Biography

Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon

Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon

  • Downloads：9780
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-12-06 02:21:33
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Kate Andersen Brower
  • ISBN：006306765X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

talia ♡ ，

"celebrities" come and go like clockwork but icons like elizabeth taylor are once in a lifetime。 "celebrities" come and go like clockwork but icons like elizabeth taylor are once in a lifetime。 。。。more

Jennifer Schultz ，

As a child and teenager in the 1980s/1990s， I was aware of Elizabeth Taylor as tabloid/gossip fodder。 Later on， I was aware of her movie star status， her perfumes， and her AIDS activism。 I'm a fan of Kate Anderson Brower's previous books， so I was intrigued to read her take on Taylor。 If you're into "Old Hollywood" history， definitely read this。 Even if you're not （I'm really not）， read this to understand what a force Taylor was， even late in life。 Yes， the many marriages， health crises， alcohol As a child and teenager in the 1980s/1990s， I was aware of Elizabeth Taylor as tabloid/gossip fodder。 Later on， I was aware of her movie star status， her perfumes， and her AIDS activism。 I'm a fan of Kate Anderson Brower's previous books， so I was intrigued to read her take on Taylor。 If you're into "Old Hollywood" history， definitely read this。 Even if you're not （I'm really not）， read this to understand what a force Taylor was， even late in life。 Yes， the many marriages， health crises， alcohol and prescription abuse， friendship with Michael Jackson。。。all that is covered in （very！） entertaining detail。 But her toughness in dealing with studio executives who underestimated her， the ever changing public opinion， and most movingly， her public and （very） private work with people with AIDS， when details were scarce about its transmission but scorn， fear， and hatred were high are the highlights of the biography。 （Read this if you have ever had fleeting thoughts about what it must be like to be famous）。 Many thanks to Harper and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

John P ，

This reviewer found this work to be very interesting。 The unnecessary and confusing prologue should not discourage the reader。 Press through the overlong introduction as well and begin the chronological biography in "Act 1"。An impressive amount of research contributes to an unexpected level of detail and intimacy。 Each of her marriages， triumphs， and tragedies are covered offering a window into a very unusual and privileged life。One is tempted at times to dismiss her as a spoiled child-woman， in This reviewer found this work to be very interesting。 The unnecessary and confusing prologue should not discourage the reader。 Press through the overlong introduction as well and begin the chronological biography in "Act 1"。An impressive amount of research contributes to an unexpected level of detail and intimacy。 Each of her marriages， triumphs， and tragedies are covered offering a window into a very unusual and privileged life。One is tempted at times to dismiss her as a spoiled child-woman， insensitive to the feelings of others， yet at other times marvel at her clear emotional， and sincere， it seems， depth of affection and capacity to care for others。 She was strong and yet dependent （in more than one way）， enjoyed great highs， suffered great lows and soldiered though each time and time again。The edition reviewed here did not contain and photos and they were sorely missed。 。。。more

Alissa ，

Solid bio。 Not purely chronological， chapters divided by topic - good coverage of her addictions and pioneering work with HIV/AIDS。 Very enjoyable read。

Rick Buttafogo ，

If you loved Elizabeth Taylor you will love this book。 If you didn’t care for Elizabeth Taylor， then I urge you to read this book because you will fall in love with her。 While the world knows about her 8 marriages， and her lavish life with yachts， jewels， and homes all over the world， it’s her later years that brought true meaning to her life。 What a trailblazer。 A woman firm in what her worth was and what it could do to help people。 From helping a homeless woman who lived in her car， to getting If you loved Elizabeth Taylor you will love this book。 If you didn’t care for Elizabeth Taylor， then I urge you to read this book because you will fall in love with her。 While the world knows about her 8 marriages， and her lavish life with yachts， jewels， and homes all over the world， it’s her later years that brought true meaning to her life。 What a trailblazer。 A woman firm in what her worth was and what it could do to help people。 From helping a homeless woman who lived in her car， to getting that woman’s child in school， getting her an apt， and paying its lease for a year。 The most significant part of her life - amfAR， and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation。 Her visiting AIDS patients back when the disease was still relatively unknown and the stigma attached to it。 She visited patients， laid in bed with them， held them， hugged them。 She dressed in full Hollywood glamor- jewels and all， when she went to hospices bc she knew they wanted to see her that way。 She raised hundreds of millions of dollars for them leading to drugs that allowed them to live。 As her health went into decline she had her people still take her to West Hollywood gay clubs， in a wheelchair， so she could be around the living。 Guys would thank her for saving their lives which would bring her to tears。 She lost so many dear close friends it was her life purpose to speak for them…and boy did she。 Sadly not all of Hollywood was behind her and it hurt her。 Especially when she was trying to get Rock Hudson into a Parisian hospital for experimental drugs。 She was friends with then president Ronald and Nancy Reagan。 They knew people at the hospital and while Nancy expressed how close she was to Rock， they turned their back and told Elizabeth “no”。 They wouldn’t help get him in。 As she became a senator’s wife， she used her name and his power to get things done。 She even took out a full page NYT ad against her husbands wishes in her fight against the AIDS pandemic。 Kudos to her。 I love her more now than I ever did。 An icon。 A light。 A woman full of heart。 When her team would warn her about the shape some of these people were in towards the end of their lives， as they were afraid it would be too hard on her…she responded with “after all I’v been through in my life…。I can handle anything”。 Yea you did Ms Taylor。 Yes you did！！！ 。。。more