Truly, Madly

Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, and the Romance of the Century

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Pub Date 22 Mar 2022 | Archive Date 22 Apr 2022

Description

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST

A New York Times Bestseller

"A "well rounded and entertaining" (New York Times) Hollywood biography about the passionate, turbulent marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.


In 1934, a friend brought fledgling actress Vivien Leigh to see Theatre Royal, where she would first lay eyes on Laurence Olivier in his brilliant performance as Anthony Cavendish. That night, she confided to a friend, he was the man she was going to marry. There was just one problem: she was already married—and so was he.

TRULY, MADLY is the biography of a marriage, a love affair that still captivates millions, even decades after both actors' deaths. Vivien and Larry were two of the first truly global celebrities – their fame fueled by the explosive growth of tabloids and television, which helped and hurt them in equal measure. They seemed to have it all and yet, in their own minds, they were doomed, blighted by her long-undiagnosed mental-illness, which transformed their relationship from the stuff of dreams into a living nightmare.

Through new research, including exclusive access to previously unpublished correspondence and interviews with their friends and family, author Stephen Galloway takes readers on a bewitching journey. He brilliantly studies their tempestuous liaison, one that took place against the backdrop of two world wars, the Golden Age of Hollywood and the upheavals of the 1960s — as they struggled with love, loss and the ultimate agony of their parting.  
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST

A New York Times Bestseller

"A "well rounded and entertaining" (New York Times) Hollywood biography about the passionate, turbulent marriage of...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781538731970
PRICE $30.00 (USD)
PAGES 400

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Average rating from 28 members


Featured Reviews

Truly, Madly is an impressively researched memoir that peeled back the glamour around two of acting's iconic figures, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. This book exposed the all-encompassing love that overtook both of their lives and provided them with so much happiness. It also delivers a clear portrayal of what life was like out of the public eye and how their love for each other was ultimately not enough. Childhood trauma, jealousy, drinking, pride, mistrust, mental health, and more go into the surreal story of their lives. The book is full of quotes from friends and colleagues who knew the couple, which added to the depth of the narration. We learn of the backstage happenings during some of the biggest films of that time such as Gone With the Wind. I found this book engrossing and would recommend it to those who enjoy memoirs.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with the arc.

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