Home › Books › Anna: The Biography
Anna: The Biography
by
14/99
Critics' Rating Index
26/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
89/99
Volume of Reviews
86/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
This definitive biography of Anna Wintour follows the steep climb of an ambitious young woman who would—with singular and legendary focus—become one of the most powerful people in media.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. Impatient to start her career, she left high school and got a job at a trendy boutique in London—an experience that would be the first of many defeats. Undeterred, she found work in the competitive world of magazines, eventually embarking on a journey to New York and a battle to ascend, no matter who or what stood in her way. Once she was crowned editor-in-chief of Vogue—in one of the stormiest transitions in fashion magazine history—she continued the fight to retain her enviable position, ultimately rising to dominate all of Condé Nast. Based on extensive interviews with Anna Wintour's closest friends and collaborators, including some of the biggest names in fashion, journalist Amy Odell has crafted the most revealing portrait of Wintour ever published. Weaving Anna's personal story into a larger narrative about the hierarchical dynamics of the fashion industry and the complex world of Condé Nast, Anna charts the relentless ambition of the woman who would become an icon.
Reviews
"Odell doesn't seem to have her mind made up about Wintour: Is she a cold apparatchik of this harsh industry, or an exacting, driven and visionary boss who is subject to sexist double standards?"
"Odell interviewed more than 250 industry and personal contacts to assemble the most comprehensive biography of the media icon, although Wintour herself declined to be interviewed for the book."
"Odell lifts a couture curtain to reveal the woman behind the famous sunglasses and glossy bob ..."
"Is Wintour a tyrant who should have been let go from Vogue years ago, or an effective boss whose leadership methods would be readily praised in male form?"
"If the pages (and pages) she devotes to Wintour's assistants are comprehensive to the point of tediousness, it's hard not to laugh at her utmost seriousness, even when dealing with the mad and the risible ..."
"Odell's snappy narrative charts her relentless mission to make the magazine 'the biggest, most valuable..."
"The book may satisfy fashion industry devotees, but Anna's iconic sunglasses still don't come off."
"Although she's clearly sympathetic to her subject, she's direct in addressing Wintour's missteps."
"Odell's workmanlike account, Ms."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!