many of the readers will be incredibly disappointed about. I was surprised that I liked this book but someone should really show Posh what an autobiography is supposed appear like because in that aspect it scores a mere 3/5 for being so 'novelly'. Ps: I can't believe she bagged that hunk before Beckham, he was gorgeous too! I think even Posh was amazed!

A hugely good read with a pinch of salt. (4/6 people found this helpful)

This really is a truly laugh a loud book, though often it might not be in the way Posh would like.

It does really give you an insight into her life and is entertaining. But it does also give an interesting angle on the time when the Spice Girls thought they were invincible and could trash who they liked.

Victoria generally comes off as being likeable, although the parts when she thanks people for freebies compared to the parts where she crucifies people she sees as crossing her can stick in the craw.

Parts of the book will leave you open mouthed at what she sees as a hardship eg having to spend her birthday in a tracksuit because her bags have been lost/stolen on a flight because she takes everything she has with her because you don't have to pay excess on first class.

But, on balance this is a good read because she actually does say what she thinks, even when it might have been better for her to keep quiet. And it's very juicy on the sleb side.

Definitely a good read though, very good value for what she says.

Entertaining for young wannabes - yes. The gritty truth - probably not! (5/6 people found this helpful)

This is a glossy version of Queen Victoria's climb from playground outcast to celebrity pouter. Personally, I wasn't over keen on the thinly disguised smugness and her air of distaste towards anyone outside of her fragrant inner circle. The fact that Victoria claims that even her primary teachers and peers hated her has to say something about the persona beneath the gloss. Now...didn't I hear somewhere that Rebecca Loos is penning a tell all about her time as the Beckham's PA? Time to get those claws out again, Vic.

Learning To Fly - Victoria Beckham (1/4 people found this helpful)

I read Learning To Fly in a few days and I couldn't put it down for one second! I had never really been that interested in celebrities' lives before but I wanted a different read. We had two copies of Learning To Fly in the house and when my mum started reading it she reccomended it to me aswell. It turns out Victoria Beckham never really had a glamorous childhood, but she had a dream of becoming a performer which she followed and as you know she turned out to be a member of one of the most succesful girl bands in the world. The book describes her most important/happiest/worst memories in great detail and I reccomend it to everyone! I finished it before my mum aswell!