The human, business, design, engineering, cold war, and tech story of how the Olivetti company's first desktop computer, the P101, came to be. Within eighteen months it had caught up with, and surpassed, IBM, the American giant that had become an arm of the American government. Secrest tells how Olivetti made inroads into the US market in 1959 by taking control of Underwood of Hartford CT as an assembly plant for Olivetti's own typewriters and future miniaturized personal computers. Within a week of the purchase, the US government filed an antitrust suit to try to stop it. In 1960 Adriano Olivetti died suddenly of a heart attack; eighteen months later the young engineer who had assembled Olivetti's team of electronic engineers was killed in a suspicious car crash. The Olivetti company and the P101 came to an insidious and shocking end. -- adapted from jacket
Meryle Secrest Reihenfolge der Bücher
Meryle Secrest ist eine gefeierte Biografin, deren Werke tief in das Leben ihrer Protagonisten eintauchen. Ihr unverwechselbarer Stil zeichnet sich durch akribische Recherche und eine scharfe Fähigkeit aus, komplexe menschliche Persönlichkeiten darzustellen. Secrest konzentriert sich darauf, die Motivationen und inneren Welten der von ihr porträtierten Personen aufzudecken und bietet den Lesern fesselnde und aufschlussreiche Erzählungen. Ihre literarischen Beiträge werden für ihre analytische Tiefe und fesselnde Prosa geschätzt.







- 2019
- 2015
Elsa Schiaparelli : a biography
- 400 Seiten
- 14 Lesestunden
'A wonderful insight into a life that history hasn't remembered as well as it should have.' - Vogue One of the most extraordinary fashion designers of the twentieth century, Elsa Schiaparelli was an integral figure in the artistic movement of the times. Her collaborations with artists such as Man Ray, Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, and Alberto Giacometti elevated the field of women's clothing design into the realm of art. Her story is one of pluck, determination, and talent with scandal as spice. As the daughter of minor Italian nobility whose disastrous first marriage to a Theosophist caused near penury, she transformed herself into a designer of great imagination and, along with Coco Chanel, her greatest rival, she was one of the few female figures in the field at that time.
- 2014
Elsa Schiaparelli
- 288 Seiten
- 11 Lesestunden
A comprehensive, compelling biography following the life and style of the inimitable Elsa Schiaparelli by renowned biographer Meryle Secrest.One of the most extraordinary fashion designers of the twentieth century, Elsa Schiaparelli was an integral figure in the artistic movement of the times. Her collaborations with artists such as Man Ray, Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau and Alberto Giacometti elevated the field of women's clothing design into the realm of art. Her story is one of pluck, determination and talent with scandal as spice. As the daughter of minor Italian nobility whose disastrous first marriage to a Theosophist caused near penury, she transformed herself into a designer of great imagination and, along with Coco Chanel, her greatest rival, she was one of the few female figures in the field at that time.
- 2011
Stephen Sondheim: A Life
- 461 Seiten
- 17 Lesestunden
The first and only full-scale and definitive biography of the most important composer-lyricist in musical theater today. Drawing on personal conversations with Sondheim himself, as well as interviews with his friends, family, collaborators, and lovers, Secrest offers new insight into the enigmatic and very private Stephen Sondheim. Here, we learn about his childhood on New York’s Upper West Side, his parents’ devastating divorce, and his ascent to the peaks of the Broadway musical. Secrest vividly recreates the energy, passion, and despair that went into each beloved show, from Sondheim’s fabled collaboration with Hal Prince on Sweeney Todd and A Little Night Music, to his disagreements with co-lyricist Leonard Bernstein on West Side Story. A fascinating and remarkable portrait of the man, the music, and the genius of Stephen Sondheim: star of his own fascinating and unfinished life.
- 2002
Exploring the life of Richard Rodgers, this biography delves into the legendary composer's journey from his early days in New York to his monumental contributions to American musical theater. It highlights his collaborations with notable lyricists, the evolution of his musical style, and the impact of his work on Broadway. The narrative also examines personal struggles and triumphs, offering insight into Rodgers' creative process and enduring legacy in the world of music and performance.
- 1999
Stephen Sondheim
- 480 Seiten
- 17 Lesestunden
Drawing on interviews with friends, family, collaborators and lovers, this biography of Stephen Sondheim looks to bring us not only the artist - as a master of modern compositional style - but also the private man.
- 1996
Leonard Bernstein
- 450 Seiten
- 16 Lesestunden
Životopis slavného amerického dirigenta a hudebního skladatele Leonarda Bernsteina narozeného 25. srpna 1918 v New Yorku. Zemřel 14. října 1990.
- 1986
Der Surrealismus ist untrennbar verbunden mit den Werken Salvador Dalís. Nur wenige kennen neben seinen Gemälden auch seine Bücher und Filme. Meryle Secrest versucht, den Menschen hinter dem genialen Künstler zu entdecken und wirft einen Blick auf seine grandiose Hinterlassenschaft. Eine spannende Biografie zum 100. Geburtstag am 11. Mai 2004!
