Anthony Bourdain's long-time director and producer takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the insanity of filming television in some of the most far-flung and often volatile parts of the world, and what it was like to work with such a brilliant and complicated man.
Anthony Bourdain's long-time director and producer takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the insanity of filming television in some of the most far-flung and often volatile parts of the world, and what it was like to work with such a brilliant and complicated man.
In the nearly two years since Anthony Bourdain's death, no one else has come close to filling the void he left. His passion for and genuine curiosity about the people and cultures he visited made the world feel smaller and more connected. Despite his affable, confident, and trademark snarky TV persona, the real Tony was intensely private, deeply conflicted about his fame, and an enigma even to those close to him. Tony's devoted crew knew him best, and no one else had a front-row seat for as long as his director and producer, Tom Vitale.
Over the course of more than a decade traveling together, Tony became a boss, a friend, a hero and, sometimes, a tormentor. In the Weeds takes readers behind the scenes to reveal not just the insanity that went into filming in some of the most far-flung and volatile parts of the world, but what Tony was like unedited and off-camera. From the outside, the job looked like an all-expenses-paid adventure to places like Borneo, Vietnam, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya. What happened off-camera was far more interesting than what made it to air. The more things went wrong, the better it was for the show. Fortunately, everything fell apart constantly.“"A memoir of incomparable travelogues snatched from the clutch of chaos....Vitale's memoir of those years--and of the vacuum in his life following Bourdain's suicide--is a fascinating insider's account of the making of groundbreaking TV. It is also the most complete picture yet of Bourdain's complex and conflicted character.... Vitale's writing is seductively alive, pulsating with events and vividly rendered observations of people and exotic locales, hairbreadth escapes, and all the high-wire escapades, cultural revelations, and ethical questions that accompanied being Bourdain's traveling companion.... Drawn from show footage, notebooks, logs, travel itineraries, e-mails, and old receipts, his book is thrilling, sobering, harrowing, and as entertainingly frenetic as the events described, a tale told by a survivor still trying to make sense of it all. Clearly, watching Bourdain's shows was nothing like living them, as this high-flying memoir amply demonstrates."-- Kirkus Reviews (starred)”
"In the Weeds is more than a behind-the-scenes peek -- it's a thoughtful and penetrating portrait of Bourdain, whose passion for life, curiosity about cultures and love of a great meal revolutionized the way we think about travel. Vitale, who narrates the audiobook, shares his own observations, which are every bit as evocative as what viewers saw on screen."--The Press of Atlantic City
"A gripping and deeply personal book....[Vitale's] book details the utter frenzy and chaos of the shoots but also of his relationship with an incredibly complex but extraordinary man. The writing is truly sensational and visceral--I feel like I was there. And now I need a drink, or two."
--Lisa Ling, host of "This is Life with Lisa Ling"Season after season Tom Vitale traveled with Anthony Bourdain on a near-nonstop run of eighty trips-roughly five trips a year-to almost every corner of the globe, constantly meeting strangers, often through the context of their food and culture, in the process making over 100 episodes of TV. In addition to the adventure of a lifetime, personal enrichment, and experiences he would never have thought possible, his work rewarded him with a PGA Award nomination, five Emmy wins and four nominations, a Gold World Medal for Best Non-Fiction Program, and he is credited on Parts Unknown's Peabody Award.
In the nearly two years since Anthony Bourdain's death, no one else has come close to filling the void he left. His passion for and genuine curiosity about the people and cultures he visited made the world feel smaller and more connected. Despite his affable, confident, and trademark snarky TV persona, the real Tony was intensely private, deeply conflicted about his fame, and an enigma even to those close to him. Tony's devoted crew knew him best, and no one else had a front-row seat for as long as his director and producer, Tom Vitale.Over the course of more than a decade traveling together, Tony became a boss, a friend, a hero and, sometimes, a tormentor. In the Weeds takes readers behind the scenes to reveal not just the insanity that went into filming in some of the most far-flung and volatile parts of the world, but what Tony was like unedited and off-camera. From the outside, the job looked like an all-expenses-paid adventure to places like Borneo, Vietnam, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya. What happened off-camera was far more interesting than what made it to air. The more things went wrong, the better it was for the show. Fortunately, everything fell apart constantly.
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