Donald Spoto

"A fresh and definitive biography in the context of Joan of Arc's times." - International Herald Tribune "Donald Spoto is one of the best biographers in the world today. " - Acclaimed biographer Mary S. Lovell, author of the national bestselling The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family "A magnificent introduction to one of the most misunderstood and controversial of all the saints." - James Martin, SJ, editor of America Magazine, author of My...

The story of the man who changed people's relationships with their showers forever, thanks to Psycho, this is the classic, Edgar Award–winning biography of the enigmatic and intensely private Alfred Hitchcock. One of America's greatest film directors, his suspenseful subject matter ranged from the dark drama of a man possibly trying to kill his wife, to the humorous problem of disposing of a body, to the ecological underpinnings of an attack by...

Laurence Olivier was the most famous actor of his century and one of the greatest of all time. His looks made him a matinee idol; his talent made him world renowned as an actor, director, and producer. From his stage roles as Hamlet and Archie Rice to his screen roles as Heathcliff and Henry V, his range was unparalleled. But beneath the glamorous image, Olivier was often lonely, confused, and plagued by self-doubts. In this revealing account, Spoto...

Joan Crawford was one of the most incandescent film stars of all time, yet she was also one of the most misunderstood. In this brilliantlyresearched, thoughtful, and intimate biography, bestselling author Donald Spoto goes beyond the popular caricature-the abusive, unstable mother portrayed in her adopted daughter Christina Crawford's memoir, Mommie Dearest-to give us a three-dimensional portrait of a very human woman, her dazzling career, and her...

Born in England to socially ambitious parents, Elizabeth Taylor was catapulted into child stardom and molded by MGM into the great violet-eyed beauty of postwar America. Along the way, without training or counsel, she became an award-winning actress, dazzling audiences everywhere with spectacular performances. Spoto explores the gripping story of her brutalizing six-month marriage to compulsive gambler and hotel heir Nicky Hilton, her romances with...

The third volume in a trilogy exploring the life and work of the legendary director examines Hitchcock's life in terms of his relationships with the actresses in his films, including Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, and Tippi Hedren, in a study of his films, rise to fame and power, artistic legacy, unconventional marriage, and obsessions.