Includes filmography (pages 517-533).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"For more than six decades Elizabeth Taylor has been a part of our lives. Now acclaimed biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli looks past the tabloid version of Elizabeth's life and offers the first-ever fully realized portrait of this American icon. You'll meet her controlling mother who plotted her daughter's success from birth ... see the qualities that catapulted Elizabeth to stardom in 1940s Hollywood ... understand the psychological and emotional underpinnings behind the eight marriages ... and, finally, rejoice in Elizabeth's most bravura performance of all: the new success in family, friendships, and philanthropy she achieved despite substance abuse and chronic illness. It's the story of the woman you thought you knew--and now can finally understand."--Publisher's website.

A portrait of Oscar award-winning actress Elizabeth Taylor examines her struggles with drugs and alcohol in the 1960s and 1970s, her philanthropic work as an AIDS activist, and her successes as a businesswoman.