Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Sharon Tate: Recollection

Rate this book
The star of cult films like Valley of the Dolls and The Fearless Vampire Killers, renowned for her startling beauty and as a poster child of the 1960s, Sharon Tate remains a fascinating pop icon to this day. Sharon Tate: Recollection is a celebration of her life and career, her influence as a fashion icon throughout the world, and presents a sociological portrait of 1960s Hollywood. All of this comes from the one-of-a-kind perspective of her sister, Debra Tate, and through stunning images and stories from those who knew her best.
In this impressive photo book, Sharon Tate’s story emerges through quotes and short essays—�Recollections”—by Debra Tate, as well as by those who knew her personally and who have been influenced by her. An all-star cast contributing memories and thoughts on Sharon includes Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Robert Evans, Mia Farrow, Raquel Welch, Hugh Hefner, Michelle Phillips, Patty Duke, and Barbara Parkins. And the book is filled with hundreds of rare and unpublished photos of Sharon Tate taken by the likes of Milton Greene, Richard Avedon, Bert Stern, Norman Parkinson, Philippe Halsman, John Engstead, and more.
Unlike all other books on Sharon Tate that focus on her tragic death in one of the most notorious crimes of the twentieth century, Sharon Tate: Recollection is a stunningly gorgeous tribute to her life.


272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 29, 2014

19 people are currently reading
571 people want to read

About the author

Debra Tate

1 book11 followers
She is Sharon Tate's sister.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
259 (70%)
4 stars
72 (19%)
3 stars
29 (7%)
2 stars
4 (1%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️.
2,094 reviews36.2k followers
September 8, 2018
I picked this up not aware it was basically a coffee table picture book and not an actual biography, so my bad.

I have been on a huge biography kick right now and when I saw this book on my good GR buddy's Ana's currently reading shelf, I immediately checked to see if my library had it, which they did.

I "read" this in one 20 minute sitting as it's really it just a collection of photographs and VERY random blurbs from Roman Polanski, Debra Tate, and just random celebrities who knew or met Sharon, mostly.

This is what the pages and inner text looked like:

description

Debra Tate's quotes were, quite frankly, not all that interesting and mostly about Debra. I can't imagine what it must have been like to live your entire life in the shadow of your older sister's fame, tragic end, and lifelong beauty, though.

And my GOD, what a beauty Sharon was. Seriously, utterly and ridiculously gorgeous. Before picking up this book, I had seen pictures of Sharon here and there in passing (always in reference to the Manson murders) and of course thought she was pretty; but let me tell you, after this book I now realize she was probably one of the most beautiful women, like, EVER.

description

Her face was simply flawless. And NATURAL. She was a truly natural beauty. And in a world full of surgically created IG lookalikes, I feel like it makes her even more beautiful in hindsight.

description

This book - as different as it was from what I was expecting - was basically useless as a biography; but it definitely made it clear that Sharon was a beautiful person on the inside too, and that she is not defined by her tragic end (which is not referenced at all).

description

In short, I found this book beautiful, if not quite what I expected.
Profile Image for Licha.
732 reviews124 followers
July 30, 2019
I feel like a jerk for rating this so low but this was just awful. This is basically a picture book and had it been touted as that I would have rated it 5 stars, because of course, look at that face. Sharon is simply beautiful. But the random tidbits that are in here are just an excuse to gush over Sharon's beauty, and I mean this is done in every page with a quote. There is never any real anecdotes that let you glimpse into the person Sharon was. All we get is how mesmerized by her beauty every one that came into contact with her was. It's a disservice to Sharon that we can't see more than just her outer beauty. There's a few celebrity snippets but mostly it's a whole bunch of comments by Sharon's sister and after a while it became grating to have her bring up Sharon's beauty over and over. Like I get it. I can see it for myself. How about instead you tell me a little bit about your sister and who she was? It started to almost feel fake and forced and got me wondering if there was a little bit of subconscious jealousy on Debra's part.

If you're looking for a beautiful photography book, this is great. If you're wanting to learn a little bit about the subject matter, this is not it. I say skip the reading and just admire the pictures.
Profile Image for Lisa.
355 reviews45 followers
June 5, 2014
Outstanding. Debra did what fans like myself have been waiting for, she gave us a book that celebrated Sharon. The woman, the sister, the daughter, the friend, the wife, the mother, the talent, the joy. Not a thing based on her last days for which it's tragic she is remembered. My first recollection of Sharon was seeing The Fearless Vampire killers as a little little kid. I didn't know anything about what happened that tragic summer, and I didn't know until I was older. After I'd seen Valley of the Dolls, and her other films. As a teenager and adult it enrages me that Sharon is not given her due for the icon she was in the 60s. Malibu barbie arguably the most iconic of barbie besides the original is named after her for a movie. This book is a dream come true and makes me feel like a little girl again, wanting to grow up to look like her. To be like her. Had my son been a girl I was seriously considering naming her Tate after Sharon she's left such a lasting impact on me, my style and the person I always aspire to be in life. So wonderful to read these memories of Sharon. I love this so much. Thank you Debra.
Profile Image for Clara.
87 reviews
April 25, 2015
This book is God's gift sent down from Heaven. Read this and you'll fall in love so hard with Sharon Tate even if you've never heard of her / seen any of her films before. I'm so happy that Debra is writing more books about Sharon for I could never get enough of my ultimate idol.
Profile Image for Jen.
250 reviews19 followers
June 6, 2014
Debra Tate did an amazing job on this book. I am a huge fan of Sharon and have always wanted a book like this. It is a beautiful, large hardcover book filled with amazing pictures of Sharon, many I've never seen before. In my opinion, Sharon is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And reading all of the tidbits from her family and friends, you can tell she was a beautiful person on the inside as well. Finally, a book about Sharon that only focuses on her life and not her untimely death. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Sharon, old Hollywood or fashion. It does not disappoint!
151 reviews7 followers
November 7, 2014
Gives Sharon back so dignity. Her life ended with her murder, this tells "the rest of the story". She was my husband's third cousin and he was questioned at the time of her death. He happened to be in Camp Pendleton in training for the Marines. He never forgave Manson. I am very glad that this book tells so much about her life. She was so much more than people have ever known.
Profile Image for Karen.
616 reviews25 followers
May 27, 2015
Fantastic book celebrating the beauty and life of Sharon Tate. It was interesting to learn that the original Malibu Barbie Doll (1971), was based on Sharon Tate's character, Malibu, in the movie Don't Make Waves (1967).
Profile Image for Circa Girl.
515 reviews13 followers
June 17, 2017
Sharon Tate was a stunning woman with an even more beautiful spirit and charisma. Finally a book that recognizes her for her modeling, fashion, and acting contributions as well as her positive impact on everyone she worked with and loved.
Profile Image for bri &#x1f9f8;.
313 reviews29 followers
December 29, 2020
i hold this book so close to my heart, so many happy memories shared by her sister debra. sharon’s life was truly so beautiful to read through.
Profile Image for Lizzy w.
68 reviews2 followers
February 19, 2022
Took me about an hour to read , she really was stunning and would’ve been a star . Very sad .
But I do believe this book commemorates her life significantly well ! Rest in peace Sharon 💖
Profile Image for Summer.
42 reviews
April 10, 2024
This is just a marvelous book by Debra Tate about her sister Sharon. Anecdotes from her about her family and Sharon’s friends enrich the photos. A celebration of Sharon and how she should be remembered. Just lovely.
Profile Image for kaitlyn.
231 reviews298 followers
January 11, 2021
this is a coffee table book, filled with mainly pictures, but i loved it so much. sharon tate is my favorite actress and it was so nice seeing a book - written by her sister even - that celebrated her life and the person she was. if you're looking to get to know more about her, this probably isn't the most helpful book, but if you want to see some gorgeous photos and quotes that describe her, pick it up now. i now have this on display in my dorm lol!

Profile Image for Carla.
55 reviews
February 9, 2025
B0ok is filled with hundreds of rare and unpublished photos of Sharon Tate, great quotes from actors and family Great Book.
644 reviews3 followers
September 21, 2014
I first learned of Sharon Tate because of the Manson Murders. I've read alot about those murders. This book has NOTHING to do with that. The Murders are never mentioned in this book. Sharon Tate Rcoleection's is all about Sharon Tate and the woman she was. There are a lot of words from people who knew her. Actors and Actresses who met and worked with her. Directors and photographers that knew her and of course her family. I learned a lot about her and it really brought home the tragic loss of such a wonderful woman.
Profile Image for Sonja.
13 reviews
July 11, 2017
This book is full of beautiful pictures of Sharon,and as a picture book its perfect. However its also filled with very weird,out of place quotes about her that dont make any sense. Roman Polanski,her husband,who treated her horribly have also written a piece for her which really made me not want to buy it. All in all-nice pictures but thats it.
Profile Image for Michelle.
97 reviews
Want to read
July 4, 2014
I actually want to get this book myself as a coffee table tome. It's beautifully laid out. I just saw it today at an independent bookstore. Must have for all the gorgeous photos of her. She, along with Marilyn Monroe, was truly one of the best photographic models I've ever seen.
Profile Image for Tahnee.
11 reviews
June 18, 2015
One of the most beautiful books I've ever read about one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Read it and you'll fall in love with Sharon and the whole Tate family. Thank you so much, Debra. We are so lucky that you have shared the real Sharon with us.
207 reviews
September 14, 2018
Beautiful photos of Sharon but I found the quotes and writing to be sort of out of place. Some of my favorite photos of her during her pregnancy were noticeably missing. The text was odd, very large font and on a white background.
Profile Image for Stephanie McCown.
74 reviews16 followers
July 7, 2021
This book evoked both smiles and tears. Sharon is radiant to this day, and this book is a gift to all those who see her and celebrate her beyond the last hour of her life. In her 26 years, she lived fully, loved deeply, and carried light everywhere she went.
Profile Image for Becky.
86 reviews1 follower
March 16, 2015
Lovely to have a beautiful coffee table book that celebrates the life of a young starlet and that lists all the lives she touched. So beautiful.
Profile Image for Antonio Matta.
160 reviews13 followers
December 27, 2020
An extraordinary account of Sharon Tate's life from the perspective of all the people than known her.
Profile Image for Tom.
305 reviews13 followers
November 18, 2014
Awesome photeos. She was an icon
Profile Image for MKF.
1,504 reviews
August 12, 2023
Sharon Tate is a woman who has vanished from our world and more famous for her death. Sadly even that is overshadowed by the monsters who committed the crime. If you were asked the names of the victims most people will only know the name of Sharon Tate but because of the newer movie about her. Lately though she seems to be pushed back into the shadows waiting for new generations to discover her story. I just don't want it to become trendy to wear her face on shirts by those who have no clue about the woman she was.
This book changes that and focuses on Sharon's life and her short career are gathered together among stories from family and friends. I know it's impossible to imagine a person's life after their death but there is one part of Sharon's life that we are all aware of that's missing. Those are the photos that the world will never see of Sharon and her famous smile holding her son for the camera.
So ff you want to know Sharon Tate the person I would start with this book so that you'll see her and not just her fate.

**Page 174 has captions for two photos for one on 174 and page 175. There is only one photo on those pages and it's the one on 175.
Profile Image for Isabelle.
29 reviews8 followers
December 10, 2021
I have seen every single picture of the book I've always dreamed of.

Sharon was 26 years old when her dreams were taken away from her.

All of them, her life, the family she never got to say goodbye to and her baby but I'm a firm believer that she will live forever through her legacy.

The beautiful, the most beautiful women of Hollywood at the time, her roles in the movies Eye of the Devil as well as Valley of the Dolls.

Picture by picture I've felt like this book was the best Christmas gift I could ever have in life.

We will never forget you Sharon.

You live on through your legacy, through the art that you loved deeply... you were deep, consistent and your essence...your soul and personality described by those who really knew you and love you shines on.

1 review
October 4, 2021
This book it’s just a collection of Sharon pictures and doesn’t say anything about her, about who she really was. It just keep talking about her beauty. We already know that. Her sister could have wrote something more interesting if she was really close to Sharon as she claimed. Looks like she was a bit jealous of Sharon, this would explain also why she didn’t talk to the rest of her family and didn’t want to get involved while her mom Dora and sister Patty were fighting to keep the Manson family in jail.
Profile Image for Debi Emerson.
845 reviews4 followers
April 24, 2022
I expected a lot more from this book, especially considering its $19.99 Kindle price. First of all, though it has 272 pages, they are mostly pictures with very little narrative. Secondly, it is way too short for the price. It is a nice collection of photos from the all too short life of the doomed actress, but nothing I couldn't have gotten from just Goodling her. Plus, on my Kindle, the print was way too tiny and I had to enlarge each page in order to read it - adjusting the Kindle setting for font size had no effect. I recommend that you don't waste your money!
Profile Image for John.
19 reviews1 follower
January 20, 2018
This is how she is to be remembered. A wonderful recollection of photos and memories of one of the sweetest, beautiful and talented actresses in movie history. Make this book part of your collection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.