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Bardot: An Intimate Portrait [Mass Market Paperback]

Jeffrey Robinson (Author)
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)


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Book Description

February 1, 1996
The inside story of the infamous Brigitte Bardot reveals her two lives--one as a sexy film star and one as an animal-rights activist--through interviews with former husbands, former lovers, oldest friends, her current husband, and Bardot herself. Tour.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Though she retired from the screen in the early 1970s, Brigitte Bardot remains an enormously popular sex symbol. Her image continues to be mimicked and recycled almost as often as Bardot herself continues to be hounded. Jeffrey Robinson sees Bardot's life as a story about the enormous cost of fame. He follows her as she rockets to stardom in her teens and ever after consumes the attention of the merciless media while making films, championing humanitarian causes, and bedding lovers.

From Publishers Weekly

This bio should carry a warning sticker: "For Brigitte Bardot Worshipers Only." Robinson (The End of the American Century) qualifies. He sums up his subject thus: "She was better than perfect. She was unique." This moody and often intractable former star is chronicled here in careful detail. Robinson can hardly stress enough how world-famous his subject is or how miserable this fame made her. He portrays her as a persecuted, misunderstood wild child who simply wanted to be left alone. "She didn't just suffer from being a star, it was beyond that. It was infernal. She was hunted like an animal," Robinson quotes a friend of Bardot as saying. She moved without misgiving from man to man, including director Roger Vadim, actor Jacques Charrier and millionaire Gunther Sachs and finally in August 1992 married Bernard d'Ormale, a sometime supporter of right-wing French nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen. One loses track of both the endlessly changing cast of men and the continual incidents of harassment by fans. It is hard now to think of the overtly sexual, pouting star of And God Created Woman as being a reclusive 61-year-old surrounded by her animal fans. She is probably now the world's most famous animal rights activist.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Plume; 2nd edition (February 1, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1556114834
  • ISBN-13: 978-1556114830
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,629,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffrey Robinson


Official website: http://www.jeffreyrobinson.com


Jeffrey Robinson (born 1945) is a native New Yorker who lived in Europe from 1970-2007. The international bestselling author of 25 books, Robinson is a recognized expert on organized crime, fraud and money laundering, and has been labeled, by the British Bankers' Association, "the world's most important financial crime journalist."

Contents
* 1 Background
* 2 Non-fiction
* 3 Fiction
* 4 Radio and television
* 5 Bibliography
* 6 Non-fiction
* 7 Fiction
* 8 Screenplays, teleplays and radio plays
* 9 Journalism and short stories
* 10 Jeffrey Robinson on You Tube
* 11 Website


Background

Born in Long Beach, Robinson is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia (1967). While still at school, he wrote for television and radio, including a popular weekly children's show and was on the writing staff of The Mike Douglas Show, a nationally televised daily talk show. He continued working in the media during his four year stint as an officer in the United States Air Force. Charged with running a press and public relations office for five generals at the height of the Vietnam War, he hosted a weekly talk show, scripted and directed several film projects, wrote short stories for national magazines and moonlighted as a disc jockey on local radio.

When his military obligation was completed at the end of 1970, he took up residence in a small village in the south of France. Using that as his base, he vagabonded around the world, writing articles and short stories for leading North American and British periodicals. His magazine credits include Playboy, McCalls, Barron's, Gourmet, True, Ambassador, Mademoiselle, Reader's Digest and TV Guide; his newspaper credits include The Washington Post, The San Francisco Examiner, The Christian Science Monitor and The International Herald Tribune (for which he was a major contributor of features during the 1970s). In Britain his feature journalism has appeared in The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Independent and the Mail on Sunday, among others.

He moved to the UK in 1982, with more than 600 published stories and articles to his credit, to concentrate on writing books. In 2007, he returned to New York and now divides his time between the US and the UK.
[edit] Non-fiction

Robinson is internationally known for his 1995 investigative tour de force, The Laundrymen, in which he uncovered the true extent of global money laundering. The book reveals how hundreds of billions of dirty dollars are derived mainly from the drug trade, then reinvested throughout the world by otherwise legitimate businessmen, lawyers, accountants and bankers. Considered the definitive book on the subject, and now used in universities and law schools as a text, Business Week described it as "[a]n indictment of governments and banks".

A headline-maker in 14 countries around the world, Robinson scripted and hosted several television documentaries on the back of The Laundrymen, including one for the BBC, and another for Arte in France and Germany. Both have been shown in the United States.

In 1998, he published a sequel to The Laundrymen, titled The Merger - How Organized Crime is Taking Over The World. In it, Robinson revealed the shocking and disturbing lengths that transnational organized criminals go in order to build multi-national corporations; explained why organized crime is the major beneficiary of globalization; and illustrated how transnational organized criminals have become the most powerful special interest group on the planet.

Five years later he published yet another book in this series: The Sink, exposing crime, terrorism and dirty money in the offshore world.

Between 1986-1994, he published three major best-selling biographies: Yamani - The Inside Story, described by the Wall Street Journal as the best book ever written about the oil industry; Rainier & Grace, the only legitimate biography ever written about, and with the cooperation of, Monaco's sovereign family; and Bardot - Two Lives, also unique in that it was written with the cooperation of French icon, Brigitte Bardot.

His other non-fiction titles include: The Risk Takers (his first UK best seller) which highlighted the high-fliers of City finance, recounting their tales of money, ego and power; The Minus Millionaires, the off-beat sequel to The Risk Takers, in which he told stories about 'risk takers' who had lost fortunes; The End of the American Century, for which Robinson gained access to secret archives in the former Soviet Union to reveal the hidden agendas of the Cold War; The Hotel, stories gathered over five months as a fly on the wall in what is, arguably, the best hotel in the world; The Manipulators - A Conspiracy to Make Us Buy, exposing the marketing world's "hidden persuaders" 40 years after Vance Packard; and Prescription Games, an insider's view of the global pharmaceutical industry, where science and marketing are deliberately kept apart and where, all too often, profit dictates who lives and who dies.

In 2005, he wrote his first "as told to" with an old college friend, Joseph Petro. It is Petro's autobiography, Standing Next to History - An Agent's Life Inside the Secret Service.

In 2007, Robinson ghostwrote Ronnie Wood's autobiography, documenting Wood's years as a rock star and member of the most famous band in the world, The Rolling Stones.

Two years later, in 2009, he published his third "as told to," written with the last of the great British tycoons, billionaire Gerald Ronson. It is titled, "Leading From The Front."

His treatise on fraud --- "There's A Sucker Born Every Minute - A Revelation Of Audacious Frauds, Scams, And Cons -- How To Spot Them, How To Stop Them" --- was published in 2009.

His latest book, a major non-fiction recounting of the demise of the most violent cocaine cartel in Colombia, is called "The Takedown."

Fiction

Jeffrey Robinson has also written five much-praised novels: Pietrov and Other Games ("A fast-paced, yet marvelously complex story" - Nelson DeMille); The Ginger Jar ("A gripping spy thriller" - Richard Condon); The Margin of the Bulls ("Disgracefully entertaining" - Daily Mail); The Monk's Disciples ("A warmly funny, richly human novel crammed with great characters and wonderful digressions. It's like going out to dinner with your most entertaining friend and ending up talking till dawn because the company's so good" - Val McDermid); and, currently under film option, A True and Perfect Knight ("An audaciously plotted comedy of errors with a far-from-heroic protagonist, and a comic thriller of considerable skill. The dialogue, too, is a pleasure, with wisecracks to equal Elmore Leonard at his most mordant" - Barry Forshaw).
[edit] Radio and television

A frequent guest on TV and radio on both sides of the Atlantic -appearances over the past few years include NBC News, ABC News, CNN, Fox News, BBC Breakfast, BBC Newsnight, ITN, Channel 4 News, CBC, CNBC, Sky News, BBC World, NBC's The Today Show and Bloomberg.

He continues to write for radio and television. He has scripted and hosted various series for BBC Radio, including one on American soap operas. He also wrote a much-acclaimed BBC Radio Drama of the Week, Rossum's Cyber Cafe.

His conceived and wrote the pilot for the British crime drama series, Tightrope, for Yorkshire Television. He recently completed the pilot episode for a new British series on financial crime called Follow The Money. Other television scripts include Sister Banjo and Notice of Claim. He has scripted a film version of his biography of Brigitte Bardot, simply called Bardot; and a made-for-television movie version of Standing Next To History, a dramatic re-telling of the special relationship between the president of the United States (Ronald Reagan) and his Secret Service agent (Joseph Petro), called Ronnie & Joe.

Robinson is a popular after-dinner speaker in Europe and North America, and a winner of the coveted Benedictine Award, as 1990 "After-Dinner Speaker of the Year".

Bibliography
Non-fiction

* The Takedown (2011)
* There's A Sucker Born Every Minute (2010)
* The Sink - Crime, Terror And Dirty Money In The Offshore World (2003)
* Prescription Games - Money, Ego And Power Inside The Global Pharmaceutical Industry (2001)
* The Merger - The Conglomeration Of International Organized Crime (1998)
* The Manipulators - A Conspiracy To Make Us Buy (1997)
* The Hotel - Upstairs, Downstairs In A Secret World (1996)
* The Laundrymen (1995)
* Bardot - Two Lives (1994)
* The End of the American Century (1992)
* The Risk Takers - Five Years On (1991)
* Rainier & Grace (1988)
* Yamani - The Inside Story (1987)
* Minus Millionaires (1986)
* The Risk Takers - Portraits Of Money, Ego And Power (1985)
* Teamwork - Comedy Teams in the Movies (1983)
* Bette Davis - A Filmography (1982)

As Told To:
* Gerald Ronson: Leading From The Front - My Story (2009)
* Ronnie Wood: Ronnie - The Autobiography" (Life As A Rolling
Stone) (2007)
* Joseph Petro: Standing Next to History - An Agent's Life Inside
the Secret Service (2005)

Fiction

* A True and Perfect Knight (1999)
* The Monk's Disciples (1997)
* The Margin of the Bulls (1995)
* The Ginger Jar (1986)
* Pietrov and Other Games (1985)

Screenplays, teleplays and radio plays

* The Wake (2008)
* I Je t'Aime You (2008)
* Other Arrangements (2007)
* The Confession (2007)
* Notice of Claim (2005)
* Bardot (2005)
* Sister Banjo (2002)
* Tightrope (2002)
* Rossum's Cyber Café (2000)
* Les Blanchisseurs (1998)
* The Laundrymen (1997)

Journalism and short stories

More than 700 of his published articles and short stories have appeared in major periodicals. Newspaper journalism, specifically for the period 1970-1983 includes 250 feature articles, notably for The International Herald Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post and the San Francisco Examiner.

Jeffrey Robinson on You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22jeffrey+robinson%22&search_type=&aq=f

Jeffrey Robinson's official website: http://www.jeffreyrobinson.com

 

Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
3.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Soul, April 14, 2002
By 
"flyingfish15" (The Land of 10,000 Lakes, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bardot: An Intimate Portrait (Mass Market Paperback)
This book is about one of my heroes, Brigitte Bardot. It isn't the best written book but it is interesting. It has a lot of interviews with people who were close to Brigitte at different times in her life. It goes from the beginning of her life when as a young teenager encouraged by her mother she started down the road to becoming an international film star and sex symbol. This was before people had much consciousness about the objectification of women and Brigitte was so beautiful and sensual that she was exploited to the maximum degree. She has been hounded by fans and photographers all of her life but she has remained gentle and good-natured. She has had several failed marriages and suicide attempts and a life of drama, drama, drama. Yes, all that is true, but that is not why I enjoyed this book nor is it why I admire this incredible person. This book also tells about her involvement in and dedication to Animal Rights activisim. She has tirelessly supported and protected the humane treatment of animals around the world and particularly in her home country of France. She has brought about huge changes in the way animals are treated in France and has raised consciousness throughout the world. Her foundation fights animal abuse worldwide. Perhaps because of her experiences as a "sex kitten" she came to understand the cruel and degrading way that human beings can treat other living beings as objects for their use. This book is the only one I could find that tells her story so I enjoyed it, but I don't think it does justice to this enigmatic, courageous and beautiful soul. Her story is more complex than this book indicates, but if you are interested in a pioneer in the Animal Rights movement or if you just love BiBi it is worth the read.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars B.B.-Bad, February 13, 2005
This review is from: Bardot: An Intimate Portrait (Mass Market Paperback)
"Bardot: An Intimate Portrait" is both a good and bad title -- on one hand, Jeffrey Robinson lets us in on lots of love life info. On the other, he seems uninterested in Brigitte Bardot as a person, and more as an icon. As the book goes on, it becomes obvious that Robinson cares more about worshiping Bardot than telling the world about her.

Brigitte Bardot was born into a strict middle-class family, who considered actors "gypsies" and expected her to be a dancer. But her life changed when she met Roger Vadim, an energetic young film director who made her his muse, and married her as a teenager. Soon "B.B." was a legend for her free-lovin' movies and sultry image.

But B.B. wasn't as crazy about movies as the movies were crazy about her. While going through a succession of lovers and husbands that would make J.Lo proud, she quit the movies and devoted herself to animal care -- sometimes at the expense of the humans around her -- and living an ultra-reclusive life.

Robinson does a passable job of telling Bardot's life story, from her life as a feted star to her work as an animal rights activist. That stuff is interesting. But he pads it out with stories about how amazing, wonderful and exquisite she is -- barely a page goes by without a quotation burbling about how extraordinary she is.

The problem is, the way he tells it, she is not an exceptional person -- she comes across as a bit dizzy, rather bland, and alternately obnoxious and sweet. Oh yeah, and obsessed with lawsuits. Not a single quote of hers is memorable, and only a few of her good deeds are. It's difficult to take Robinson's adoration seriously when he says in the epilogue that she is better than perfect, she's "unique." Not the way he tells it.

Were she not an exceptional beauty, it's doubtful anyone in this book have been so quick to talk about how glorious she is. As a person, she comes across as very, very ordinary. It certainly doesn't help that Robinson devotes most of the book to A) telling us how saintly Bardot is, B) dismissing false rumors, and C) excusing all her bad behavior. All people who are less than 100% complimentary toward Bardot are dismissed as "nasty," such as great Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni.

Far from being nasty, Mastroianni's candor is refreshing in a book full of rosy worship. In essence, only die-hard fans of Brigitte Bardot will be able to stomach all this praise... which appears to center on Bardot's beauty, and nothing more.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars LOVE THIS BOOK!, August 15, 2003
By 
Heidi (ga United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bardot: An Intimate Portrait (Mass Market Paperback)
Brigette Bardot has a very amazing and interesting life story. I really enjoyed reading this and found it very inspiriting. She is very raw in her words and emotion and passionate about her love for animals. She was a free sprirt and really changed to way alot of people thought. She inspired pop culture and rock n' roll and the entire sexual revolution!!! I hope her own bio "initials B.B." will be released in English format someday. I also enjoyed Tony Crawleys book "The Films of B.B.". She was the French Marilyn Monroe!
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