Deirdre David Books

"At 6-foot, 3-inches tall, Harley Earl was an imposing figure, but his true stature lies in his towering talent for automotive design and styling. Over his 50-year career, he created as well as collaborated on the most innovative, bold, technologically advanced cars made by General Motors. As a titan of American auto design, the cars he helped create are still celebrated today. And as an enduring legacy, he inspired a generation of engineers, designers, and stylists. Veteran automotive historian David W. Temple has researched and unearthed the complete story of Harley Earl's cars, his notable design achievements, and many accolades. Working as a coachbuilder at his father's Earl Automotive Works in Hollywood, California, the young Earl learned his trade. After styling the 1927 LaSalle for GM president Alfred P. Sloan, Earl rose to prominence and ran the newly created department of Art and Color. Automobile design stagnated during the Depression and World War II, but the number of his contributions to the automotive world in the 1950s is staggering. When the jet age hit, he fully embraced aviation design and infused it into GM cars. Harley Earl's drive toward bold and innovative design spurred American car design during the mid-twentieth century. His distinctive designs defined the 1950s finned cars and set American automotive design on the path it has followed into the modern era."--Publisher description

This crisply written biography traces the successful writing life of Pamela Hansford Johnson (1912-1981) from the time of her childhood, through her tumultuous relationship with Dylan Thomas, to her death as the widow of the novelist and popular intellectual C. P. Snow. Hers was a rich, courageous, and politically committed writing life.

Fanny Kemble's multifaceted life as an actress, writer, and polemicist reveals her significant cultural impact in the 19th century. The narrative explores her connections with prominent figures of the era, highlighting her influence on both sides of the Atlantic. This exploration not only offers a captivating portrait of Kemble herself but also situates her within a broader historical context that continues to resonate with contemporary audiences.

The first literary biography of the twentieth-century novelist Olivia Manning, this volume is a timely, expert, and well-researched biography that offers a vivid portrait of wartime survival and of London literary life from the 1950s through the 1970s.