The Woman of Substance: The Secret Life That Inspired the Renowned Storyteller Barbara Taylor Bradford

by Piers Dudgeon

The definitive biography of Barbara Taylor Bradford, author of twenty-one top-of-the-lists blockbuster bestsellers, starting with A Woman of Substance

For the first time ever, take a fascinating look at the remarkable life of Barbara Taylor Bradford. Her first book, A Woman of Substance, is one of the bestselling novels of all time and has made her one of the most successful authors in the world. Yet her rise to fame and fortune was not an easy one. Barbara came from humble beginnings in Yorkshire, the only daughter of a laborer and a nanny. From an early age, her mother Freda had marked her daughter out for glory---at any cost. This drive, ambition, and desire to triumph helped Barbara take the Yorkshire Evening Post and Fleet Street by storm. But her biggest achievement was undeniably A Woman of Substance . The novel's unforgettable heroine, Emma Harte, was a powerful, success-fuelled woman whose rise from kitchen maid to international business woman was an inspiration to women the world over. Emma's life is a testament to Barbara's imagination but here, for the first time, Piers Dudgeon unearths amazing parallels in the lives of Barbara's fictional characters and her real-life family. More remarkable still is that Barbara herself was previously completely unaware of these deeply buried secrets. In this incredible story, fact and fiction exist side by side and art unwittingly imitates life. This is the first time Barbara Taylor Bradford has collaborated on a memoir of her amazing life. Full of revelations, it's as absorbing a read as any one of her bestsellers.

368 pages, Hardcover

First published February 21, 2005

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 1 out of 5]

very disappointing. A Woman of Substance is my favorite book, but this biography was not. The author spent most of the time trying to figure out if Barbara's grandmother's father was royalty. He spent a lot of time talking about the history of certain places, which was mildly interesting, but I really don't care what happened in 1452 or whenever. I didn't feel like I knew anything more about Barbara Taylor Bradford that I didn't already know. It was a chore to finish reading it.

[Pam Ela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dont bother. the author continually draws a long bow.

[Anne Wellman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exhausted by reading this tome about Barbara Talyor Bradford, whose interesting life is barely discernable amidst all the overblown historical detail, cod psychology and lengthy excerpts from her novels offered up by this biographer. Admittedly it would have been a slim volume without all this, but one which I would have preferred, after spending so much time skipping through the padding in search of actual information. The author is also on very dodgy ground in drawing analogies between Barbara's work and her life: fiction is not reality.

[Ellen Van Baren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago and it had such a profound influence and effect on me. Perhaps I should read it again to remember why.

[Maricarmen Ruesga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one of my all time favorite!! Just love Emma Hart!!