Learn to Fly: The Autobiography of a Spice Girl

Author: (English) Beckham
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: Chapter by Chapter with You
"Dad, I’m being crushed."
"No, you’re not, Victoria, I’m right behind you. I’ll take care of you."
I couldn’t see him. We were squeezed together in the crowd, so close. But I could feel his hand still on my shoulder. His hand, his voice were enough to stop me from screaming. He was still so calm, just like always. Unlike my mom, who was always nervous. Someone asked me who I looked like, and I said, like my dad. But every time I was this panicked, I knew I was more like my mom.
The crowd jostled, then pressed closer to me. I needed space and air. I was pushed back and forth, Dad behind me, me in the middle, bodyguards in front. His frame was huge, and all I could see was his back, drenched in sweat. I could barely breathe. Only one sound was louder than the crowd’s noise—the thumping of my heart in my ears. I’d never felt worse than this before going on stage.
I wasn’t wearing my glasses, so I was half-blind. But I could feel the dense crowd surging in from my right ear, faces painted with makeup popping up from nowhere—red, white, blue. A hand reached out and pushed my baseball cap, hitting me right in the eye. I trembled with fear.
I dedicate this book—my life story—to my family: Mom, Dad, Louise, and Christian. Over the past six years (to be honest, more like eighteen), I’ve made your lives a mess. I don’t just mean making you afraid to leave the house. I’ve lived a hard life, and you’ve lived even harder—dealing with my changing personality, and your whole lives have changed because of me. When I won fame and money, all you had besides pride was instability. So writing Learn to Fly was an attempt to make all this meaningful. I hope it gives readers some insight into the people who made this possible.
This happened in my life, but it also happened in yours. Maybe this book will help you understand that. Then there are my new family, who gave me more love and support than I ever dreamed of. Without David, I wouldn’t have even dared to think anyone would be interested in my life story. He gave me the courage to write this book. As for Brooklyn and Romeo, I can only say they make me feel the true value and meaning of life every day. So this book is for you, my three boys: I love you deeply, and I’m incredibly proud of you. Brooklyn and Romeo, when you’re old enough to read this, you’ll see how famous Mom and Dad once were.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank everyone at Michael Joseph Publishing for making the writing process painless and healing my pain. They are Tom Wden, Lindsey Jordan, and Martin Bryant. I also want to thank my agent at William Morris, Stephanie Cabot, and my friend who came up with the book title, Papsy.
I’m grateful to Aaron Edwards and Caroline McCauley at "Public Relations," for their constructive criticism, even though they kept bringing up memories I tried to forget. Thank you, Lucy Barnicot, for preserving all my press clippings (even the nasty ones). Thank you to everyone at the Spice Girls’ headquarters: Julie, Julia, Joe, and Jamie—especially Rebecca Crisp, who has been with the Spice Girls from the beginning, and I always had to tap into her memory bank. I can’t forget the woman who kept Victoria Beckham’s machine running: Nancy Phillips. She kept me grounded and made sure every task was completed on time. Nancy, now the book is done, maybe I can take a break.
Thank you to Andrew Thompson, Mark Brooks, Gordon Williams, and Charles Bradbrook for guiding me through the complicated legal matters and other tough issues. Thank you to my mom for always standing guard with her camera during important moments, for her amazing clipping skills, and for her incredible memory—and for spending thirty hours by the photo developer to get the pictures for this book. Thank you, I love you.
Of course, I also want to thank Melanie B, Melanie C, Emma, and Geri. Five girls once said they’d conquer the world, and we did. Thank you.
Victoria Beckham was a member of the Spice Girls, whose albums sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Her debut solo album was released in the fall of 2001. She married footballer David Beckham and has two sons: Brooklyn and Romeo. As one of the most exposed and talked-about women in the world, Victoria candidly reveals her life story, the rise of the Spice Girls, her experiences as a famous couple with Beckham, her physical and emotional struggles, a terrifying kidnapping, and death threats in this book. She also shares her thoughts on the rumors and controversies surrounding her.