Gods and Kings
The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $21.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Elizabeth Sastre
-
By:
-
Dana Thomas
About this listen
In February 2011 John Galliano, the lauded head of Christian Dior, imploded with a drunken, anti-Semitic public tirade. Exactly a year earlier, celebrated designer Alexander McQueen took his own life three weeks before his women's wear show. Both were casualties of the war between art and commerce that has raged within fashion for the last two decades.
In the mid-1990s, Galliano and McQueen arrived on the fashion scene when the business was in an artistic and economic rut. They shook the establishment out of its bourgeois, minimalist stupor with daring, sexy designs and theatrical fashion shows. They had similar backgrounds: sensitive, shy gay men raised in tough London neighborhoods, their love of fashion nurtured by their doting mothers. By 1997 both had landed jobs as creative directors for couture houses owned by French tycoon Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH.
Galliano's and McQueen's work not only influenced fashion; their distinct styles were reflected across the media landscape. With their help luxury fashion evolved from a clutch of small, family-owned businesses into a $280 billion-a-year global corporate industry. Executives pushed the designers to meet increasingly rapid deadlines. For both Galliano and McQueen, the pace was unsustainable.
The same week that Galliano was fired, Forbes named Arnault the fourth richest man in the world. Two months later, in the wake of McQueen's death, Kate Middleton wore a McQueen wedding gown, instantly making the house the world's most famous fashion brand, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened a wildly successful McQueen retrospective, cosponsored by the corporate owners of the McQueen brand. The corporations had won, and the artists had lost.
In her groundbreaking work Gods and Kings, acclaimed journalist Dana Thomas tells the true story of McQueen and Galliano. In so doing she reveals the relentless world of couture.
©2015 Dana Thomas (P)2015 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin
- By: Andrew Wilson
- Narrated by: Piers Hampton
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
McQueen had risen from humble beginnings as the youngest child of an East London taxi driver to scale the heights of fame, fortune and glamour. He designed clothes for the world's most beautiful women, including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. In business he created a multimillion-pound luxury brand that became a favourite with both celebrities and royalty, most famously the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore a McQueen dress on her wedding day. But behind the confident facade and bad-boy image lay a sensitive soul who struggled to survive in the ruthless world of fashion.
-
-
Earnest and Voyeuristic
- By anna on 01-21-21
By: Andrew Wilson
-
The Beautiful Fall
- Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris
- By: Alicia Drake
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1970s, Paris fashion exploded like a champagne bottle left out in the sun. Amid sequins and longing, celebrities and aspirants flocked to the heart of chic, and Paris became a hothouse of revelry, intrigue, and searing ambition. At the center of it all were fashion’s most beloved luminaries - Yves Saint Laurent, the reclusive enfant terrible, and Karl Lagerfeld, the flamboyant freelancer with a talent for reinvention - and they divided Paris into two fabulous halves.
-
-
Fun and immersive -- despite the narrator
- By SBG on 01-10-21
By: Alicia Drake
-
Ametora
- How Japan Saved American Style
- By: W. David Marx
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Look closely at any typically "American" article of clothing these days, and you may be surprised to see a Japanese label inside. From high-end denim to oxford button-downs, Japanese designers have taken the classic American look - known as ametora, or "American traditional" - and turned it into a huge business for companies like Uniqlo, Kamakura Shirts, Evisu, and Kapital. This phenomenon is part of a long dialogue between Japanese and American fashion.
-
-
You must read for anyone interested in Japanese and American style
- By Spencer Jackson on 01-23-22
By: W. David Marx
-
The Chiffon Trenches
- A Memoir
- By: André Leon Talley
- Narrated by: André Leon Talley
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During André Leon Talley’s first magazine job, alongside Andy Warhol at Interview, a fateful meeting with Karl Lagerfeld began a decades-long friendship with the enigmatic, often caustic designer. Propelled into the upper echelons by his knowledge and adoration of fashion, André moved to Paris as bureau chief of John Fairchild’s Women’s Wear Daily, befriending fashion's most important designers (Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta). But as André made friends, he also made enemies.
-
-
Another case of author's narration not working.
- By CB on 05-21-20
-
Fashionopolis
- The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes
- By: Dana Thomas
- Narrated by: Dana Thomas
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Fashionopolis, Thomas sees renewal in a host of developments, including printing 3-D clothes, clean denim processing, smart manufacturing, hyperlocalism, fabric recycling - even lab-grown materials. From small-town makers and Silicon Valley whizzes to such household names as Stella McCartney, Levi’s, and Rent the Runway, Thomas highlights the companies big and small that are leading the crusade.
-
-
Very informative and optimistic
- By cannonwall on 01-05-20
By: Dana Thomas
-
Deluxe
- How Luxury Lost Its Luster
- By: Dana Thomas
- Narrated by: Dana Thomas
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don’t want us to know.
-
-
Great books, terrible narration
- By andrewlb on 06-09-21
By: Dana Thomas
-
Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin
- By: Andrew Wilson
- Narrated by: Piers Hampton
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
McQueen had risen from humble beginnings as the youngest child of an East London taxi driver to scale the heights of fame, fortune and glamour. He designed clothes for the world's most beautiful women, including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. In business he created a multimillion-pound luxury brand that became a favourite with both celebrities and royalty, most famously the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore a McQueen dress on her wedding day. But behind the confident facade and bad-boy image lay a sensitive soul who struggled to survive in the ruthless world of fashion.
-
-
Earnest and Voyeuristic
- By anna on 01-21-21
By: Andrew Wilson
-
The Beautiful Fall
- Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris
- By: Alicia Drake
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1970s, Paris fashion exploded like a champagne bottle left out in the sun. Amid sequins and longing, celebrities and aspirants flocked to the heart of chic, and Paris became a hothouse of revelry, intrigue, and searing ambition. At the center of it all were fashion’s most beloved luminaries - Yves Saint Laurent, the reclusive enfant terrible, and Karl Lagerfeld, the flamboyant freelancer with a talent for reinvention - and they divided Paris into two fabulous halves.
-
-
Fun and immersive -- despite the narrator
- By SBG on 01-10-21
By: Alicia Drake
-
Ametora
- How Japan Saved American Style
- By: W. David Marx
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Look closely at any typically "American" article of clothing these days, and you may be surprised to see a Japanese label inside. From high-end denim to oxford button-downs, Japanese designers have taken the classic American look - known as ametora, or "American traditional" - and turned it into a huge business for companies like Uniqlo, Kamakura Shirts, Evisu, and Kapital. This phenomenon is part of a long dialogue between Japanese and American fashion.
-
-
You must read for anyone interested in Japanese and American style
- By Spencer Jackson on 01-23-22
By: W. David Marx
-
The Chiffon Trenches
- A Memoir
- By: André Leon Talley
- Narrated by: André Leon Talley
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During André Leon Talley’s first magazine job, alongside Andy Warhol at Interview, a fateful meeting with Karl Lagerfeld began a decades-long friendship with the enigmatic, often caustic designer. Propelled into the upper echelons by his knowledge and adoration of fashion, André moved to Paris as bureau chief of John Fairchild’s Women’s Wear Daily, befriending fashion's most important designers (Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta). But as André made friends, he also made enemies.
-
-
Another case of author's narration not working.
- By CB on 05-21-20
-
Fashionopolis
- The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes
- By: Dana Thomas
- Narrated by: Dana Thomas
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Fashionopolis, Thomas sees renewal in a host of developments, including printing 3-D clothes, clean denim processing, smart manufacturing, hyperlocalism, fabric recycling - even lab-grown materials. From small-town makers and Silicon Valley whizzes to such household names as Stella McCartney, Levi’s, and Rent the Runway, Thomas highlights the companies big and small that are leading the crusade.
-
-
Very informative and optimistic
- By cannonwall on 01-05-20
By: Dana Thomas
-
Deluxe
- How Luxury Lost Its Luster
- By: Dana Thomas
- Narrated by: Dana Thomas
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don’t want us to know.
-
-
Great books, terrible narration
- By andrewlb on 06-09-21
By: Dana Thomas
-
Karl Lagerfeld
- A Life in Fashion
- By: Alfons Kaiser
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Karl Lagerfeld stylized himself into a living logo and a myth of the fashion world. In Karl Lagerfeld: A Life in Fashion, journalist Alfons Kaiser, who knew Lagerfeld personally for many years, introduces listeners to the public and private life of the charismatic fashion designer. Kaiser explores the many eras of Lagerfeld’s life: the youthful outsider in the north German flatlands; the urbane genius in Paris; the tireless draftsman; the enthusiastic photographer; the passionate book collector; and the disciplined Prussian workaholic.
-
-
Disjointed and dull
- By Adderburycat on 05-25-22
By: Alfons Kaiser
-
Anna
- The Biography
- By: Amy Odell
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a child, Anna Wintour was a tomboy with no apparent interest in clothing but, seduced by the miniskirts and bob haircuts of swinging 1960s London, she grew into a fashion-obsessed teenager. Her father, an influential newspaper editor, loomed large in her life, and once he decided she should become editor-in-chief of Vogue, she never looked back.
-
-
WONDERFUL, SPLENDID, I LOVED IT!!
- By Liz Jardine on 05-13-22
By: Amy Odell
-
Vivienne Westwood
- By: Vivienne Westwood, Ian Kelly
- Narrated by: Paula Wilcox
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vivienne Westwood is one of the icons of our age. Fashion designer, activist, cocreator of punk, global brand, and grandmother--a true living legend. Her career has successfully spanned five decades, and her work has influenced millions of people across the world. For the first and only time, Vivienne Westwood has written a personal memoir, collaborating with award-winning biographer Ian Kelly, to describe the events, people, and ideas that have shaped her extraordinary life.
-
-
Mother of Punk
- By Rafael Castillo on 07-28-16
By: Vivienne Westwood, and others
-
A Visible Man
- A Memoir
- By: Edward Enninful
- Narrated by: Edward Enninful
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Edward Enninful became the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue, few in the world of fashion wanted to confront how it failed to represent the world we live in. But Edward, a champion of inclusion throughout his life, rapidly changed that. Now, whether it’s putting first responders, octogenarians or civil rights activists on the cover of Vogue, or championing designers and photographers of colour, Edward Enninful has cemented his status as one of his world’s most important changemakers.
-
-
Discovery!
- By Introspective on 01-04-23
By: Edward Enninful
-
The Cartiers
- The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire
- By: Francesca Cartier Brickell
- Narrated by: Hattie Morahan
- Length: 23 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty—four generations, from revolutionary France to the 1970s. At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was “Never copy, only create” and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the twentieth century, thanks to their unique and complementary talents.
-
-
Wonderful Experience to Listen to This Story
- By BB on 01-12-20
-
Fashion Climbing
- A Memoir
- By: Bill Cunningham, Hilton Als - preface
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fashion Climbing is the story of a young man striving to be the person he was born to be: a true original. Contained inside this audiobook is an education in style, an effervescent tale of a bohemian world as it once was, and a final gift to the fans of one of New York's great characters.
-
-
Worth listening to while you're working.
- By Jennifer Baratta She/Her on 06-13-19
By: Bill Cunningham, and others
-
Grace: A Memoir
- A Memoir
- By: Grace Coddington
- Narrated by: Grace Coddington
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beautiful. Willful. Charming. Blunt. Grace Coddington’s extraordinary talent and fierce dedication to her work as creative director of Vogue have made her an international icon. Known through much of her career only to those behind the scenes, she might have remained fashion’s best-kept secret were it not for The September Issue, the acclaimed 2009 documentary that turned publicity-averse Grace into a sudden, reluctant celebrity. Grace’s palpable engagement with her work brought a rare insight into the passion that produces many of the magazine’s most memorable shoots.
-
-
Grace a Memoir
- By Placeholder on 02-13-13
By: Grace Coddington
-
The Vanity Fair Diaries
- 1983-1992
- By: Tina Brown
- Narrated by: Tina Brown
- Length: 16 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Vanity Fair Diaries is the story of an Englishwoman barely out of her twenties who arrives in New York City with a dream. Summoned from London in hopes that she can save Condé Nast's troubled new flagship Vanity Fair, Tina Brown is immediately plunged into the maelstrom of the competitive New York media world and the backstabbing rivalries at the court of the planet's slickest, most glamour-focused magazine company. She survives the politics, the intrigue, and the attempts to derail her by a simple stratagem.
-
-
There is something about the Brits...
- By Sylvia on 12-11-17
By: Tina Brown
-
I.M.
- A Memoir
- By: Isaac Mizrahi
- Narrated by: Isaac Mizrahi
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In I.M., Isaac Mizrahi offers a poignant, candid, and touching look back on his life so far. Growing up gay in a sheltered Syrian Jewish Orthodox family, Isaac had unique talents that ultimately drew him into fashion and later into celebrity circles that read like a who’s who of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries: Richard Avedon, Audrey Hepburn, Anna Wintour, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Meryl Streep, and Oprah Winfrey, to name only a few.
-
-
Even better then I hoped !
- By Gina ihms on 03-08-19
By: Isaac Mizrahi
-
A Gentleman in Moscow
- A Novel
- By: Amor Towles
- Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith
- Length: 17 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
-
-
A Reprieve Amidst Ugly News, Relentless Negativity
- By Cathy Lindhorst on 08-27-17
By: Amor Towles
-
Fall of Giants
- Book One of the Century Trilogy
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 30 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ken Follett's World Without End was a global phenomenon, a work of grand historical sweep beloved by millions of readers and acclaimed by critics. Fall of Giants is his magnificent new historical epic. The first novel in The Century Trilogy, it follows the fates of five interrelated families - American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh - as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.
-
-
Loved it and learned alot.
- By Louis on 10-19-10
By: Ken Follett
-
House of Versace
- The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival
- By: Deborah Ball
- Narrated by: Jo Anna Perrin
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Versace. The very name conjures up images of outrageous glamour and bold sexuality, opulence and daring. All of course true, but only half the story. Versace is also the legacy of a great creative genius from a poor, backward part of southern Italy who transformed the fashion world through his intuitive understanding of both women and how a changing culture influenced the way they wanted to dress. House of Versace shows how Gianni Versace, with his flamboyant sister Donatella at his side, combined his virtuosic talent and extraordinary ambition to help create celebrity culture.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Brian M. Derrick on 08-26-19
By: Deborah Ball
Related to this topic
-
The Glitter Plan
- How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and Turned It into a Global Brand
- By: Pamela Skaist-Levy, Booth Moore, Gela Nash-Taylor
- Narrated by: Rose Itzcovitz
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While working together at a Los Angeles boutique, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor became fast and furious friends over the impossibility of finding the perfect T-shirt. Following their vision of comfortable, fitted T-shirts, they set up shop in Gela’s one-bedroom Hollywood apartment with $200 and one rule: Whatever they did, they both had to be obsessed by it. Pam and Gela eventually sold their company to Liz Claiborne for $50 million, but not before they created a whole new genre of casual clothing that came to define California cool.
-
-
Elementary, at best
- By Laura P on 09-19-14
By: Pamela Skaist-Levy, and others
-
The Price of Illusion
- A Memoir
- By: Joan Juliet Buck
- Narrated by: Joan Juliet Buck
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Joan Juliet Buck, former editor-in-chief of Paris Vogue, comes a dazzling memoir: a fabulous account of four decades spent in the creative heart of London, New York, Los Angeles, and Paris, chronicling Buck's quest to discover the difference between glitter and gold, illusion and reality, and what looks like happiness from the thing itself.
-
-
Narcissistic name dropper
- By Marlette on 12-03-19
By: Joan Juliet Buck
-
American Dreamer
- My Life in Fashion and Business
- By: Peter Knobler, Tommy Hilfiger
- Narrated by: Kevin Free
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American Dreamer brims with anecdotes that cover Tommy's years as a club kid and scrappy entrepreneur in 1970s New York as well as unique insights into the exclusive A-list personalities with whom he's collaborated and interacted, from Mick Jagger and David Bowie to Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. But this is more than just a fashion icon's memoir - it's a road map for building a brand, both professionally and personally.
-
-
Reveals a great deal people didn't know
- By LEE on 10-30-18
By: Peter Knobler, and others
-
Tales from the Back Row
- An Outsider’s View from Inside the Fashion Industry
- By: Amy Odell
- Narrated by: C. S. E Cooney
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cosmopolitan.com editor Amy Odell takes listeners behind the stage of New York's hottest fashion shows to meet the world's most influential models, designers, celebrities, editors, and photographers. But first, she has to push her way through the crowds outside, where we see the lengths people go to be noticed by the lurking paparazzi, and weave her way through the packed venue, from the very back row to the front.
-
-
Funny & Engaging
- By Sarah on 10-03-15
By: Amy Odell
-
Make 'Em Laugh
- Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends
- By: Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway
- Narrated by: Judith Ivey
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Debbie shares memories of late-night pals and some of the greatest comedians of all time, stories from the big screen and small, and tales of marriage, motherhood, and children. Combining her wicked sense of humor and appealing charm, she reveals the personal side of show business and fame in funny, poignant, and delightful reminiscences. Nothing is off limits: Debbie talks about her sex life, her family drama - and even shares a few secret recipes.
-
-
Love the book just wish it had been Debbie.
- By Kristopher's Korner on 08-13-16
By: Debbie Reynolds, and others
-
Flapper
- A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern
- By: Joshua Zeitz
- Narrated by: Daniella Rabbani
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Blithely flinging aside the Victorian manners that kept her disapproving mother corseted, the New Woman of the 1920's puffed cigarettes, snuck gin, hiked her hemlines, danced the Charleston, and necked in roadsters. More important, she earned her own keep, controlled her own destiny, and secured liberties that modern women take for granted. Her newfound freedom heralded a radical change in American culture.
-
-
Good Book, Poor Performance
- By redsrule1 on 03-16-14
By: Joshua Zeitz
-
The Glitter Plan
- How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and Turned It into a Global Brand
- By: Pamela Skaist-Levy, Booth Moore, Gela Nash-Taylor
- Narrated by: Rose Itzcovitz
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While working together at a Los Angeles boutique, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor became fast and furious friends over the impossibility of finding the perfect T-shirt. Following their vision of comfortable, fitted T-shirts, they set up shop in Gela’s one-bedroom Hollywood apartment with $200 and one rule: Whatever they did, they both had to be obsessed by it. Pam and Gela eventually sold their company to Liz Claiborne for $50 million, but not before they created a whole new genre of casual clothing that came to define California cool.
-
-
Elementary, at best
- By Laura P on 09-19-14
By: Pamela Skaist-Levy, and others
-
The Price of Illusion
- A Memoir
- By: Joan Juliet Buck
- Narrated by: Joan Juliet Buck
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Joan Juliet Buck, former editor-in-chief of Paris Vogue, comes a dazzling memoir: a fabulous account of four decades spent in the creative heart of London, New York, Los Angeles, and Paris, chronicling Buck's quest to discover the difference between glitter and gold, illusion and reality, and what looks like happiness from the thing itself.
-
-
Narcissistic name dropper
- By Marlette on 12-03-19
By: Joan Juliet Buck
-
American Dreamer
- My Life in Fashion and Business
- By: Peter Knobler, Tommy Hilfiger
- Narrated by: Kevin Free
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American Dreamer brims with anecdotes that cover Tommy's years as a club kid and scrappy entrepreneur in 1970s New York as well as unique insights into the exclusive A-list personalities with whom he's collaborated and interacted, from Mick Jagger and David Bowie to Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. But this is more than just a fashion icon's memoir - it's a road map for building a brand, both professionally and personally.
-
-
Reveals a great deal people didn't know
- By LEE on 10-30-18
By: Peter Knobler, and others
-
Tales from the Back Row
- An Outsider’s View from Inside the Fashion Industry
- By: Amy Odell
- Narrated by: C. S. E Cooney
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cosmopolitan.com editor Amy Odell takes listeners behind the stage of New York's hottest fashion shows to meet the world's most influential models, designers, celebrities, editors, and photographers. But first, she has to push her way through the crowds outside, where we see the lengths people go to be noticed by the lurking paparazzi, and weave her way through the packed venue, from the very back row to the front.
-
-
Funny & Engaging
- By Sarah on 10-03-15
By: Amy Odell
-
Make 'Em Laugh
- Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends
- By: Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway
- Narrated by: Judith Ivey
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Debbie shares memories of late-night pals and some of the greatest comedians of all time, stories from the big screen and small, and tales of marriage, motherhood, and children. Combining her wicked sense of humor and appealing charm, she reveals the personal side of show business and fame in funny, poignant, and delightful reminiscences. Nothing is off limits: Debbie talks about her sex life, her family drama - and even shares a few secret recipes.
-
-
Love the book just wish it had been Debbie.
- By Kristopher's Korner on 08-13-16
By: Debbie Reynolds, and others
-
Flapper
- A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern
- By: Joshua Zeitz
- Narrated by: Daniella Rabbani
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Blithely flinging aside the Victorian manners that kept her disapproving mother corseted, the New Woman of the 1920's puffed cigarettes, snuck gin, hiked her hemlines, danced the Charleston, and necked in roadsters. More important, she earned her own keep, controlled her own destiny, and secured liberties that modern women take for granted. Her newfound freedom heralded a radical change in American culture.
-
-
Good Book, Poor Performance
- By redsrule1 on 03-16-14
By: Joshua Zeitz
-
A Fine Romance
- By: Candice Bergen
- Narrated by: Candice Bergen
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Fine Romance begins with Bergen's charming first husband, French director Louis Malle, whose huge appetite for life broadened her horizons and whose occasional darkness never diminished their love for each other. But her real romance begins when she discovers overpowering love for her daughter after years of ambivalence about motherhood.
-
-
up the speed to 1.5 and Candace sounds way better
- By Susan M. Mitchell on 06-03-15
By: Candice Bergen
-
Mad Women
- The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the '60s and Beyond
- By: Jane Maas
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mad Women is a tell-all account of life in the New York advertising world of the 1960s and '70s from Jane Maas, a female copywriter who succeeded in the primarily male environment portrayed by the hit TV show Mad Men. Fans of the show are dying to know how accurate it is: did people really have that much sex in the office? Were there really three-martini lunches? Were women really second-class citizens? Jane Maas says the answer to all three questions is unequivocally yes....
-
-
Interesting Listen
- By Dean on 04-23-12
By: Jane Maas
-
Pain, Parties, Work
- Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953
- By: Elizabeth Winder
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On May 31, 1953, 20-year-old Sylvia Plath arrived in New York City for a one-month stint at Mademoiselle to be a guest editor for its prestigious annual college issue. Over the next 26 days, the bright, blond New England collegian lived at the Barbizon Hotel, attended Balanchine ballets, watched a game at Yankee Stadium, and danced at the West Side Tennis Club. This captivating portrait invites us to see Sylvia Plath before she became an icon - a young woman with everything to live for.
-
-
Things about Mademoiselle Magazine I never knew
- By S.Batastini on 05-27-16
By: Elizabeth Winder
-
Double Life
- A Love Story from Broadway to Hollywood
- By: Alan Shayne, Norman Sunshine
- Narrated by: Ethan Sawyer
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gay marriage is at the forefront of America's political battles. The human story at the center of this debate is told in Double Life: A Love Story, a dual memoir by a gay male couple in a 50-plus-year relationship. With high profiles in the entertainment, advertising and art communities, the authors offer a virtual timeline of how gay relationships have gained acceptance in the last half-century.
-
-
Portrait of a Marriage--Before Gay Liberation
- By Susie on 03-06-13
By: Alan Shayne, and others
-
Everybody Thought We Were Crazy
- Dennis Hopper, Brooke Hayward, and 1960s Los Angeles
- By: Mark Rozzo
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Los Angeles in the 1960s: riots in Watts and on the Sunset Strip, wild weekends in Malibu, late nights at The Daisy discotheque, openings at the Ferus Gallery, and the convergence of pop art, rock and roll, and the New Hollywood. At the center of it all, one inspired, improbable, and highly combustible couple—Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward—lived out the emblematic love story of ’60s L.A.
-
-
Wonderful!
- By Rob on 06-07-22
By: Mark Rozzo
-
American Rose
- A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee
- By: Karen Abbott
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the critically acclaimed Sin in the Second City, best-selling author Karen Abbott “pioneered sizzle history” (USA Today). Now she returns with the gripping and expansive story of America’s coming-of-age - told through the extraordinary life of Gypsy Rose Lee and the world she survived and conquered. America in the Roaring Twenties. Vaudeville was king. Talking pictures were only a distant flicker. Speakeasies beckoned beyond dimly lit doorways; money flowed fast and free.
-
-
Well done biography of a complicated Icon
- By Moire on 01-27-11
By: Karen Abbott
-
Legs Are the Last to Go
- By: Diahann Carroll
- Narrated by: Diahann Carroll
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With wisdom that only aging gracefully can bestow, Diahann Carroll talks frankly about her four marriages as well as her other relationships, including her courtship with Sidney Poitier; racial politics in show business; and the personal cost, particularly to her family, of being a pioneer.
-
-
Magnificent
- By Rhonda G. on 04-02-21
By: Diahann Carroll
-
Meghan: A Hollywood Princess
- By: Andrew Morton
- Narrated by: Charles Armstrong
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andrew Morton, the New York Times best-selling author of Diana: Her True Story, comes a revealing, juicy, and inspiring biography of Meghan Markle, the American actress who won Prince Harry's heart. When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were set up by a mutual friend on a blind date in July 2016, little did they know that the resulting whirlwind romance would lead to their engagement in November 2017 and marriage in May 2018. Since then, our fascination with the woman who has smashed the royal mold has rocketed.
-
-
Book offers no new material
- By Jean on 04-24-18
By: Andrew Morton
-
Unsinkable
- A Memoir
- By: Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway
- Narrated by: Debbie Reynolds
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive memoir by legendary actress and performer Debbie Reynolds - an entertaining and moving story of enduring friendships and unbreakable family bonds, of hitting bottom and rising to the top again - that offers a unique and deeply personal perspective on Hollywood and its elite, from the glory days of MGM to the present.
-
-
Loved Loved loved IT!
- By Virginia on 12-07-17
By: Debbie Reynolds, and others
-
My Mrs. Brown
- A Novel
- By: William Norwich
- Narrated by: Angela Brazil
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the grand dame of Ashville passes away, Mrs. Brown is called upon to inventory her estate and comes across a dress that changes everything. This isn't a Cinderella confection; it's a simple yet exquisitely tailored Oscar de la Renta sheath and jacket - a suit that, Mrs. Brown realizes with startling clarity, will say everything she has ever wished to convey. She must have it. And so Mrs. Brown begins her odyssey to purchase the dress.
-
-
Sweet story
- By Pam Hewitt on 05-01-20
By: William Norwich
-
John Lennon
- The Life
- By: Philip Norman
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Philip Norman turns his formidable talent to the Beatle for whom belonging to the world's most beloved pop group was never enough. Drawing on previously untapped sources, and with unprecedented access to all the major characters, here is the definitive portrait of John Lennon. This biography takes a fresh and penetrating look at Lennon's much-chronicled life, including the songs that have turned him, posthumously, into almost a secular saint.
-
-
Really Bad Abridgement Job (slash job)
- By Let's Be Reasonable on 12-04-08
By: Philip Norman
-
Daring
- My Passages - A Memoir
- By: Gail Sheehy
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Candid, insightful, and powerful, Daring: My Passages is the story of the unconventional life of a writer who dared - to walk New York City streets with hookers and pimps to expose violent prostitution; to march with civil rights protesters in Northern Ireland as British paratroopers opened fire; to seek out Egypt's president Anwar Sadat when he was targeted for death after making peace with Israel.
-
-
Enjoyed unexpectedly
- By Corinne O'Rourke on 09-06-23
By: Gail Sheehy
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Deluxe
- How Luxury Lost Its Luster
- By: Dana Thomas
- Narrated by: Dana Thomas
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don’t want us to know.
-
-
Great books, terrible narration
- By andrewlb on 06-09-21
By: Dana Thomas
-
Fashionopolis
- The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes
- By: Dana Thomas
- Narrated by: Dana Thomas
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Fashionopolis, Thomas sees renewal in a host of developments, including printing 3-D clothes, clean denim processing, smart manufacturing, hyperlocalism, fabric recycling - even lab-grown materials. From small-town makers and Silicon Valley whizzes to such household names as Stella McCartney, Levi’s, and Rent the Runway, Thomas highlights the companies big and small that are leading the crusade.
-
-
Very informative and optimistic
- By cannonwall on 01-05-20
By: Dana Thomas
-
Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin
- By: Andrew Wilson
- Narrated by: Piers Hampton
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
McQueen had risen from humble beginnings as the youngest child of an East London taxi driver to scale the heights of fame, fortune and glamour. He designed clothes for the world's most beautiful women, including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. In business he created a multimillion-pound luxury brand that became a favourite with both celebrities and royalty, most famously the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore a McQueen dress on her wedding day. But behind the confident facade and bad-boy image lay a sensitive soul who struggled to survive in the ruthless world of fashion.
-
-
Earnest and Voyeuristic
- By anna on 01-21-21
By: Andrew Wilson
-
Ametora
- How Japan Saved American Style
- By: W. David Marx
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Look closely at any typically "American" article of clothing these days, and you may be surprised to see a Japanese label inside. From high-end denim to oxford button-downs, Japanese designers have taken the classic American look - known as ametora, or "American traditional" - and turned it into a huge business for companies like Uniqlo, Kamakura Shirts, Evisu, and Kapital. This phenomenon is part of a long dialogue between Japanese and American fashion.
-
-
You must read for anyone interested in Japanese and American style
- By Spencer Jackson on 01-23-22
By: W. David Marx
-
Gods and Kings
- By: Lynn Austin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shortly after the death of King Solomon in 931 B.C., the Promised Land is divided into two separate nations: Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. Hezekiah is the second son of King Ahaz of Judah. As he comes to power, he must navigate a troubled path to reunite his wayward people with Yahweh.
-
-
Engrossing Book, Not Just for Female Readers
- By Wolfpacker on 08-25-08
By: Lynn Austin
-
Status and Culture
- How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change
- By: W. David Marx
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Status signaling isn’t just the province of the immature or insecure but a fundamental human need to secure social standing. It drives our behavior, forms our tastes, determines what we buy, and ultimately shapes who we are. It’s what’s behind “cool” and what drives fashion, music, food, sports, slang, travel, hairstyles, and dog breeds—and even the outsize influence of unpopular things with the “right” audience.
-
-
Superb
- By Josiah Potter on 12-09-22
By: W. David Marx
-
Deluxe
- How Luxury Lost Its Luster
- By: Dana Thomas
- Narrated by: Dana Thomas
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don’t want us to know.
-
-
Great books, terrible narration
- By andrewlb on 06-09-21
By: Dana Thomas
-
Fashionopolis
- The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes
- By: Dana Thomas
- Narrated by: Dana Thomas
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Fashionopolis, Thomas sees renewal in a host of developments, including printing 3-D clothes, clean denim processing, smart manufacturing, hyperlocalism, fabric recycling - even lab-grown materials. From small-town makers and Silicon Valley whizzes to such household names as Stella McCartney, Levi’s, and Rent the Runway, Thomas highlights the companies big and small that are leading the crusade.
-
-
Very informative and optimistic
- By cannonwall on 01-05-20
By: Dana Thomas
-
Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin
- By: Andrew Wilson
- Narrated by: Piers Hampton
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
McQueen had risen from humble beginnings as the youngest child of an East London taxi driver to scale the heights of fame, fortune and glamour. He designed clothes for the world's most beautiful women, including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. In business he created a multimillion-pound luxury brand that became a favourite with both celebrities and royalty, most famously the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore a McQueen dress on her wedding day. But behind the confident facade and bad-boy image lay a sensitive soul who struggled to survive in the ruthless world of fashion.
-
-
Earnest and Voyeuristic
- By anna on 01-21-21
By: Andrew Wilson
-
Ametora
- How Japan Saved American Style
- By: W. David Marx
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Look closely at any typically "American" article of clothing these days, and you may be surprised to see a Japanese label inside. From high-end denim to oxford button-downs, Japanese designers have taken the classic American look - known as ametora, or "American traditional" - and turned it into a huge business for companies like Uniqlo, Kamakura Shirts, Evisu, and Kapital. This phenomenon is part of a long dialogue between Japanese and American fashion.
-
-
You must read for anyone interested in Japanese and American style
- By Spencer Jackson on 01-23-22
By: W. David Marx
-
Gods and Kings
- By: Lynn Austin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shortly after the death of King Solomon in 931 B.C., the Promised Land is divided into two separate nations: Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. Hezekiah is the second son of King Ahaz of Judah. As he comes to power, he must navigate a troubled path to reunite his wayward people with Yahweh.
-
-
Engrossing Book, Not Just for Female Readers
- By Wolfpacker on 08-25-08
By: Lynn Austin
-
Status and Culture
- How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change
- By: W. David Marx
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Status signaling isn’t just the province of the immature or insecure but a fundamental human need to secure social standing. It drives our behavior, forms our tastes, determines what we buy, and ultimately shapes who we are. It’s what’s behind “cool” and what drives fashion, music, food, sports, slang, travel, hairstyles, and dog breeds—and even the outsize influence of unpopular things with the “right” audience.
-
-
Superb
- By Josiah Potter on 12-09-22
By: W. David Marx
What listeners say about Gods and Kings
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ophelia Morgan
- 02-25-22
Great reading and story
I thought the information was really well research and written, and the reading was fabulous.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Vahlen
- 03-21-16
This Book is EVERYTHING
I work in fashion and these two are geniuses. I thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end. I cannot stop thinking about it. I even enjoyed the narration. Loved it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Taunya
- 02-03-16
Wow!
Worth every single penny. A stunning story, brilliantly narrated. I highly recommend this to any lover of the fashion industry.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 03-10-18
Important story told well!
I read this right after 'the beautiful fall' and it was so appropriate! I'm glad I went audio because her pronunciation of French and Italian phrases was beautiful!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Water79
- 06-20-23
Deeply researched, narratively rich and excellent
The story this book tells is as romantic, exciting, and insightful as it is heartbreaking. Dana Thomas gives an unflinching assessment of the fashion industry through the lives of two of its greats. I couldn’t stop listening.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Carla
- 04-25-15
Tormented Genius
Fascinating
It reminded you that there is a lot more to fashion than clothes and the artist and the art that it takes to create wearable art
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Scott R Ayers
- 05-09-21
Fascinating and beautifully read
Excellent history and insight into the lives of two of the most extraordinary talents in fashion. The narrator does a brilliant job. Worth every minute.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- The Companion
- 04-09-19
Fascinating
An extraordinary story about art, commerce, talent and the shadow. Very much enjoyed the narration as well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Susan Longworth
- 12-20-20
Loved everything about this book .
Well written, extremely well read I couldn’t it the book down.
I plan to read it a second time.
Highly recommend!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 09-14-17
i really enjoyed this book.
very interesting to listen to the contrasting upbringings of each designer and their evolving collections. great read, even greater listen. although, by the end of it, you will want to describe every detail of your day in a british accent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!