This perfect gift book for fans of Downton Abbey will take them behind the scenes of the Grand Dame who brings the Dowager Countess to life.
No one does glamour, severity, girlish charm or tight-lipped witticism better than Dame Maggie Smith. Michael Coveney's biography shines a light on the life and career of a truly remarkable performer, one whose stage and screen career spans six decades.
From her days as a West End star of comedy and revue, Dame Maggie's path would cross with those of the greatest actors, playwrights and directors of the era. Whether stealing scenes from Richard Burton, answering back to Laurence Olivier, or playing opposite Judi Dench in Breath of Life, her career can be seen as a 'Who's Who' of British theatre. Her film and television career has been just as starry. From the title character in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and the meddling chaperone in A Room With a View to the Harry Potter films in which she played Minerva McGonagall (as she put it 'Miss Jean Brodie in a wizard's hat') and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films in which she played the wise Muriel Donnelly, Smith has thrilled, engaged and made audiences laugh. As Violet Crawley, the formidable Dowager Countess of Downton Abbey she conquered millions more. Paradoxically she remains an enigmatic figure, rarely appearing in public.
Michael Coveney's absorbing biography, written with the actress's blessing and drawing on personal archives, as well as interviews with immediate family and close friends, is a portrait of one of the greatest actors of our time.
- Enjoyed this year's Long Island Reads selection? Check out these titles too!
- Women's History Month
- Ramadan & Eid al-Fitr
- March Madness: Basketball
- Not Just Another Teen Book- YA for Adults
- Page to Screen
- Retro Reads - Books from the 1900s
- Librarians Love Gettin' Cozy
- Best Books of 2023
- Rick Riordan
- Avatar- The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra
- Celebrate Disney 100 Years and Counting!
- #LiveYourBestLife Adult Reads
- See all
- Enjoyed this year's Long Island Reads selection? Check out these titles too!
- Women's History Month
- Ramadan & Eid al-Fitr
- Page to Screen
- Listen While You Run: Audiobooks for Workouts
- Not Just Another Teen Book- YA for Adults
- Librarians Love Gettin' Cozy
- Retro Reads - Books from the 1900s
- Welcome to Night Vale Listen-ALikes
- Now Available! Popular Audiobooks You May Have Missed
- Best Books of 2023
- Rick Riordan
- #LiveYourBestLife Adult Reads
- See all
- #ownvoices / Diverse Books
- Antiracism Resources
- Sheet Music & Song Books
- Bücher auf Deutsch / Books in German
- Civil Service Test Prep
- The Great Courses
- QuickReads Collection
- See all