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Robert Matzen

Luca Dotti

Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II Hardcover – April 15, 2019

by Robert Matzen (Author), Luca Dotti (Foreword)

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Twenty-five years after her passing, Audrey Hepburn remains the most beloved of all Hollywood stars, known as much for her role as UNICEF ambassador as for films like Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Several biographies have chronicled her stardom, but none has covered her intense experiences through five years of Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. According to her son, Luca Dotti, “The war made my mother who she was.” Audrey Hepburn’s war included participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor’s assistant during the “Bridge Too Far” battle of Arnhem, the brutal execution of her uncle, and the ordeal of the Hunger Winter of 1944. She also had to contend with the fact that her father was a Nazi agent and her mother was pro-Nazi for the first two years of the occupation. But the war years also brought triumphs as Audrey became Arnhem’s most famous young ballerina. Audrey’s own reminiscences, new interviews with people who knew her in the war, wartime diaries, and research in classified Dutch archives shed light on the riveting, untold story of Audrey Hepburn under fire in World War II. Also included is a section of color and black-and-white photos. Many of these images are from Audrey’s personal collection and are published here for the first time.

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

GoodKnight Books
Publication date

April 15, 2019
Dimensions

6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1732273537
ISBN-13

978-1732273535
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dutch Girl may be one of the best books about Audrey Hepburn ever written. It offers the reader, the historian, the film buff an insight and understanding as to what made Hepburn the star, the actress, the humanitarian—the very woman whom the world to this day warmly remembers with love and admiration. Dutch Girl is a must read." —Stephen Michael Shearer, author, Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr

“What many don’t know, and Robert Matzen’s sensitive and deeply moving book reveals, are Hepburn’s experiences growing up in the Netherlands during the years of Nazi occupation—experiences that formed her character and left her haunted by memories she could not erase. A master storyteller, Matzen has given us a great story—intimate, intense, and unforgettable—that carries us not only into the heart of battle but into the heart of a great human being.” —Foreword Reviews

"Beloved by millions even today, Audrey Hepburn is known for her performances in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and many other movies. Less known is her active role in the Dutch resistance in World War Two despite the Nazi sympathies of her parents. This promises to be one of the most riveting and enlightening books of 2019." —Top 20 list, http://ww2reads.com

"Matzen shows how war shaped Hepburn’s resilient and fiercely private personality. Visceral details—of intense privation, constant bombings, and also acts of resistance—evoke the period. Matzen has created a vivid portrait of a civilian population under siege–one of who just happened to become a Hollywood star." —Publishers Weekly

"A well written, exhaustively researched and totally absorbing book that reveals never-known facts about the past, the origins and the early experiences of one of the world's most cherished icons. This is a story of danger, suspense and determination to succeed against terrible odds, told in Technicolor." —Rex Reed, film critic, author, and writer for the New York Observer

"Among the harrowing and tragic incidents shared in the new book include details about her participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor’s assistant during the battle of Arnhem, the execution of her uncle, and the Dutch famine of 1944 and 1945." —Fortune.com

"A meticulously detailed and researched look at the formative years of an iconic performer; for fans of Hepburn as well as anyone seeking a social history of the Dutch experience of World War II." —bookverdict.com

"In Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II, Robert Matzen maintains that his subject’s formative experiences provide the key to unlocking her intensely private personality. Drawing upon meticulous research, Mr. Matzen delivers a vivid, moving and persuasive account of a harrowing time that the actress seldom discussed in detail and which has been glossed over or sensationalized by frustrated biographers." —Stephen Brumwell, Wall Street Journal

"[Dutch Girl] offers a wonderfully complete and revealing character sketch of an individual who continues to fascinate millions around the world. Hepburn was, of course, gracious, talented, and elegant. But Matzen makes clear that she also was extraordinarily courageous... This entertaining and enlightening book adds another dimension to the legend of Audrey Hepburn." —Terry Hartle, Christian Science Monitor

"Audrey Hepburn, the Hollywood actress who was celebrated for her portrayals of princesses ("Roman Holiday") and glamour girls ("Sabrina," and "Breakfast at Tiffany’s") and later for her work as a UNICEF ambassador before her death from cancer in 1993, had a secret past as an anti-Nazi fighter, according to a new book. Robert Matzen’s recently published Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II explores how her sometimes perilous wartime experiences helped her grow into a strong woman who always fought hard for her beliefs. The book features never-before-published archival photographs, diaries and other records that add a new chapter to the story of a woman who was beloved by so many." —Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post

About the Author

Robert Matzen is the award-winning author of Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe, Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3, and five other books. He has appeared on national broadcast programs and his byline has appeared in the Wall Street Journal among other publications. Luca Dotti is the younger son of Audrey Hepburn and New York Times bestselling author of Audrey at Home. He is a former graphic designer and now chairs the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund. Created by Audrey's family in 1994, the Fund helps children in need around the world.

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Product details

Publisher : GoodKnight Books; 1st Edition (April 15, 2019)
Language : English
Hardcover : 416 pages
ISBN-10 : 1732273537
ISBN-13 : 978-1732273535
Item Weight : 1.73 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #95,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #348 in WWII Biographies
- #778 in World War II History (Books)
- #971 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

Customer Reviews:
1,154 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		69%
4 star		17%
3 star		8%
2 star		4%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Yuki

A Powerful and Moving Book Not to be Missed

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2019

Verified Purchase

On 4 May 1944 Audrey Hepburn turned 15 years old. The next day I was born. She, her family and neighbors were about to enter the ‘hunger winter’. While I spent the winter fully fed, in a warm home in my mother's arms. A winter where there was no food, heat or electricity. A winter where over 500 Dutch people died of malnutrition each week. Five years prior the that her homeland was occupied by Nazi German troops. This book chronicles those years. The book while depressing at times is the story of a young girl who aspired to become a ballerina but because of the war, among other things missed her goal. Instead she became an Academy Award winning Hollywood actress and eventually a UNICEF ambassador. This is a powerful book and should be read by all, but especially those who loosely toss around the words Nazi, fascist and racist.

102 people found this helpful

Helpful

~~Who Knew?~~

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

I am of the age that I remember Audrey Hepburn starring in the movies. I always felt she was a brilliant actress. Little did I know that her formative years were spent in the Netherlands during WW II. I am not inclined to watch movies often nor am I star-struck by the Hollywood glamour. This book, however, did pique my interest and I am so glad that I read it.

This is a well-researched book and much attention to the smallest details has been given. Her son, Luca wrote the forward and in it he explained that 'good and evil/love and mercy' were fundamental in his mother's life. Audrey passed away in 1993 which I didn't remember.

In all honesty, how much about the Netherlands have we heard about in WW II? Not much at all. Eight brutal months of combat began in 1944 and the starvation of many occurred. It was known as the Hunger Winter and 20,000 civilians perished including children. This is undoubtedly one of the main reasons that Ms. Hepburn was involved in Humanitarian efforts during her lifetime.

I never had any idea that her younger years were filled with such despair and desolation. I kept wondering while reading this book, how individuals overcome their younger years. Just think how young she was at that time. To say she was resilient would be an understatement.

A most interesting glimpse into a life filled with evil and good...including love and the mercy.

Most highly recommended.

49 people found this helpful

Helpful

RGS

Very compelling

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

My mother was also a "Dutch Girl". I now have a clearer understanding of what she went through as a teenage girl in occupied Holland and why she rarely spoke of it.

50 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dutch Girl

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2019

This is a book about Audrey Hepburn but not the movie star person who we got to see in Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady and many other Hollywood Films. This is the young Audrey who was a teenager during the years of the Nazi occupation of her homeland. It reads more like a history book of the war in the Netherlands than it does as a biography of a Hollywood icon and was a well researched look at how Audrey grew up and how it affected her later life.

When Audrey was 11 years old, the Germans began their occupation of the Netherlands. As a child, life didn't change much for her but as time went on and the restrictions gotten worse her life began to change and she had to give up her much loved ballet lessons. In 1944, her life took a turn for the worse when the Allies started bombing the town that she lived in. She and her family spent much of their time in the cellar of their home hoping to survive while bombs exploded all around them. Following that came the 'hunger winter'. There wasn't enough food and many people starved to death. Audrey commented that this was the first time she had ever seen starvation of such a large scale. She had a lot of determination to go from a starving young girl to a Hollywood icon in such a short period of time.

The author of this book worked with the members of Audrey's family plus did considerable research and found out things about Audrey's early life that her family didn't know - that her father was a Nazi agent and her mother was pro-Nazi for the first two years of the occupation. Audrey’s own reminiscences, new interviews with people who knew her in the war, wartime diaries, and research into classified Dutch archives shed light on the riveting, untold story of Audrey Hepburn's life during World War II.

I found this book to be a very well researched and interesting book about a Hollywood icon and how her early life affected the rest of her life when being a UNICEF ambassador and visiting poor places in the world were more important to her than her life in Hollywood.

68 people found this helpful

Helpful

Maria-Anne

A real story about Audrey Hepburn during World War II and the effect it had on her later life

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2019

Born in Belgium and having spend the first 18 years of my life there I was always interested in actress Audrey Hepburn.
Reading this book made me even appreciate her more for the type of woman she had become. I'm so glad this book was researched at a time when some of the children having lived through that awful period under the control of the Nazis where still alive to be able to talk about it.
If you are looking for a glamorous story this book is not for you. This tells what is was like. Some readers find this is more about the war and life in that five year period under the Nazis then about Audrey. I think they are wrong because it very much gives back her life story at a time when her biggest worry should have been about dancing and to start thinking about boys.
The chapter notes beginning at page 321 gives a description of the sources consulted. A lot of work and research went into producing this book. Mentioning is made of some YouTube videos which are interesting to watch.

49 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Gavin C Reid

Creating a modern female role model, that goes beyond glitz and glamour, in more sense than one.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book outlines the intricacies of WW2 loyalties, betrayals, and dangers in occupied Dutch territory, in a very compelling fashion. Some have said there is not enough of Audrey Hepburn in this book. That is to seriously misunderstand its purpose, which is to weave a contextual web, both nuanced, and some times necessarily brutal, around what Audrey Hepburn did for her homeland as a teenager, in gravely imperiled circumstances. Her deeds were heroic, and have been largely unsung. This book rectifies the omissions of biographic hagiography. Audrey Hepburn was no ordinary film star - but a inspiring female role model throughout her life, concluding latterly with her compassionate work for UNICEF. A book to commend to anyone, but especially to daughters and nieces.

Keith lles

Audrey Hepburn Dutch Girl

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

Very gripping story unable to put down. Gives one a very different opinion about Audrey Hepburn and her life. Always one of my favourite actresses.

KENNETH HOLLAND

Perfect gift, perfect storyline.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2021

Verified Purchase

The book arrived suitably packaged in good time. It was Christmas gift and the recipient, an avid follower of stars of the past was delighted by the book and it's theme. A well written book that I would be pleased to recommend to others.

Leiclass

Good book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2020

Verified Purchase

Bought as a present for a can good it's a good read

Anthony Levine

5 stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

Superb novel about a beautiful dancer and actress mostly during her time under nazi occupied Holland.
5 stars.

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