The Audrey Hepburn Treasures [Hardcover]

Ellen Erwin (Author), Jessica Z. Diamond (Author), Sean Hepburn Ferrer (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2006

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sean Hepburn Ferrer is the author of AUDREY HEPBURN: AN ELEGANT SPIRIT (Sidgwick & Jackson) ISBN: 0283073853. Sean founded the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund to continue his mother's legacy. He currently produces films and lives with his family in Los Angeles. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1st Atria Books Hardcover Ed edition (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743289862
• ISBN-13: 978-0743289863
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( H ) > Hepburn, Audrey

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yet Another Dose of Audrey This Time in a Meticulously Presented Scrapbook Format, October 17, 2006

By 

Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Audrey Hepburn Treasures (Hardcover)

With clips of her lithe figure spotlighted in the Gap's new ads for their skinny black pants (anachronistically accompanied by AC/DC's "Back in Black"), screen legend Audrey Hepburn continues to engender new fans with her unearthly gamine qualities and timeless sense of style. Two years ago, her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer penned a loving tribute filled with remembrances from colleagues and family friends (he also wrote the foreword to this book) , and celebrity biographer Donald Spoto just released a somewhat more objective but still fawning account of her life. This one falls securely into the same perspective, as it is a relatively pricey volume which takes a more souvenir scrapbook format complete with a stunning gallery of photos, many never before published, and most creatively, copies of personal mementos slipped into thirteen glassine envelopes inserted in the book.

One definitely gets a sense of Hepburn's voice in the numerous handwritten notes, most particularly in a personal letter to her then-husband Mel Ferrer while preparing for what was to be her most powerful screen performance in Fred Zinnemann's "The Nun's Story". Compiled and written by Ellen Erwin and Jessica Z. Diamond, the coffee table book covers all the familiar events of her life - her beleaguered childhood in Belgium and Holland during WWII, her days as a London cabaret dancer, her brief but successful stint on Broadway, her unparalleled screen career, and finally her unyielding devotion to starving children on behalf of UNICEF toward the end of her life. It should come as no surprise that there are no particularly new insights introduced by the co-authors since it is really their creative approach that is meant to induce a cathartic experience for Hepburn's most die-hard fans. The most worthy aspect of the book is that some of the proceeds from this book will benefit the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real treasure, December 6, 2006

By 

Michele Noble "book lover" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Audrey Hepburn Treasures (Hardcover)

This book is a beautifully executed loving depiction and moving tribute to the extradordinary and profound life of Audrey Hepburn. This book is unlike any other in the way you are allowed to know Audrey Hepburn as if you were her close friend. Through the exquisite writing and amazing photos (some never published before) to her personal notes, letters and other items you are able to get an unique insider's look into the person she was, stripping away the icon everybody knows, to reveal someone who transcended her celebrity to change the way the world saw and helped children in need. It is a must if you a fan, but even if you're not, it is still worthwhile to experience her journey as a woman of heart and purpose.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Treasure---Audrey Hepburn, October 24, 2006

By 

K. Berezin (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Audrey Hepburn Treasures (Hardcover)

I love this book! You feel as if you are going through her family albums. This would be the ultimate gift for any Audrey fan.