Rating: 
Summary: Shallow
Review:
If you look for a comprehensive account of almost all the musicians involved in Bossa Nova including what they earned for what, if you want to know which of Miucha’s recipes Joao was crazy about (couscous with fish) or who ironed Joao’s pants minutes before he went onstage at the famous bossa nova concert in Carnegie Hall, N.Y. 1962 (Brazilian Vice Consul Dona Dora Vasconcellos – admittedly an absolutely hilarious story), if you can be amused by Brazilian musicians forever coming late to appointments, or drinking themselves into hospital frequently (Vinicius, Baden Powell, Maysa …) – this is your book. If you care to know who dated who among all those wonderful Brazilian musicians of the 60s or who was the Girl from Ipanema (Heloisa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto, age 18 in 1962, for further details see Brazilian Playboy May 1987 edition – when she was 43 though) – this book is a must for you.
If you share Ruy Castro’s contempt for politically engaged music (however naïve) in times of military dictatorship or if you believe that Tropicalismo, which was started by Gilberto Gil, Tom Ze, Caetano Veloso among others after the air went out of Bossa Nova in 1967, was “a ye ye ye renovation movement” – you’ll absolutely love it.
But if you care for the music - if you want to know how musicians worked and felt, what ideals they looked up to and which traditions they respected – forget it and go look for something else.
Faute de mieux (because it deals mainly with the post Bossa Nova period) you might look into Caetano Veloso’s own book “Tropical Truth”: much more intelligent, much more respectful (especially towards people like Roberto Carlos or Nara Leao), insightful and although pretty intellectual much more heartfelt and humane than Ruy Castro’s comprehensive compendium of Bossa Nova gossip.
(Out of disappointment I might make it look worse than it really is: there are amusing and interesting parts. At least you get to learn some about all those fantastic poets and singers and composers, especially Joao Gilberto. But on the whole a huge let down.)
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable Study Of Brazil's Enduring Musical Genre
Review: A superb look at bossa nova, the sublime musical style created for the most part by Tom Jobim and João Gilberto in Brazil in the late 1950s. Castro takes you behind the scenes, introduces all the major players, provides a wealth of anecdotes and follows bossa from its origins to its massive international success in the early '60s. A wonderful book for anyone who loves Brazilian music and a great complement to "The Brazilian Sound," an excellent overall study of Brazilian music that I purchased through Amazon.com.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the best.
Review: A thoroughly charming and authoritative history of Brazilian popular music, this book documents the rise of bossa nova, tracking the careers of Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius De Moraes, Nara Leao and others in a gossipy, informal narrative that's a delight to read. Castro brings the mythic figures of Brazil back down to human scale, poking fun at their humanity, their foibles and years of obscurity, while also pointing out their sheer brilliance, and the adoration that Brazilians feel for their music. The chatty, informal tone adds a nice hometown touch that lets you feel as if you were standing on the corner yourself when that gal from Ipanema walked by, cracking jokes with the rest of the fellas. This book is also notable for its emphasis on the now-neglected figures of the great "radio singers," who ruled the public heart in the decades before bossa hit - legendary figures such as Lucio Alves, Aloysio Oliveira, Orlando Silva, Dick Farney and Sylvia Telles whose stars have faded, but are compelling nonetheless. Castro has complete command of his subject, but doesn't feel stuffy or preachy at all. An outstanding book, and required reading for anyone looking for a deeper knowledge of Brazilian culture.
Rating:
Summary: Music, Passion, Tragedy, Comedy--And It's Non-Fiction!!
Review: If the English translation of this masterpiece is anywhere near as good as the original, then it's a must-read however much or little you know about Brazilian music. It's got tons of great stories and anecdotes, some comical, some tragic, about the posse of colorful characters (and their colorful country) who created some of the world's most beautiful music. The US reader/listener can now become properly acquainted with people like Roberto Menescal, João Gilberto, Aloysio De Oliveira, Maysa, Sylvia Telles, Ronaldo Boscoli and countless others who made this all happen. This actually reads like a screenplay! It really makes the music come alive. The narrative spans the mid-40s to the late 60s, and will have you begging for more at book's end. Do yourself a major favor and get this book. It's a Godsend to lovers of music, and not just Brazilian music!
Rating:
Summary: Shallow
Review: If you look for a comprehensive account of almost all the musicians involved in Bossa Nova including what they earned for what, if you want to know which of Miucha's recipes Joao was crazy about (couscous with fish) or who ironed Joao's pants minutes before he went onstage at the famous bossa nova concert in Carnegie Hall, N.Y. 1962 (Brazilian Vice Consul Dona Dora Vasconcellos - admittedly an absolutely hilarious story), if you can be amused by Brazilian musicians forever coming late to appointments, or drinking themselves into hospital frequently (Vinicius, Baden Powell, Maysa ...) - this is your book. If you care to know who dated who among all those wonderful Brazilian musicians of the 60s or who was the Girl from Ipanema (Heloisa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto, age 18 in 1962, for further details see Brazilian Playboy May 1987 edition - when she was 43 though) - this book is a must for you.
If you share Ruy Castro's contempt for politically engaged music (however naïve) in times of military dictatorship or if you believe that Tropicalismo, which was started by Gilberto Gil, Tom Ze, Caetano Veloso among others after the air went out of Bossa Nova in 1967, was "a ye ye ye renovation movement" - you'll absolutely love it.But if you care for the music - if you want to know how musicians worked and felt, what ideals they looked up to and which traditions they respected - forget it and go look for something else.
Faute de mieux (because it deals mainly with the post Bossa Nova period) you might look into Caetano Veloso's own book "Tropical Truth": much more intelligent, much more respectful (especially towards people like Roberto Carlos or Nara Leao), insightful and although pretty intellectual much more heartfelt and humane than Ruy Castro's comprehensive compendium of Bossa Nova gossip. (Out of disappointment I might make it look worse than it really is: there are amusing and interesting parts. At least you get to learn some about all those fantastic poets and singers and composers, especially Joao Gilberto. But on the whole a huge let down.)
Rating:
Summary: The true story of Bossa Nova
Review: It's the best thing ever written about Bossa Nova in any language.Unfortunately the cover is not so good, but nothing is perfect. Here you can knows everything about the pioneers (Johnny Alf,Dolores Duran,Maysa) and the great names (Jobim, Gilberto, Menescal, Sylvia Telles,Walter Wanderley,Sergio Mendes, Leni Andreade) of this rythm - a very sophisticated fusion of jazz and samba created in the legendary Rio de Janeiro of the fifties.
Rating:
Summary: The true story of Bossa Nova
Review: It's the best thing ever written about Bossa Nova in any language.Unfortunately the cover is not so good, but nothing is perfect. Here you can knows everything about the pioneers (Johnny Alf,Dolores Duran,Maysa) and the great names (Jobim, Gilberto, Menescal, Sylvia Telles,Walter Wanderley,Sergio Mendes, Leni Andreade) of this rythm - a very sophisticated fusion of jazz and samba created in the legendary Rio de Janeiro of the fifties.
Rating: 
Summary: Really wonderful
Review: The previous reviewers are being too picky. I'm sure there are mistakes in the translation but this book captures Ruy Castro's writing voice amazingly well. It's really a sweet book, a sweet story and of course sweet music. I know next to nothing about pre-Bossa Brazilian music and I wasn't confused. I did keep a pad by the book to write down names of singers and songs I need to search for. It's fascinating how all these different stories led to Bossa Nova. It's a lot more diverse than you'd think. I only wish there was a companion CD to hear all this great music, especially the more obscure early stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Important facts and entertaining gossip :)
Review: This book intends to show us how the Bossa Nova started, and succeeds marvelously in doing exactly that. The author, Ruy Castro, introduces us not only to the lives of the musicians who influenced the creators of Bossa Nova, but also to those who "made" the Bossa Nova. For example, we get to know more about Joao Gilberto, and learn about the events that lead to the revolution he provoked in Brazilian music with his 1958 song, "Chega de saudade". We are also introduced to Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Sylvia Telles, Ronaldo Boscoli, Carlinhos Lyra, Nara Leao and Roberto Menescal, among others... Ruy Castro tells us Bossa Nova's story as if it were a tale: we get to know important facts about that movement, but also entertaining gossip regarding the people who were part of it. Reading this book is quite easy, and you will find that the author makes you smile from time to time, with acerbic commentaries that are often close to the truth. I love this book because I think that it adds a "human dimension" to Bossa Nova. I like to enjoy the songs, but also to know about the lives of those who wrote them, and what inspired the creators regarding each particular song... Have you ever asked yourself if "The girl from Ipanema" ("Garota de Ipanema") was inspired on a real girl?. Ruy Castro gives you the answer to that question, and to many more.... On the whole, I highly recommend this book. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 only because the English translation has some small flaws when compared to "Chega de Saudade", the original version in Portuguese. However, that is only a minor shortcoming when you take into account that this translation allows many people who don't speak Portuguese to know more about Bossa Nova.
A final word of advice?. If you can, listen to the songs this book speaks about while you read it. Remember to listen to the different versions of those songs: not only in English, but also the original versions in Portuguese. The reason for that suggestion is that in many cases I have listened to both versions and they are remarkably different... Don't worry, even if you don't understand the meaning of the words in Portuguese, you will delight in the rhythm, the sound of the words, and the differences you will find. The result?: you will enjoy this book even more. Belen Alcat
Rating:
Summary: Great intro. though keep your Internet connexion on.
Review: This is a fantastic book. It's not useful as a "reference" because it's meant to be more story oriented. Written in a friendly style - as if you're having a chat w/ the author. There's a problem w/ this, however, as he expects you to know *everything*. I found myself confused at the beginning because there were so many names that I was simply not familiar w/. I may be the only person who doesn't hate footnotes, but this would've been a perfect book for them. These people become familiar through the course of the book, so it doesn't matter in the end. If you truly want the low-down on Bossa Nova (& who doesn't), this is one book to sit down w/.
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