Bette Davis was one of the greatest acting talents the screen has ever known, yet no previous book has gone beyond the glittering Davis legend to explore the real woman. In the first major biography of Davis since her death, Barbara Leaming tells the full, extraordinary story, with objectivity and passion.Bette Davis has always aroused controversy: her famous legal battle with Warner Bros., her four husbands, the shocking book written by her daughter B. D. Hyman. Yet she has always been seen as the heroine--until now. In this revelatory book, Barbara Leaming gives us a bracing cautionary tale of the dark side of power in Hollywood, and how a woman who amassed more power than any Hollywood actress before or since used that power to destroy others, her own family, and--in the end--herself. It is a story of abandonment, alcoholism, domestic violence, obsessive-compulsive behavior, religious fanaticism, and insanity.Barbara Leaming has drawn on hundreds of hours of conversation with Davis's friends, lovers, professional associates, and family members. In addition, she has combed through thousands of documents, including Davis's personal diaries, scrapbooks, unpublished letters, and copiously annotated scripts. The result is a compelling portrait that redefines one of Hollywood's most misunderstood legends. Read Less