Biographies N to Q

Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro
Andre Soares
The first Latin American performer to become a big-screen superstar, Ramon Novarro was for years one of the top actors in Hollywood. In this insightful and sensitively written biography, Andre Soares explores the conflicting facets of Novarro's life and provides an intriging look at an actor who continues to fascinate to this day. Hardcover, 400 pp. $41.95.

Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures
Yann-Brice Dherbier & Pierre-Henri Verlhac
Including images by world-renowned photographers and intimate family snapshots, Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures offers a never-before-seen portrait of one of the most beloved actors of our times. This luxurious book draws together more than a hundred iconic and rarely seen photographs spanning a rich and gloriously varied life engaged in family, the cinema, car racing, and philanthropy. Behind-the-scenes photos of Newman with Hollywood cohorts such as Robert Redford, Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Poitier, and Barbara Streisand; action shots on the circuit, and impromptu pictures with friends and family are collected in this gorgeous volume. This collection puts the superstar's life and career in context and demonstrates the complexity of his persona far beyond the allure of those famous "baby blues". Accompanying the photos is a brief biography that illuminates the mystique of this man of many characters. From the private face to the public persona, Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures is the quintessential portrait of a legend. Hardcover, 205 pp. $50.00.

Paul Newman
Daniel O'Brien
Paul Newman's best known films, including The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting, are cherished both by movie lovers and within the wider culture. In this revealing biography, Daniel O'Brien offers a detailed summary of Newman's life and career thus far -- including his marriage to Joanne Woodward, his political activism and charity work, and his two wins at the Academy Awards. Softcover, 362 pp. $25.00.

Five Easy Decades
Dennis McDougal
In many ways, Jack Nicholson's story mirrors that of Hollywood. For fifty years - from J.J. Gittes to the Joker; Easy Rider to Five Easy Pieces; The Shining, Terms of Endearment, and A Few Good Men to As Good As It Gets and The Departed - his life and career reflect the shifting fortunes of an industry that set the cultural pace for America, and then the world. Find out how it all happened, through triumph and trauma, in Five Easy Decades. Hardcover, 484 pp. $30.99.

Jack: The Great Seducer
Edward Douglas
Jack Nicholson is one of the longest-lasting and most recognized sex symbols of our time. This sizzling biography goes deep in-depth, relating exclusive interviews with past flames and flings, to shed light on the unique charisma and magnetism of one of America's most respected and desired movie stars. Hardcover, 438 pp. $37.95.

'Tis Herself: A Memoir
Maureen O'Hara & John Nicoletti
A memoir of the Irish actress Maureen O'Hara, 'Tis Herself tells the remarkable story of O'Hara's rise to fame, and all her experiences as a Hollywood star of the Golden Age. By reflecting with wit and warmth on the movies and people she worked with, 'Tis Herself allows O'Hara to reveal the her true persona, and reveal what it was that made her so strong. Hardcover, 323 pp. $37.50.

Olivier
Anthony Holden
In this biography of Laurence Olivier, Anthony Holden creates a witty and penetrating portrait of one of the greatest screen actors of all time. In addition to exposing new revelations that have come to light since Olivier's death, Holden investigatesa the truth behind rumours of Olivier's alleged homosexual affairs with the likes of Marlon Brando and Danny Kaye, for a lonf time covered up by Olivier's family. Hardcover, 515 pp. $35.95.

The Real Life of Laurence Olivier
Roger Lewis
In this classic biography of Laurence Olivier, Roger Lewis goes beyond the magical illusions the actor created to tell the truth about the man's sexuality, ambition, revenges, power, preoccupations and achievements. Olivier's life and work become a love story - the tale of the relationship with Vivien Leigh, who was destroyed by the extent of her passion for him, as he himself was cast into a frenzy of guilt and disillusionment. Softcover, 347 pp. $25.95.

Olivier: The Authorised Biography
Terry Coleman
Olivier is an unexpected portrait of the twentieth century's greatest actor. His was a fairy-tale story, yet Olivier struggled with the dark side of his genius. Abandoning his first wife, he married Vivien Leigh; a manic-depressive, she dominated his life for twenty years. When finally he wrenched himself away, he was plagued by a guilt that only incessant work could expiate. He married Joan Plowright, had a new young family, and was the founding director of the National Theatre--yet even the NT, he felt, ended in betrayal. Drawing on his unlimited and uncensored access to Olivier's personal papers, love letters and diaries, Terry Coleman has written a landmark biography.. Softcover, 607 pp. $19.95.

Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton
John Lahr
John Lahr reconstructs both the life and death of Joe Orton in this extraordinary biography. Made into a movie, starring Gary Oldman, in 1987. Softcover, 302 pp. $22.95

Al Pacino in Conversation with Lawrence Grobel
Al Pacino & Lawrence Grobel
For more than a quarter century, Al Pacino has spoken freely and deeply with acclaimed journalist and bestselling author Lawrence Grobel on subjects as diverse as childhood, acting, and fatherhood. Here, for the first time, are the complete conversations and shared observations between the actor and the writer; the result is an intimate and revealing look at one of the most accomplished, and private artists in the world. Softcover, 236 pp. $18.95.

Who's Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-Up Guy
Joe Pantoliano
Ubiquitous character actor Joe Pantoliano tells it like it is in this personal memoir. Famous for his supporting roles in Memento, The Matrix, The Sopranos, The Fugitive, The Goonies, and many others, 'Joey Pants' finally gets centre stage in this beguiling autobiography. Softcover, 295 pp. $21.00.

The First Lady of Hollywood: A Biography of Louella Parsons
Samantha Barbas
Hollywood celebrities feared her. William Randolf Hearst adored her. Between 1915 and 1960, Louella Parsons was America's premier movie gossip columnist. This first full-length biography of Parsons tells the story of her reign over Hollywood during the studio era, her lifelong alliance with her employer, William Randolf Hearst, and her complex and turbulent relationships with such noted stars, directors, and studio executives as Orson Welles, Joan Crawford, Louis B. Mayer, Ronald Reagan, and Frank Sinatra. Hardcover, 417 pp. $41.95.

regory Peck: A Charmed Life
Lynn Haney
Irreverent, candid, refreshingly honest, Lynn Haney's carefully researched biography not only charts the remarkable career of the star who took the Oscar for his memorable performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird but also plumbs Peck's frequently troubling complexity in his off-screen roles as husband, father, lover, and son. Hardcover, 475 pp. $36.50.

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Sean Penn: His Life and Times
Richard T. Kelly
Sean Penn is the authentic heir to Brando and De Niro -- the ultimate anti-Hollywood icon whose fearsome talents are tied to fiercely held convictions. Now, in this uniquely revealing biography, the Oscar-winning but famously press-wary star of Dead Man Walking, Sweet and Lowdown, and Mystic River, tells his own story, in the company of exclusive tales and insights from his closest friends, family and colleagues -- from Jack Nicholson to Dennis Hopper, Woody Allen to Christopher Walken, Bono to Susan Sarandon. Softcover, 484 pp. $21.00.

Letters to a Teacher
Sam Pickering
Letters to a Teacher is a welcome reminder that teaching is a joy and an art. In ten graceful yet conversational letters addressed to teachers of all types, Pickering shares compelling, funny, always elucidating anecdotes from a lifetime in the classrooms of schools and universities. Hardcover, 242 pp. $27.95.

Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon
Aram Goudsouzian
In films like Blackboard Jungle, The Defiant Ones, Lilies of the Field, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and several others, Sidney Poitier displayed a powerful sensitivity that captivated audiences. In the first full biography of the legendary actor, Aram Goudsouzian analyzes the life and career of Hollywood's only black leading man during the civil rights era, from his early childhood in the Bahamas to his 2002 Oscar for lifetime achievement. Hardcover, 480 pp. $49.50.

Elvis Presley: The Man, The Life, The Legend
Pamela Clarke Keogh
That voice, those eyes, that hair, the cars, the girls -- Elvis Presley revolutionized American pop culture when, at the age of twenty-one, he became the world's first modern superstar. This richly illustrated volume compellingly examines Elvis' life and style to reveal the generous, complex, spiritual man behind the pop culture icon. Hardcover, 263 pp. $49.95.

Vincent Price: The Art of Fear
Denis Meikle
This is the definitive chronicle of Vincent Price's career in the field he came to dominate. Vincent Price: The Art of Fear also features scores of rare and previously unpublished stills, and a complete filmography of Hollywood's velvet-voiced 'Merchant of Menace' in his genre appearances. Softcover, 240 pp. $42.50.

Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography
Victoria Price
Victoria Price's account of her father's life is full and candid; both his passionate and charismatic public persona and his conflicted inner life are treated with curiosity and understanding. $27.99.

The Pythons: The Autobiography by The Pythons
Monty Python
In 1969, an unscrupulous, untrustworthy and frankly slimy theatrical agent named Monty Python created his Flying Circus (itself a misnomer as no animals, clowns, high wire acts or trapezes were to be found). Now, for the first time, Monty tells the full story, admittiing using the voices of others -- Chapman, Cleese, Idle, Gilliam, Jones, and Palin -- to do so. At any rate, here it is, the full blockbusting story of Monty Python. Hardcover, 359 pp. $85.00. Audio CD $24.95.

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Last modified June 17, 2008 .
Please note that all prices are in Canadian dollars. All prices are subject to change without notice.