Arts & Literature
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Truly, Madly: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, and the Romance of the Century
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Through new research, including exclusive access to previously unpublished correspondence and interviews with their friends and family, author Stephen Galloway takes readers on a bewitching journey.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.
"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.
Editorial Reviews
"[W]ell rounded and entertaining. . . To the couple's tale of passion [Stephen Galloway] adds compassion, along with the requisite lashings of gossip. . . Galloway splices this material seamlessly with old interviews and enough new ones with those Of That Era, such as Korda and Hayley Mills, to inject some pep and freshness."―New York Times
"Galloway, the former executive editor of the Hollywood Reporter, lifts himself clear of previous chronicles, including Olivier's own self-lacerating memoirs, by supplementing firsthand accounts with retrospective diagnoses by experts like Kay Redfield Jamison and by tracing a genetic link to Leigh's great-uncle, housed in a Kolkata asylum for much the same symptoms. More lucidly than ever, we can see how, in the grip of her own brain chemistry, Leigh quite literally lost her mind."
―The Washington Post
"Between the tabloid intrigue and the Shakespearean end is a compelling portrait of two people trying their best."―Vanity Fair
"[Truly, Madly] is very much Leigh's story, told most poignantly as the book narrows its scope to chronicle her decline. . . Galloway juggles the complex story energetically. He's at his best when he takes a forensic approach to the relationship and to Leigh's struggles."―USA Today
"Gripping."―Wall Street Journal
"In this deeply researched dual biography, Stephen Galloway uncovers the story of how the two stars–among the most famous in the world in their time-came together, captivated the world, and were ultimately torn apart. It's a fascinating look at the dueling powers of dizzying fame and true love."―Town & Country
"[A] richly detailed account of the fiery ascent and demise of one of Hollywood's most glamorous couples. . . This page-turning biography is one to get swept up in."―Publishers Weekly
"[A] dishy narrative about the tumultuous marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. . . A good choice for lovers of theater and cinema-and for those who live for the drama."―Kirkus Reviews
"[Truly, Madly] will greatly appeal to cinema buffs, theater aficionados, and fans of the doomed lovebirds."―
"Galloway, the former executive editor of the Hollywood Reporter, lifts himself clear of previous chronicles, including Olivier's own self-lacerating memoirs, by supplementing firsthand accounts with retrospective diagnoses by experts like Kay Redfield Jamison and by tracing a genetic link to Leigh's great-uncle, housed in a Kolkata asylum for much the same symptoms. More lucidly than ever, we can see how, in the grip of her own brain chemistry, Leigh quite literally lost her mind."
―The Washington Post
"Between the tabloid intrigue and the Shakespearean end is a compelling portrait of two people trying their best."―Vanity Fair
"[Truly, Madly] is very much Leigh's story, told most poignantly as the book narrows its scope to chronicle her decline. . . Galloway juggles the complex story energetically. He's at his best when he takes a forensic approach to the relationship and to Leigh's struggles."―USA Today
"Gripping."―Wall Street Journal
"In this deeply researched dual biography, Stephen Galloway uncovers the story of how the two stars–among the most famous in the world in their time-came together, captivated the world, and were ultimately torn apart. It's a fascinating look at the dueling powers of dizzying fame and true love."―Town & Country
"[A] richly detailed account of the fiery ascent and demise of one of Hollywood's most glamorous couples. . . This page-turning biography is one to get swept up in."―Publishers Weekly
"[A] dishy narrative about the tumultuous marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. . . A good choice for lovers of theater and cinema-and for those who live for the drama."―Kirkus Reviews
"[Truly, Madly] will greatly appeal to cinema buffs, theater aficionados, and fans of the doomed lovebirds."―
Readers Top Reviews
ReginaElaine RatnerR
The author used lots of words that didn't need to be used. It was like he was trying to be confuse the reader. Half the time I didn't know who was talking change story telling mid paragraph. Too many other people are included that didn't need to be. Find a better biography on these two.
Timothy Haugh
As a rule, I am not deeply interested in books about the private lives of people I admire. The list of people I would even bother to read about is not particularly long. I am, however, a huge fan of Laurence Olivier. I have read his autobiography and a couple of other books about him. I am not a fan of Vivien Leigh, having never seen Gone with the Wind and having no desire to. (I believe I have only seen her in That Hamilton Woman with Olivier and A Streetcar Named Desire which is, of course, a great film.) Their relationship is well-known to have impacted the art and careers of both actors, however, and I was interested in what Mr. Galloway had to reveal. He clearly did his research, reading the sources and conducting interviews. There is a gossipy quality to the work which one expects when looking in at someone else’s relationship. I simply do not find stories of Ms. Leigh’s manic depression, drinking, and sleeping around any more interesting that I find Olivier’s sullenness, drinking, and sleeping around. The only really interesting thing I find in the story of their relationship is what we are reminded of about the mores of the day when they had to give up everything to be with each other, both having already married other people. Clearly, they must have loved each other deeply. What interest this book does have is in those moments when Mr. Galloway dives into the work. The descriptions of the making of Gone with the Wind and Streetcar are wonderful as well as the details on Olivier’s Henry V. I am also always reminded that, when I read about Olivier, so much of his work is gone forever since his best work happened on stage. I loved reading here about their stage work together, including their trip through Australia. I wished again that I had been alive at a time when I could have seen them on stage. There is no denying the fact that Leigh and Olivier were a couple that were deeply in love and who learned that they had no idea how to deal with each other. Understanding of mental illness was even poorer in their day than ours and Olivier did not deal well with Leigh’s, becoming distant and unhelpful. Leigh could not understand Olivier’s fears of/for her and his need to deepen his craft, though his distancing himself from her, cruel as it was, may have helped that process. The saddest part of their entire ordeal may have been that it had to play out in the public eye.
Teresa L. Wilson
Readers can feel the sparks these two historic talents gave off as the very definition of a passionate couple. Their glamor became a cage that kept them tied together forever. The revelations in this well-paced book about Vivien's ultimate bipolar diagnosis broke my heart. The letters they wrote to each other on the end of their marriage brought tears to my eyes. Such passion burns and sears everything around it. This is an exceptional book about love, really, how it empowers us and brings the greatest of rewards good and bad.
