One hundred years after her birth, Vivien Leigh continues to fascinate. This beautiful, intelligent and well-bred girl became one of the world's best actresses. She won New York Film Critics Circle Awards, a Bafta, a Volpi, a Tony, the Etoile Crystal and bagged two Oscars. Her life was composed of such great accomplishments but also of tiny moments. This book is one for the more ardent admirers of Miss Leigh, as the author includes little details that aren't in other biographies. Vivien was sociable so many pages concern parties and people she met. When one guest drove the youthful Vivien home, the actress entertained their passengers by singing the latest American songs. Her daughter favoured a British one, Underneath the Arches. Readers will learn about the shows that Vivien attended and performed. Some of these were for one night, and have been forgotten. Vivien made an appearance as Rose Trelawny in Pinero's Trelawny of the Wells at the Royal Albert Hall, and she recited love poems by Robert Browning for the radio. There is much coverage of her theatrical tours where she participated in local events such as a Newcastle charity auction and a Scottish X-ray campaign. This book goes behind the scenes on Vivien's movies. There were dog-themed gifts at one wrap party. She formed the right connections which helped her career. In the 1930s, Vivien was contracted to Korda's British state-of-the-art movie studio which hosted Hollywood visitors who worked with David Selznick in America. In 1938, Vivien made a British film for Charles Laughton and Erich Pommer's production company. They wanted a hit so Laughton toured Britain to preview the piece, and Pommer made sure it was seen by the right people in America before it was released. This was beneficial to Vivien, and brought her closer to the Scarlett role. This biography gives more daily detail about the making of Gone With the Wind than any other. It attempts to follow the progress of Selznick and some of her co-stars. Vivien was used to mixing with Lords and Ladies so she was not dazzled by Hollywood. She did not relish the marmalade served to her there, with her bacon and eggs. The author has had rare access to vintage newspapers to provide more context and contemporary comments on Vivien's activities which are seen from different people's viewpoints. Her life was a mixture of the provincial and the public. She mixed with Prime Ministers and princesses but was not grandiose. Vivien spent her 44th birthday visiting a Scottish art gallery and she was not above opening a local fete. Vivien captured the heart of Laurence Olivier. They were observed by journalists in the 1930s talking at the Vic-Wells Fancy Dress Coronation Ball, at Oswald Mosley's house and eating breakfast after an all-night rehearsal of Hamlet. The pair also holidayed together. (Celia Johnson replaced Vivien in The Doctor's Dilemma so they could go away.) Vivien suffered from comparisons to the acclaimed Olivier. Her beauty deterred people from appreciating her artistry which was often achieved against the odds. The pair had ten good years and ten bad, amidst Vivien's poor health. (In the 1950s, one newspaper had a fund which sent girls with TB to Switzerland for treatment.) Vivien's tuberculosis was a curse on her life, while her mental illness carried more of a stigma. (This book does not offer a deep analysis of bi-polar nor does it promise to reveal the inner woman.) Vivien valued the devotion of her fans and friends. She mixed with all kinds of people and wanted to experience everything. Vivien crammed a lot of living into her life. She will never be forgotten. (Readers will get more from this 590-page book if they are familiar with the big names of the 20th century. It is written in chronological order and sources are contained within the text. There are no invented conversations nor photos. It is single spaced, in British English and not done by AI.)