Reviews
William Mann has picked the perfect title for a biography of Taylor. She was, truly, the last great movie star., William J. Mann''s ridiculously entertaining biography of Elizabeth Taylor in her Hollywood heyday is yummier than digging into a hot-fudge sundae and a stack of Us Weeklys., ...she knew by instinct, generations before today's crop of starlets, how to interface her personal and professional lives with the public, who adored her for it. Taylor lived out loud, and the world sang along to her tune., William J. Mann's ridiculously entertaining biography of Elizabeth Taylor in her Hollywood heyday is yummier than digging into a hot-fudge sundae and a stack of Us Weeklys., ...she knew by instinct, generations before today�s crop of starlets, how to interface her personal and professional lives with the public, who adored her for it. Taylor lived out loud, and the world sang along to her tune., "...the sorts of details a reader craves...all are rendered with a verve and fluidity that keep the book moving along in a fleet fashion... [Mann] has clearly done his research and just as clearly adores his subject." "Taylor was at the furious center of it all, and provides as handy and captivating a guide through[the era]as any star of the 20th century could.", "...the sorts of details a reader craves...all are rendered with a verve and fluidity that keep the book moving along in a fleet fashion... [Mann] has clearly done his research and just as clearly adores his subject." "Taylor was at the furious center of it all, and provides as handy and captivating a guide through [the era] as any star of the 20th century could.", "...the sorts of details a reader craves...all are rendered with a verve and fluidity that keep the book moving along in a fleet fashion... [Mann] has clearly done his research and just as clearly adores his subject.""Taylor was at the furious center of it all, and provides as handy and captivating a guide through [the era] as any star of the 20th century could.", "...the sorts of details a reader craves...all are rendered with a verve and fluidity that keep the book moving along in a fleet fashion... [Mann] has clearly done his research and just as clearly adores his subject." "Taylor was at the furious center of it all, and provides as handy and captivating a guide through [the era] as any star of the 20th century could.", Mann''s eminently yummy entry is pretty much everything you''d want in a Hollywood biography... What does make How to Be a Movie Star distinctive is its focus on the changing nature of personal fame as embodied by a woman whose life has consisted of one superlative after another., "How to Be a Movie Staris more than a well-told, thoroughly researched tale about the most compelling movie star of her time. It's the captivating story of how movie-making magic actually happens-and a truly lively portrait of the greatest screen magician of them all. Mann knows his subject intimately."-Peter Richmond, author ofFever: The Life and Music of Miss Peggy Lee "Was Elizabeth Taylor the greatest product of the Hollywood star machine or its greatest victim? Or was she, perhaps, its inventor? At a time when celebrity culture seems to be spiraling out of control, William J. Mann's smart, engaging, clear-eyed case study of Taylor's unique life in the spotlight locates the 'real' person somewhere between her private life and her public image. It's a fresh, unique and wholly successful approach to a fascinating story." -Mark Harris, author ofPictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood "A dazzling and sagacious red-carpet Technicolor guide book to the lost art of Stardom . . . essential reading for aspiring love goddesses and mere mortals alike."-Lee Server, author of the bestsellingAva Gardener: "Love is Nothing" "When I saw Elizabeth Taylor in person, I suddenly found myself screaming like a teen at a Beatles concert. Mann deftly describes how, with great self-assurance, Taylor shrewdly and methodically orchestrated that reaction on a global scale. This is a smart book about a surprisingly savvy superstar. It;s one of the best Hollywood biographies I've ever read."--Ed Sikov, author ofDark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis "William J. Mann's portrait is meticulous and delicious, capturing the essence of a great movie star, a woman who epitomized the old Hollywood glamour even as she was bucking the system--every system! Through shrewd and intriguing detail, this lively book brings fresh insight into why and how Elizabeth Taylor mesmerized the world she was helping to change."--Julie Salamon, author ofThe Devil's CandyandHospital, Mann's eminently yummy entry is pretty much everything you'd want in a Hollywood biography... What does make How to Be a Movie Star distinctive is its focus on the changing nature of personal fame as embodied by a woman whose life has consisted of one superlative after another.
