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Books
This is a selection of books about Grace Kelly. If you are interested in acquiring an item listed here, you can click on the title to read more information about it or click on the link for the item you want to be escorted to Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, or Amazon.fr where you can order it. This site gets a percentage of the profits from all items sold, and any money made is put back into this site.
Jump directly to in print books, out of print books, or The Princess Grace Irish Library Series.
In Print and Available
New!
Grace Kelly (Taschen Movie Icons) by Glenn Hopp & Paul Duncan
The top female box-office star of 1954, Grace Kelly's status as icon takes in an 11-film, three-year, screen career and a glamorous later life as Princess of Monaco. More than any other star, she was in three memorable films the quintessential Hitchcock blonde, delineating traits of cool beauty, depths of hidden passion, intelligence, playfulness, and style--in short, the qualities that led biographer James Spada to call her "the pious man's Marilyn." Yet Grace Kelly also showed her versatility and won her acting honors for playing against type in the title role in the grimly realistic movie The Country Girl. Grace Kelly was a classic beauty, a public figure, and serious actress representative of an era.
New!
The Grace Kelly Years: Princess of Monaco by Frederic Mitterand
From Amazon.com and Panache Fall 2007: The stuning beauty and classic elegance of Grace Kelly are celebrated in The Grace Kelly Years: Princess of Monaco (Skira, October 2007, $55), the handsome companion book to the tribute exhibition commemorating the 25th anniversary of her passing. Using many never-before-seen photos, this catalogue provides a fascinating look at all faces of the princess's remarkable life.
New!
Grace Kelly: A Life in Pictures by Pierre-Henri Verlhac and Yann-Brice Dherbier
Imagine, if you will, the perfect book about Grace Kelly. Thick, beautifully printed, and full of amazing photographs you've never seen before. This is that book. It really is the perfect book about Grace.
Book Description: Grace Kelly--whose cool, blond beauty defined the aloof sexiness of the classic Hitchcock heroine--left a lasting impression on Hollywood and the world. Although her career was brief, she lit up the screen in films like High Society, Rear Window, and The Country Girl, for which she won an Oscar. She was not only a fine actress, great beauty, and icon of American style, but she was also a passionate philanthropist, known for her generosity and kindness. Published on the 25th anniversary of her death, Grace Kelly: A Life in Pictures is the definitive photographic portrait--160 images capturing the early years, film career, royal marriage, and private life of this remarkable woman.
New!
True Grace: The Life and Times of an American Princess by Wendy Leigh
From Amazon.com: Grace Kelly's public persona sounds glam: a Hollywood star marries royalty. But behind the cameras were decades of unhappiness and a lonely death. And in this well-researched biography, Leigh (Prince Charming: The John F. Kennedy, Jr., Story) presents Kelly as the daughter of a self-made millionaire known for his philandering and emotional indifference. Yet she was eager to impress him and longed for attention. She found it onscreen and in a series of affairs with older, married men: Ray Milland, Bing Crosby, Gary Cooper and the Shah of Iran. In fact, according to Leigh, she had affairs before and after her marriage. Kelly looked cool, but she was sexually aggressive--a subject that Leigh doesn't shy away from. The mystery is why the Oscar winner chose Prince Rainier, the ill-tempered, cash-strapped ruler of a tiny principality. It wasn't a love match: Rainier got a $2 million dowry, while Kelly's glamour turned a dissolute country into a playpen for the rich and famous. Kelly hoped to keep her career and was crushed when she realized marriage had trapped her. She could divorce--but she couldn't take her children. Leigh makes certain to note Rainier's infidelities--along with chronicling Kelly's history, acting career and charitable work in Monaco.
Grace Kelly: Icon of Style to Royal Bride by H. Kristina Haugland
A wonderful book, full of fantastic photographs of your favorite bride. The book starts by giving a good overview of Grace's personal style, and then goes right into the details of the wedding, with a strong focus on her wedding gown.
Synopsis: One of the most admired women in the world, Grace Kelly (1929-1982) is remembered for her beauty, grace and style. Her 'fairy-tale' wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956 was one of the most celebrated of the century. To commemorate its 50th anniversary, this lovely book tells the story behind her wedding gown, cap, veil, shoes and prayer book, all given by the new princess to the Philadelphia Museum of Art shortly after the ceremony. Philadelphia-born Grace Kelly rocketed to Hollywood stardom, becoming a major box-office draw and winning an Academy Award. She also was an icon of classic American style, which became known as the 'Grace Kelly Look'. After examining the development of the star's on- and off-screen style, the book focuses on her magnificent wedding dress, designed by Helen Rose and made by MGM Studios under top secret security. Public interest in the star's wedding dress was intense, and it remains one of the most popular objects in the Museum's collection. Stunning colour images detail the wedding dress, accessories and attendants' dresses, which are also owned by the Museum. Numerous historical photographs illustrate the actress's career, style and the famous wedding in Monaco.
Marry Me!: Courtships and Proposals of Legendary Couples by Wendy Goldberg and Betty Goodwin
Grace Kelly Paper Dolls in Full Color by Tom Tierney
A collection of paper dolls of Grace, featuring the clothing she wore in her famous film roles and important social functions.
Out of Print
Grace Kelly: a Life in Pictures by Jenny Curtis
This book is beautiful and extraordinary! Though it is only 96 pages long, it is a large book filled with wonderful pictures of Grace, following her from her childhood, through her days as an actress, to her reign as a princess.
Grace: An Intimate Portrait by Her Friend and Favorite Photographer by Howell Conant
Fantastic! It is a shame that this book is out of print. Photographer Howell Conant has taken the best-known pictures of Grace, with an extensive section devoted to Grace's wedding to Prince Rainier. This is a thick, large book, which, if you can't buy, you should at least revel in at a local public library.
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier by J. Randy Taraborrelli
Exclusive review: J. Randy Tarabourrelli's Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier focuses specifically on Grace's relationship with Rainier. Many aspects of their relationship ignored or glossed over by biographies are covered in detail in the book. Clearly, an immense amount of research went into the book. In most cases, data from various are pulled together well to give a more complete understanding of what happened, but some of the stories presented as fact are from only one source, and not substantiated by outside ones. For example, what is presented the "true" story of the engagement is told by a nurse who worked with a doctor who traveled to the US with Rainier, is not supported by any other sources. This reviewer was also bothered by dialogue presented as accurate (dialogue contained between quotation marks) without disclaimer, that clearly is not verbatim. Despite these weaknesses, this book is an enjoyable and interesting read.
Grace by Robert Lacey
An excellent biography of Grace's life, with a small but interesting set of pictures in the center of the book. It treats Grace's relationships in a scandalous light, but is nonetheless a very interesting reading. A fantastic cover photographed by Howell Conant.
From Amazon.com and Kirkus Reviews: A highly readable and workmanlike history of Grace Kelly-- still one of the saddest stories ever told. Regrettably, Lacey overanalyzes, dumbing down a well-researched effort. Even in her Mongasque tomb, Princess Grace, the former Gracie Kelly of East Falls, Pa., receives as many as 9,000 visitors a day. Lacey (Little Man, 1991, etc.) paces through her life, step by step, explaining why Grace did this and why Grace did that, and what it all meant. Terms like "inner child", "enabler", and "empowering" bring her biography into the '90s, as does Lacey's insistence on allowing a more honest portrait of Grace to emerge from the ruin of illusion. The animus of Grace's life appears to have been her handsome, authoritarian father, Jack Kelly, champion oarsman and head of Kelly for Brickwork. Grace had a series of affairs with older men, including Clark Gable, Oleg Cassini, William Holden, and Philippe of the Waldorf. Much is made of the fire-and-ice duality of Grace's character: docile in a Junior League cashmere coat and then dancing naked to Russian music in front of her lover. There are spicy anecdotes and good Hollywood gossip. Grace makes it to the top, but once she boards the U.S.S. Constitution for Monaco, her life's a downhill proposition. Apparently her dysfunctional family couldn't hold a candle to Rainier's. The prince's mother arrived at the royal wedding with her newest protege, a paroled jewel thief, and decided immediately to despise Grace. Rainier was mean and moody; her children were mean and spoiled. "Grace had become everybody's doormat," says Lacey. He publishes new information from interviews with her "toy boys", the lovers she had in middle age, and Rogev Bencze, who investigated the fatal car crash. In the end little of the biography is as eloquent as the cover portrait. But Lacey creates a powerfully engaging woman, then mercilessly, he shows us how Grace did not live happily ever after. And if she couldn't do it, what chance do the rest of us have?
The Golden Girls of MGM: Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Others by Jane Ellen Wayne
From Amazon.com and Publisher's Weekly: Wayne, a seasoned biographer of studio-era stars (Eva's Men; Gable's Women; etc.), serves up fun dish on the gals from the studio that once billed itself as having more stars than there are in the heavens. She presents them all-Jeanette, Joan, Judy, Ava, Liz and more-in breathless style, paying equal attention to the undergarments they didn't wear and to the men they loved most. With the adeptness of someone familiar with her subjects and not afraid to read minds, Wayne eases in and out of the stars' thinking as they love, drink, act, divorce and attempt suicide. Throughout all these goings-on, there is the overwhelming presence of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In Sunset Boulevard, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) complained it was the pictures that got small, but this book makes the case that it was the studios that died and ruined movies. All Wayne's subjects appear to be controlled by studio head Louis B. Mayer, through both his direct actions and the influence of his thinking. As Wayne tells it, he kept lovers from marrying and dictated roles his stars resented. Yet generally, the stars remembered him fondly, e.g., Jeanette MacDonald, who said after his death, "One of the greatest sadnesses of life is to realise how much you owe someone when it's too late...." For diehard fans, there's not much new here, but what is, is choice. 16 pages of B&W photos.
The Royal House of Monaco: Dynasty of Glamour, Tragedy and Scandal by John Glatt
From Amazon.com and Booklist: Much has already been said about Princess Grace, but Glatt's journalistic treatment does well in placing her within the context of Monaco's dynastic history. The Grimaldi family has ruled that tiny principality for 700 years. Prince Rainier III, the present sovereign prince, married the actress Grace Kelly in 1956 in what was termed the wedding of the century (a label subsequently affixed to the Prince and Princess of Wales's 1981 marriage). Small country but big job; Grace in her princess role never had a second to herself from that point on. Three children eventually arrived on the scene, and with the exception of the middle child, heir Prince Albert, they presented Grace with a parental handful. The principality, as we see here, is an absolute monarchy; the prince is the government. But Grace put the place on the map; she imprinted it with her own style. After her untimely death, her family went downhill into "scandal and disgrace." But "the haunting presence of Princess Grace still permeates every corner of Monaco.
La Véritable Grace de Monaco by Bertrand Meyer-Stabley
Grace by Bertrand Meyer-Stabley
Grace Kelly: Her Life and Loves by Jane Ellen Wayne
Birds, Beasts & Flowers: An Anthology with Illustrations as performed by Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco with Richard Pasco
Grace and fellow actor Richard Pasco launched International Wildlife Year by doing poetry readings in six cities. This book contains the text of the poems read.
My Book of Flowers by Princess Grace of Monaco
This is the book that Grace did as a princess that illustrates her love of flowers. She writes about her favorite flowers and her techniques for making pressed flower art, and there are many pictures of her and her artwork.
Grace Kelly: American Princess by Elizabeth Gillen Surcouf, foreword by Frank Sinatra
From Amazon.com, Horn Book, the card catalog, and the author: A sincere treatment of Grace Kelly's childhood, acting career, and life as Princess of Monaco emphasizes her talents, charm, and devotion to family and to charitable works. The real-life fairy tale includes black-and-white and color photographs of Her Serene Highness and her family on almost every page. A biography of the successful American actress who married the Prince of Monaco and became a modern-day princess. Many people have compared the lives of Princess Diana and Grace Kelly, making this book of special interest. The book also contains a touching foreword written by Frank Sinatra.
Palace: My Life in the Royal Family of Monaco by Christian, Baron De Massy, Charles Higham
From Amazon.com and Publisher's Weekly: The late Princess Grace is among the few members of Monaco's sovereign family who escape De Massy's harsh criticism. With Higham's help, the baron relates accounts of the attempted constrictions placed on his life by a cold, demanding mother, Princess Antoinette, Prince Rainier's sister. The story abounds with machinations as seen from De Massy's perspective: Grace's wedding, and the bride's harassment by palace intrigue and slights to her American family; Antoinette's attempts to usurp her brother's throne. Of more interest are details on daily life in the principality, Grace's contributions to its flourishing amenities and the political climate. But such data are merely background for the baron's main topic: rejection by his mother and uncle. Apparently, the royal nephew doesn't link his sorry status to the rakehell career he recalls with more relish than rue.
Princess of Monaco: the Story of Grace Kelly by Gant Gaither
Grace Kelly's Men by Jane Ellen Wayne
From Amazon.com: Delves behind the scenes to create an absorbing portrait of Grace Kelly, Princess Grace of Monaco, revealing how she lost her heart to some of Hollywood's most desirable men before meeting Prince Rainer III of Monaco. Reveals the list of suitors--Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, Cary Grant--who stood on line to court the queen of Hollywood and the Princess of Monaco.
Grace of Monaco: An Interpretive Biography by Steven Englund
A good biography of Grace, with some good pictures inside.
Edith Head's Hollywood by Edith Head, Paddy Calistro
There is not much information on Grace in this book, but there are some beautiful fashion portraits of her. This book focuses on Edith Head's career and will be interesting to those interested in fashion and style.
Princess Grace by Sarah Bradford
One of the first biographies about Grace, this does not sensationalize Grace's various relationships before her marriage and treats the late princess with respect.
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, and Six Intimate Friends by Judith Balaban Quine (also here)
This book is about Grace's wedding, but also about her friendship with the author. It is refreshing to see Grace portrayed in a friendly light.
About Grace: An Intimate Notebook by Jeannie Sakol and Caroline Latham
Those Philadelphia Kellys, With a Touch of Grace by Arthur H. Lewis
Grace: The Secret Lives of a Princess by James Spada
Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco by Trevor Hall
The Grimaldis of Monaco by Anne Edwards
Rainier and Grace by Jeffrey Robinson
Princess Grace Kelly: The Fascinating Life Story of a Girl who Made the Leap from the Philadelphia Suburb to a Royal Palace by Robert P. Newman
Two Princesses: The Triumphs and Trials of Grace Kelly and Diana Spencer by Kevin Noa
From the author: This book will show the many comparisons and contrasts between these two phenomenal women. Although they shared only a few precious moments with each other during their lifetimes, they formed a special bond due to the similar lives they led, with all their highs and lows, as well as tenderness, compassion, and empathy each gave our world. Through my research I was overwhelmed by how many of the dramas Grace and Diana lived that could be identified with the other. Every aspect of their styles and strong characters, as well as their vulnerabilities, showed a human quality that transposed each of them beyond any normal assessment. The trials and triumphs that each of these striking, effervescent, hopeless romantics endured throughout their lives will be studied frequently in coming generations. Two Princesses will show the many roles each experienced, such as strolling down an avenue, displaying glamour and appeal with the stunning gifts of radiance God generously bestowed on them, or comforting a downtrodden member of society. In either light, they moved the world with a purposeful and determined direction.
Life and Times of Grace Kelly by Penny Stempel
Grace: The Story of a Princess by Phyllida Hart-Davis
The Princess Grace Irish Library Series
Beckett and Beyond by Bruce Stewart
From Amazon.com: "Beckett and Beyond," a conference held at the Princess Grace Irish Library, Monaco, in 1991, gathered together thirty-two distinguished scholars to assess the works and career of the great Irish writer. The conference proceedings, published here in a single volume, contain papers and addresses by his biographers, the editors of his correspondence and internationally scholars. As well as a wide range of papers on individual works and series from all phases of the writer's career and in all the media that he explored, subjects covered by the speakers include Beckett in relation to modernism, postmodernism, Dr. Johnson, Joyce, Baudelaire, Camus, Freud, actors, directors, to his texts and his letters, to radio, television, film, and adaptations of his work.
Ulysses: A Review of Three Texts by Philip Gaskell and Clive Hart
That Other World: The Supernatural and the Fantastic in Irish Literature and its Contexts Volume 1 by Bruce Stewart
From Amazon.com: The traditional folklore tales of Ireland involving the supernatural and the fantastic have had a profound influence on the shaping of the country and on Irish literature. No other country has produced so many famous authors whose work has reflected those influences. These themes were the subject of a symposium held in May 1998 at the Princess Grace Irish Library. The papers from this symposium are published in these two volumes.
Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest: A Reconstructive Critical Edition of the Text of the First Production, St. James Theatre, London, 1895 by Ruth Berggren and Joseph Donohue
From Amazon.com: This unique volume reconstructs the original 1895 production of Wilde's timeless classic. Based upon a new, reconstructive method for the study of theatrical performance that aims to set the play securely in its historical and cultural moment, the edition offers a wealth of detail about the staging and acting and numerous first production and early revival photographs. The reconstructed text itself, differing in important ways from the 1899 first edition, recaptures the essential comic vitality of the play.
The Literary Works of Jack B. Yeats by John W. Purser
From Amazon.com: There is far more to Jack B. Yeats than has met the eye. His father once said, "Some day I shall be remembered as the father of a great poet, and the poet is Jack." Purser argues that Jack B. Yeats' writings have been misunderstood, that the writer was educated among the people in the West of Ireland, without the social and literary preconceptions and traditions of the universities. He suggests that Jack Yeats was wily and clever in his use of symbolism. With this background in mind, and with the aid of evidence previously unused-including a new chronology-new interpretations are given for many of his works and an overall pattern in the novels is revealed. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of literature, Irish literature, and Irish Studies.
Images of Joyce by Clive Hart
From Amazon.com: The two volumes of this series contain the proceedings of the Twelfth International James Joyce Symposium held in Monte Carlo in June 1990 under the auspices of the Princess Grace Irish Library and the patronage of H.S.H. Rainer III, Sovereign Prince of Monaco. The first volume contains general and biographical essays and those dealing with theoretical and linguistic matters, sources, influences, and comparative studies.