Books by Axel Madsen

A biography of one of the twentieth century's greatest fashion icons, reissued to coincide with the biopic Coco avant Chanel.

Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and Barbara Stanwyck-to name a few-maintained their images as glamorous big-screen sex symbols complete with dashing escorts, handsome husbands, and scores of male admirers, thanks to studio publicity departments. But off the set, all three box office divas were involved in "lavender" marriages (marriages of convenience, often to gay men) or remained stoically single. They, and several other Hollywood starlets of the era, were members of a discreet women's "club" called the Sewing Circle, Hollywood's underground lesbian society. Madsen takes a candid look at the very complicated dual lives these great stars led and the impact their preference for same-sex relationships had on their movie careers.

On The Deal Maker: How William C. Durant Made General Motors: "A well-written biography. "-New York Times On Stanwyck: The Life and Times of Barbara Stanwyck: "Madsen's admirably researched, insightful portrait of her aloof nature... reveals she was always torn between her wish to give of herself and her need to be in control.