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Truly, Madly: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, and the Romance of the Century Hardcover – March 22, 2022

by Stephen Galloway (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,476 ratings
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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Through new research, including exclusive access to previously unpublished correspondence and interviews with their friends and family, author Stephen Galloway takes readers on a bewitching journey.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.


 

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    416 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grand Central Publishing
  4. Publication date
    March 22, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.5 x 9.38 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1538731975
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1538731970
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Truly, Madly, Stephen Galloway, Rich & Famous Biographies, Performing Arts

Truly, Madly, Stephen Galloway, Rich & Famous Biographies, Performing Arts

Truly, Madly, Stephen Galloway, Rich & Famous Biographies, Performing Arts

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[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."―Library Journal

"A haunting, irresistible read."―People Magazine

"Galloway traces the legends’ epic 20- year love story from its smoldering start to its bittersweet finish."―Closer

“Stephen Galloway’s irresistible narrative begins with a brazen act of incendiary passion between two of the world’s most brilliant actors. But their love story turns self-destructive, faithless, and vengeful as Leigh descends into a madness that Olivier is powerless to prevent. As they turn on each other, Galloway captures with clear-eyed compassion all of the anguish of two beautiful people stripped of hope and pretense.”―GLENN FRANKEL, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Shooting Midnight Cowboy: Art, Sex, Loneliness, Liberation, and the Making of a Dark Classic

“A  juicy show-business story like this demands a skilled storyteller and scrupulous researcher. Stephen Galloway is both of those things, which is why his book is so valuable.”―LEONARD MALTIN, film critic and historian, author of Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide

“This is a wonderful read with elegant prose and eloquent dish. Stephen Galloway has for many years been one of the foremost chroniclers of the American film industry. Here, he draws back the curtain on the passionate, complicated relationship between two of its most beloved stars, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, a dream pairing that turned into a nightmare.”―WILLIAM FRIEDKIN, Oscar-winning director of The French Connection and The Exorcist

“One of the classic real-life movie star love stories, deeply romantic and inescapably tragic, is brought to vivid life in Stephen Galloway’s engrossing book. Thoroughly researched and engagingly written, it pulls us into the maelstrom and shows us the truth.”―KENNETH TURAN, NPR film critic

“Galloway is a gifted storyteller, whose eye for the tiny details that reveal raw human emotion and struggle is extraordinary.”―JANICE MIN, Contributing Editor, TIME

"[S]teamy and spellbinding. . . Truly, Madly is full of dish, glam and eccentricities. . . [A] fab read. Warning: have a handkerchief in hand."

 ―Los Angeles Blade

About the Author

Stephen Galloway is the dean of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Prior to joining Chapman in 2020, he was for many years the executive editor of The Hollywood Reporter.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; First Edition (March 22, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1538731975
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1538731970
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.54 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,476 ratings

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Stephen Galloway

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
1,476 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

johnkenrick
5.0 out of 5 stars Great dual biography
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
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An engrossing look at one of the most celebrated romances of the 20th century. Both Olivier and Leigh are examined with honesty, fascination, and a refreshing degree of empathy. I've read excellent individual bios of both stars, and yet I found a good deal of fresh detail here. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this and recommend it highly!
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DEWEY M.
4.0 out of 5 stars "TRULY.... TURBULENT, TOXIC, HEART-WRENCHING, ABSORBING AND EXHAUSTING"
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2023
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Author Stephen Galloway brings us right into the middle of the turbulent and ultimately toxic relationship of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier in his sharp and stark biography "Truly, Madly." The book is an absorbing, but extremely unpleasant and exhausting, read as their private lives were nightmarish, to put it mildly.
Both Larry and Vivien abandoned their spouses and children for each other. Surprisingly, (or maybe not so surprisingly after all), Vivien maintained a life-long friendship with her abandoned husband, Leigh Holman, who had custody of their daughter Suzanne. Vivien wrote frequent letters to Leigh, full of news, concern, and genuine friendship. Vivien, apparently, was beyond bewitching. Tarquin Olivier, Larry's son with wife Jill Esmond, developed a closer bond with Vivien than he ever did with his dad Sir Laurence.
Vivien and Larry were neither heartless or callous, suffering much guilt sacrificing everything for each other. Eventually, they would suffer more than either one of them could imagine.
Quickly capturing instant Hollywood fame in "Wuthering Heights" and "Rebecca" (in which he hoped he would, but did not, co-star with Vivien), Olivier had disdain for films, until he discovered that films were the ideal medium for adapting Shakespeare. So, Larry had his Oscars for "Richard III", "Hamlet" and "Henry V".
Vivien, of course, provided the essential spark that kept "Gone With The Wind" ablaze. Afterwards, she treated "GWTW" with an understandably cool indifference. Vivien actually shines more in her follow-up film "Waterloo Bridge". At last together again on stage, Larry and Vivien flopped in "Romeo And Juliet." They quickly made the war-time "propaganda" film "That Hamilton Woman" before returning to England.
Their romance turned to rancor and violence as they were undone by Vivien's undiagnosed bipolar disorder. In a cruel irony, their lives resembled the epic, Shakespearean tragedies that Olivier became so famous for. Galloway mentions that Oliver's sister Sybille also suffered from the same disorder as Vivien.
Galloway consulted with psychiatrists and psychologists to provide a thorough and current understanding of bipolar disorder. Many of Vivien's "friends" did not have such an "understanding"; thinking she was merely "behaving badly." Noel Coward, for instance, displayed a shocking insensitivity towards her illness in his diaries; never realizing that she was battling with a horrifying condition beyond her control.
But, when Vivien and Olivier were living and suffering with it, "bipolar disorder" did not have a name, and how can you identify something that does not have a name? You can not, of course, and therein lies the great tragedy of "Truly, Madly."
You will never be able to watch Vivien's Academy Award-winning performance in "A Streetcar Named Desire" the same way again after reading "Truly, Madly." A perceptive Marlon Brando found Vivien, like Blanche DuBois, frayed around the edges and increasingly out of touch with reality. Vivien was not "acting" Blanche's traumas; she was living them. And, just two years after "Streetcar", following a disastrous affair with Peter Finch and a full psychotic break from reality, Vivien, like Blanche, was in an asylum; receiving electro-shock "therapy."
By the end of the 1950's, Olivier, in survival mode, opted out for a more tranquil and calm, if decidedly less passionate, marriage to Joan Plowright. Thankfully, Galloway spends very little time on Olivier's relationship with Plowright... but there is this interesting tidbit. At age 77, Olivier quipped to a friend, "Joan expected me to die at 70, but I didn't." Olivier did outlive Vivien by twenty-two years. Vivien lived on "the edge of mania" until her death from tuberculosis in 1967.
Ultimately, "Truly, Madly" is the saddest, most heart-wrenching "celebrity biography" I have ever read.
13 people found this helpful
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Book Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Two interesting, gifted, self-absorbed people
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2022
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This is a well researched and well written book about Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. It's engaging, kept my interest throughout. If you like biographies of movie stars from the 30s, 40s, 50s, it's a must. Anyone who likes biographies of talented creatives would likely enjoy it.

Leigh and Olivier had different personalities but so many similarities. Each was ambitious and talented. Her focus was firmly on herself, his was on himself. Both left a spouse and a child when their Grand Passion took over.

After reading the book, I definitely don't think the marriage would've lasted even without the huge problem of her manic depression. They didn't share their lives. More like they moved on parallel paths with occasional togetherness, especially if other celebrities and cameras were around.

Her manic depression was a tragedy for her acting life, her private life, the marriage, her family. I'm sure her daughter was affected to a degree, but thankfully she was insulated from a lot because her father, Leigh's first husband, raised her.

Not sure how likeable Leigh and Olivier were, but they they lived the drama. Makes for an interesting book.
10 people found this helpful
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Diana GG
3.0 out of 5 stars Nothing new, but entertaining nonetheless
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2022
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If you have read or watched other biographies on either of the actors, you’ll be disappointed by no new reveals except for the numerous affairs/ lovers each of them had.
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Richard L. Willett
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly, Madly: Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
Literally zipped through this fine autobiography of the romance, marriage and relationship of these fine actors. The book is a fast read yet contains a plethora of facts, dirt and insight of the lives of Lord and Lady Olivier.
The book is very well written and contains insight to Leigh’s struggle with being bipolar, a disease which had no real diagnosis at the time.
The reader wishes there had been more in depth discussion of the plays and films both actors participated in; however the tidbits supplied are good, solid and often contains insights not previously known by the reader.
The author supplies little information of Olivier’s life with Joan Plowright, and the ending seems rushed after the demise of Leigh giving scarce information and insight of Olivier’s life and the effects of Leigh’s passing on the roughly 30 years Olivier lives after Leigh’s untimely demise.
There is a small smattering of photos, but nothing of substance which is new to the average reader.
If I had to rate the book, I would give it a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. This reader wanted more depth and detail.
20 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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DANIELE RODRIGUES DE MOURA
5.0 out of 5 stars O Romance do Século!!!
Reviewed in Brazil on December 21, 2023
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 Livro de bolso, super leve e prático pra carregar na bolsa!! Produto chegou super rápido!!!
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SK
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and informative book, with great insights and depth
Reviewed in Canada on September 5, 2022
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As someone who has been a long time fan of Vivian’s and Gone with the Wind and the golden era of Hollywood and film history in general, I was super excited to read this book and gain some insight into her personal life, before stardom, her marriages and her theater experience and also her personal struggles. I was very very sad when I finished this book because I could have continued reading it forever! I learnt a lot about both Laurence and Vivian- things I did not know previously. I did feel that the author, for some strange reason, hurried or glossed over her death and did not offer much analysis on what happened. I also would have liked more information on her relationship, before her death. What a tragic loss for humanity, for film and theater and for her friends and family. I also appreciated the information on Laurence’s marriage to Joan, but also felt the author could have included more analysis and more detail there too. I would highly recommend this book, and it was clear, well written and very, very entertaining.
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Barry Walsh
5.0 out of 5 stars Vivling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2024
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I am still reading this book and enjoying every page. It is extremely well written and researched.
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Produit conforme vite livré 👍Juste une petite remarque le livreur mal élevé et désagréable mais ce n’est pas de votre faute c’est Chronopost !!!
5.0 out of 5 stars RAS très bien
Reviewed in France on April 9, 2024
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Très belle biographie mais il faut bien pratiquer l’anglais ou être bilingue
Sinon c’est 👍
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Arabella
5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr interessante und gutgeschriebene Biographie
Reviewed in Germany on March 21, 2024
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Wer sich für Vivien Leigh und Larry Olivier interessiert und darüber hinaus amüsante Schilderungen der Film- und Theaterszene der 40/50er Jahre mag- ist hier bestens unterhalten:) Im Mittelpunkt steht das Traumpaar Vivien und Larry, das alles hatte und sich doch verlor…Sehr empfehlenswert!
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