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“... a star, the very first in her field. As such, she has inspired several star-biographies, of which Madsen’s is the latest. The biographies of Chanel that were attempted during her lifetime had to be given up, because interviewing her proved so exasperating. She provided so much conflicting material that it became clear she was perpetually lying about her own ...”

“... failing in Dalrymple and Goodwin when set against the extraordinary egocentricity on show in Axel Madsen’s travel-biography of André Malraux and his ‘Asian adventures’, Silk Roads. In later life Malraux acquired an ungainsayable reputation for political courage, generosity and civic altruism. Here, in these travels in Cambodia and Vietnam ...”

“... Hollywood. In 1931, she did the frocks for Tonight or Never, starring Gloria Swanson. According to Axel Madsen’s biography of Chanel, which drew on Swanson’s recollections, she was appalled by Swanson’s figure. When Swanson came to Chanel’s premises in the rue Cambon for her first fitting, Coco remarked that she was on the chubby side and asked ...”