EDITED BY SANDY LESBERG - The Memoirs of Sarah Bernhardt. Early Childhood Through The First American Tour. Including the First English Publication of Her Only Novel. In The Clouds.

New York USA, Peebles Press, 1977. First Edition, Binding: Cloth, Very Good/Fair. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall 0672523558 Hardback These intimate memoirs, written by one of the great theatrical personalities of all time, give an engaging account of her brilliant career on the stage, as well as a fascinating glimpse into the tender and vulnerable growing-up years of the legendary Bernhardt. Born in 1844, she spent much of her youth in a convent, where she showed an early flair for acting. While still in her teens she made her debut with the Comedie Francaise, where she gained a devoted following for her performances in many of the great classic and romantic dramas. She received royal treatment in London theatres and in 1880 made her first grand tour of America. Wherever she went, her presence was an event; she captivated audiences, dominated public attention and often incurred criticism for seeming to be more the showman, the exhibitionist, than the gifted actress she was. Not satisfied with stage success alone, and possessing a boundless energy that could not be confined, she tried her hand at everything - flying balloons, riding live whales; she became an accomplished sculptor and painter and wrote numerous plays and a novel. The novel, In The Clouds, is published here at the end of the memoirs for the first time in English. Because of her fame, her diverse interests and her magnetic character, she encountered many of the celebrated persoanalities of the day, recalling these in her memoirs. Flamboyant, formidable, indefatigable, charismatic - she was above all else a devoted professional whose motto was Quand meme - Despite all. With numerous personal photographs and illustrations, her memoirs provide a behind-the-scenes view of the early childhod and extraordinary coming of age, personally and professionally, of the indomitable Sarah Bernhardt. Some wear and tear to D/J. Price clipped.