WILLIAM J. MANN is the author of Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn, which was named a New York Times Notable Book, as well as several other acclaimed works of fiction and nonfiction. He divides his time between Provincetown, Massachusetts, and New York City.
"...the sorts of details a reader craves...all are rendered with a
verve and fluidity that keep the book moving along in a fleet
fashion... [Mann] has clearly done his research and just as clearly
adores his subject.""Taylor was at the furious center of it all,
and provides as handy and captivating a guide through [the era] as
any star of the 20th century could." -- (10/25/2009)
"How to Be a Movie Star is more than a well-told, thoroughly
researched tale about the most compelling movie star of her time.
It's the captivating story of how movie-making magic actually
happens--and a truly lively portrait of the greatest screen
magician of them all. Mann knows his subject intimately."
--Peter Richmond, author of Fever: The Life and Music of Miss Peggy
Lee
"Was Elizabeth Taylor the greatest product of the Hollywood star
machine or its greatest victim? Or was she, perhaps, its inventor?
At a time when celebrity culture seems to be spiraling out of
control, William J. Mann's smart, engaging, clear-eyed case study
of Taylor's unique life in the spotlight locates the 'real' person
somewhere between her private life and her public image. It's a
fresh, unique and wholly successful approach to a fascinating
story."
--Mark Harris, author of Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and
the Birth of the New Hollywood
"A dazzling and sagacious red-carpet Technicolor guide book to the
lost art of Stardom . . . essential reading for aspiring love
goddesses and mere mortals alike."
--Lee Server, author of the bestselling Ava Gardener: "Love is
Nothing"
"When I saw Elizabeth Taylor in person, I suddenly found myself
screaming like a teen at a Beatles concert. Mann deftly describes
how, with great self-assurance, Taylor shrewdly and methodically
orchestrated that reaction on a global scale. This is a smart book
about a surprisingly savvy superstar. It's one of the best
Hollywood biographies I've ever read."
--Ed Sikov, author of Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis
"William J. Mann's portrait is meticulous and delicious, capturing
the essence of a great movie star, a woman who epitomized the old
Hollywood glamour even as she was bucking the system--every system!
Through shrewd and intriguing detail, this lively book brings fresh
insight into why and how Elizabeth Taylor mesmerized the world she
was helping to change."
--Julie Salamon, author of The Devil's Candy and Hospital
"This is a juicy telling of a screen idol who always did things her
own way." --San Luis Obispo Tribune
"...a richly enjoyable biography..." --The Sunday Times (UK)
"William Mann has picked the perfect title for a biography of
Taylor. She was, truly, the last great movie star." --The Oregonian
"...she knew by instinct, generations before today's crop of
starlets, how to interface her personal and professional lives with
the public, who adored her for it. Taylor lived out loud, and the
world sang along to her tune." --EDGE New York "...the sorts of
details a reader craves...all are rendered with a verve and
fluidity that keep the book moving along in a fleet fashion. [Mann]
has clearly done his research and just as clearly adores his
subject [...] Taylor was at the furious center of it all, and
provides as handy and captivating a guide through [the era] as any
star of the 20th century could." --The New York Times Book Review
"Mann's eminently yummy entry is pretty much everything you'd want
in a Hollywood biography... What does make How to Be a Movie Star
distinctive is its focus on the changing nature of personal fame as
embodied by a woman whose life has consisted of one superlative
after another." --Salon.com "William J. Mann's ridiculously
entertaining biography of Elizabeth Taylor in her Hollywood heyday
is yummier than digging into a hot-fudge sundae and a stack of Us
Weeklys." --USA Today
"William J. Mann dissects the crafty machinations of her
stardom..." --Bookpage
"...wickedly entertaining biography..." --The Times (UK)
"Mann shows what all the fuss was about." --The New York Post
"Mann is carving out a niche for himself as a writer and historian
capable of presenting fresh information about oft-covered
subjects." --The Washington Blade
"This is an entertaining work, revealing much of the machinery
behind star-building and star-maintaining back in the day. The
trajectory of gossip queen Hedda Hopper's relationship with
Elizabeth--from adoration to loathing--is deliciously conveyed.
[...] Mr. Mann does an excellent job capturing the media/public
frenzy of her greatest years..." --Liz Smith, for wowOwow.com
"...brilliant combination of history, criticism, and
biography...Mann has found the perfect figure for an exploration of
the seismic changes that took place in Hollywood--and in American
pop culture--between the 1940s and the 1960s. It's a terrific
read." --Connecticut News
"Mann's book underscores the fact that Elizabeth Taylor is--above
all else--a survivor...Perhaps that is why she is so relevant and
remains, even more than half a century later, one of the country's
most fascinating celebrities." --Lincoln Tribune
"...a richly enjoyable biography..."-- (10/04/2009)
"This is a juicy telling of a screen idol who always did things her
own way."--San Luis Obisbo Tribune (09/30/2009)
"Mann's eminently yummy entry is pretty much everything you'd want
in a Hollywood biography... What does make How to Be a Movie Star
distinctive is its focus on the changing nature of personal fame as
embodied by a woman whose life has consisted of one superlative
after another."-- (10/19/2009)
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