Inside Studio 54

Exceptional! I was under the impression that Studio 54 really died when Schrager and Rubell went to jail. But this book tracks the early career of the author Mark Fleischman, culminating in him buying 54 with Rubell and Schrager remaining partners but in a decreased role. So, this is the full story of 54 but additionally how this bright entrepreneur fades in to sex and drugs. Well, rock and roll also with Rick James making frequent appearances. It’s fantastic! Tells many of the inside stories you want to hear of the celebrities but if you have a problem with name dropping you shouldn’t be reading this anyway. But the story is really the author living his dream of sex and drugs and the drugs win. He is very forthright of his addiction to cocaine (supplied free to celebs) and angel dust. So there is a great third act after the debauchery as he moves to LA and runs some very interesting restaurant/clubs there with a different type celebrity crowd. Very fascinating stuff. I strongly recommend this compelling revisit of 54 by an interesting character/author.

I wish we could do 1/2 stars because it's not that I didn't like it, but was less than OK as a teenage gay guy growing up in Ohio in the 70's and 80's, I dreamed of going to New York City and ESPECIALLY to Studio 54. I would look in all the newspapers and magazines for any of the photos of people dancing and partying there. In the years after I watched documentaries and films and read so much about 54 in its heyday. I was very excited to see that this book had been written about the restart of 54 that I preordered it. While some interesting stories about the club and the beautiful people that partied there, author Mark Fleishman always feels the need to insert stories of his own partying that really takes away from the inside that the book promises. And hearing so many stories of the women he was able to bang became tiresome. About 3/4s of the way thru the book - Studio 54 is sold the book becomes Fleischman's autobiography. Which becomes VERY tedious. I bought the book to read about Studio 54 and that's what I would have liked to have ended the last 50 pages of the book with. A let down

Mark Fleischman's book gives readers a front row seat to the hedonistic lifestyle of the decadent 70's, 80's, and even part of the 90's in US culture that was epitomized by the Studio 54 scene. It's hard to believe that Fleischman himself dived so deeply and emerged from this hedonistic culture unscathed, or relatively unscathed, but I suppose that is what continues to be the allure of living life on the edge--you might just get away from it if you are astute enough to know when to leave the party, or are fortunate enough to experience an epiphany while at a luxurious island rehap. Really? Despite the subtle subtext that all of us who lived in these decades wish we could have kept the party going on forever with no reprecussions, this book manages to be endlessly entertaining and mildly addictive.

Written more as a fan of the nightlife scene and bohemian life-style Mark F. takes you into his world as the 2nd owner of Studio 54. I liked the inside scoop stories and the wild times but think "Mark" was pumping inflating his ego at times. Otherwise a fun read

I was too young when Studio 54 was the place to go and the place to be seen. I always remember my grandmother and aunt talking about all the fun they had here. We all live in Ohio and they’d drive to New York quite frequently to solely go to Studio 54. My aunt met her husband here. I was born in 1965 and I’ve always remembered the vague little details that my grandmother and aunt talked about during their “adventures” at Studio. I always said that as soon as I was old enough, I’d go up there. They “knew” people and never had issues getting in which is why they’d make the drive. All my life I’ve been fascinated by this club but only recently started Googling it and seeing pictures etc. I would give ANYTHING to go back into time and go into this club just to feel the “hype” everyone talks about here. I’d kill to see the Man in the Moon and everything in general. I’m really think if I had one wish today, it WOULD be to go back in time and go to Studio. Just looking around, seeing the large crowds down the street waiting to get in...EVERYTHING. This book does not disappoint. I’m about halfway through and it’s difficult putting it down. I wish there were a lot more photos in it, however. The book is very well written and seems on spot. I’d highly recommend it to anyone with a fascination with Studio 54.

Extremely dull. Hard to get through.

I have to blame myself for this one. I was curious as to what it was like visiting Studio 54. I've always been fascinated by the history of it and what made it such a good time to such big names. When I bought "Inside Studio 54" I imagined hearing all the juicy stories and genius planning that made the club what it was. This book ended up being that- just way too much of it. If you're interested in all the sex and cocaine the owner of the club did, then this is your book. And while there's nothing wrong with those stories, I'd like a little more than just that. This book could be cut in half and would be much, much better.

Never having been a club-goer, I was surprised to find this book a great read from start to finish. Fleischman brings to life a key moment in history - the early 80s - when music, celebrity and social revolution crashed into each other at Studio 54, helping to usher in new generation of dance music and, more importantly, the coming decades of social revolution. At Fleischman's Studio 54 long-established boundaries disappeared, freeing celebrities, working people, blacks, whites, gays and otherwise to dance, screw and get high together. Fleischman keeps us engaged with a stream of gossipy stories of celebrities' antics. Plus, he himself serves as an upbeat and enthusiastic narrator with his own story to tell about personal successes and failures. If you love music, dance and social history, you'll love this book.

Fascinating story detailed Mark was a critical thinker of self Depicting a real sense of the good and bad of people and their "stuff"

Really enjoyed this book. I didn’t know much about Mark, I’d heard of Studio 54 of course and then after watching Halston I decided to learn a bit more. Nicely written and easy to get lost in, I recommend as an amazing window into a lost world

This is not quite Wuthering Heights but it’s a great read for those fascinated by the hedonistic lifestyle of early 80s New York and Studio 54. I do recommend it!

Fun to read. Many interesting stories.

I was hoping to learn more about studio 54 and I ended up learning more than I needed to know about Mark Fleischman