Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry

Book Description

"Here, in my own words and as I remember them, are my cherished stories about a lifetime of fun and love and laughter...I've never thought of my jewelry as trophies. I'm here to take care of it and to love it, for we are only temporary custodians of beauty."

--Elizabeth Taylor

She has mesmerized movie audiences since her debut in National Velvet at the age of twelve, dazzled both men and women with her luminous beauty and iconic presence, displayed shrewd business acumen by creating a line of fragrances with unparalleled success, and her AIDS activism has been a call to arms for people around the world. She is Hollywood's greatest living star and a living legendElizabeth Taylor.

One of her greatest passions is jewelry, and over the years she has amassed one of the world's foremost collections. By the time she was in her thirties, Elizabeth Taylor already owned an outstanding set of Burmese rubies and diamonds from Cartier, a fantastic emerald and diamond suite from Bulgari, and the 33.19-carat Krupp diamond, a gift from Richard Burton. That ring was later eclipsed by a subsequent gift from Burton, when he bought a staggering 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond. Newly named the Taylor-Burton Diamond, it catapulted Elizabeth Taylor into that rarefied pantheon of great jewelry collectors.

In this revealing book, Elizabeth Taylor offers a personal guided tour of her collection. She takes us into her confidence, sharing personal anecdotes, witty asides, and intimate reminiscences about her life, her loves, and her collection. Whether talking about the famous La Peregrina pearl, which was briefly abducted by a household pet, or chatting about a childhood gift to her mother, Elizabeth Taylor shows herself to be the most seductive of storytellers: direct, irreverent, and charming.

Complementing the stories are 125 stunning new photographs of her most remarkable pieces, specially commissioned for this book, and more than 150 rarely seen images (many from Elizabeth Taylor's personal collection) of the star wearing her jewelry over the course of almost sixty years. We see her as a young ingenue of fifteen wearing what would be the first of many charm bracelets, and again, equally dazzling, as a mature woman, wearing the famous Duchess of Windsor diamond brooch, which she purchased to benefit AIDS research.

Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry marks the first time this beautiful jewelry will be seen together as a collection. Lavishly produced and illustrated, the book has an introduction by the world-renowned authority on jewelry, François Curiel, of Christie's. It is for those who are enchanted by this most incandescent and enduring star, for those who cherish and dream of jewelry, and most importantly, for those who believe in the true meaning of love. This book is a fabulous display of unbelievable glamour, assembled over a lifetime, by one of the most extraordinary women in the world.

Customer Reviews:

Worth Every Dollar.......2007-09-04

I paid $175.00 for this book before I discovered amazon.com and the wonderful prices. Even so it is worth every dollar I paid and it is a book to treasure. Elizabeth Taylor has a truely stunning collection of jewels and such a vast amount but she knows each piece and the story behind it. The book is filled with stunning photos and is interesting to read. I was not a great fan of Elizabeth Taylor before reading this book but since then I have read more about her. You will not be dissappointed.

Shallow, but still worth a look..........2007-05-08

This book has many expensive pieces of jewelry in it, and the stories behind the pieces. Most of it was bought by Mike Todd and Richard Burton, the "two loves of my life", as Elizabeth puts it. Notice how her two greatest loves were the ones who bought her the most jewelry. And they say love can't be bought. I admit, I was touched by the stories of what Richard Burton was like as a husband. I think those two were the greatest together...

I also think most of this jewelry is big and gaudy, and I often wonder what it was about Elizabeth Taylor that made men want to buy her so much jewelry. Beautiful? Certainly. A passionate woman? Perhaps. But is anyone really worth that kind of outrageous spending? Make your own judgments.

Go For The Gold!.......2007-03-23

This book surpasses any written bios of Ms. Taylor. She has masterfully catalogued her acquisitions with quality photographs and a synopsis of who gave her each of the gems and when. I have never appreciated the art and beauty of jewelry until I've seen this book (I never could afford to!).
Elizabeth Taylor and her life has always intrigued me but this book is mesmerizing: Imagine, a man will tell a woman he loves her with extravagant jewelry. And, let's face it, don't we all fantasize that?
By the way, she also catalogues the Cartier-Burton Diamond of which she no longer possess.

WoW.......2006-07-03

Miss Taylor's jewelry is art. The only difference is hers is not on the walls of some home. She shows it off beautifully and probably owns some of the major jewels of the world. Since we don't have the Crown Jewels hers are the next best thing.

Anybody who criticizes her know nothing of jewels. The book is beautifully illustrated and the antidotes amusing.

It's what it's.......2006-06-17

No one should expect this book to be deep or not vulgar in any way. It's a book about a beautiful woman and her jewels. What exactly do you expect? She's wealthy and adored by men and she is talking about jewelry. OF course there are going to be silly comments!

I loved this book for what it is. Pure eye candy and funny anecdotes and beautiful pictures of Liz. Don't pick this book up and expect anything else.

Liz an Intimate Collection:: Photographs of Elizabeth Taylor

Average customer rating:

Great book...
Stunning!
UNBELIEVABLY BEAUTIFUL

Liz an Intimate Collection:: Photographs of Elizabeth Taylor
Bob Willoughby
Manufacturer: Merrell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1858942705

Book Description

A unique collection of photographs of one of the greatest and most beautiful Hollywood legends. A private album of photographs, taken during Elizabeth Taylor's classic years by a trusted friend. Candid shots of Elizabeth Taylor's personal life and images of the star on the sets of such films as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Raintree County.

Customer Reviews:

Great book..........2007-05-08

I love this book. It has so many beautiful photos of Elizabeth in it. I would've preferred a lot less of the "Virginia Woolf" production photos, though, and more of other movies with Taylor/Burton in them. I guess the photographer didn't get the chance to shoot more than what's in this book. I like the family photos a lot, the young Elizabeth photos (before Richard Burton), and the last few colored shots of them at the end. The look between the two of them in the last colored photo speaks volumes about the love they had for each other. I definitely recommend adding this book to your collection.

Stunning!.......2007-01-12

This book is everything I hoped it would be I love the cover and the dustjacket I especially the love the pictures from the movie Raintree County Elizabeth looked especially beautiful in this movie. The gorgeous costumes are great fun also. The movie Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf is not one of my favorite because it is not aesthetic I think Elizabeth was too young for this part although it stretched her acting abilities. I would have preferred to see her play herself/her own age at that time in her life It is difficult for us (her fans) to see her in an unglamourous role. But the book is fantastic.

UNBELIEVABLY BEAUTIFUL.......2004-10-31

Surely Elizabeth Taylor is one of the most beautiful women to ever walk on planet Earth. Actors, models, celebs often worry about having their "good side" photographed. Don't believe La Taylor has a bad side. Not convinced, want proof? Browse through "Liz An Intimate Collection," a coffee table volume devoted to the face that sent most men "over the moon."

Photographer Bob Willoughby first shot Taylor in 1950 at a baby shower she was co-hosting for her then sister-in-law Marilyn Hilton.(sister of husband No. 1). Willoughby's comment about that moment: "I felt like I was flying." Friendship between star and cameraman was to grow over the years as Taylor allowed him to shoot photos of her more private moments with family as well as on the sets of her many films.

Recipient of the 2004 Lucie Award for Achievement in Still Photography in Motion Pictures, Willoughby has photographed many of filmdom's greats. Yet, it's safe to guess that he approached none of his subjects with as much enthusiasm as he did Taylor.

This volume is a photographic record of the years between 1950 and 1965 (closing with the Richard Burton years). Among the 160 pages readers will find many photos that have never before been published, as well as shots on the working sets of Raintree County and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Even in this film her beauty is difficult to disguise).

"Liz" is sure to be enjoyed by both film buffs and Taylor fans - plus, just think what it'll do for your coffee table!

- Gail Cooke

Average customer rating:

Gorgeous Photographs and Balanced, Brief Biography

Elizabeth Taylor-Illus Bio
James Christopher , and Christophe
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Liz an Intimate Collection:: Photographs of Elizabeth Taylor

ASIN: 0233996206

Book Description

A lavish photographic tribute to the last great Hollywood icon.

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous Photographs and Balanced, Brief Biography.......2000-11-02

The strength of this book lies in the many beautiful photographs of Elizabeth Taylor from her childhood to recent times. Many of these images will be familiar, and many will not be. By putting rare images in this collection, the author has significantly enhanced its value. I wish the book had added another 100 photographs to the 100 plus, mostly color, ones here.

The biography is perfectly adequate, but it is too brief to really get into any detail that might expand your knowledge very much beyond what you know already. The best aspects were putting Ms. Taylor's career in perspective. She performed in around 65 films and television movies, a number matched by few actors of her era. She also was one of the few child stars to have an adult film career. Further, she outlived most of the stars she appeared with by many years. Despite ill health and many accidents, she has been the ultimate survivor in the most fickle business we have.

The main story line of the biography is in the transformation of her life and career roles from child, to child actress, to child star, to multiply married person and mother, to adult star, to a celebrity, to an entrepreneur, and then to a social activist for AIDS. Long before Madonna, Ms. Taylor and her advisors were expert at reinventing her in ways that were almost continuously popular with the public.

Today, the world is changing very rapidly and most of us will have many different jobs and careers before we die. After you finish enjoying this book, I urge you to consider what lessons you can draw from Ms. Taylor's career and life that can help you in yours. While many would be thrilled to have some of her fame, few would envy her pain. How came a good balance of life and career be yours? I suggest that you read Anna Quindlen's recent book, A Short Guide to a Happy Life, for more ideas.

Customer Reviews:

Less than intimate.......2005-04-09

With her eight marriages, long-running drug problems and lingering medical ailments, Elizabeth Taylor is a perfect candidate for trashy tabloidy biographies. While C. David Heymann's "Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor" is not the worst of the bunch, his obvious disdain makes for sour reading.

For some time, Elizabeth Taylor was the image of the child star -- talented, gutsy and willing to do almost anything (even try to speed up physical growth) to get a part. But after a failed marriage to hotel heir Nicky Hilton and an increasingly sultry image, Elizabeth began to change radically. Suddenly she was the Cleopatra of the times.

She went through several marriages, to Michael Wilding, the tragic Mike Todd, a scandalous affair and marriage to Eddie Fisher (who was married), and finally spent many long years with the tempestuous Richard Burton (who was also married), whom she married twice. Her once red-hot career went into decline, as her last two forgettable marriages tanked. But Elizabeth Taylor remains a towering movie legend even today.

Since she was the J.Lo of her day -- bling, lots of husbands and opulence all around -- Taylor is a pretty juicy subject for a biographer... IF the biographer can repress his inner tabloid journalist. Heymann keeps himself restrained much of the time, focusing a lot of Elizabeth's career and the impact of the people around her.

It's death to a biography if the author has no respect, let alone liking, for his subject. And Heymann shows nothing but disdain not only for Elizabeth, but for her husbands and lovers. He emphasizes Taylor's yoyoing obesity, her sometimes immaturity, her gaudy dress/makeup/jewelry styles, and her lack of education. Her husbands are all caricatures. For example, Richard Burton is portrayed merely as a weak sot, and little mention is made of his intelligence, his eloquence, or his astounding acting ability.

Aside from the superficiality and occasional sexual anecdotes, Heymann does a pretty good job of chronicling not only Taylor's career, but that of the people around her such as her good friends Rock Hudson and Montgomery Clift, as well as her tireless crusading for AIDS victims and her forays into the world of... perfume. Whatever. Nothing new is revealed, but it's a passable look at her life.

However, the obvious dislike Heymann has for Taylor and her assorted amours makes "Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor" a pain to read.

How much could he know?.......2003-09-20

If he did such great research, which it doesn't seem like, why did he call the book "Liz"? It is well known that she does not like to be called "Liz"

Great Pictures, Fascnating reading.......2003-07-29

The pictures of beautiful child-star Liz Taylor to the Liz of the 90's are fabulous. Beautifully written book of a Hollywood legend. Absorbing and juicy. Intimate look at her glamourous and turbulent life. Her many romances with famous men, her movie career, weight swings, battles with drug and alcohol dependence, humanitarian work. Really gives you the feeling of knowing her.

It's just a great story to read.......2000-01-20

I've not seen many Liz Taylor's movies before, but since I read the book, I became highly interested to see her films, just to be able to check what I read in this book with how she performs/appears in a particular movie as mentioned in the book. In the beginning of my reading, the book gives me a mix feeling towards Liz Taylor, more negative than positive. But after I finished reading I really felt for her. In short, the story reveals her complicated life in the most open manner. It tells everything you want to know about Liz Taylor, from birth up to the latest marriage (and divorce). It also exposes her severe addiction to drugs and alcohol which is very shocking. What a life story! I enjoy reading the book because it flows smoothly, it is insightful and it gives detail information for every occassion in the story. It is a great book to read.

Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor.......1999-12-29

Interesting reading, a bit superficial in the presentatio

Average customer rating:

Someone stop J. Randy Taraborrelli before he grunts and brings forth another "biography"
A superstar's saga
Can't even cut and paste accurately
Elizabeth Taylor
For anyone who doesn't know a lot about Elizabeth Taylor....

Elizabeth
J. Randy Taraborrelli
Manufacturer: Hachette Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1594832145
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Book Description

Elizabeth Taylor is known internationally as one of the most beautiful and talented women to ever grace the silver screen, starring in over 60 films and winning two Oscars. She is just as well-known for her tempestuous personal life, marrying eight times and triumphing over innumerable health problems. She has been written about many times before....but never like this. This moving audiobook traces, for the first time, Elizabeths journey through the dark and often lonely world of fame unparalleled in the 1960s and 1970s, during which alcohol and drugs played a major role in her life. It would be with her fifth (and sixth!) husband, actor Richard Burton, that she would learn the life-changing lessons about love and loyalty that finally rescue her from alcohol in the 1980s. This program also details her philanthropic work as an AIDS activist in the 1990s, as well as her stunning success as a businesswoman today. This is not just a stars biography....its one unforgettable womans storied journey through life.

Customer Reviews:

Someone stop J. Randy Taraborrelli before he grunts and brings forth another "biography".......2007-09-13

This item is the sort of rancid treacle produced by Modern Screen hacks circa 1955. How dare the publisher inflict this dimwitted rehash of a film star bio on the public. And at $17.81 for the Hardcover!

The only new information in this so-called book is Taraborrelli's claim that Liz had a nose job. Here he is on the subject. Note well how fishy and lame his claim is:

"Moreover, though she will never admit to it or confirm it, people who know her well insist that she would have had rhinoplasty surgery-when she was in her twenties. There was certainly nothing wrong with her nose, but the powers that be at MGM apparently thought it a little too thick at the bottom, so they took care of it. It's been said that the surgery was performed by the same doctor who did Natalie Wood's and Marilyn Monroe's noses and also gave Monroe a chin implant."

That's it. No further proof whatsoever, yet with blithe, blustering ignorance he slanders three noses, two of them dead, with apparent impunity. Hopefully, Liz will sue, win and give the money to charity.

Verdict: Awful, trashy waste of time. But if you must read this (whatever for?) get it at the library.

A superstar's saga.......2007-07-25

Frankly, I'm enjoying this bio of La Liz. After 60 years she is still considered a quintessential superstar. No matter how much you've read about her, there is still a tidbit or two for readers to enjoy. Elizabeth Taylor has continually fascinated the public with her multiple marriages, escapades, and addictions - and we never seem to get enough. And she has survived it all. Which is the stuff Hollywood legends are usually made of. A good read!

Can't even cut and paste accurately.......2007-03-02

The Washington Post got this book right: This is a shallow, gushy, cut-and-paste puff piece posing as biography.

Author J. Randy Taraborrelli seems unable, even with a team of researchers, to quote accurately from the books from which he cribs his material ("Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry," in particular, from which he lifts many anecdotes without attribution).

Taraborrelli's insight, if you can call it that, on Taylor is that she is not too introspective (no!) and that fame corrupts (how deep!).

He gives a superficial account of early Taylor's life. Her childhood and first four marriages whiz by like the unspooling of an outdated filmstrip. Given Taylor's assertion that her father "batted me around a bit," the book's omission of this aspect of her childhood is glaring. As Taylor's life progresses, Taraborrelli adds more detail as source material becomes easier to find. The reader then is treated to all kinds of meaningless vignettes about Taylor's last three marriages, and torturous detail about her recurring addictions and multiplying health problems (though details seem to conflict with other sources).

Taraborrelli gushes over Taylor's beauty, the (questionable) talents of her many spouses, and how miraculously well-adjusted and normal her children are. Some of these descriptions are obsequious enough to induce a cringe. Other descriptions make one wonder just how much research he did for this book. For instance, he never explored references to one of Taylor's sons having joined a cult in his youth, and descriptions elsewhere of her children being dirty and neglected while she drank and partied.

The book makes clear that Taraborrelli or his staff did interview people, probably a lot of people. But the quality of the interviews and the insight they offer is lacking. Taraborrelli quotes a flip and brittle Eddie Fisher offering nothing of substance. Taraborrelli even asks rhetorically why Taylor still bears a grudge against Fisher, not realizing the irony that this is the kind of question he should theoretically be trying to answer. He also interviews a bevy of people ancillary to the action, such as the son of a film director describing one of what must have been one of many Burton-Taylor makeout sessions on the set of "Cleopatra."

This isn't the first Taraborrelli celebrity bio in which he buries the reader in an avalanche of meaningless gossip-mag minutiae, easily culled from readily available books and magazines, but fails to do any enterprising research of his own. For instance, in the 576 pages of excruciating detail in "Call Her Miss Ross," Taraborrelli neglected to mention that Diana Ross and Berry Gordy had a child together (beyond coyly stating that her oldest child didn't resemble her then-husband).

I'm sure this book will make money hand over fist, which is all that matters to Taraborrelli (that and maybe getting to brown-nose the celebrity in person). But if you want to respect yourself later, flip to the photos, then put this book back where you found it.

Elizabeth Taylor.......2007-01-20

My mother-in-law is a huge fan of Elizabeth Taylor. I bought this book for her for Christmas. She could not put it down!!!

For anyone who doesn't know a lot about Elizabeth Taylor...........2007-01-15

.....this is a wonderful book to begin. I picked up this book not knowing much at all Elizabeth Taylor. After I finished, I felt I knew not about what was written about her in the tabloids but about the real woman that she was/is. The book is written from an objective standpoint and tells the "good and the bad" about a woman who's career spans 5 decades plus. Whether the reader likes her initially or not (based on previous thoughts/believes, I recommend this reading to anyone who has any interest in her at all or who just wants to read about a good book about a woman who's seeminly made an inpact on pop culture from decades past to present.

Average customer rating:

Like one reviewer, I too am a bit disappointed...
Beautiful!!!
A decadent treasure from the Taylor-Burton years!
Could be better
Queen Elizabeth Taylor Radiates

Elizabeth Taylor: The Queen and I
Gianni Bozzacchi
Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0299179303

Book Description

Elizabeth Taylor: The Queen and I is a remarkable collection of Gianni Bozzacchi’s photographs of Elizabeth Taylor, most of them previously unpublished, capturing her as a film star, a woman, and a personal friend.
It was 1965 when Bozzacchi, an impetuous twenty-two-year-old, was given the chance of a lifetime. The streetwise kid from Rome was sent to Africa as special photographer on the set of The Comedians, a movie starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Alec Guinness, and Peter Ustinov. As the film wrapped, Taylor offered Bozzacchi a job as her personal photographer.
Elizabeth Taylor was the world’s most famous woman at the time and undoubtedly its most glamorous. Her marriage to Richard Burton claimed international attention, and together they were the quintessential jet-set couple. Bozzacchi was to work with Taylor and Burton for the next eleven years. They opened the door to their world for him , and his own talent, drive, and artistic style earned him extraordinary success. Publications wanted his services, as did the movie and fashion industries, celebrities, political figures, and the merely famous. Bozzacchi was awarded the honor of International Photographer of the Year three times and became a celebrity himself, the subject of magazine layouts and television interviews.

Customer Reviews:

Like one reviewer, I too am a bit disappointed..........2007-05-08

But I still like this book. I love some of the shots of Elizabeth. She was, and still is, one of the world's most beautiful women. I like some of the single shots of her and also the ones of her with Richard Burton. I also like the shots of the kids. I don't like the pictures of the photographer; they weren't necessary. Some of the photos ARE average, but some are beautiful. Too bad some of the shots show Taylor's frumpy figure; I would've preferred to see more of her face. I also wish there had been some colored photos in this.

Beautiful!!!.......2007-01-12

I love the cover of the book. The pictures I didn't like were the ones with Elizabeth in the bathtub And the pictures of the Author and his marriage This is a book about Elizabeth not Bozzacchi Overall, though I love this book. Elizabeth Taylor's beauty is dazzling right into her forties!!! That's amazing! This is one of my favorite Elizabeth Taylor books (and I have several).

A decadent treasure from the Taylor-Burton years!.......2006-07-09

Gianni Bozzacchi's "Elizabeth Taylor: The Queen and I" is really is a treasure trove of photos from the Taylor-Burton years! It's one of three books that I consider my Dame Elizabeth "Bible's" - the other two being My Love Affair with Jewelry, and Bob Willoughby's Liz an Intimate Collection. In a way, Bozzacchi's book sort of starts up where Willoughby's ends. I was sort of disappointed when I bought the Bozzacchi book two years ago. It had fewer pages than I had anticipated, and at the time I was never really a fan of the late Burton years. I hadn't really seen any of her films from that period. But I found myself grabbing for that book first on my shelf, and I really adore it. I have also discovered the films from that time, like X Y and Zee, Secret Ceremony, Ash Wednesday, etc. and I love them! It was a completely different kind of glamour from the 1950s, but the clothes were stunning. And of course all that Taylor-Burton excess of diamonds, furs, and yachts were at their peak. It's a time that will never be repeated, for better or worse. I reccommend this book to any Dame Elizabeth Taylor fan!

Could be better.......2005-10-07

Being that the author knew Elizabeth Taylor so well, the photos could have been on a more upscale tone. Some very mediocre photos when we all have seen gorgeous photos of a gorgeous lady. Somewhat disappointed.

Queen Elizabeth Taylor Radiates .......2004-10-29

I just recieved my copy of Elizabeth Taylor: The Queen and I" I think the book is completely engaing from cover to cover. Gianni's personal memories to the time when the pictures were taken, makes you feel as if your just that bit closer to Elizaebeth. Elizabeth is trully displayed as a human being, human or star, this woman radiates confidence, luxury, and beauty. My favorite picture in the book would have to be the one where she is running in the Dorchester Hotel, skirt all the way up, hair racing towards every directions, very free and bohemian feeling. I love this woman, not because she was for a large time Hollywood's calling card, or the worlds most beautiful woman. But because there is a purity in her eyes, and her soul can literally touch you through simple pictures. Anyone in doubt whether to get it or not, take my word, the book is worth any price, youll have alot of fun looking through it.

LIZ: The Pictorial Biography of Elizabeth Taylor

Average customer rating:

Lovely!
Wow...
Nice pictures, but lacking in content
The best book I have ever read on Elizabeth Taylor!!
Beauty from within

LIZ: The Pictorial Biography of Elizabeth Taylor
Larissa Branin
Manufacturer: Courage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0762407743

Book Description

This loving tribute to one of America's most beloved film actresses traces Taylor's career from precocious, pampered child star to full-fledged movie diva. It also recounts her glamorous life, her eight marriages, and her recent role as AIDS activist and fundraiser. With more than 100 full-color photographs, this superb illustrated biography provides an intimate look at a dazzling Hollywood personality.

Customer Reviews:

Lovely!.......2007-01-12

I love this book. The dustjacket cover is epecially beautiful I like how it is a shorter version or summary of Elizabeth Taylor's life bringing out some of the highlights Beautiful pictures! The author uses the word "indeed" too many times but other than that this is a first-rate book.

Wow..........2004-03-30

Although I have read many books on Liz, and know quite a bit about this lovely woman, this book gave me a renewed feeling about her. Thank you Ms. Branin, for reminding me why I so admire Elizabeth Taylor. For anyone interested in learning about this actress, this is a great place to start.

Nice pictures, but lacking in content.......2004-02-24

This book is, indeed, what its title claims it to be: pictorial. The pictures are good, so if you want to feast your eyes on the lovely Elizabeth Taylor, buy away. But if you're craving more textual content on the fascinating life of Liz, look elsewhere. The text was pretty wooden.....which is amazing, given the excitement of Liz's life.

The best book I have ever read on Elizabeth Taylor!!.......2003-01-06

I absolutely fell in love with this book!
Larissa Branin is a wonderful biographer of a wonderful actress.

Many books I have read on Elizabeth Taylor are too judgemental, and really were just written so that the author could state what was on their minds, and not to portray the actress. Also, they either gush over Elizabeth pathetically, or viciously attack her. But Branin, simply takes us through
Elizabeths life,letting us make our own opinions.

Some books have either too many pictures or too many small, insignifigent details, but this book was perfect, and I was sad when it was over.

An honest portrait of The Queen.
A beautiful Biography!!!

Beauty from within.......2000-12-21

This book is well done, and a loving tribute to Elizabeth Taylor. The only disappointing factor was that many of the photgraphs were ones frequently seen. It would be nice to see those rare photos of Miss Taylor, and more candids! I also found the book interesting in the fact that as Elizabeth has gotten older,her inner beauty shines through even stronger. Just look at those eyes - they tell volumes!

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World: The Obsessions, Passions, and Courage of Elizabeth Taylor

Average customer rating:

UH-OH
How is really the World's most Beautiful Woman?
Salacious, outrageous and nauseating
A Stormy Sexual History of Hollywood
There's nothing like a DAME

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World: The Obsessions, Passions, and Courage of Elizabeth Taylor
Ellis Amburn
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 006019376X
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Book Description

?????An American icon for more than half a century, Elizabeth Taylor continues to fascinate the American public. From the mainstream media to the tabloid press, no other celebrity has received such overwhelming scrutiny, stirred so much scandal, or alternately been the target of both worldwide worship and condemnation. And yet just when we thought we knew everything about this screen siren, Ellis Amburn blows the lid off of Hollywood's best-kept secrets-secrets that have allowed Hollywood's most beautiful woman to remain its most misunderstood celebrity.

?????In The Most Beautiful Woman in the World, Ellis Amburn taps into previously unexplored primary sources to reveal the tragedies and triumphs of Elizabeth Taylor's exciting and tumultuous life. This wonderful new biography poignantly recounts the successful removal of a golf-ball size brain tumor; her courageous recovery after breaking her back twice within two years; the exciting launch of her fragrance line, which became an instant success; and her loving relationship with Rod Steiger, who nurtured her back to health after a nervous breakdown. Amburn also reveals Taylor's tragic and heartbreaking affection for Montgomery Clift and James Dean and explores Taylor's disastrous marriage to the abusive and philandering Nicky Hilton, who abandoned Liz on their honeymoon to be with another woman. And then there is the infamous and cunning Eddie Fisher, who forced Liz to appear at his Las Vegas shows in order to bring in capacity crowds, as well as accounts of Richard Burton's homosexual activities and his exploitation of Taylor.

?????With explosive new revelations about her love affairs and marriages, Ellis Amburn creates a portrait that will redefine everything we thought we knew about Elizabeth Taylor. The most significant and overlooked truth in Taylor's life that all of her major loving relationships have been with gay men, while all of her self-destructive love affairs have been with straight men-is an insight that is destined to deepen our love and understanding of the world's most beautiful woman.

Customer Reviews:

UH-OH.......2006-10-09

This bio is mostly interesting and included some things I didn't know before. However, I found a glaring mistake that makes me dubious about the rest of the book. The author says Earl Holliman played one of the sons in the movie Giant. This is not so. Earl Holliman played the eldest Benedict girl's husband. This irritates me no end and makes me wonder if the book is well-enough researched.

How is really the World's most Beautiful Woman?.......2005-05-17

I found the book very enchanting and interesting. I was unable to put it down. I have always been a huge fan of Elizabeth Taylor, she was mesmerizingly beautiful in her prime of life. I would not quote that she is the World's most beautiful woman because that title also belongs to:

1. Model Beau-Latasha (being the most beautiful of all time)
2. Model Cindy Crawford
3. Actress Raquel Welch
4. Actress Aishwarya Rai
5. Actress Sophia Loren
6. Sportcaster Jayne Kennedy
7. Singer Lena Horne
8. Singer Vanity
9. Model Gia Carangi
10. Actress Angelina Jolie

Salacious, outrageous and nauseating.......2005-03-06

One sentence came to mind as I closed Ellis Amburn's biography of Elizabeth Taylor: "Why didn't Liz sue?" Amburn puts new meaning into "bad taste" with his biography, which revels unashamedly in gory details, sex secrets and every diva moment that Taylor ever had. It's embarrassing just to read.

Taylor's childhood is treated with more or less indifference -- it's her teen years that begin to spark Amburn's interest. She studies the relationships she had with men from adolescence onward, particularly the asexual ones that she had with attractive heterosexual men, and the "a-loving" ones that she had with gay ones.

That tendency, Amburn argues, took her through several unhappy marriages and plenty of explosive relationships, including ones that shattered assorted marriages. In the midst of all this, she also weathered health crises and worldwide censure with plenty of guts, becoming a sort of grande dame of the filmmaking business.

Love her or hate her, Elizabeth Taylor is a larger-than-life figure, and there's plenty in her life to fuel a biography. Many biographers have managed to describe her lifetime with grace and taste, despite her sailor's mouth and tumultuous love life. She doesn't have to be portrayed as squeaky clean, just human.

Unfortunately, Amburn usually chooses to focus on the more grotesque aspects of Taylor's life. She delves into the sex lives (complete with sometimes disgusting details) of everyone who had been involved with Taylor, especially the gay men. Which, by the way, make up a lot of the book -- Amburn attaches the "gay" tag to quite a few men, the only way that she manages to pay any attention to them. That particular preoccupation hangs over the entire book like a stormcloud. Don't the heterosexual men in Taylor's life deserve equal scrutiny?

Taste is nowhere to be found here -- Amburn has an almost obsessive interest in Taylor's breasts, and the sexual and penile details of her husbands, lovers and pals. What these things add to the history, she doesn't bother to say. The sledgehammer writing is that of a tabloid reporter, but without the restraints of an editor, Amburn appears to have gone wild.

Taylor herself comes across as a blowsy diva, without a single redeeming characteristic except her acting skills. Amburn, don't bother writing a biography if you don't have any liking or respect for your subject. Not that she's alone; her husbands are all portrayed as walking disasters of alcoholism, gambling and physical abuse, and her kids are nonentities. The only person Amburn seems to have any liking for is Taylor's costar and friend Montgomery Clift, who is shown as a suffering saint.

Ellis Amburn's "Elizabeth Taylor" is practically a how-to guide on how NOT to write a biography. Don't even bother, except for a laugh.

A Stormy Sexual History of Hollywood.......2000-10-02

This book is the tabloid version of an Elizabeth Taylor biography, reading like stiched-together daily exposes in such a newspaper. It displays in endless detail the sexual orientation of virtually everyone she ever spent time with, any arguments she ever had where someone else was present, and any unladylike things she may have said or done. Her movie work is discussed in terms of how it related to her marital relationships and financial problems. Occasionally, the book also criticizes her for having a healthy sexual appetite.

Normally, biographers either like the person they write about or want to create a more accurate account of the person. Mr. Amburn did not seem to fall into either of these categories. His objective seems to be to portray some of the other people in Ms. Taylor's life more sympathetically.

The book's main thesis is that Ms. Taylor has had loving relationships in her adult life with people who are gay or bisexual and unloving ones with everyone else. This connection is also made to Ms. Taylor's relationship with her father, despite the fact that she did not have a good relationship with him. But the book doesn't get beyond that into much of the motivation. Many men were attracted to Ms. Taylor like moths to the flame, and this attraction did nothing to bring out their better qualities. She seems to have lived in a world where her physical attractiveness made her a target for fans, men, and exploiters of all sorts. Little is made of the potential to see her as victim of peoples' perceptions of someone who is physically attractive. She also doesn't seem to get enough credit for generally being an open-minded person, which may explain her lack of sexual-orientation prejudice.

According to press reports and this book, Ms. Taylor has had more than her share of illness, injury, and physical and emotional pain. Yet she has led a generally productive artistic life, and has played an increasingly important role in bringing sympathy and support to the cause of overcoming AIDS. It would have been natural to have focused on these positive reflections of her underlying character, and the difficulties involved in overcoming ceaseless, searing pain addiction. No one is going to be perfect under such circumstances. Yet the book wallows in her use of drugs and drinking to soften the pain, in endless tales that add little to the biography.

Naturally, Ms. Taylor is famous in part for her marital difficulties. Those should have been in the book, but they became too much of the book to be rewarding to the reader.

As someone who was a working actress for most of her life, another aspect of the book you might expect would be extended dicussions of her work. You will find relatively little of that. It is as though the author thinks that her work is of virtually no importance. I certainly was moved by her performances in National Velvet, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Giant, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? I liked her performances in many other movies. I would have liked to have read much more about her work in these roles where she was more successful.

The best part of this book is the beautiful color photograph of Ms. Taylor on the cover.

If you are wondering why I did not give the book a one star review, it is because the photographs are good and the writing style is perfectly adequate. The three star downgrade is for misfocus, exploitation, and a hidden agenda.

After you finish looking at Ms. Taylor's cover photograph, consider what you would like to know more about public figures. Then when you are thinking about reading a biography about that person, check to see if the biography focuses on the areas you care about before reading them. That will save you a lot of time.

Also, ask yourself how we should consider someone's life. To what extent should we consider good deeds? Bad deeds? Repentance? Motives? Physical appearance? Obstacles to progress? Ms. Taylor's life raises these issues rather nicely.

By the way, if you find a biography of Ms. Taylor that you like, please do write to me. I'd like to read it.

There's nothing like a DAME.......2000-07-10

As another reviewer said, I have read most ot the biographies written about Elizabeth Taylor, and I am usually disappointed! They seem to never capture the woman; the authors tend to rehash old news clippings, or scandal sheet gossip.In doing this, the authors never do this woman justice. Not only is Elizabeth an icon of our time, but she has become one of countries greatest AIDS activists.This in itself took tremendous courage! There is more to this woman than celluloid, and ex-husbands. Face it, she's one great dame! I wish to some day read a biography of her that truly celebrates the woman that is Elizabeth Taylor!

Average customer rating:

Salacious, outrageous and nauseating

Elizabeth Taylor
Ellis Amburn
Manufacturer: Robson Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 186105369X

Customer Reviews:

Salacious, outrageous and nauseating.......2005-02-24

One sentence came to mind as I closed Ellis Amburn's biography of Elizabeth Taylor: "Why didn't Liz sue?" Amburn puts new meaning into "bad taste" with his biography, which revels unashamedly in gory details, sex secrets and every diva moment that Taylor ever had.

Taylor's childhood is treated with more or less indifference -- it's her teen years that begin to spark Amburn's interest. He studies the relationships she had with men from adolescence onward, particularly the asexual ones that she had with attractive heterosexual men, and the "a-loving" ones that she had with gay ones.

That tendency, Amburn argues, took her through several unhappy marriages and plenty of explosive relationships, including ones that shattered assorted marriages. In the midst of all this, she also weathered health crises and worldwide censure with plenty of guts, becoming a sort of grande dame of the filmmaking business.

Love her or hate her, Elizabeth Taylor is a larger-than-life figure, and there's plenty in her life to fuel a biography. Many biographers have managed to describe her lifetime with grace and taste, despite her sailor's mouth and tumultuous love life. She doesn't have to be portrayed as squeaky clean, just human.

Unfortunately, Amburn usually chooses to focus on the more grotesque aspects of Taylor's life. She delves into the sex lives (complete with sometimes disgusting details) of everyone who had been involved with Taylor, especially the gay men. Which, by the way, make up a lot of the book -- Amburn attaches the "gay" tag to quite a few men, including Taylor's two-time husband Richard Burton. That particular preoccupation hangs over the entire book like a stormcloud.

Taste is nowhere to be found here -- Amburn has an almost obsessive interest in Taylor's breasts, and the penile details of her husbands, lovers and pals. What these things add to the history, she doesn't bother to say. The sledgehammer writing is that of a tabloid reporter, but without the restraints of an editor, Amburn appears to have gone wild.

Taylor herself comes across as a blowsy diva, without a single redeeming characteristic except her acting skills. Not that she's alone; her husbands are all portrayed as walking disasters of alcoholism, gambling and physical abuse, and her kids are nonentities. The only person Amburn seems to have any liking for is Taylor's costar and friend Montgomery Clift, who is shown as a suffering saint.

Ellis Amburn's "Elizabeth Taylor" is practically a how-to guide on how NOT to write a biography. Don't even bother, except for a laugh.

Average customer rating:

Elizabeth and Ivy
Robert Liddell
Manufacturer: Peter Owen Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0720606446

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