"A witty, insightful probe of Tennessee Williams' most famous play in all its variations" from the author of All About 'All About Eve' ( The Dallas Morning News ).Exhaustively researched and almost flirtatiously opinionated, When Blanche Met Brando is everything a fan needs to know about the groundbreaking New York and London stage productions of Williams' Streetcar...

"From the original tale . . . to the Broadway musical . . . thoughtful film analysis and a thrilling final coup: an interview with the real Eve." — PeopleTo millions of fans, All About Eve represents all that's witty and wonderful in classic Hollywood movies. Its old-fashioned, larger-than-life stars—including Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, and Celeste Holm—found their best roles in Eve and its sophisti...

In "a passionate and witty behind-the-scenes exposé," the author of All About "All About Eve" takes on the 1959 Douglas Sirk film starring Lana Turner (Turner Classic Movies).Few films inspire the devotion of Imitation of Life, one of the most popular films of the '50s—a split personality drama that's both an irresistible women's picture and a dark commentary on ambition, motherhood, racial identity, and hope lo...

A "highly enjoyable" behind-the-scenes history of the film noir classic about the dark side of Hollywood ( Publishers Weekly).Sunset Boulevard, a damning dissection of the Hollywood dream factory, evokes the glamour and ruin of the stars who subsist on that dream. It's also one long in-joke about the movie industry and those who made it great—and who were, in turn, destroyed by it. One of the most critically admired films of the twentieth century, ...

Inventing Elsa Maxwell, the first biography of this extraordinary woman, tells the witty story of a life lived out loud.With Inventing Elsa Maxwell, Sam Staggs has crafted a landmark biography. Elsa Maxwell (1881-1963) invented herself–not once, but repeatedly. Built like a bulldog, she ascended from the San Francisco middle class to the heights of society in New York, London, Paris, Venice, and Monte Carlo. Shunning boredom and predictability, El...

To millions of fans, All About Eve represents all that’s witty and wonderful in classic Hollywood movies. Its old-fashioned, larger-than-life stars—including Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, and Celeste Holm—found their best roles in this movie, and its sophisticated dialogue has entered the lexicon.But there’s much more to know about All About Eve. Sam Staggs has written the definitive account of the making of this fascinating movie and i...

Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, a classic film noir and also a damning dissection of the Hollywood dream factory, evokes the glamour and ruin of the stars who subsist on that dream. It’s also one long in-joke about the movie industry and those who made it great—and who were, in turn, destroyed by it. One of the most critically admired films of the twentieth century, Sunset Boulevard is also famous as silent-star Gloria Swanson’s comeback picture.Sam Staggs’s ...

A collection of memories celebrating Princess Diana, featuring interviews from Larry King with people who knew Diana officially and personallySir Richard Branson recalls Diana sitting in the cockpit of one of his private planes with baby Prince William on her lap; as they flew past Windsor Castle she announced, “On our right you have Grandma’s house!” Heather Mills, who, like Diana, has been a tireless campaigner for charitable causes, recalls Diana’s work to eradi...

A sweeping saga of the success—and excess—of an iconic American family.Demanding and enigmatic, patriarch Conrad Hilton's visionary ideas and unyielding will established the model for the modern luxury hotel industry. But outside the boardroom, Conrad struggled with emotional detachment, failed marriages, and conflicted Catholicism. Then there were his children: Playboy Nicky Hilton's tragic alcoholism and marriage to Elizabeth Taylor was the stuff of tabloid legen...

The widow of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle shares their private story: an unforgettable testament to the power of love and faith in the face of war and unimaginable loss--and a moving tribute to a man whose true heroism ran even deeper than the legend.In early 2013, Taya Kyle and her husband Chris were the happiest they ever had been. Their decade-long marriage had survived years of war that took Chris, a U.S. Navy SEAL, away from Taya and their two children for agonizingly long str...

'Like Angela Carter, she is relentlessly inventive' Sunday Times'Full of pathos, spirit and iridescent innocence' Independent on SundayThe first novel by the author of The Lonely Hearts Hotel12-year-old Baby is used to turmoil in her life. Her mother is long dead, her father is a junkie and they shuttle between rotting apartments and decrepit downtown hotels.As her father's addictio...

'Funny, fast and farcical. I loved it' JOJO MOYES'I almost cried with laughter' Daily MailThe hilarious romantic comedy from NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR Sophie Kinsella, with a foreword from Daisy BuchananSamantha thrives under pressure. A high-powered London lawyer, all she can concentrate on is taking the next step in her career; eating, sleeping, seeing friends – even taking a breath – will have to wai...