Donald Spoto Book order (chronological)

Bardzo obszerna, obiektywna, oparta tylko na faktach, wywiadach i sprawdzonych źródłach relacja z życia i twórczości wielkiej i powszechnie uwielbianej gwiazdy Hollywood - Audrey Hepburn. Donald Spoto to wybitny specjalista od biografii gwiazd i sław. Jest autorem wielu cenionych biografii, m.in. Jacqueline Kennedy, Jamesa Deana, Elizabeth Taylor, Ingrid Bergman, Alfreda Hitchcocka, a także św. Franciszka z Asyżu i Joanny d'Arc. Twarda oprawa, liczne fotografie pięknej aktorki.

Her name is synonymous with elegance, style and grace. Over the course of her extraordinary life and career, Audrey Hepburn captured hearts around the world and created a public image that stands as one of the most recognizable and beloved in recent memory. But despite her international fame and her tireless efforts on behalf of UNICEF, Audrey was also known for her intense privacy. With unprecedented access to studio archives, friends and colleagues who knew and loved Audrey, bestselling author Donald Spoto provides an intimate and moving account of this beautiful, elusive and talented woman. Tracing her astonishing rise to stardom, from her harrowing childhood in Nazi-controlled Holland during World War II to her years as a struggling ballet dancer in London and her Tony Award–winning Broadway debut in Gigi , Spoto illuminates the origins of Audrey’s tenacious spirit and fiercely passionate nature. She would go on to star in some of the most popular movies of the twentieth century, including Roman Holiday , Sabrina , Funny Face , The Nun’s Story , Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady . A friend and inspiration to renowned designer Hubert de Givenchy, Audrey emerged as a fashion icon as well as a film legend, her influence on women’s fashion virtually unparalleled to this day. But behind the glamorous public persona, Audrey Hepburn was both a different and a deeper person and a woman who craved love and affection. Donald Spoto offers remarkable insights into her professional and personal relationships with her two husbands, and with celebrities such as Gregory Peck, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Gary Cooper, Robert Anderson, Cary Grant, Peter O’Toole, Albert Finney and Ben Gazzara. The turbulent romances of her youth, her profound sympathy for the plight of hungry children, and the thrills and terrors of motherhood prepared Audrey for the final chapter in her life, as she devoted herself entirely to the charity efforts of an organization that had once come to her rescue at the end of the war: UNICEF. Donald Spoto has written a poignant, funny and deeply moving biography of an unforgettable woman. At last, Enchantment reveals the private Audrey Hepburn—and invites readers to fall in love with her all over again. “She was as funny as she was beautiful. She was a magical combination of high chic and high spirits.” —Gregory Peck “In spite of her fragile appearance, she’s like steel.” —Cary Grant “Audrey was known for something which has disappeared, and that is elegance, grace and manners . . . God kissed her on the cheek, and there she was.” —Billy Wilder “There is not a woman alive who does not dream of looking like Audrey Hepburn.” —Hubert de Givenchy “Her magnetism was so extraordinary that everyone wanted to be close to her. It was as if she placed a glass barrier between herself and the world. You couldn’t get behind it easily. It made her remarkably attractive.” —Stanley Donen “She has authentic charm. Most people simply have nice manners.” —Alfred Lunt

Drawing on his unprecedented access to Grace Kelly, bestselling biographer Donald Spoto at last offers an intimate, honest, and authoritative portrait of one of Hollywood’s legendary actresses. In just seven years–from 1950 through 1956–Grace Kelly embarked on a whirlwind career that included roles in eleven movies. From the principled Amy Fowler Kane in High Noon to the thrill-seeking Frances Stevens of To Catch a Thief, Grace established herself as one of Hollywood’s most talented actresses and iconic beauties. Her astonishing career lasted until her retirement at age twenty-six, when she withdrew from stage and screen to marry a European monarch and became a modern, working princess and mother. Based on never-before-published or quoted interviews with Grace and those conducted over many years with her friends and colleagues–from costars James Stewart and Cary Grant to director Alfred Hitchcock–as well as many documents disclosed by her children for the first time, acclaimed biographer Donald Spoto explores the transformation of a convent schoolgirl to New York model, successful television actress, Oscar-winning movie star, and beloved royal. As the princess requested, Spoto waited twenty-five years after her death to write this biography. Now, with honesty and insight, High Society reveals the truth of Grace Kelly’s personal life, the men she loved, the men she didn’t, and what lay behind the façade of her fairy-tale life.

La couverture porte en sous-titre : Histoire d'une femme d'exception.

Born in Brussels in 1929, Audrey Hepburn was the daughter of a British father and a Dutch Baroness. She married and divorced a second time, and there were other passionate but short-lived affairs, some revealed for the first time in this book, but her relationships were never entirely successful.

Her name is synonymous with elegance, style, and grace. Audrey Hepburn captured hearts worldwide, creating a public image that remains beloved. Despite her fame and tireless work for UNICEF, she maintained intense privacy. With unprecedented access to studio archives and insights from friends and colleagues, bestselling author Donald Spoto offers an intimate account of this elusive woman. Tracing her rise to stardom from a harrowing childhood in Nazi-occupied Holland to her debut in Gigi, Spoto reveals the origins of Audrey’s tenacity and passion. She starred in iconic films like Roman Holiday, Sabrina, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, becoming a fashion icon alongside designer Hubert de Givenchy, influencing women's fashion profoundly. Behind her glamorous persona, Audrey was a deeper person craving love and affection. Spoto provides insights into her relationships with her two husbands and stars like Gregory Peck and Cary Grant. Her turbulent romances, empathy for the hungry, and the challenges of motherhood shaped her final years, dedicated to UNICEF, the organization that aided her post-war. This biography captures the private Audrey Hepburn, inviting readers to fall in love with her anew.

Voici la première biographie exhaustive de Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, depuis sa disparition en 1994. L'auteur, Donald Spoto, a pu avoir accès à des archives privées. Il s'est aussi entretenu avec des proches de Jackie Kennedy. On découvrira, dans ce livre, celle qui, pendant vingt-quatre ans, s'appela Mademoiselle Bouvier, puis, pendant quinze ans, Madame Kennedy et enfin, pendant vingt-cinq ans, Madame Onassis. En réalité, pendant toutes ces années, pour ses proches, ses amis, ses relations, elle fut simplement " Jackie ". Cet ouvrage contient de surprenantes révélations sur ce que furent ses mariages avec un futur président des Etats-Unis puis avec l'un des hommes les plus riches du monde. La troisième partie du livre est consacrée aux dernières années de la vie de Jackie, à la fois éditrice passionnée et imaginative, mère de famille et grand-mère épanouie. Jackie, le roman d'un destin est la plus émouvante, la plus inspirée, la plus poignante histoire d'une femme qui sut fasciner l'Amérique puis le monde avant d'entrer dans la légende du XXème siècle à la suite de la tragédie de Dallas.

Als unsterbliche Elsa eroberte sie in Casablanca die Herzen der Zuschauer in der ganzen Welt - und wurde zu einer der berühmtesten Filmschauspielerinnen aller Zeiten. Die kühle Schöne war scheu und stur zugleich, führte ein intensives Leben voller berauschender Karriereerfolge und aufsehenerregender Skandale. Die Bergman verdrehte Alfred Hitchcock und Roberto Rossellini den Kopf, wurde als Schlampe verrissen und als Heilige gefeiert. Vom Publikum geliebt und geächtet, blieb sie sich selbst immer treu. Mit enormer Willenskraft und Selbstdisziplin erarbeitete sich die eiserne Diva schon zu Lebzeiten den Ruf der Legende und erlangte schließlich den Respekt der Öffentlichkeit. Doch steckt hinter der schwedischen Ikone eine harmoniebedürftige, warmherzige Frau, die sich bis ins Alter schonungslos mit den eigenen Schwächen auseinandersetzte. Dieses sensible und mitreßende Porträt eines der besten Biographen unserer Zeit ermöglicht erstmals einen Blick auf die facettenreiche Frau jenseits der strahlenden Filmkulisse. (Buchrückentext)

The first full biography of Jackie Onassis since her death offers revelations about her life and the life of JFK, chronicling her work as a mother, editor, and spiritual seeker.