READ BOOK Coco Chanel Biography Book

A 576-page biography of legendary French fashion designer Coco Chanel, written by UNL professor Rhonda Garelick, hit the bookstores to favorable reviews from glossy magazines, major newspapers and literary trade magazines.

Garelick is a professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences with a special appointment in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. She is founder and director of the Interdisciplinary Arts Symposium based in the Hixson-Lied College. She is on sabbatical this academic year, while serving as a visiting scholar and visiting professor at the City University of New York. She has readings and book signings planned in New York, Washington and Miami in November.

Her couture house closed in 1939, with the outbreak of World War II. Chanel stayed in France and was criticized during the war for collaborating with the Nazi-German occupiers and the Vichy puppet regime to boost her professional career. One of Chanel's liaisons was with a German diplomat, Baron (Freiherr) Hans Günther von Dincklage.[5][6] After the war, Chanel was interrogated about her relationship with Dincklage, but she was not charged as a collaborator due to intervention by British prime minister Winston Churchill.[7] When the war ended, Chanel moved to Switzerland, returning to Paris in 1954 to revive her fashion house. In 2011, Hal Vaughan published a book about Chanel based on newly declassified documents, revealing that she had collaborated directly with the Nazi intelligence service, the Sicherheitsdienst. One plan in late 1943 was for her to carry an SS peace overture to Churchill to end the war.[8]

When Vaughan's book was published in August 2011, his disclosure of the contents of recently declassified military intelligence documents generated considerable controversy about Chanel's activities. Maison de Chanel issued a statement, portions of which were published by several media outlets. Chanel corporate "refuted the claim" (of espionage), while acknowledging that company officials had read only media excerpts of the book.[46]

A colorfully illustrated, pocket-size picture book biography of renowned fashion designer Coco Chanel.Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel, French fashion designer and businesswoman, is famous for founding the famous Chanel brand and for popularizing a new, more sporty and relaxed aesthetic for women's clothing. Follow Chanel's life and accomplishments from her childhood in Saumur to her eventual creation of the successful couture empire she's known for today.Pocket Bios are full of personality, introducing readers to fascinating figures from history with simple storytelling and cheerful illustrations. Titles include men and women from history, exploration, the sciences, the arts, the ancient world, and more.

The great loves of her life were both English. She had intriguing links with the English aristocracy and Winston Churchill. She was one of five children, a fact she covered up, like so much else in her conversations with Morand. His book remains a wonderfully compelling account of her stories.

Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at editor@fivebooks.com

Justine Picardie is the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar UK and Town & Country UK. She was features editor of British Vogue and is a former editor of the Observer magazine. She lives in London with her two sons. Her latest book, Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life, is published by HarperCollins.

[Takes off her Chanel flats to show me.] These shoes, these red flats, which I bought in Paris the day that I finished the book. Like you said, you never finish a book and I feel like I will go on. When I finally handed in my manuscript I bought these shoes because they are red, because of her saying that red is the color of life and we always need some red to remind ourselves of life.

I am happy to announce that the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee has designated my picture book Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll as a Notable Book of Jewish Content for 2023.Read HereJAN

Here is a special page the wonderful people at Children's Book World in Los Angeles created for friends and fans to order personalized books!Read HereJAN

Malibu Coast Lifestyle Magazine published a piece about local authors that included an interview with me about my book Give Us the Vote! 200 Years of Fighting for the Ballot.Read HereJAN

I'm delighted that Barnes & Noble is offering a 25% off pre order sale from today through Friday, February 27th for my book The Women Who Built Hollywood. The coupon code is PREORDER25. Hope you enjoy the book!

I will be participating in a virtual Picture Book Biographies event hosted by Books of Wonder, the New York City children's bookstore, on Saturday, December 10th at 12:00 pm Pacific time (3:00 pm EST) to promote Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll. Please join us or watch for the link. Link Coming Soon!

I was surprised and pleased to learn of the exhibit "Gee's Bend: Shared Legacy,"at the Huntington Gallery of American Art in Pasadena. The exhibition features my book, The Quilts of Gee's Bend, and will run through September 4, 2023. I hope you will check it out! Click here for more infoNOV

After speaking at the Malibu Library about my book Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll, a woman in the audience told me that as a girl she had had one of the dolls, and the next day sent me this letter and picture. I wanted to share Lauren's letter and photo of her with her "beloved" doll. Curiously, it's very similar to the cover of the book illustrated by Sarah Dvojack!If any one else treasured a Madame Alexander doll as a child, and perhaps still has it, I would love to hear from you.

John Mariani invited me back to his radio show, "Almost Golden," to talk about my book Hot Pink: The Life & Fashions of Elsa Schiaparelli. I hope you enjoy listening! Click here to listenOCT

Today is the "birth date" of my picture book Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll illustrated brilliantly by Sarah Dvojack. Please read the interview with me that Jena Benton posted on her blog. Click here to listen

My newest book Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll is now available for purchase on Amazon! Click here to order!OCT

My newest book Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll is now available for purchase on Amazon! Click here to order!JULY

The big pink poster of Paul Robeson was hanging on the outside of the Center. Pictures 2 and 3 show Yusef Miller and me standing on either side of the poster of the cover of our book in the auditorium. Pictures 4 and 5 show me standing with bass-baritone Marvin Lowe. The 6th photo shows Marvin Lowe on the left of the poster, me on the right with Yusef Miller.

I had a great time on Friday (March 11) presenting a sneak preview of my book Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll to third graders at the Brawerman Elementary School of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. The kids were great and a photo of us will follow. Click here to buy!FEB

I'm thrilled to announce the release of my picture book, Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll, on 10/18/22. Sarah Dvojack did the marvelous illustrations to bring the story to life. Click here to buy!JAN

I was delighted that Karina Yan Glaser at Book Riot Kids included The Quilts of Gee's Bend on a list of her favorite picture books with quilting themes. Click here to read itNOV

The Chicago Public Library recommends "Sing and Shout: The Mighty Voice of Paul Robeson" as one of the "Best of the Best" informational books published in 2020 for kids in 4th through 8th grade.OCT

Congratulations to Barry Blitt, winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. Barry contributed two witty cartoons for the chapter "Voting From the Grave" in my book Give Us the Vote! Over 200 Years of Fighting for the Ballot."

Henriette Chardak has made a documentary film about Terezin concentration camp, "The Kids and the Monster with Moustache," inspired by the book Ela Weissberger and I wrote, The Cat With the Yellow Star. The French film is available in English. The password is ENFANTSfest. 2b1af7f3a8