Grace: A Biography

by Thilo Wydra

Thirty years ago, Grace Kelly was tragically killed when her vehicle tumbled forty meters from the serpentine roads of Monaco. She has since become a myth, a style icon existing between the glamour of Hollywood and the royalty of Monaco. As Hitchcock’s favorite actress to work with, Kelly acted in classic films including Rear Window and To Catch a Thief, opposite actors such as Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant. Yet her private life remained in the shadows. Her marriage to Prince Rainier III was not anchored by love, and her life on the Riviera was more akin to a golden cage. She was an individual torn between illusion and reality, simultaneously idolized by millions.

This comprehensive biography draws from previously unreleased photographs and documents from the Grimaldi family archive and, for the first time, access to the letters between Kelly and Hitchcock. It is also based on interviews with Kelly’s companions and relatives, including an exclusive interview with Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

437 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Elizabeth Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre

Most extensively an analysis of her films. The personality of Grace Kelly is not explored thoroughly. There are assumptions that the reader has outside information, beyond the book.

[Pat Lampe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read many biographies of Grace Kelly. She was a movie star when I was 12 and I still remember where I was when her engagement was announced on the radio. My friend Linda and I were mystified why she would marry such an old dumpy man. The priorities of youth.

This biography focused very much on her films and friends in that world. She was very talented and dedicated but not altogether happy because she wanted her fathers love and approval and he never gave it. I greatly admired Grace Kelly and read pretty much every book written about her. This was a pretty good one.

[Heather G]

Good but short

Grace Kelly was such a complex figure. This book was very detailed in the impersonal aspects but glosses over much of her later life. Still a good biography though, especially if you are most interested in the Hollywood years.

[Paulette Illmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Grace Kelly up and coming starlet turned Princess Grace, fairytale marriage, even with the sadness that trailed her always, up to her death in a horrific accident. So much detail throughout, so tragic she died so young.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been interested in the life of Grace Kelly. She was a beautiful young woman who shot to stardom in Hollywood in the early 1950's. She had a great professional relationship with Alfred Hitchcock and starred in several of his movies. She won an academy award for best actress and had all Hollywood in love with her. Then, while in France, on a film shoot, she had the opportunity of meeting a real live prince, a bachelor who was actively looking for a princess. She qualified in many ways especially since she came from a Catholic family. Princesses are supposed to be virgins, but the book brought out that she was not. Did Renier know? Anyway, they married and I remember as a child, seeing photos of Grace Kelley traveling to Europe, and of the marriage in the cathedral in Monaco. At first the people of Monaco didn't know what to think of her, but she eventually won their approval. She became a very beloved princess. The book brought out that she really wanted to continue making films, but various reasons stopped her from doing so. Her life was cut short when she was killed in an one car auto accident on the steep, winding roads of Monaco.

This book whet my appetite to read a more detailed biography of Grace Kelly, which I will do sometime.

[Aussie54 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested in the beginning of this biography, but there's a large chunk of Grace's life that wasn't covered - the years between 1962 and 1976 weren't touched on.

Grace's movies were well covered, but her life as a mother didn't feature very much at all.

I was also disappointed that there weren't any photos in this book, especially considering the blurb: This comprehensive biography draws from previously unreleased photographs and documents from the Grimaldi family archive.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good biography on Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco. Lots on Hitchcock as well, if you're interested. The author's blurb shows he's written a bio on Hitchcock, and it made me wonder if he didn't have enough info on Grace Kelly, so he used what he had on Hitchcock for filler. But either way, it's a decently entertaining read, although I was disappointed that the book contains no pictures at all, except for the cover.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but not the best biography. Some chronology was confusing because the author would allude to things that happened at other times to make a point.

Also I thought he included too many details for each movie rather than proceeding with the biographical facts of Graces life. Also full of conjecture about how she felt with no real supporting facts.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A biography of Grace Kelly with a strong focus on her film career and family history. A good resource for learning more about her film roles and the plots of her movies, especially her work with Alfred Hitchcock. Includes an extended interview with her son Prince Albert. There is less attention paid to her public role in Monaco and later years.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting but if you are looking for a definitive biography of Grace Kelly look elsewhere. This book focused mostly on her movies while interesting I wanted to hear more about her life. It did interest me enough to rent some of Ms Kelly's old movies which were quite good.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this book I must admit, there was more about other actors, who she worked with, and directors, than about her.

[Woodsie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather disappointing. It became too much of a review of her movies, not so much a review of her life.

[Cynthia Sillitoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reads like film notes without a narrative.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am 13. September 1982 verliess Fürstin Gracia Patricia gemeinsam mit ihrer Tochter Stéphanie die Sommerresidenz Roc Agel um zurück nach Monacco zu fahren. In einer der zahlreichen Haarnadelkurven verlor sie die Herrschaft über den Wagen. Er kam von der Straße ab und stürzte in die Tiefe. Obwohl sie so schnell wie möglich ins Krankenhaus gebraht wurde, konnten ihr die Ärzte nicht mehr helfen. Einen Tag nach ihrem Unfall starb die Frau, die 1929 als Grace Kelly in Philadelphia geboren wurde, an den Folgen ihrer Verletzungen.

Thilo Wydra beginnt seine Biografie nicht mit der Geburt Grace Kellys, sondern geht auch auf die Geschichte ihrer Familie ein. Das kannte ich bereits aus einer anderen seiner Biografien. Auch wenn es mir gefällt, dass er auf diese Dinge eingeht, weil sie eben auch zum Leben der Person gehören, hat mich hier ein wenig gestört, wie immer wieder auf die Disziplin der deutschen Familie im Gegensatz zur träumerischen Ader der irischen Familie eingegangen als Grund für die Zerrissenheit von Grace eingegangen wurde.



Mehrmals hatte ich beim Lesen den Eindruck, als ob Grace oder später Gracia nicht glücklich war. Nicht nur, dass der Vater sehr streng war, er hat auch nie ihre Leistung als Schauspielerin anerkannt. Auch die Erinnerungen ihrer Geschsidter klingen nicht immer liebevoll, sondern oft diestanziert. Mehrmals wurden Beziehungen zu ihren Freunden bei Familienbesuchen sabotiert. Trotzdem wird sie als Familienmensch bezeichnet, der zwischen den Dreharbeiten immer wieder nach Philadelphia zurückkehrte. Auch ihre Ehe kam mir nicht wie etwas vor, das aus Liebe entstanden ist. Eher aus der Suche nach etwas, das sie hoffentlich gefunden hat.

Thilo Wydra räumt Schauspielerin, Frau und Fürstin gleich viel Platz ein. Das hat mir sehr gut gefallen, gerade die Beschreibungen der Arbeit in Hollywood hat mir Lust gemacht, die alten Filme wieder anzuschauen. Grace ist eine runde Sache, die mir Lust auf mehr Bücher von Thilo Wydra gemacht hat.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace: Our First Princess! 👑

This book really surprised me. I guess I went into reading it with preconceived notions about her. The author quickly dispelled those. For instance, I had heard of the way she "slept" her way to the top. Not so, at least in this book. I'm not saying by anyway I'm a saint, that's a joke, however, I just felt the way they put her on a pedestal was too much As I started reading this book I learned that her father was a "mother - f --- er ") and no matter how she tried to please him he always compared her to her to older sister, even when she won the OSCAR!!! and * became Princess* the book really gives you an understanding of why she always fell in love with her co-stars (father complex.) Ray Mill and, Clark Gable, William Holden etc.. This book was so well written I hated to see it end, and I am not usually one to read a movie star's bio, but he delves a little into her early years to really show you who she was. A lovely woman, who had her faults. I WANTED TO ADD THIS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WATCH TCM TURNER CLASSIC MOVIE CHANNEL, HER SON HAS JUST COME OUT WITH A BIOGRAPHY OF HER THAT HE TALKS ABOUT. TALK ABOUT TIMING HUH? Catch the book, you won't be sorry!. 😀👑

[Denise M. Jansma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant insight to an icon

Interesting background information to an American icon, although a good deal of this story is nothing that hasn’t been circulated for years. Still an easy, entertaining read.

[Claudia Reshetiloff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about her but there was sometimes way more detail about her movies and lots of tangents that felt like they meandered kind of far off track.

[unknown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable reading

It was good to read about Graces up bringing and journey to become an actress then how she ended up becoming a princess

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[India]

poorly organized

[Tschubidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently this is one of the Grace biographies, that is actually as close to the truth as possible. It's very anal about details and it even focuses on the lives of her great grandparents and grandparents.

Having completed this read just before my trip to Monaco, it was especially tragic to read about her life and its sorrowful ending in 1982.

She's simply one of the most interesting characters of hollywood ever.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed biographies. It is amazing how one person's life goes one way and another person's life goes a different way even though they come from similar backgrounds.

I found this biography about Grace Kelly very interesting especially because it was originally written in German and translated into English.

This is a good book if you are looking for a light read. Great for a commuter bus ride.

[Kim Ayres · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting biography giving you a glimpse of old Hollywood and the golden age of film. It also delves into Graces life long friendship with Alfred Hitchcock. You'll actually learn a lot about Hitchcock, as well, in this book. Spoiler Alert! Her marriage to Prince Reiner was not nearly as fulfilling to her at her brief career. She felt unfulfilled as a Princess and longed for her children to have a normal American upbringing.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biography?

I'm very disappointed with the book. I picked it up because the price was reduced. I expected more personal information on Grace. However it was more a history of her film career. With entire chapters about Hitchcock. It totally skipped her years as a wife, mother and Princess.

[Rodrigo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well documented, with lots of testimonies and yet quite shallow biography of one fascinating person. Wydra gets us at the beginning, in his detailed journey through Grace's ancestors, which really would have helped understand the complexities of the Princess' character... if ever there were some deep dive in it. A quick narration of Grace's childhood, almost just to remember that, someday, she was actually a girl, then a dive into her cinematographic career, which in reality was quite short, probably shorter than the tons of pages the author dedicates to it. Wydra offers a thorough description and analysis of Grace's acting career, with great references to her movies, the plots, her roles and her success. But, really, this book should have been titled "Grace: a biography of an actress", since it appears to be the only focus. Her complex relationship with her father, siblings and mom, her meeting and falling in love with "Prince Charm" Rainier, her -apparently- difficult coming to terms with her role as a princess and the need to compromise (say, abandon her acting career), the raising of her kids, her role as the spouse of one of the few actually ruling monarchs of our time, her being the mother of three of the most controversial, famous and adored royals ever... Grace Kelly was much more than just a beauty icon and a famous actress, but sadly Wydra chose to disregard that and concentrate on her as an actress. Ah, by the way: she married a prince and had three kids.