“With Gandolfini, Jason Bailey has crafted a compelling portrait of a complicated man, grounded in stunningly meticulous research and told with grace and nuance. Gandolfini finely threads the gulf between the James Gandolfini audiences knew on-screen and the man he was in real life. Tracing the relentless amount of work—along with personal demons—that led an ordinary, working-class guy from New Jersey to craft such affective, culture-defining performances, Bailey’s portrait leads all of us to a deeper understanding and appreciation of James Gandolfini’s tragically shortened but powerful body of work, and compassion for the man behind it.”
Carrie Courogen, author of Miss May Does Not Exist

“Jason Bailey’s richly reported biography of actor James Gandolfini is both entertaining and poignant, perceptive and vibrant. Best of all, it gives us the thing we’ve all been missing most: more time with the brilliant actor. You want to savor every anecdote, every insight and cherished memory shared by his friends, colleagues, and the entire Sopranos family. A true gift."
Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout and Beware the Woman

“The word ‘sensitivity’ recurs throughout Jason Bailey’s wonderful, comprehensive, insightful biography of James Gandolfini, describing its subject as a man, a co-worker, and a great artist. It’s a word that applies to Bailey’s work as well. With rigorous reporting, deft storytelling, and the insightful eye of a great critic, Bailey renders James Gandolfini on the page with great sensitivity, never sugarcoating his faults, but also paying tribute to his immense gifts. We should all be so lucky as to have our life stories told with such grace, honesty, and care.”
Isaac Butler, author of The Method: How the 20th Century Learned to Act

“The superb writer Jason Bailey brings a potent combination of critical acuity and humane empathy to his portrait of a superb performer and a terribly complicated man. We may never be able to know James Gandolfini in full, but Bailey brings us as close as we’re likely to get.”
Glenn Kenny, author of Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas and The World Is Yours: The Story of Scarface