The Audrey Hepburn Treasures

Book Description

With nearly thirty movies, countless awards, and an unwavering commitment to UNICEF, Audrey Hepburn's life served as an example of both style and purpose. From her early dance performances for the Dutch resistance during World War II to her London cabaret days and her breakthrough roles in Gigi and Roman Holiday, audiences worldwide have long been enchanted by Audrey's charm and grace.

Now, in this lavishly illustrated biography -- created with the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund -- Audrey's own words are given center stage to create a unique personal narrative. This special collection also includes approximately 200 black-and-white and color photographs selected by the Hepburn Estate, as well as reproduced mementos from Audrey's life. Thirty-four removable documents include an excerpt from her Breakfast at Tiffany's script with handwritten notes, a letter she sent to husband Mel Ferrer while preparing for The Nun's Story, and a birth certificate announcement marking the arrival of her first son.

A dazzling celebration of an extraordinary human being, The Audrey Hepburn Treasures offers fan an intimate and revealing portrait of the woman they admire and adore.

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous Book about a classic lady!.......2007-08-16

My mom loves Audrey Hepburn, and this book is just wonderful. It's like a personal scrapbook all about Audrey and Amazon has it $[...] cheaper than any store. It made for the perfect birthday present!

If your an Audrey Hepburn fan you will love this book.......2007-07-31

I was given this book as a birthday gift. I am a huge Audrey Hepburn fan. I think she is not only beautiful but she is an exceptional actress. She carries herself with a great deal of class. Looking through the book I felt as though I were looking through her own personal scrapbook. She went through so much in life but always came across as caring and graceful. The book is beautifuly written and I love the way it is put together with the snapshots and other wonderful surprises in the pages. This book gives you a wonderful glimpse into what her life was like. This is without a doubt one of the best Audrey Hepburn books I have ever read.

A must-have for Audrey fans!.......2007-04-06

The Audrey Hepbrun Treasures book is a treasure trove indeed, for it contains pictures and mementos from Audrey's amazing life. The book contains a foreword by Audrey's son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, and is chronologically arranged, starting with Audrey's early childhood, her first role as a dancer, and goes on with her move to the silver screen, her marriages, her work with UNICEF, and finally her legacy. What makes this book truly unique is its format: it is presented in the form of a scrapbook, with reproductions of baby photos, family pictures, a wartime ID card, programs of Audrey's performances, and numerous other personal documents [birth certificate of her son, personal letters etc.]. These help to give us an insightful look into Audrey's amazing life, and help us to better understand this beautiful and graceful lady, who has inspired many by her beauty, her talent, and her convictions.

Love this book!.......2007-03-12

Not only is the book an excellent read about Audrey Hepburn, but the envelopes throughout the book that are filled with keepsakes and memoralbilia are wonderful! Great gift idea, also!

simply wonderful.......2007-03-08

This Audrey Hepburn book is great for any Audrey Collector. It arrived in good timming, and is in perfect condition. It is very unique in the fact that is more of a scrap-book style book with vellum packets full of letters, invitations etc. that she wrote/ received throughout her lifetime.

How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life

Average customer rating:

I just love this book!!
Where have all the LADIES gone?
The Ultimate Guide to Loveliness, Both Inside and Out.
Perfect Stocking Stuffer
Great transaction

How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life
Melissa Hellstern
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525948236
Release Date: 2004-06-03

Book Description

A charming guide to finding elegance in every aspect of life, featuring rarely seen photographs and revelations about the actress who perfected gracious living.

Propelled by popular titles such as Swell: A Girl's Guide to the Good Life and Three Black Skirts: All You Need to Survive, the decorum category touts plenty of trendy advice. But no one has demonstrated the power of poise as memorably as Audrey Hepburn, whose enchanting essence on and off the screen has easily withstood the test of time.

Inspired by a beloved icon who balanced sensibility and sex appeal, celebrity and humanitarian efforts with evident ease, How to Be Lovely examines the art of being a woman. More philosophy than biography, Hepburn fans will uncover the deeply thinking, deeply feeling woman who found success on the silver screen, in her own home and in the world at large. Through Hepburn's own words from interviews, what her friends said and behind-the-scenes stories, readers will develop a new outlook on their own careers, love lives, families, wardrobes, finances, health concerns, friendships, and the world at large.

Published to coincide with Audrey Hepburn's would be 75th birthday, How to Be Lovely features an elegant design worthy of the book's namesake. For the millions who continue to delight in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday, and the woman behind them all, this is the guide to living genuinely with glamour and grace.

Customer Reviews:

I just love this book!!.......2006-11-04

This is such a wonderful book and a staple for how to deal with everyday things that life brings on. Audrey Hepburn was not only beautiful...but very wise. There is so many great quotes in this book...definitely a must read!!

Where have all the LADIES gone?.......2006-05-27

If pop star Pink sings "Where oh where have all the smart people gone, where oh where could they be?"... then this book cries "Where oh where have all the LADIES gone? Where oh where could they be?" If ever there is a role model for a renaissance in being a lady (not to be confused with a bombshell)... it is Audrey. Her grace, aristocratic sophistication, refinement, depth, humanitarian spirit, and genuine posh-like glamour was real as much as it was regal. In a world of cheap bombshell images the statement: that which is least seen is most beautiful is truer than ever. Audrey was an archetype of an era where being a lady was respected and advocated.

The Ultimate Guide to Loveliness, Both Inside and Out........2006-01-11

A lot of people misuse the term "hero." Lots of people think it's an athlete, an actor, or a singer. I regard Audrey Hepburn as my hero and a great role model. She was a rare and unusually timeless beauty with her gamine looks and a gorgeous accent, often mistaken as British, that also belied part of her time in Nazi occupied Holland. With the grace of a dancer and a princess to add to her intoxicating manner of speech, she had consistently excellent taste in clothes, impeccable hairstyles, and an approach to living that more people in this world would do well to adhere to.

Hepburn isn't a hero because of her time on screen; that's just an admirable sort of glamorous display. She fought the resistance as a brave young girl with her mother during WWII, helping the allies escape to freedom. Later in her life, when her career as an actress had more or less played itself out, she took her fame and used it to help give aid to children of third world countries who were starving as she and her fellow Dutchmen had all those years earlier. She was generous, humble, uncomplicated, and beautiful beyond the physical sense. Sure, she chain smoked and was insecure, she had that one crooked tooth and insisted she had a square face, but her physical beauty came from the simple brightness inside of her that was often illuminated by those large, exotic brown eyes. Je ne sais quoi, indeed! Audrey was a woman who knew how to be the consummate woman by keeping her approach to life simple and uncomplicated, yet managing to make people place her on a pedestal of goddess-like status. That is a gift few people possess, but she was able to utilize it with seemingly little work. Melissa Hellstern's book takes several quotes by Hepburn and friends, lots of great b&w photos, and turns them into something of a positive handbook to help women, regardless of any age, learn to possess simple, optimistic, life-affirming class.

Perfect Stocking Stuffer.......2005-12-01

I gave this book to my mom for Mother's Day and haven't stopped hearing how much she likes it. I highly recommend it as the perfect stocking stuffer, especially for the price on Amazon. Just ordered two more for my sisters.

Great transaction.......2005-09-09

The book was as described and received in a timely manner. Thank you!

Average customer rating:

Pass the sick bag, Mabel
Inspiring Audrey style
the pictures are wonderful, the writing horrible
The photos are superb, AND...
A perfect book about a perfect lady

Audrey Style
Pamela Clarke Keogh , and Hubert de Givenchy
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060193298

Amazon.com

In 1953, When Audrey Hepburn burst onto the screen in Roman Holiday, she forever changed the international ideal of elegance, grace, and beauty. Suddenly, glamour and even sexiness seemed attainable for women everywhere; Audrey was uncommonly beautiful, but she was real--hers was a look anyone could aim for, but few could pull off as effortlessly or effectively. By mixing a few classic elements of "Audrey style"--the little black dress, ballet flats with slim capri pants, bold hats and sunglasses--suburban housewives became more Hollywood than Hoboken in an instant.

Here author Pamela Clarke Keogh introduces us to the woman behind the clothes, using words from friends, fellow actors, and designers who dressed her to paint a picture of a truly remarkable woman. A humanitarian, artist, friend, and above all, survivor, Audrey inspired women and men alike to approach life with spirit, grace, and simplicity. The nearly 100 color and black-and-white photographs, paired with original sketches from such fashion luminaries as Givenchy, Manolo Blahnik, and Vera Wang, show that Audrey was much more than a beautiful, well-dressed personality; her courage and individuality come shining through in every page. --Leah Ball

Book Description

Everyone, it seems, is a fan of Audrey's. She was Gigi, a princess, Holly Golightly, a nun, Maid Marian, even an angel. And we believed her in every role. But Audrey Hepburn was also one of the most admired and emulated women of the twentieth century, who encouraged women to discover and highlight their own strength. By example, she not only changed the way women dress--she forever altered the way they viewed themselves.

But Audrey Hepburn's beauty was more than skin deep. "You know the Audrey you saw onscreen? Audrey was like that in real life, only a million times better," says designer Jeffrey Banks. For the first time, this style biography reveals the details--fashion and otherwise--that contributed so greatly to Audrey's appeal. Drawing on original interviews with Hubert de Givenchy, Gregory Peck, Nancy Reagan, Doris Brynner, and Audrey Wilder, as well as reminiscences of professional friends like Steven Spielberg, Ralph Lauren, noted Hollywood photographer Bob Willoughby, Steven Meisel, and Kevyn Aucoin, Audrey Style brings the Audrey her family and friends loved to life.

With more than ninety color and black-and-white photographs, many of which have never before been published, and original designer sketches from Edith Head, Hubert de Givenchy, Vera Wang, Manolo Blahnik, Alexander McQueen, and others, Audrey Style gives measure to the grace, humor, intelligence, generosity, and inimitable fashion sense that was Audrey Hepburn.

Customer Reviews:

Pass the sick bag, Mabel.......2007-06-22

Even though I'm definitely an AH fan, I thought that the author went overboard with praise for Miss Hepburn's personal qualities. No doubt AH herself would be embarassed to read all this fawning and adulation.

This book attempts to combine into one an AH biography and an analysis of her fashion style. Unfortunately, both fall short. The only worthwhile text was the introduction by Hubert de Givenchy.

Inspiring Audrey style.......2005-11-16

I think Audrey Hepburn will be eternally remembered not only as one of the kindest and most generous women that has ever volunteered for Unicef, but to us women as a timeless, most graceful role model of style. She's the perfect embodiment of the adagio that in elegance less is more. Her streamlined, understated style that yet made one of the biggest statements in fashion history continues to be an inspiration to us women of the 21st century despite the forty years that separate us from "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Clarke Keogh's book captures Audrey's spirit like no other. It is beautifully illustrated and there are contributions from Hubert de Givenchy, Ralph Lauren or Gregory Peck, among other people who generously share with us souvenirs of this angel of grace that they had the chance to meet in person. Her wardrobe and makeup are meticulously reviewed and this book will prove an invaluable tool and source of inspiration for all those women who want to bring more elegance and refinement into their lives. One of the best assets in your style bookcase and one that you will gladly pass down to generations of graceful women to come.

the pictures are wonderful, the writing horrible.......2005-10-16

If they reprinted this without any words, it would get 5 stars.

Random examples of the writing:

"'Oh, they were fated to meet,' says Connie, curiously choosing the exact same words used to describe Audrey's friendship with Givenchy." (Like OMG! Someone said Audrey was _fated_ to meet Givenchy! And someone else said she was _fated_ to meet another person!)

"... she intones with the well-bred vowels of a Farmington girl, with some of her old boss, Diana Vreeland, thrown in for emphasis."

Pamela Clarke Keogh comes off like an untalented high school student in a creative writing class. You know the sort, under the impression that bludgeoning the reader with random vignettes and a morass of clauses is "descriptive."

And don't get me started on the over-the-top hagiographic nature of this book. Look, I love Audrey as much as the next person. Probably more. But how many quotes like "and she couldn't have been sweeter! So gracious! Beyond gracious! Heavenly!" do we need? There's such a thing as praising so much it becomes meaningless.

The photos are superb, AND..........2005-01-10

It's putting the quirky details together that makes this book more revealing than the standard saccharin drenched puff piece.

For example, Hepburn is quoted as saying that she wears a size 8 1/2 shoe, while the author clearly states later in the book that Hepburn wore a size ten.

Her mother's quotes, if accurate, provide convincing evidence that the Baroness Von Heemstra was more than a little jealous of her far more beautiful daughter.

The author's claim that Audrey "didn't eat during times of stress" directly contradicts close friends Audrey Wilder and Doris Brynner, who claimed that Hepburn loved to eat. As for her staying so thin due to malnutrition that "permanently altered her metabolism", this is unlikely. According to the author, Hepburn speaks of gaining twenty pounds early in her career. Other bios confirm this. Perhaps in later years Hepburn simply watched what she ate.

According to the author, Hepburn washed her hair every four or five days. She SMOKED. Whew, draw your OWN conclusions about that one!

I've found Robert Wolders a bit creepy ever since I read about him in "Queenie", a superb biography of Merle Oberon. From Merle to Audrey to Shirlee Fonda; this guy clearly has a THING for wealthy, older glamour girls. He's always described as an actor/businessman. Hmmmmmmm.

An additional strength of this book is its focus on her personal fashion philosophy--not just her association with Givenchy.

Audrey Hepburn is my absolute favorite and always will be. She had many lessons to teach; not only about beauty and elegance, but also about tolerance, grace and kindness. No star of today can compare.

PS-I'm just tucking into the Barry Paris book, which is FAR more in depth. I recommend following Audrey Style with this one if you haven't already read it.

A perfect book about a perfect lady.......2004-06-08

I really like this book-it really shows what an absolutely beautiful lady she was-she certainly was very sensual and sexy.She knew how to project herself without going overboard-
the lady had class and it really showed.There aren't any actresses like Audrey anymore-I really miss her.

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

An Affirming Celebrity.......2007-02-11

Audry Hepburn was in a league of her own. When was the last time we heard of a star of this magnitude helping a friend in business and firing his/her manager for trying to make a profit from the help? While I was aware of her work with UNICEF, I was unaware of the depth of her commitment. The trip to Sudan was hard enough to read about. I cannot imagine going there as she did.

WWII's deep scars were well hidden from public view. For most of the war she and her family had daily fear for their lives and in the end were near death due stavation. A mere 8 years later Audrey is at the pinnacle of glitter and glamor of a film career with an Oscar. The effects of the war, the trials of living with a withholding aristocratic mother, the rigid roles for women in the 50's are mentioned but not discussed. The insecurities these brought on show in her marriages, and the emphathy shows in her above and beyond work for UNICEF as

This book covers the life, but not the inner person or the times. Fortunately, she is not a star in this time. Today's even more intrusive paparazzis and career journalists could destroy her for us and for herself. Spoto does a loving and respectful job of presenting her life.

Enchantment The life of Audrey Hepburn.......2007-01-05

Loved the book, lots of interesting details of her life.

4 1/2 Respect and Admiration.......2007-01-03

When I think of some of his previous work, Donald Spoto's priorities seem geared towards including enough scintillating information for good PR and improved sales. Perhaps I've been unfair. Not only does has he done historical work (Amazon.com called my attention to his historical biographies), but this is a well-researched, non-sensationalist biography of Ms. Hepburn. If anything, it could have standed something less objective, some sort of socio-cultural analysis of how we were and remain completely smitten with her, but Mr. Spoto shows restraint. A remarkable, truely admirable figure, this book illuminates some of her many roles both in and outside of Hollywood. There are some lovely black and white photos, but not many; one's hnger for that image must be satisfied elsewhere. One book cannot do its subject justice, but this is a very good beginning. You can appreciate Ms. Hepburn without having seen a single one of her films, but I can't think of one good reason why you'd want to.

Enchanting.......2007-01-02

More than a decade after her death, Audrey Hepburn remains an ideal of femininity in cinema and a role model for film stars in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Donald Spoto has penned a biography that manages successfully to tread the delicate line between treating her with proper reverence while offering genuine insight into her life and personality.

Abandoned early on by a roue of a father and raised by a caring but distant mother, Hepburn began as an aspiring ballet dancer in war-torn Holland. She rose to stardom both on Broadway and in Hollywood with astonishing speed, winning both the Tony and Oscar by the time she was twenty-five years old. She managed her career with a shrewdness that belied her delicate, vulnerable screen persona, rarely making any missteps in preserving a carefully constructed screen image, though Spoto turns an unwavering, and to this reader unnecessarily harsh, eye on many of her most popular films. Her private life was much less perfect. The author analyzes her two relatively long-term, by Hollywood standards, but unhappy marriages to fellow cinema actor Mel Ferrer and Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti, and many love affairs with a sympathetic tone that avoids sensationalization. His revelations concerning the star's passionate, doomed affair with playwright Robert Anderson during the filming of one of her best movies, Fred Zinneman's The Nun's Story, make moving reading. He achieves a signal success in implying a connection between Hepburn's surprisingly voracious sexual appetites and her emotionally barren childhood without clumsily stating the obvious.

Carefully researched, as evidenced by the many footnotes, Spoto's work is on the whole a model for film-star biographies. Ultimately he achieves his goal of bringing Hepburn to life in these pages, painting a portrait of a woman surprisingly anxious and insecure despite outward physical beauty and enviable artistic and commercial success, who never found true fulfillment in her personal life (except perhaps with her last partner, Robert Wolders), but did eventually find it in her untiring work for UNICEF, before tragically succumbing to cancer at all too early an age. For Hepburn the artist, despite extended discussions of most of her important films, one might have wished for a more balanced assessment, as well as a detailed filmography, the lack of which is the book's one real defect. Still, "Enchantment" is a remarkable achievement and easily transcends its frequently tawdry genre.

Laborious.......2006-10-30

This was a difficult read, as it was overly embellished in places; full of gossip, and was hard to get through with its over-use of adjectives in particular. Stick with Sean Ferrer's " An Elegant Spirit." Pictures often say more than words. The words in "Enchantment" were redundant and dull.

Average customer rating:

Excellent!
More than pleased
Lots of great new stuff!
Hurray for Hepburn!

Audrey Hepburn: The Paramount Years
Tony Nourmand
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0811858022

Book Description

Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, Paris When It Sizzles, Breakfast at Tiffany's these early films established Audrey Hepburn as the epitome of stylish grace and playful elegance. This collection of legendary and never-before-seen Paramount poster art, lobby cards, magazine covers, costume sketches, stills, and fashion photographs celebrates the golden era of Hepburn's career. Illuminating the more than 200 photos and illustrations are short essays on Hepburn's lasting influence, as well as a primer on collecting her memorabilia, offering a unique look at the woman who redefined Hollywood glamour and became one of the most enduring icons of fashion and film.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-09-21

This book is awesome!!! I received it almost immediately, and it was packaged just beautifully! Thank you Amazon!!

More than pleased.......2007-09-06

An affordable and well made book about Audrey.

Pictures are fabulous.

One of the best of this kind I have seen.

Lots of great new stuff!.......2007-06-15

Like the previous reviewer, I wasn't sure when I first saw this book that there would be much new material in it, but there is! Know that the book doesn't cover Audrey's entire career, but focuses strictly, as the title indicates, on her films for Paramount. Within that parameter, no Audrey fan should be without this book in his or her library! Lots of behind-the-scene photos as well as international promo material not often seen in the US.

Hurray for Hepburn!.......2007-04-25

Because I own almost every book published on this iconic actress, I assumed that this one would offer little new material. I was wrong. This excellent collection includes international versions of posters, previously unpublished photographs, and unknown (at least to me) pieces of information. Hepburn's Paramount films are what launched her career and this volume is a beautiful sampling of her contribution to cinema.

Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers

Average customer rating:

Sweet and Charming
Audrey Hepburn as seen by her son Sean
Biography
Audrey!
Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers

Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers
Sean Hepburn Ferrer
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671024795

Book Description

She dazzled millions as Gigi. Eliza Doolittle. Holly Golightly. But to her most adoring fan, Audrey Hepburn was best known for her role as "Mummy."

In this heartfelt tribute to his mother, Sean Hepburn Ferrer offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the life of one of Hollywood's brightest stars. Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit is a stunning compilation of nearly 300 photographs, many straight from the family album and never before published; archival documents, personal correspondence, and mementos; even paintings and illustrations from the actress herself.

Sean tells Audrey Hepburn's remarkable story, from her childhood in war-torn Holland to the height of her fame to her autumn years far from the camera and the crush of the paparazzi. Sean introduces us to someone whose grace, charm, and beauty were matched only by her insecurity about her appearance and talent, and who used her hard-won recognition as a means to help children less fortunate than her own. With this unique biography, Sean celebrates his mother's history and humanity--and continues her charitable work by donating proceeds from this book to the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.

Customer Reviews:

Sweet and Charming.......2007-07-25

This book was pleasant and thoughtful, as is its subject. Though admittedly the writing was far less enchanting than I would have expected; I like to think it was kept simple to further emphasize the simplicity and sincerity of Audrey herself. This book did not add any revelation for the reader about her life; but instead, allowed for a glance at Audrey Hepburn's everyday existence. I was constantly amazed at how strong and genuine her character when faced with life's sometimes complicated decisions. This book shows Audrey as a person who effortlessly put others before herself, and seemed to never question her sense of what is right.

Even the idea of such simplicity has become a fairytale in our lives, and it is so refreshing to read about someone who was capable of remaining so solidly pure, that I cannot help but read a little more. One need only look to her work with UNICEF to know how first-rate she truly was.

Audrey Hepburn as seen by her son Sean.......2007-06-13

She has allways been one of my favorite stars.The book has a beautifull
lay-out and is a pleasure to read.Lots of photographs never seen before
and beautifull passages about her work for Unicef and what a wonderful mother she was.I can highly recommend this book.

Biography.......2007-05-21

Bought this as a gift for my daughter as she is a fan and thought that the personal insights were revealing and poignant.

Audrey!.......2007-01-13

I love everything about this book. I like the photos. I like the interesting story. And how Mr. Sean Hepburn Ferrer includes a reproduction of Audrey's birth certificate. Obviously, this is a
well-documented book. Authentic and sincere. I wish Mr. Ferrer had chosen a more stunning photo for the cover. The cover is kind of blurry and not very focussed I love black and white photos Colored ones are nice too but not blurry, indistinct ones.

Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers.......2007-01-09

I loved this book. Audrey Hepburn was a true lady, graceful and simply elegant. Her son shows the true spirit of Audrey, a loving mother not only to her sons but to the children of the world.

Average customer rating:

Audrey Hepburn was a fair lady of stage and screen who is well served by Paris
A book so well researched and written that it flows like...
A tribute to Audrey and to Barry Parris' writing skill
Excellent
Audrey,you were a true lady

Audrey Hepburn
Barry Paris
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425182126
Release Date: 2001-09-04

Amazon.com

Barry Paris loves Audrey Hepburn, and who can blame him? His exuberant profile of the movie star traces Hepburn's life from her childhood in the Netherlands (where she aided the Dutch resistence) through her Hollywood career (from her Oscar-winning performance in Roman Holiday to Steven Spielberg's Always). Paris, a veteran of Hollywood biography books, wants to free his readers of any false impressions that might sully the late star's reputation. The impression that Hepburn was a snob, he persuades us, was the result of an introverted character formed by her experiences during the war. This wartime experience both fed Hepburn's love of the spotlight and inspired a concern for the poor and powerless that compelled her to campaign for UNICEF from 1988 until her death in 1993. Some of the most fascinating material in this delightfully readable volume concerns the impact the ever-elegant Audrey Hepburn had on women's style and self-conception. If you don't already love her, Paris's book will at the least evoke admiration of her, if not enlist you in a movement for her beatification.

Book Description

The most ambitious and personal account ever written about Hollywood's most gracious star-Audrey Hepburn by Barry Paris is a "moving portrayal" (The New York Times Book Review) that truly captures the woman who captured our hearts...

With the insights of family and friends who never before spoke to a Hepburn biographer-and never-before-published photographs-Paris has created an in-depth portrait of the actress, from her childhood in Nazi-occupied Europe, through her legendary career, and into her UN ambassadorship.

"Rich and definitive...fascinating." (*Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

"Illuminates the complex inner life of the highest-paid actress of her time." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Certainly [Paris's] account seems more personal than other recent biographies of Hepburn have been. In part, this may be because Paris had better access to family and friends, but he is also a very good writer, and his mix of anecdote and observation is just right." (Booklist)

Customer Reviews:

Audrey Hepburn was a fair lady of stage and screen who is well served by Paris.......2005-11-03

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) was born in Brussels the daughter of a Dutch woman and an English father. She was raised in Arnhem Holland suffering through the Nazi occupation. Audrey was a thin, sensitive child who excelled at ballet.
As a young woman she migrated to London appearing in British films until she was exploded into fame with her first US film
Roman Holiday (for which she won as Oscar as Best Actress)
Hepburn appeared in such films as "Charade"; "My Fair Lady"
(her singing voice being dubbed by Marni Nixon"; "Two for the
Road"; "Breakfast at Tiffanys"; "Sabrina: "Robin and Marion" :
"Wait Until Dark" and several other films.
Her gamin pixish face and figure was a revelation in the 50s era of Monroe, Ava Gardner; Sophia Loren and other well endowed film goddesses.
Audrey had a long but troubled marriage with stolid Mel Ferrer and had other husbands and a few affairs along the way most notably with film star Albert Finney.
She worked with such noted directors as Willie Wyler, George
Cukor and Stanley Donet. She lived in Switzerland in an isolated
village where she raised children and loved animals.
There is little dirt to plow in these pages1 Audrey was an
adorable and kind person! Her work with starving children on behalf of the UN is heartwarming.
Barry Paris (previous biographer of Louise Brooks and Greta
Garbo) does a fine job in this well documented biography.
The most exciting chapter deals with life in Holland during
the horrible Nazi occupation,
This is a good biography of the film star.

A book so well researched and written that it flows like..........2005-04-02

A book so well researched and written that it flows like a meandering river. The prose is wonderful. Very difficult to stop reading the book until the reading is completed.

May Audrey Hepburn be in the Kingdom of God as I surely want to meet her and talk with her.

A tribute to Audrey and to Barry Parris' writing skill.......2004-08-03

What is the true test of a biographer's skill? Creating a riviting, insightful book about a subject who had no scandal in her life and who seems to have be beloved by everyone. Material that, in lesser hands, could have been saccherine or written with the usual "movie star bio" template is instead moving, wise, very informative, and beautifully written. Check out Mr. Paris' other biographies of Garbo and especially Louise Brooks for more great writing.

Excellent.......2003-04-23

A biographer shouldn't lower your opinion of the person they're writing about (as if you could ever
have a low opinion of Audrey Hepburn!) and Barry Paris certainly does a brilliant job of depicting
Audrey's life from age 15 until her death (age 64). The author blends his words so you don't loose
interest even once. The book has lots of quotes, from and about Audrey, and several pictures of
her throughout her life. There isn't a down side to this book, except for a few subjects where the author
should have elaborated on a bit more than he did. You can clearly see that Audrey was a truly
wonderful person, a real lady. After you read about what a hard childhood she had, in the middle
of WW2 and the miscarriages she suffered and basically being deprived of love from her parents,
it is amazing that she was still such a beautiful person, a beautiful soul. She traveled to countries to
help dying people and did things that few other people would do...she seems to have been an
angel, and certainly was to several people. This is a book that you don't need to read before buying, it's wonderful.

Audrey,you were a true lady.......2003-01-16

I congratulate Barry Paris on a great biography of Audrey Hepburn.This book deserves at least 6 stars!Before I read the book,I had a lot of respect for Audrey Hepburn-but after reading this book,I have the utmost respect for her and admire her greatly.She was a saint and certainly was an attractive lady.You really have to feel sympathetic and empathetic for her with all the disappointments and hardships she had to confront throughout her life.A lot of people think that movie stars come from well-to-do families and lead charmed lives-not Audrey Hepburn.Her life is of horror,loss of love, and tradegy:(at six years of age, her father left the family leaving her forever heartbroken;she would witness the execution of an uncle and cousin during nazi occupied Holland;later in life,suffer 5 miscarraiges and 2 devastating divorces).There were happy moments of her life, too;film stardom, 2 marriages and two sons.These accounts of her life forged the true and genuine heart that she had. All through her life,Audrey Hepburn was a woman of love, and cared very much for the well being of others-she was not a selfish person.All her life, she helped others before helping herself.These acts of kindness, compassion, and caring was certainly genuine,and Audrey certainly was giving from her heart and soul.In her last years of her life ,she would be an ambassador of UNICEF, helping the children of impoverished nations. This book tells never known things about this selfless lady that thought of others more than herself.Mr.Paris certainly has done a great deal of research(looking at all the acknowlegements and bibliographies in the back of the book should tell you this man went through great lengths).This is a great book written about a real lady with a heart of gold.

Average customer rating:

Nicely done...
She will always be my favorite actress
A wonderful book on a very lovely and talented actress!
I love Audrey Hepburn
As always, stars disillusion us:

Audrey: Her Real Story
Alexander Walker
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312180462

Book Description

Innocent, elegant, ethereal in her beauty, Audrey Hepburn stood alone among the actresses of her time. From her first moment of fame in Roman Holiday, through the triumphs of Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady, her screen presence was unique. Gregory Peck called her "a magical combination of high chic and high spirits." But Hepburn's story is also one of lifelong struggle--to escape the burden of family history, and to conquer the demons of her own life. In this newly expanded edition of his definitive biography, Alexander Walker reveals new details about her parents' Fascist sympathies, about Audrey's own wartime experiences, and about the tragic story of her attempts to make peace with her father before the end of his life. And he offers a moving portrait of a woman whose search for happiness was compromised all her life by insecurity, eating disorders, and an inability to find lasting love. From her troubled childhood through her heartfelt battle against world hunger on behalf of UNICEF, Alexander Walker has painted a candid and affectionate portrait of one of the world's most beloved actresses: This is Audrey's real story.

Customer Reviews:

Nicely done..........2005-03-30

The author seems to have done scrupulous research, particularly with regard to Hepburn's early years. However, this bio contains more conjecture and fewer direct quotes from Hepburn "insiders" than the Barry Paris book. It also goes into more detail about her early career, her parent's fascist connections, and her relationships with her costars and husbands. Curiously, her adult relationship with her mother is largely ignored by the author.

It's entirely possible that Walker had less cooperation from Hepburn's friends, family and associates, because this book is somewhat less flattering than the Barry Paris bio. For example, Walker makes no bones (bad pun) about her alleged off and on battle with anorexia, while Paris blows the rumors off.

The author makes one egregious ommission; he fails to note Hepburn's last work, the superb Gardens of the World series for PBS. He notes only a "coffee table book" by that title for which he says Hepburn wrote the text. As she did not write the script for the series, it's unlikely that she would have written the text for any companion book. Gardens of the World does not even appear in the book's index! For credibility's sake, Walker really should correct this error in any future editions.
Nevertheless, all in all this is a satisfying read for any fan of Audrey Hepburn.

I'd recommend reading both books to get a more balanced view of this great lady.

She will always be my favorite actress.......2004-02-28

This book,(like so many other books on Audrey) explains the compassion,love, and charm that this lovely lady had. No wonder she is regarded as one of the most beloved actresses.I couldn't agree more.A wonderfully written book.

A wonderful book on a very lovely and talented actress!.......2001-08-31

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.

I love Audrey Hepburn.......2001-07-20

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..

As always, stars disillusion us:.......2000-11-26

From Audrey's facinating childhood and tragic war experience and her sad rejection in dance, to her fabulous movie career and multiple marriages, we find that stars always confuse us with the images that they portray on the screen. Not that Audrey was a bad person, just different from what you would think her as. Whatever she may have been, she had a wonderful and strong personality and a dear, giving heart. A wonderful telling of her life which I recommend for biography readers everywhere.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Photographs, Misinformed Words
A Picture Is Worth many Words
a great book
A portrait of the woman who identified style and beauty!
The epitome of style and grace

Audrey Hepburn: A Life in Pictures
Carol Krenz
Manufacturer: Thunder Bay Press (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1567995314

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Photographs, Misinformed Words .......2005-11-18

The photographs of Audrey Hepburn are (of course) beautiful, but the text accompanying them lacks both beauty and integrity. Factual errors appear from beginning to end - starting with Audrey's birthname and ending with her burial site (she was born Audrey Kathleen Ruston, not Edda Hepburn, and buried in the cemetery in the Swiss town where she lived, not on her own property there - see son Sean Ferrer's book for accurate facts). The sad facts of Audrey Hepburn's life were also exaggerated in the text, as if her charm and elegance are not interesting enough. By all accounts, people who knew Audrey, however, never had a negative word to speak of her. While the photographs in this book do justice for Audrey Hepburn's beauty, the inaccurate and poorly written text is disappointing.

A Picture Is Worth many Words.......2005-01-21

Audrey Hepburn: A Life in Pictures (Life in Pictures) is just that, a documentation in photographs of this well remembered actress. I enjoy this book from time by just opening it and glancing at the pictures. Some people really capture our hearts. Audrey Hepburn was one of those people.

a great book.......2003-05-05

This is a must have book on Audrey Hepburn. On eof th ebest photo collections. Audrey Hepburn is a true lay of such natural beauty , femininity, and poise. These photos really show that. Many lovely photo stills from he rfilms and other photos as we.. Some is color some in black and white, and over ninty pages. It shows her style and the many lovely hairstyles she had. It's a coffe table book and perfect to showcase/

A portrait of the woman who identified style and beauty!.......2002-09-15

Whenever I think of style, beauty and grace, I think of Audrey Hepburn. Even after her death, she is still the epitome of glamour and sophistication. In this book you get a brief bio complete with some beautiful photographs of the legendary actress. There are photographs of some of her best films -- Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's, etc. -- and intimate portraits with her family. This is a great collector's item that every Audrey Hepburn fan should own.

The epitome of style and grace.......2002-06-16

This is an absolutely beautiful collection of photos of the most mesmerizing women ever to grace the silver screen. After watching "Roman Holiday" I found myself wanting to know everything there is to know about the princess whose style and charm could steal any man's heart. I found this to be a great introduction to Hepburn, an excellent overview of her life and movies. The classic photos of "Roman Holiday" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" alone make this a priceless addition to any fan's bookshelf.

Average customer rating:

A MEMORABLE MOVIE STAR
A Promise
Why many grew so accustomed to her face
Hmm. A tedious biography by Warren G. Harris
I think it is very vague

Audrey Hepburn: A Biography
Warren Harris
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0671758004

Customer Reviews:

A MEMORABLE MOVIE STAR.......2005-07-03

She looked like a princess; she deported herself regally. Her life followed the fairy tale plot of rags to riches. Regrettably, it did not often have the requisite happy ending.

Sent to boarding school in England, Audrey Hepburn rejoined her family in Holland prior to the German occupation in World War II. Along with her fellow countrymen, she suffered greatly. Virtual starvation permanently affected her health.

How impossible it would have seemed to her during those war torn years that she would some day become a sought after movie star, sharing the screen with Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, Gregory Peck, and William Holden. A lucky break - she was seen by Colette in a hotel lobby - took her to the Broadway stage as "Gigi." Another lucky break won her the lead in "Roman Holiday."

Although family was more important than career to Miss Hepburn, her two marriages failed. She found solace in motherhood, her friends and, in later life, through her untiring labors for UNICEF.

Audrey Hepburn forever changed America's view of glamour. As a New York Times reporter wrote at the time of her death: "What a burden she lifted from women! Here was proof that looking good need not be synonymous with looking bimbo."

This biography offers a wide-screen view of one of our favorite actresses.

- Gail Cooke

A Promise.......2004-04-21

With a face that still resonates over the McCarthy era of Hollywood, Audrey Hepburn was an elegant image of purity in a corrupt world. Unlike Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey's image never tanished and she a backseat only to Marilyn Monroe as Hollywood's most famous leading lady.

Audrey's life is mostly public facts: she married a second rate actor, Mel Ferrer; won an Academy Award for her first film, Roman Holiday, and a Tony for Ondine; earned five Oscar nominations; had two sons and obsessed over her career and family; and remarried an Italian playboy. But only an Audrey insider like Harris can go beyond the well-known myth making and draw a complete picture.

Previously it has only been the subject of major speculation, but Harris confirms that Hepburn had several affairs with her leading men such as William Holden. The biography isn't all gossip though. Harris covers the later movies and Andrey's work with UNICEF. Although this prjects her Mother Teresa side, what is really interesting about Audrey is not her war experiences, her rise to fame, or her post-Wait Until Dark family life, but the period between 1952 and 1967 when she made fifteen great films including Charade and Two For The Road.

Harris recognizes Hepburn's peak in the 1960s and uses the bulk of the book to detail this period of her life, but his knowledge doesn't protect him from the obvious shortcomings in his own work. He does tend to be repetitive. He's not much of a prose stylist. Beyond that, there is another major gripe to raise: there are only sixteen pages of Audrey photos in this book, and they don't go far beyond the standard postcard set. Obviously, anyone reading a Hepburn biography craves that classic look and an illustration of the movement from film to film.

Why many grew so accustomed to her face.......2004-04-10

Warren G. Harris's biography on Audrey Hepburn is an unbiased, straight-ahead account that details her ups and downs, from her childhood in the war-torn Netherlands, her first starts at stardom in England, her breakthrough in Roman Holiday, marriages to Mel Ferrer and Andrea Dotti, to her declining movie career from the late 1970's onward, and to her work as UNICEF spokesperson.

The initial quotes from Billy Wilder, Cecil Beaton, Hubert Givenchy, and Stanley Donen give what made Hepburn a star. Wilder says that God kissed her with that gift of stardom. True enough: that 5'7" height, slender birdlike figure, prominent eyebrows, squared off chin, princess-like elegance and beauty that continued in her fifties, a wistful fragility, and soft voice that spoke perfect English and ended a sentence in a girlish query. And that European sophistication she exuded no doubt came from a multinational heritage that included British, Dutch, Austrian, Hungarian, French, Scotch, and Irish. And she is very distantly related to Katherine Hepburn, as both traced their lineage to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary Queen of Scots.

And she was a professional actress, someone striving for perfection and a trooper when it came to her work. She took time studying her background material, whether it be reading Tolstoy's War And Peace, where she played Natasha Rostova, Kathryn Hulme's biography on her experiences as a nun, and even going to see Hulme, resulting in The Nun's Story, and her going to a college for the blind for her part as Susy Hendrix in Wait Until Dark. That's not to say Audrey was perfect. Her one vice, smoking, came from the cigarettes she saw American soldiers smoking when her homeland was liberated. She became addicted to life on them.

Hepburn's wartime hardships in occupied Netherlands is given quite some coverage because the experiences affected her later in life. One was the closeness to her mother and brothers, one of whom, Alexander, became a "diver," people who avoided conscription by the Axis army by hiding. Second, being malnourished in the final years of war led to a metabolism that prevented her from significantly gaining weight. And finally, the suffering she went through made her empathize with the starving children in Africa when she joined up as a UNICEF spokesperson during the last years of her life. Her generosity extended to Givenchy, whom she fought to get him credit for his designs, and to William Wyler, to whom she felt indebted for Roman Holiday and thus agreed to star in The Children's Hour, which wasn't among her best movies.

All of Hepburn's movies, from her bits parts beginning with 1948's Dutch In 7 Easy Lessons through her final performance in Always, depending on how significant the movie, is given 5 to 7 pages coverage, from a brief synopsis, recollections by Hepburn herself, the directors, and co-stars. So far, the only person who hated Hepburn was her Sabrina co-star Humphrey Bogart, who thought Audrey, Billy Wilder, and others were conspiring against him. Others, such as her Roman Holiday co-star Gregory Peck, were gentlemanly.

Harris hits early on that actor Mel Ferrer, husband #1, was constantly being overshadowed by his wife, as he never got into the star tier and that led to a simmering resentment that finally ended their marriage.

Harris's coverage on her career is unbiased. He gives what the critics thought of her performances and movies, even bad ones like Paris When It Sizzles and Always, where she was clearly the best thing in the film. But through it all, he makes it clear why many, myself included, grew accustomed to her face.

Hmm. A tedious biography by Warren G. Harris.......2000-07-19

One and ½ stars.

Tedious. Not recommended. Gossipy, but full of "facts", that do not flow. Each paragraph of this biography stops and starts alone. Though it seems well researched, it drips with small, but unmistakable unknowable ideas presented, again, as (gossipy) facts by the author. It was a pain to get through the initial pages. Page 13 - "Ella picked "Hepburn" because it wash the only noble name... [OK] That he may have also murdered Mary's second husband, Lord Darnley [she actually knew this? hmm. unsubstantiated], didn't seem to bother the Baroness when she borrowed the name". Well, she may have `shamelessly' borrowed the name, but the author clearly begins filling in supposed knowledge of the character and continues to do so with other ideas throughout the work. Page 14 - "Ruston and Ella made a strikingly and highly volatile couple.": [OK]. "Tall and handsome, he'd grown a mustache to compensate for his receding hairline." What? Is the author struggling with same? Back then a mustache was worn prominently for the display of its own sake, regardless of receding hairline - you've seen the photos. Clearly a 90's cynical filter on earlier facts gets in the way in these simple examples as it gets in the way throughout the text. The work is littered with the 90's addiction of showing us supposed belly-button lint as somehow interesting fact. This is not biography. Sadly, selection of photos here seems the real strength. Wonderful photos. But this historical reader would rather turn back to reading about settlers taking bloody hatchets, as long as truth is presented. A thought; should I reward this 2 stars for effort? No. In this day and age, anyone can muster forth the so-called facts of anyone famous. Don't let the titles, the initial script of the opening pages, and the prior works of Harris fool you, this kind of fact/gossip intertwined crud can't be polished. Sadly, there may not be an Audrey Hepburn biography that flows and captures all the interesting facts and heart of her life until the end. But there is hope

I think it is very vague.......1999-12-05

I didn't apprecite it. As I haven't had any information of Audrey's life, I enjoyed knowing facts of her life. But the biography misses her personal experience at all! She goes through four abortions and the writer doens't give any importance at all to those facts! He has very detals of her years in Holland and the importance of her mother, but when she becomes famous, the mother is suddently out of the picture. As I said, her personal evolution is suddently forgot. It seens as there was two Audreys, the one that grewn up in nazist Holland and the one that made fame on movies. The pictures are very poor and of low quality. I brought the book knowing nothing about Audrey, and I finish reading it knowing less. Don't bother to get that book, there are betters of her.

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