To Me, He Was Just Dad

First of all, thank you to Annie Mazes of Workman Publishing who saw my initial comments about a download issue and kindly reached out via email to offer me a print copy!
My updated review:
Frankly, I loved this book. It's a terrific compilation of easy to read and engaging portrayals of famous and infamous men as they were expereinced as dads to their children. Each very short chapter offers tender insights you would never learn from a traditional biography or a news profile. One takeaway for me was the lack of correlation between good person and good parent. The child of a gangster or cult leader would offer fond and loving reminiscence. Similarly, an accomplished man might have had serious shortcomings as a parent.
This book will make a great gift for Father's Day (always a challenging gift giving experience). The brevity of the chapters makes it highly accessible to reluctant readers and the interesting mix of Dads will offer something for every reader.

I really enjoyed this book of essays that show how famous people are - - just people!! It was fascinating to get a glimpse into the lives of well-known people from all walks of life from the perspective of their children. The pictures added to the enjoyment and the essays themselves were the perfect length. The book is a fast and fun read.

I received a Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions are my own.

"To Me, He Was Just Dad" is a beautiful book. Here is a collection for stories that only the songs and daughters can tell. The fathers in question come from all sorts.of professions and notoriety. Acting, sports, science, law, These men have a place in history but to the writers of these essays, they are more than a noted personality or a trivia answer. They are "Dad". You get the chance to read about their personal side. Seeing them through the words of their adult children is amazingly touching and beautiful.

Look for this book when it is released March 31, 2020.

This book is a great account of fatherhood and shares unique glimpses into the celebrities we know and love. Spoiler alert- they’re just regular dads! I think this will make a great Father’s Day gift, and it won’t just be loved by men- I think women will love these stories, too.

This earns five stars from me!

**Many thanks to NetGalley and Workman Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.**

Truly interesting compilation about some incredible men. I loved hearing their stories from the perspective of their children. The honesty within these pages makes some of the stories hard to read, but adds to the humanity of the men many of us feel like we know.

received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

wow! what a neat concept! i really enjoyed learning about famous men from the eyes of their children, if you like biographies, this book is for you.

This is filled with incredibly moving essays written by the offspring of famous fathers and put together in this book. Some of the fathers I knew and others I hadn’t heard of but I found the whole concept to be an interesting one, and the essays were so good for the most part that it didn’t matter when it was a stranger. It’s getting a peek at what these men were like as a dad, and that makes it charming, especially in tandem with the inclusion of a picture of the dad and child that really makes it glow.

This was better than I had expected and I’m glad I picked it up as it was a fun read that would really be great for Father’s Day. I liked the mix of fathers chosen also. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Joshua David Stein, and Artisan.

The title really says it all: to me, he was just dad. This is an excellent collection, written by adult sons and daughters, of short heartfelt biographical glimpses of their fathers. Most fathers are well-known household names (John Lennon, for example). There is a brief biography of the father before each family story, and of the adult child after each story, along with a photograph of the two. This is such a good, interesting book! I found I would read only a few stories/chapters at a time in order to savor them. The book also piqued my interest in wanting to know more. 5 stars.

This was a fascinating read. Looking through the eyes of a child. They are "Dad." Stories told by the children of famous dad's. The adventures, memories, and things their dad told just to them. This would make a wonderful Father's Day gift.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

This book surprised me and I was not sure what to expect. There were so many famous and amazing people in this book - and to see their lives through their children’s eyes and how they truly were just dad, and in turn had impactful lives of their own due to the life of their dad was girly astounding. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

No matter if you have a great or a messy relationship with your dad this book can be a delight to read no matter your age. At the end of the day even famous dads are still people. The pictures added a personal touch to the stories.

Joshua David Stein, editor at large for Fatherly, has compiled the stories from children with famous fathers in the new book To Me He Was Just Dad. The stories very from glowing pictures of loving fathers to  sometimes heartbreaking portrayals of fathers who failed their children. While readers may know the name and actions of the Father's featured, it is fascinating to take a look at these men from their child's perspective.

Features in this book are folks like John Wayne, Evel Knievel, and even infamous folks like cult leader Saul Newton.  As stated above, there are times where the stories will break your heart, but Stein has also done an amazing job of including in these first person essays positive looks at Fathers as well. Whether you have or had an amazing relationship with your dad, or not, this collection will at some point hit home for the reader.

To Me He Was Just Dad will be available March 31, 2020 from Artisan Books.

To Me, He Was Just Dad - Stories of Growing Up With Famous Fathers // by Joshua David Stein

"Those searching for a moving Father's Day gift need look no further." -- Publishers Weekly

To Me, He Was Just Dad by Joshua David Stein is a book of short stories like none other. The children of famous, and infamous, men tell us in a couple of pages each how they feel about their fathers. Sometimes we hear exactly what we expect based on their public appearance but many of them seem to be an entirely different person at home with their families. Each chapter has a picture of the narrator and their father accompanying the story.

This book made me pause many times. Not only was I fascinated to learn about these men from an entirely new perspective but I also started contemplating my own relationships with different members of my family, especially my father. I like how these are not highly detailed essays reminiscent of biographies, but up close and personal in a way that is relatable and easy to understand by anybody that opens this book.