This 'N That [Hardcover]

Bette Davis (Author), Michael Herskowitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1987

The author recounts how she recovered from a mastectomy and a stroke, shares her feelings about her daughter's book about her, and discusses the latter part of her long successful film career.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This autobiographical potpourri by one of the screen's most renowned actresses begins in 1983 with Davis's mastectomy and stroke. From there her recovery is chronicled, along with flashbacks and observations of her long career and often turbulent personal life. She is direct and never self-effacing in retelling her story; and even this hodge-podge of a book is pure Davis, as her fans know her on screen and off. The book ends with an open letter to her daughter, B. D. Hyman, in reply to the latter's book, My Mother's Keeper. A good purchase for all film collections. (Photos not seen.) Virginia A. Doser, Saddleback Coll. Lib., Mission Viejo, Cal.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 207 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Pub Group (T); First Edition edition (March 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399132465
• ISBN-13: 978-0399132469
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #745,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bette all the way!, May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: This 'N That (Hardcover)

This book tells about Bette as only she herself could. She had a sense of humor, and she's honest. This was her second autobiography, the first being called "The Lonely Life." She talks about her failed marriages, the movies she hated, and her costars in various movies (i.e. Faye Dunaway.) I strongly recommend this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Read by the great Bette Davis, April 21, 2008

By 

S. Kimball (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: This 'n' That (Mass Market Paperback)

SO glad that Bette Davis stepped forward and defended herself after he daughter's APALLING book. And what a fun read! I couldn't put it down. As far as "My Mother's Keeper" goes,

Shame on you, B.D. Hyman.

B.D. Hyman would like to come off as a victim who doesn't have any flaws, but her book about her mother, Bette Davis, has the opposite affect. B.D. Hyman comes of as a spoiled rotten, selfish, cold-hearted, and mean teenager and then woman, who has no tolerance for other people and their flaws.

So Bette Davis was a dramatic women, eh? What a shocker. It took her way too long to make Stouffers Macaroni & Cheese for you when you came over? How terrible. She got frustrated carving a chicken and ripped the meat apart with her hands? How obscene. She was irritated her 16 year old daughter wanted to spend their entire vacation in Europe with a 30 year old man? How dreadful. She sent a doctor over to see you when you were sick? What a witch. She spanked your son and put him in his room when she was baby-sitting him? How appalling. Your mother was eccentric? What a BOMBSHELL. She thought you were completely perfect and flawless? What a crime. She wanted you to say thank you when she brought you lobster from Maine? How very dreadful, and what a horrifying life you must have had.

It is clear from this book that Bette Davis had lots of faults. We all do. But none of them could be considered child abuse. And most of us don't have our faults written about extensively for all the world to see, in a fictional, exaggerated novel.

Poor Bette Davis, may she rest in peace. What a thing to have happen to you in your old age. She probably never recovered.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Bette Davis Fan Must Read, April 6, 2006

By 

Baby Firefly (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This 'N That (Hardcover)

I've been a huge Bette Davis fan and it makes me upset that some of the reviews think that this is a book that isn't worth the paper its written on. I mainly wanted ti read this book to know more about Ms Davis, to know more about the last decade of her life with all the sickness she went through. I loved it, and i think that any Bette Davis fan would enjoy it greatly!