This is indeed an interesting book about the life and career of the late Joan Crawford. The text about her 80 movies is interesting, but even more fascinating is the author's collection of pictures. The pictures chosen show the transformation of one of silver screen's most underrated actresses. Her face undergoes such interesting changes as the years went by in her career. Truly this coffee- table sized book is one of my most cherished books I have on the late actress. Surely everyone who has been interested in Joan Crawford and her career would find the book very interesting.

I was delighted to find this book several years ago. It is indeed a treat to read the information Alexander Walker gives about my favorite actress. The factual information he gives is well-written. Even more important to me than the accuracy of his words, however, is the myriad photographs he has included in this marvelous book. For those who have not followed the late actress' career, the book will be a treat to see the many ways Joan Crawford changed her "face" to meet the needs of her audience. The book is a lovely tribute to a very fine actress. I believe she would have been pleased herself to see such a lovely book. It is a pity it is now out-of-print.

Even though it is breif (it is a reprinting of the chapter "Sewanee" from Percy's book "Lanterns on the Levee"), this book gives a perfect picture of the University of the South. Any alumnus looking for a Sewanee fix will surely enjoy this book.

SEWANEE, by a wide margin, is the most unusual book of the year and perhaps of the decade. It is once a publishing oddity, a showcase for some outstanding writing and a hymn of praise for Sewanee, a school in Tennessee that must be as unusual as the book."

WOW! This book, or shall I say encyclopedia, is amazing! As the title states, it covers 1894 to the 2001 Oscars. It includes original posters and stills for more movies than you thought existed. I really enjoyed looking at the original posters for all the different styles and seeing how they've changed over the years. Highlights from each year are included as well as Oscar winners (when applicable), and story snippets about random movies that came out that year. A must have!

In spite of a rather trite title,FATAL CHARM. is indeed one of,if not the best written book on the life of the late Sir Rex Harrison. Mr. Walker shows us the great actor warts and all and we end up loving and understanding Harrison all the more because of it. It is all here,his six marriages,humble liverpool beginnings,his fear of singing on stage, and his volitle personality, Mr. Walker describes the great kindnesses he gave Kay Kendall and Lilli Palmer on their death beds,he also tells of the dreadful scenes with Palmer and 4th wife Rachel Roberts. The more you read the more you get to know Rex the man,not just the persona he put forth to people.In short Fatal Charm is a refreashing account of the personal and proffessional life of one of our centuries greatest actors.it shows how one man's personal life,his tradgedies and triumphs,can propell him proffessionally to a point of perfectionisim that would not have been there if he were a less irracible man.

Another well written biography by Alexander Walker. Not only handles the mechanics of her films, but also gets into her personal life the ups and downs (mostly downs). This is not a coffee table - pretty picture book (Although there are gorgeous pictures of her, as any and all pictures of Audrey are). This book is a serious read. If you are a new found fan of Audrey Hepburn, this may not be the best book for you to start with, she was a very wonderful - but lonely lady. It is a sad story, a complete chronicle of her very private life including her work with UNICEF. A life very much meant to be cherished and remembered. This is my 3rd biography by Alexander Walker - I also recommend Vivien Leigh and Bette Davis. Vivien Leigh was the first A.W. biography I read and I have been hooked ever since.

Audrey Hepburn is my idol.When I grow up I'd love to be like her.When i saw this book,I didn't know wheter to buy it until I read some of the reviews.After I read a few of the reviews I placed an order and I received this book a few weeks later!It is a great book and an ideal present for someone who is a fan of Audrey Hepburn..(like me)...,because I know I would have loved it if I got it as a present."Audrey:Her Real Story"by Alexander Walker is one of the best of all my collecter's items!It tells you a lot about Audrey Hepburn...things like,how she felt when her mother and father divorced and when she went through malnutrition in the early stages of her life.Audrey starred in 27 films.She won an academy award for best actress in 1953 in the film "Roman Holiday"..(which is a great film too)The book also tells you about her miscarriage and her two sons Sean and Lucas,and her two husbands Mel Ferrer and Dr.Andrea.Dotti,and it tells you a lot more.IF I LOVE THIS BOOK,I KNOW YOU WOULD TOO! Love Danielle..Age:14..

I am a big fan of Audrey Hepburn's. This is a truly wonderful biography on her. I really enjoyed it, and highly recommend it.
I'd give it ten stars if I could! You learn so much about her life and career from it.

As intriguing, complex and mysteriously serene as the woman it celebrates, Alexander Walker's "Vivien: The Life of Vivien Leigh" is the capital biography that the beloved actress has long deserved.

Known for her breathtaking work in the films "Gone With the Wind" and "A Streetcar Named Desire", Walker's story reveals a woman who was, in essence, both Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche DuBois: a charming, stubborn, headstrong woman and fragile, uncertain human being. Leigh's story is chronicled from her early childhood years in India, to the pretty young girl who passionately desired to be an actress, to the woman who left a husband and child to court Laurence Olivier, to the movie star that the world fell in love with.

Leigh's success as a Hollywood actress and storybook romance with Olivier would prove temporarily satisfying for a woman who craved more than she had: more love, more adoration, to be more sure of herself... and both would become catalysts in the snapping of her delicate mental balance. Leigh's fragile state of mind bewildered the husband whom she lived for, and the costars who could never speak more fondly of her. Ultimately, Leigh seems never to have had the security that she so desperately wanted, but somehow managed to make it as long as she did.

And the book reveals a lighter side of Leigh, an intellectual, witty lady who was charming and indeed beautiful to many who knew her, and could also have a very tart sense of humor when it suited her. She was an actress always expanding her range, from London melodramas to Hollywood epics to Broadway musicals.

Yet through it all, Leigh retained her quiet dignity and serenity until the day she died, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of films, appearances, and memories... shared for the first time in this extraordinary, meticulously researched biography, which perfectly captures the essence of the woman who was Vivien Leigh, the woman, Vivien Leigh, the movie star, and Vivien Leigh, the human being. As enchanting and unforgettable as Leigh herself, "Vivien: The Life of Vivien Leigh" will be enjoyed and savored by those touched by Leigh's talent and who will always love her.

This is without a doubt the definitive biography of the gorgeous and extremely talented Vivien Leigh. This book chronicles her life and the experiences that shaped her as a person as well as an actress. This book follows Vivien from her birth in India through her passionate romance with Laurence Olivier, the stage and screen roles that made her a star, all the way to the final and turbulent years of her life. She was indeed an intelligent and strong willed woman. Alexander walker does an excellent job of presenting the life of one of the most talented and breathtaking actresses Hollywood has ever known. This book is poignant, interesting, tasteful and highly recommended! Once you start reading it, you'll have an impossible time putting it down.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the most recent biography of Vivien Leigh, famed star of Gone With The Wind. It is probably the most comprehensive, as well, and is much kinder to her memory than any of the other biographies I have read. Walker makes a point of showing that Vivien had a mental illness and was not "insane" and, probably due to the fact that it was written so recently, it examines the lasting effects of Vivien's marriage to Olivier and includes various quotes from his autobiography. This book made me appreciate Viven Leigh's talent more than her beauty and realize what a profound impact she had on the theatre and motion picture industry. Vivien Leigh was more than just Scarlett O'Hara, she was a brave, fascinating, and extremely talented (I believe the most talented actress ever) woman. Definitely worth reading!!!

I was mesmerised by this book. Of course, one often takes biographies with a grain of salt, but I was most impressed with the way that Taylor handled her career like a man -- how she was able to go on despite the pressures of her situation. The love story between Burton and Taylor shines through, and I think I understand a little more about love, even though theirs was a tumultuous one. She is a role model for people in the performing arts who turn their attention toward great and needy causes, and I respect her immensely. Also, the photographs in this book illustrate the fact that Liz was -- and still is -- the most luminous raven-haired beauty in Hollywood. Long may she rule as the last star of Hollywood.

In the book The Life of Elizabeth Taylor, Alexander Walker captures the extraordinary beauty's life in every way. Fans will absolutely love this book. It is a thorough in depth biography filled with more than 30 amazing photos of Elizabeth throughout the years.
It starts from the beginning of her life in London where her mother's strong willed attitude pushes Elizabeth forward. Alexander focuses on her success in many movies such as National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, and Cleopatra. The Oscar winning performance she gave in Butterfield 8 and the two academy awards that made her a legend are depicted.
Along with all the positive aspects of her life also came the long downfalls that have intrigued us over the years. Elizabeth's eight marriages are uncovered along with her conniving personality that broke apart other people's marriages. Her obsessions of jewelry, clothing, and sex are exposed. The truth behind her ongoing drug and alcohol abuse is revealed. Elizabeth's suicide attempt at age 29 along with the 73 total hospitalizations throughout her life is publicized. This book shows us the real Elizabeth outside of the glamour. The dramatic experiences with facing the public with the on going scandals and personal tragedies is drawn out for the readers.
This book gives a true insight in Elizabeth Taylor's life. From the high points to downfalls, her life is captured by Alexander Walker to its fullest. Elizabeth's life has been an often-tragic fairytale that people have followed throughout the past 50 years.

This is one of those books that is almost impossible to objectively review. The writing is elegant and evocative of an era in the South that died almost in tandem with Mr. Percy and yet I find some parts of it so arrogant and condescending that I feel myself grinding my teeth. You see, I am descended from those Mississippi hill people Percy so despised and, even after all this time, I can almost see the languid gaze and soft, drawling voice. My people came to the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta after the Flood of '27 and we build and earned what we got without the benefit of the massive slave labor that built Mr. Percy's fortune.

But this is a book review and I'll put aside old feelings to say that this is a literary gem that brings to life a way of life on which so many stereotypes of the South are built. And Will Percy is amazingly honest in his descriptions of his society. However, a society this simple and yet this complex takes more than just one book to grasp.

Thus, I also recommend "Rising Tide" by John Barry and "The Most Southern Place on Earth: The Mississippi Delta and the Roots of Regional Identity" by James Cobb to balance your view of this time and place in history.

Bottom line: This is a wonderful, beautifully written story that is refreshingly candid with none of the defensiveness and politically correct breast beating of many of the works of southern writers of recent years.

Percy's autobiogrpahy offers excellent insights into the heart and mind of those of his class (as close to an agricultural elite as this country has ever produced. But the best of this book is offered unconsciously, by accident or indirection.
If you're only going to read one book about the South, or about this elite, read John Barry's Rising Tide, a truly brilliant and magnificently-- almost breathtakingly-- written book. There you gte all of Percy's story plus more perspective and deeper understanding-- indeed, RT may even give you a deeper understanding of Percy than his autobuiography does.
If you're going to read 2 books on the South, then read RT and Mind of the South by Cash. Cash focuses more on the mindset of the rednecks, while Percy is very much an aristocrat. To a certain extent the Percy and Cash books complement each other. In fact, to Percy the word "anglo-saxon" was an insult. He considered himself descended from the Norman conquerors of the Anglo-saxons, and saw them as serfs. That little insight comes from Rising Tide.

Noble, refined, and distinctly tragic in sentiment, this book captures the proud soul of William Percy in eloquent prose. A man, in love with a vision of what is best in the world, in love with what is best in his fellow men, in love with what is best in his home emerges from these pages. He stands defiant in defense of the vision, despite all its imperfections, confident that its beauty outshines its faults. The book stands not only as a proud memorial to a noble vision that has passed into history, but a testimony to the beauty of the human spirit that continues to animate men to strive for nobility of life and the security virtues.

"Stanley Kubrick, Director" is probably the best book I have read yet on this great, but often debated about, filmmaker (I have yet to read Ciment's book, though, which I hear is much better) Kubrick was known for making controversial movies being "harsh" to his actors. The films examined in this book are his most well known and cover his various themes about humanity: "Fail Safe" machines going haywire (Dr. Strangelove), the dehumanization of men into machines and vice versa (2001, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket) and man in collision with destiny and the past (Barry Lyndon, The Shining).

To date, this is the only major book made with the cooperation of Kubrick himself. The photographs in each chapter are taken from still frames from the actual films. The author provides brief summaries for each photograph, showing its use of lighting, camera placement or relation to another Kubrick film (Slow Motion shots, light used is from the light source one would expect at the actual location).

According to the author, anything in Kubrick's movies has symbolism or some meaning to it, and this is where the book's only flaw is. Camera angles, lighting, set design and decoration even phrases numbers and placements of objects can be interpreted to have some meaning. He also has interesting ideas about the movies (One of my favorites is his belief that the soldiers in Full Metal Jacket's boot camp are lab mice being experimented and reconditioned on). However, this can also be very, very helpful to understand the films more. The author shows that each Kubrick film can have more depth than meets the eye (If you still think "2001" is only about boredom, you need this book). Just make sure you have seen the movies before reading for there are major plot spoilers.

This is an interesting book, with a huge number of photographs detailing most of Kubrick's films. (The only ones not examined in depth are 'Fear and Desire,' 'Killer's Kiss,' 'The Killing,' 'Spartacus,' and 'Lolita.') The book is organized chronologically, with a small section in the middle of the book about Kubrick's use of color and an epilogue detailing Walker's personal encounters with Kubrick at the end. It is fun to read about Walker's stories about Kubrick, which shed some all-too-needed light on the personal life and motivations of the reclusive filmmaker.
On the whole, Walker's analyses of Kubrick's films are good, not great: I think he is really off-base in praising Tom Cruise's acting in 'Eyes Wide Shut' and in denigrating Kubrick's use of the occult in 'The Shining.' However, his analyses of 'Barry Lyndon' and 'Full Metal Jacket' were astute, and he successfully links certain themes and motifs throughout all of Kubrick's films.
Finally, although normally I don't like a huge amount of pictures in a book because of how they always jack up the price, here the pictures are well-chosen and either help jog your memory about the films or help you understand them if you haven't seen them. I will say that some of the pictures were much larger than they needed to be - I didn't need a full two-page spread of the atomic bomb exploding in 'Dr. Strangelove' - but that's a minor criticism.
All in all, a generally fun book.

This may be, as the notes above claim, the "most
comprehensive" book yet written on Kubrick. And it's clear the
author's personal relationship with him enhances understanding of his
films. But it's also obvious that the book was rushed onto the shelves
to capitalize on the publicity surrounding Kubrick's last film and the
director's death -- unless, of course, the typos and printer errors
are an artistic statement about mankind's pointless quest for
perfection...

The strongest part of the book is in finding subtle
similarities among the films, both in style and content, and in
tracing the evolution of the director's ability to put his ideas
onscreen.

But the writing is occasionally overblown, presenting
obvious points as if they were major revelations. The section on
'Kubrick's Use of Color' is almost laughable, looking like a
four-color decoy for the rest of the book's cheaply done b/w. its
analysis pretty much boils down to 'He used a lot of red.'

An
editorial description above refers to 'frame-by-frame' analysis, but
that's pretty misleading. There is some detailed technical insight,
but not for every film. And in sections that discuss particular
sequences, the accompanying photos are often on different pages. The
section on EWS is pretty splapdash.

But there is also some really
interesting stuff here. It's just too bad they didn't spend a little
more time sealing the cracks.

"Bette Davis - A Celebration" was written by Alexander Walker, the film critic for the London 'Standard'. During his career, he interviewed Davis several times, getting under the Diva's skin.

He writes authoritatively about Davis' career: from her early days in stock companies to her super-stardom and decline. As a celebration of her career, the book charms.

But what makes this book an above-avarage bio is the hundreds upon hundreds of carefully chosen stills of her films from the extensive Kobal Collection.

As entertaining as it is hard to put down. A must for anybody who has a keen interest in Hollywood history.