Customer Reviews

Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor

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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.

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.

Look on any Amazon book page and type in Elizabeth Taylor; there you will find dozens of books written on one of the biggest Hollywood stars of all-time. This book, simply entitled "Liz" and written by "A Woman Named Jackie" author C. David Heymann, is a well-written and well-researched account on the most popular female star of her time. In these 526 pages Heymann traces Liz's early beginnings in England to her discovery as a child actress in "National Velvet". That appearance would propell her to Hollywood superstardom that few have ever known.

"Liz" traces not only Taylor's magificent acting career in such Oscar-winning performances in "Butterfield 8" and "Who'a Afraid of Virginia Wolf?", but Liz's personal life, her marriages and lovers. Heyman not only discusses how Liz was the very first Hollywood celebrity to tackle the AIDS epidemic and raise funds and awareness for those with HIV/AIDS, but her own personal demons with alcohol and prescription drugs.

Included is an informative filmography detailing Liz's film credits along with those she starred with, director's names, and the year in which her movies were released. There is also a section of her made-for-television films and stage appearances. Many black and white photographs are included.

I have read many Elizabeth Taylor biographies, but "Liz" is simply filled with neat anecdotes and info. The book is long out-of-print, but many are available through Amazon by personal sellers at affordable prices.

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.

WOW!!!! This is a GOOD Book to read!!!!! It really takes you into Liz Taylors life. You won't want to put it down.

I bought this book for my daughter as a gift.She loves Liz Taylor and she loved the book.I would order from this company again.The book was in excellent condition and it arrived on time.

Interesting reading, a bit superficial in the presentatio

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"

So she doesn't like to be called, Liz. Elizabeth is too long of a name to keep pronouncing repeatedly. I was interested in the author's portrayal of Dame Elizabeth Taylor. This book was written only a few years before she became Dame Elizabeth Rosamunde Taylor for her services to charity worldwide for her tireless efforts in the fight against AIDS. Speaking of which, today is AIDS day. I think the author does an admirable job in explaining Taylor's parents who had a major influence on their daughter becoming a star and an icon more importantly. She is far more complicated than we know about her. I will probably never meet the living legend. She has not worked much and continues with AmFar. Her father, Francis Taylor, became a colorful character who was probably homosexual while her mother Sara had affairs with director Michael Curtiz. Liz dotes on her four children and eight grandchildren but there is not enough of Liz to go around for everybody including her eight husbands. She loves them all just as she loves Michael Jackson. Liz could be tolerable and intolerable but she is a lovely person. She tries to much to please everybody around her. Maybe the title should have been Violet Eyes. This book is not enough to tell the story of Elizabeth Taylor but her life could be written in volumes.