Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor [Paperback]

Alexander Walker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 2001

Elizabeth Taylor is one of our last great movie stars. An Oscar-winning actress, she has lived her entire life in front of the spotlights, and her glamour and smouldering, sensual charisma are the stuff of legend. In Elizabeth, Alexander Walker presents the story of a life that was lived, on and off camera, with a passion rarely matched by even today's outspoken celebrities. From her privileged childhood, the influence of her strong-willed mother, and her rise to stardom in films like National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, and Cleopatra, to her husbands, her obsession with jewelry, and her amazing resilience in the face of public scandal and personal tragedy, Walker shows us the real Elizabeth--as an actress and as a person determined to live on her own terms.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Film critic for the London Evening Standard , Walker presentsone of the world's most chronicled women, whose turbulent life hasbeen eerily reflected, or anticipated, in her movies and plays: fromNational Velvet and Cleopatra (on the set of which she fell in lovewith Richard Burton) to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and PrivateLives. Walker shows how Taylor has indulged her passions, re-createdherself in the image of each new lover, husband or project, and in duecourse flourished after rounds of combat with the public, the press,her weight and illness. Unfortunately, Walker repeats himself andreaches unsuccessfully--and unnecessarily--for dramatic effect. Forexample, referring to Taylor's fourth husband, Eddie Fisher, a protegeof her third husband, Mike Todd--who died in a plane crash in1958--Walker writes: "He stepped into Todd's shoes, and ultimatelyinto his bed." Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Walker, British film critic and biographer of stars, will hardly have the last word on Elizabeth Taylor, not as long as there's a tabloid press. His bio is breezy but not too light, colorful but not too gossipy, critical but not too bitchy. Its first half is its better half, detailing Liz's early years at MGM and her marriages to Nicky Hilton and Michael Wilding. Once Richard Burton enters the picture, Walker seems to lose steam and interest. Their most public antics now seem silly and boring, and since her Oscar-winning performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , Taylor's career has been in free fall. Still, a decent addition to the Taylor archives.
- Thomas Wiener, formerly with "American Film," Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press (July 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802137695
• ISBN-13: 978-0802137692
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elizabeth Taylor Revealed, March 3, 2003

By 

Laura (Allen Park, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor (Paperback)

In the book The Life of Elizabeth Taylor, Alexander Walker captures the extraordinary beauty's life in every way. Fans will absolutely love this book. It is a thorough in depth biography filled with more than 30 amazing photos of Elizabeth throughout the years.
It starts from the beginning of her life in London where her mother's strong willed attitude pushes Elizabeth forward. Alexander focuses on her success in many movies such as National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, and Cleopatra. The Oscar winning performance she gave in Butterfield 8 and the two academy awards that made her a legend are depicted.
Along with all the positive aspects of her life also came the long downfalls that have intrigued us over the years. Elizabeth's eight marriages are uncovered along with her conniving personality that broke apart other people's marriages. Her obsessions of jewelry, clothing, and sex are exposed. The truth behind her ongoing drug and alcohol abuse is revealed. Elizabeth's suicide attempt at age 29 along with the 73 total hospitalizations throughout her life is publicized. This book shows us the real Elizabeth outside of the glamour. The dramatic experiences with facing the public with the on going scandals and personal tragedies is drawn out for the readers.
This book gives a true insight in Elizabeth Taylor's life. From the high points to downfalls, her life is captured by Alexander Walker to its fullest. Elizabeth's life has been an often-tragic fairytale that people have followed throughout the past 50 years.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diamonds and divas, January 10, 2007

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor (Paperback)

Elizabeth Taylor is a hard person to biograph -- she's been awash on controversy since her teens, and became infamous for her luxe lifestyle and many husbands. So it's an especial credit to Alexander Walker's "Elizabeth," which manages to be fair without fawning.

Taylor was the daughter of American Anglophiles, who moved to Hollywood during WWII. Her mother Sarah (an ex-actress) managed to get her into films, and the rest is cinema history. She seamlessly made the transition from cute child star to teen idol -- right before marrying abusive hotel heir Nicky Hilton.

He was the first of several husbands -- crooner Eddie Fisher, her late soulmate Mike Todd, Brit actor Michael Wilding, a congressman, and most famously Welsh actor Richard Burton. And her tumultuous life was full of gems, health problems, love affairs, and high drama in all she did.

Alexander Walker seems to have a liking for beautiful, legendary actresses with personal problems, so it's inevitable that he would have written about Taylor. The difficult part is balancing her positive and negatives, without either fawning or dragging her through the mud.

And Walker does an excellent job -- Taylor is not a vixen or a harpy, nor is she an angel. Instead, he studies her personality, with its tendency to replace one love with another, as well as seeking a controlling personality to make her feel secure. Whether it's adultery or financial problems, he doesn't judge so much as lay out the facts so readers can judge for themselves.

Best of all, Walker puts a wealth of detail in here. There's plenty of information about her movies, including lesser-known ones like "Cynthia," and Walker describes scenes that mirror or reflect Taylor's talent in detail. He also frames her story with info about the audiences of the times. He even includes unedited, outraged letters sent in after Taylor got involved with Fisher.

"Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor" is perhaps the best, fairest and most thorough biography of this living legend. Walker definitely hit the mark with this one.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Luminous Liz!, April 15, 2003

By 

CoffeeGurl - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor (Paperback)

I was mesmerised by this book. Of course, one often takes biographies with a grain of salt, but I was most impressed with the way that Taylor handled her career like a man -- how she was able to go on despite the pressures of her situation. The love story between Burton and Taylor shines through, and I think I understand a little more about love, even though theirs was a tumultuous one. She is a role model for people in the performing arts who turn their attention toward great and needy causes, and I respect her immensely. Also, the photographs in this book illustrate the fact that Liz was -- and still is -- the most luminous raven-haired beauty in Hollywood. Long may she rule as the last star of Hollywood.