Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography

In the first biography of Julie Andrews in more than 35 years, Richard Stirling presents a sensitive portrait of this magnificent woman who -- against all odds -- became one of the world's more admired celebrities.

Stirling begins his book with her birth in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in 1935. When Andrews was 8, she joined neighbors who were singing "Strawberry Fair." When she ended an octave higher than the others, her mother realized she had talent and that a voice teacher was in order. She hired Madame Lilian Stiles- Allen, one of Britain's great sopranos, and soon young Julie was appearing on the BBC and in the music halls of Britain.

Her first big break came in 1953, when she was cast in the Broadway production of "The Boy Friend." Three years later, she left an indelible mark on American Theater when she was cast as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady," considered by many to be one of the best musicals ever written.

Stirling traces Andrews sometimes bumpy career from the incredible successes such as her Academy Award performance in "Mary Poppins" and her film role in "The Sound of Music" (which saved 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy) to her decision to appear in "Star," a monumental flop, and the tragic loss of her voice following throat surgery in 1999.

The book is a fully developed look at Dame Julie Andrews -- not just Julie Andrews the actress, but wife and mother as well. Stirling, who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has written extensively about Andrews, combines personal interviews with the star with wide-ranging and riveting research. The result is a frank but affectionate portrait of the woman who was the only actress ranked among the 100 greatest Britons in a 2002 BBC poll.

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(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.