Bette Davis Books

THis book examines the so-called fued between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. It follows the girls lives from childhood, to their acting careers, and to their battles with their grown children. It is extremely thorough Mr. Considine interviews numerous actors, families, and the lovers of both Davis and Crawford. If you are a Joan Crawford or Bette Davis fan, this is the book to get

Came across this 1985 book recently and was thrilled! WONDERFUL rare photographs (every page) of BETTE DAVIS not seen in any other book. Includes a rare photo of Davis and Joan Crawford chatting on the set of What Happened To Baby Jane before "the differences between these two stars and their innate sense of competition with each other led to a tense atmosphere on the set." Another shot has the two reading the script for Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte (Crawford fell ill and was replaced)-- a posed Crawford is all dressed up with flashy jewlery and a Pepsi, while Davis is all business studying the script in a simple outfit and hairdo. Bette considered herself an "actress" and Crawford a "star." Written before Ms Davis' death, the last page states that she had just recovered from a stroke. Even though the book ends with A Piano For Mrs Cimino, it still holds up against any other photo book on this classic actress. All kinds of amazing pictures and portraits. Now my favorite Bette Davis book!!!

Barbara Leaming has written an unbiased biography of a very complicated woman. There isn't any sensationalism just the facts gleaned from Davis's personal diaries, unpublished letters, friends, family, professional associates and even lovers.

Davis was one of the most powerful women in Hollywood and she used that power to destroy family, friends, other's and then herself. Her alcoholism fueled domestic violence, she loved picking violent fights with each of her four husbands. Of all the books on Bette Davis this is one that reached below the surface to find what drove Davis's need to control everything and everybody in her life. Vindictive, needy, self-centered and obsessive-compulsive, in Japan there's a saying "five faces, one heart", that was Bette Davis.

As a big Bette Davis fan, I looked forward to reading this biography of her, particularly as it had been written by an individual who had also been a film critic. I was not disappointed. This is a very well researched, extensive book of the life of Bette Davis, her relationships, and her body of work. The author takes the reader through her early beginnings in Lowell, Massachusetts to her last breath in Paris, France. It is evident that for the author this was a labor of love.

Given the author's own connection to the film world, as well as the fact that he, himself, is a big fan of Ms. Davis, much of his writing is peppered with interesting insider information. It is the culmination of an amazing forty three years of research. Being a member of the cognoscenti, the author provides a great deal of colorful background that fleshes out her life, grounding it in the context of the time in which she lived and developed as the great star that she eventually became. He does this through extensive interviews of the people who had played a role in her life, news clippings, film reviews, and his own interviews of Ms. Davis.

The author takes the reader through her relationships, many of which were rocky, with her family, her fellow actors, directors, writers, producers, and studio heads. The author discusses her marriages, of which there were a four, and her lovers. It is, however, when discussing her films, her highs and her lows, that the author's knowledge really comes to the forefront. Having seen most of the films of which he writes, I especially enjoyed and was totally fascinated by all the background information, skullduggery, and behind the scenes hoopla that went on in the making of these films. I will definitely go back and see some of these films again, as they are now couched in a new light.

This fascinating book is, without a doubt, the definitive biography of Bette Davis, warts and all. The author succeeds in painting a three dimensional portrait of a feisty, determined woman, who brooked no nonsense when it came to her craft, but who also had a softer side, wanting to love and be loved. This is a woman who asserted herself and refused to countenance anyone who would try to make her be something that she wasn't. While this may not have made her very popular with those who lived or worked with her, this quality shone through in her films, making her one of the most popular and enduring superstars of all time. Bette Davis eventually became more than the sum of her parts. She became a legend.

This is an excellent autobiography written by the lady herself. I never even knew this book existed until it was mentioned on TCM during a Bette Davis movie marathon in April. Published in 1962--it was written at least a year before her work on "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" so no mention is made of the film since the experience had yet to happen. But what you get in this book is a real sense of who Bette Davis was and how she became the great legend we all know & love. Her opinions, philosphies (rants?) on Hollywood, acting, actors, actresses, men and sex are worth the price of the book alone--which BTW was a real steal @ only $6!!! She makes no bones about her notorious ability to go on a film set & wreak havoc: "I do not regret one professional enemy I have made. Any actor who doesn't dare to make an enemy should get out of the business." Her strong bond with her self-sacrificing mother Ruthie is the central theme throughtout the book. Her relationships with the phycially abusive men in her life is the real tragedy here. The title "The Lonely Life" comes from her personal beleife that "One cannot rely on people. One has only ones work to sustain him at the end of the day". And at the end of the day, Bette had her work and what a body of work it was! If you are a Bette Davis fan and you have't read this book, you must get it.

As a big Bette Davis fan, I looked forward to reading this biography of her, particularly as it had been written by an individual who had also been a film critic. I was not disappointed. This is a very well researched, extensive book of the life of Bette Davis, her relationships, and her body of work. The author takes the reader through her early beginnings in Lowell, Massachusetts to her last breath in Paris, France. It is evident that for the author this was a labor of love.

Given the author's own connection to the film world, as well as the fact that he, himself, is a big fan of Ms. Davis, much of his writing is peppered with interesting insider information. It is the culmination of an amazing forty three years of research. Being a member of the cognoscenti, the author provides a great deal of colorful background that fleshes out her life, grounding it in the context of the time in which she lived and developed as the great star that she eventually became. He does this through extensive interviews of the people who had played a role in her life, news clippings, film reviews, and his own interviews of Ms. Davis.

The author takes the reader through her relationships, many of which were rocky, with her family, her fellow actors, directors, writers, producers, and studio heads. The author discusses her marriages, of which there were a four, and her lovers. It is, however, when discussing her films, her highs and her lows, that the author's knowledge really comes to the forefront. Having seen most of the films of which he writes, I especially enjoyed and was totally fascinated by all the background information, skullduggery, and behind the scenes hoopla that went on in the making of these films. I will definitely go back and see some of these films again, as they are now couched in a new light.

This fascinating book is, without a doubt, the definitive biography of Bette Davis, warts and all. The author succeeds in painting a three dimensional portrait of a feisty, determined woman, who brooked no nonsense when it came to her craft, but who also had a softer side, wanting to love and be loved. This is a woman who asserted herself and refused to countenance anyone who would try to make her be something that she wasn't. While this may not have made her very popular with those who lived or worked with her, this quality shone through in her films, making her one of the most popular and enduring superstars of all time. Bette Davis eventually became more than the sum of her parts. She became a legend.

This is the only bio I've read on Bette Davis so I can't compare it to any others.

Most of the book is about the 1930's and 1940's when Bette did many pictures under contract to Warner Bros. She was constantly making movies, most of them not particularly memorable. Her personal life is lived in and around her movie making schedule. There's a lot of details about the movies that I will enjoy rereading the next time I see the movie on tv and via a rental. Bette has a lot of affairs during this period of her life, many of which are men who are her directors, costars, etc. It doesn't matter that she is married to various others during this period as well.

Once she leaves Warner Bros., her career life is more varied and spread out as she has more control over it. The author also starts to spend more time on just Bette's personal life as a consequence.

This is a lengthy book that appears to be the result of a lot of research and pulling together a lot of resource material judging from the credits. There were a few times I got a bit impatient and bored but really only a tiny bit. Overall I recommend the book but you have to be interested in the subject.

The Davis that emerges at the end in retrospect is the culmination of all the stories and details the author has presented. I really think the author let others tell Bette's story including Bette herself as he used her own memoir as part of his source material along with many of her print/tv interviews.

I spent most of the time in the back of my mind as I read the book wondering if I could've been a friend of hers as she is really tough on people - at times loyal and at other times rude and angry and very unpredictable.

One of the aspects of the book I really liked was detailing her mannerisms and how she used body language to add nuance and meaning to her acting. Much of this knowledge is tied to specific movies and I am interested to rewatch certain films now because of this.

There's really too much in this book to go into without making this review excessively long. Other reviewers have said a lot already. If you enjoy reading about complex people, want to know more about Bette Davis specifically, want to better appreciate her talent and be able to enjoy her movies based on knowing more of the backstories, this is definitely the book to do it.

I read the Kindle version of the book and need to warn that none of the illustrations are included. The cover page is some generic design so you don't even get the head shot shown on Amazon. There is also a subject index at the back of the book that is inactive - there's no page numbers listed even.

Although I enjoyed the book, there was little new material presented. I read "The Lonely Life" many years ago and found that Mr. Sikov used this autobiography frequently as a resource. [He rightly referenced this throughout his book.] I consider many of Ed Sikov's statements and opinions questionable and uninformed. For example, he dismisses Eddie Cantor as "hard-to-take" with stale comedy routines. Some of this documents the way Mr. Cantor is intentionally presented on film but other negative statements appear to be opinions of Sikov. I have a different opinion. I've seen many Cantor musicals from the early 1930s and find him quite funny and very talented. This too, is a personal opinion but, in contrast, clearly cited as such as opposed to being presented as a universally accepted fact.

Another and more troubling instance involves the photograph Mr. Sikov uses to illustrate the physical beauty of Bette Davis despite the many opinions to the contrary stated and implied throughout her career. I agree that Bette Davis was beautiful but, unfortunately, I do not believe the photo of the lovely woman at a window used by Sikov is an image of Bette Davis. It may well be an early portrait of Patricia Neal.

The issues I've raised may be of minor importance but they caused me to question the veracity of other assertions in the book. All in all, though, an enjoyable read!

Ed Sikov's masterful biography accomplishes something I thought to be nearly impossible; it is a book that is as entertaining as the legend it captures so beautifully. Cinema buffs will love the way he disects and analyzes her movies ( minor complaint, I would have liked to have seen more deconstruction of the performances in Now Voyager ). I've read the odd criticism here and there that he spends too much time on the movies themselves at the cost of details regarding the actress, but that criticism falls flat, in that the subtle point being made is that Miss Davis, to a large extent, WAS the movies she made. It is also to the author's credit that he takes to task previous biographers at certain points, as well as those contemporaries who were unfair in certain criticisms of the actress.

Where Sikov really triumphs is in allowing his marvelous...no FABULOUS! sense of humor to scream through on nearly every page. This is an author I want to have dinner with!

A great read, a thorough biography, and a book that captures the texture of the one and only Miss D.

Fasten your seatbelts. Every thing about Bette Davis was bumpy and Dark Victory is the best bio about her yet.

"Dark Victory" is not only another biography about Bette Davis, but also a culmination of previous biographical work on the cinema star. Sikov filters the pre-existing material, looking for consistency then uses this, as well as hundreds of items from the Davis archives, as a basis for the chronology used in his work.

The chronicling of Davis' reign at Warner Brothers is the highlight of the book, although more information about her relationships with and observations of other stars might have made this a more interesting work. Instead, Sikov focuses on proving that the stereotype of Davis as a driven indomitable actress is absolutely true. Although this seems a natural angle, it flatly leads the reader to this conclusion by tireless psychiatric observations (of Davis, her mother, or especially her father) through the narrative, rather than allowing this revelation to discreetly prove true through example.

There are very few photos used in this book. Instead "famous shots" of the actress referred to in the text are described, rather than provided.

Another bothersome element in the text is the scattered non-sequitur-like celebration of gays in cinema (either stars or crew). Though this is a fascinating area of study, it seems well out of place in a Davis biography, given that this particular actress did not have homosexual tendencies, unlike her peers Crawford or Hepburn. It also seems strange that, in the mentioning of Davis as a pop-culture icon, that no mention of her importance to women occurs. However, it is well-known that Davis brought a new dimension to female roles by not portraying the sex goddess or ingenue, but instead the independent head-strong woman - which only served as a precursor to the more raw, gritty depictions of women in the 50's and 60's.

I have enjoyed this biography, and can say it is a good read. Its flip chatty tone keeps the text moving. However, it isn't exactly the glorious rendition parlayed by other reviewers, and it left me wanting to know more, rather that feeling sated with information about the great star, as well as tired of reading dissections of Davis' perceived neuroses.

This is the only bio I've read on Bette Davis so I can't compare it to any others.

Most of the book is about the 1930's and 1940's when Bette did many pictures under contract to Warner Bros. She was constantly making movies, most of them not particularly memorable. Her personal life is lived in and around her movie making schedule. There's a lot of details about the movies that I will enjoy rereading the next time I see the movie on tv and via a rental. Bette has a lot of affairs during this period of her life, many of which are men who are her directors, costars, etc. It doesn't matter that she is married to various others during this period as well.

Once she leaves Warner Bros., her career life is more varied and spread out as she has more control over it. The author also starts to spend more time on just Bette's personal life as a consequence.

This is a lengthy book that appears to be the result of a lot of research and pulling together a lot of resource material judging from the credits. There were a few times I got a bit impatient and bored but really only a tiny bit. Overall I recommend the book but you have to be interested in the subject.

The Davis that emerges at the end in retrospect is the culmination of all the stories and details the author has presented. I really think the author let others tell Bette's story including Bette herself as he used her own memoir as part of his source material along with many of her print/tv interviews.

I spent most of the time in the back of my mind as I read the book wondering if I could've been a friend of hers as she is really tough on people - at times loyal and at other times rude and angry and very unpredictable.

One of the aspects of the book I really liked was detailing her mannerisms and how she used body language to add nuance and meaning to her acting. Much of this knowledge is tied to specific movies and I am interested to rewatch certain films now because of this.

There's really too much in this book to go into without making this review excessively long. Other reviewers have said a lot already. If you enjoy reading about complex people, want to know more about Bette Davis specifically, want to better appreciate her talent and be able to enjoy her movies based on knowing more of the backstories, this is definitely the book to do it.

I read the Kindle version of the book and need to warn that none of the illustrations are included. The cover page is some generic design so you don't even get the head shot shown on Amazon. There is also a subject index at the back of the book that is inactive - there's no page numbers listed even.

Although I enjoyed the book, there was little new material presented. I read "The Lonely Life" many years ago and found that Mr. Sikov used this autobiography frequently as a resource. [He rightly referenced this throughout his book.] I consider many of Ed Sikov's statements and opinions questionable and uninformed. For example, he dismisses Eddie Cantor as "hard-to-take" with stale comedy routines. Some of this documents the way Mr. Cantor is intentionally presented on film but other negative statements appear to be opinions of Sikov. I have a different opinion. I've seen many Cantor musicals from the early 1930s and find him quite funny and very talented. This too, is a personal opinion but, in contrast, clearly cited as such as opposed to being presented as a universally accepted fact.

Another and more troubling instance involves the photograph Mr. Sikov uses to illustrate the physical beauty of Bette Davis despite the many opinions to the contrary stated and implied throughout her career. I agree that Bette Davis was beautiful but, unfortunately, I do not believe the photo of the lovely woman at a window used by Sikov is an image of Bette Davis. It may well be an early portrait of Patricia Neal.

The issues I've raised may be of minor importance but they caused me to question the veracity of other assertions in the book. All in all, though, an enjoyable read!

Ed Sikov's masterful biography accomplishes something I thought to be nearly impossible; it is a book that is as entertaining as the legend it captures so beautifully. Cinema buffs will love the way he disects and analyzes her movies ( minor complaint, I would have liked to have seen more deconstruction of the performances in Now Voyager ). I've read the odd criticism here and there that he spends too much time on the movies themselves at the cost of details regarding the actress, but that criticism falls flat, in that the subtle point being made is that Miss Davis, to a large extent, WAS the movies she made. It is also to the author's credit that he takes to task previous biographers at certain points, as well as those contemporaries who were unfair in certain criticisms of the actress.

Where Sikov really triumphs is in allowing his marvelous...no FABULOUS! sense of humor to scream through on nearly every page. This is an author I want to have dinner with!

A great read, a thorough biography, and a book that captures the texture of the one and only Miss D.

Fasten your seatbelts. Every thing about Bette Davis was bumpy and Dark Victory is the best bio about her yet.

"Dark Victory" is not only another biography about Bette Davis, but also a culmination of previous biographical work on the cinema star. Sikov filters the pre-existing material, looking for consistency then uses this, as well as hundreds of items from the Davis archives, as a basis for the chronology used in his work.

The chronicling of Davis' reign at Warner Brothers is the highlight of the book, although more information about her relationships with and observations of other stars might have made this a more interesting work. Instead, Sikov focuses on proving that the stereotype of Davis as a driven indomitable actress is absolutely true. Although this seems a natural angle, it flatly leads the reader to this conclusion by tireless psychiatric observations (of Davis, her mother, or especially her father) through the narrative, rather than allowing this revelation to discreetly prove true through example.

There are very few photos used in this book. Instead "famous shots" of the actress referred to in the text are described, rather than provided.

Another bothersome element in the text is the scattered non-sequitur-like celebration of gays in cinema (either stars or crew). Though this is a fascinating area of study, it seems well out of place in a Davis biography, given that this particular actress did not have homosexual tendencies, unlike her peers Crawford or Hepburn. It also seems strange that, in the mentioning of Davis as a pop-culture icon, that no mention of her importance to women occurs. However, it is well-known that Davis brought a new dimension to female roles by not portraying the sex goddess or ingenue, but instead the independent head-strong woman - which only served as a precursor to the more raw, gritty depictions of women in the 50's and 60's.

I have enjoyed this biography, and can say it is a good read. Its flip chatty tone keeps the text moving. However, it isn't exactly the glorious rendition parlayed by other reviewers, and it left me wanting to know more, rather that feeling sated with information about the great star, as well as tired of reading dissections of Davis' perceived neuroses.

The relevant history of the Middle East spans several thousand years. This book tries to cover that entire history in about 370 pages. This is a daunting task, but the author pulls this off reasonably well.

This book is written in the standard Dummies format. If you have read any of the other the other books in the Dummies series, then you already know that the Dummies books usually contain humor mixed with the main subject matter. As this book was published in the context of the post-9/11 world and the U.S. invasion of Iraq, humor is a tall order. Once again, the author succeeds admirably. There are a few tongue-in-cheek remarks, but not too many.

The coverage of the ancient Middle East is limited. This was probably necessary because of space limitations. Nevertheless, you will finish this book with at least a basic idea of who the ancient Egyptians, the Babylonians, and the Sumerians (etc., etc.) were. Here the Middle East for Dummies provides a good foundation for further reading of a more in-depth text, like "Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization" ISBN 0226631877 by Oppenheim. (I highly recommend this book if you want to take a deep dive into the ancient Middle East.)

The birth of Islam, the original Islamic conquests, and the Crusades are rolled into a chapter entitled "The Medieval Middle East." This chapter may disappoint some readers, not through any fault of the author, but because there is so much compressed into one chapter. The Crusades are a topic that most readers will probably want to read about in-depth, but they are covered in only two pages. (Consider Karen Armstrong's "Holy War" ISBN: 0385721404 for a detailed though somewhat politically correct account of the Crusades.)

The book succeeds in giving a succinct portrait of each of the major countries in the modern Middle East, and the history that shaped each country since the early twentieth century. The chapters on the modern Middle East include descriptions of the major wars in the region.

One of the most useful sections of the book is Chapter 25 (Ten Key Militant Groups). Here you get the history not only of Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah, but also lesser known groups that are active in Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey.

Davis also includes short descriptions of the multiple religious sects in the Middle East (not just the Shias and the Sunnis, but also the Copts, the Jacobites, and the various permutations of Judaism.)

If you are new to the history of the Middle East, this is not a bad place to start.

Review by Edward Trimnell, author of "Understanding the Middle East: History, Religion, and the Clash of Cultures" (ISBN: 0974833061)

This is a great book to get your feet wet. It introdues this historical characters both current players and past. Given this context it is a great spring board for other texts into researching the Middle East and interesting religious, cultural and political concepts in the Middle East.

If I were to add anything to the reviews here a really well devleoped bibliography would have been helpful. That's almost alays a great further reading sections that empowers the reader to dive into what ever particular subject material is of interest to them.

I have been doing a lot of Middle East Research and often find this a great place to start when looking into something as a resource. It was a very fast and easy read. If you're deploying to the Middle East for a military operation and want some insight and understanding into the culture, the clanish mentality of the tribes there, buy this book. It will be very helpful.

The Middle East for Dummies gives a fairly even-handed overview of the Middle East region - its people, history, traditions as well as political and religious conflicts. The writer has actually travelled to the region and spent time with many ordinary people there. Reading this book really made me think about the fact that people are just people everywhere. I learned a lot about the diversity of cultures and people within the Middle East and got a solid understanding of how the political conflict in the region developed. The writer gives both sides of the story, which is really refreshing for such a charged up subject. If you want to really learn something, this is a great book. I'd also beware of other reviewers here; look at their profiles and see how biased they are. I normally don't write reviews, but when I saw the quality of reviews on books on this subject, I really felt I should write something.

The book was just what I was looking for.It covered a wide range in simple terms and was easy to use.

I bought this book as sort of a starting point to read other books about the current Middle East mess, and found it to be quite informative; provides a number of maps and pictures to show the layout of the region's past, and brings the reader up to date (though it's ever-changing) on the turmoil going on there now. The Middle East for Dummies, however, is not just Bullets Over Baghdad; it contains information about it's colorful culture throughout the years, and serves well as a reference guide, whether, as other posts state, it is biased or not.

I read one reviewer saying what a bad read this was and I just can't believe he/she would?!?!?!?!?! I have read this book 3 times and I think it gets better each time. I have also seen the play twice and enjoyed it both times. I have lent the book out to about 6 people and they all enjoyed it too. Its one of those books you don't have to really think about it. Its humourous airy fun..........its no Shakespeare, but just a damn good time. Bravo to Miss Elizabeth Fuller for allowing us into her time with Bette Davis. I know if I had this legendary star with me for a month I would have written something too. Its the only true way you really learn about the real person beneath the star facade.

The reviews on this site called the book "a hoot." I hate that geriatric expression. I should have known better. This story would have made an excellent magazine article or a Golden Girls episode but there just isn't enough here for a book. Bette Davis spews some funny lines here and there but Fuller is no writer and not even an interesting character. In fact, she's really out there. I'm sure Ms. Davis thought she was a total nutcase. I also can't believe that Fuller had the audacity to take this even further and perform it on the New York stage - playing herself no less! In a way, I think it's quite sad because Ms. Davis was heartsick at the time for her daughter's scathing, tell-all book. I'm sure she never dreamed that a country bumpkin like Fuller would also capitalize from her name years later.

Still, as we learn in the book, Fuller is all about believing in communications with the otherworld. If that's true, I'm sure Ms. Davis has already made contact, hopefully depositing a couple of choice words and a poltergeist-ish bop to Fuller's noggin. Her dull-as-dirt husband or one of those hayseed handymen should have knocked some sense into this woman the minute she mentioned picking up a pen.

You should defintly get this book! Its a lot of fun it shows Bette is witty and of course bitchy! lol Its great fun and well worth it. I could see her saying "brother or christ" definitly get this book its a lot of fun!

Who could ever be ready to have Bette Davis, in the flesh, come and stay in our own home? What was supposed to be a few days turns into months for our admirable author, who tries to the best of her ability to do the impossible - please Ms. Davis.

Ms. Fuller lives many of our dreams come true when she takes on what turns to be an arduous task. It doesn't take long for the movie queen to wear out her welcome. Though Bette keeps Ms. Fuller hopping, the end result is a beautiful book of an inside day to day look at one of our most beloved stars. Davis fans should love it.

This is a delightfully funny little book in which author/psychic Elizabeth Fuller shares her experiences with her legendary house guest - Bette Davis, who stayed with Fuller and her husband and small son for a month! Amusing episodes include Liz taking Bette to McDonald's (she promised her son a visit) and the attention Davis attracted. Bette and the author watched JEZEBEL together one evening as it aired on the telly. I liked the book because it gives us insight into the real Bette Davis, who could be very child-like and just as vulnerable as anyone. Well worth reading!