Kate

“Mr. Mann’s strengths are analytical thinking and resourceful digging. And he writes without venom; he is not unbecomingly obsessed with Hepburn’s shortcomings. Kate is a real-life version of one of America’s favorite fairy tales.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Though Hepburn emerges as a willful fame-seeker in Kate , Mann is never less than respectful and even-handed when discussing aspects of her life she may have preferred stay in the shadows . . . Mann handles the material with clear-eyed equanimity. Some of the most revealing passages of this biography have to do with Hepburn's remarkable third act, when in later life she exerted her indomitable determination to create yet another version of herself: not headstrong ingenue or glamorous star, but cherished American treasure. Mann offers a corrective to the hagiography that has often passed as her personal history (up to and including her own memoirs), but nonetheless manages to keep intact her image as rebellious icon, screen goddess and American original.”—Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

“A riveting, exhaustively researched and groundbreaking biography of the movie star the American Film Institute named the ‘greatest female screen legend of all time’ . . . A nuanced, artfully written book that now becomes the gold standard for biographers of the four-time Academy Award winner . . . [Mann] conveys empathy, affection and, when appropriate, deep respect for his subject.”—Nelson Price, Indianapolis Star

“Superbly written . . . The sophisticated sexual fluidity of both [Hepburn] and her often boozy lovers . . . is not a subject that is easy to handle with both candor and penetrating insight.  Mann has just done both.”—Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News

"Kate . . . is the first objective biography of Hepburn to really probe that carefully crafted exterior and reveal the complex woman underneath. The informative tome sheds light on Hepburn's sexuality and unmasks the star's extensive effort to craft her own image."—The Washington Blade

"She wrote memoirs, she gave interviews, and she talked, talked, talked. We thought we knew everything about Katharine Hepburn, but we actually knew only what she wanted us to know. Kate, William J. Mann's exciting new biography, pulls back those carefully drawn curtains to reveal the real Hepburn—a different but far more interesting woman than the one we thought we knew."—Gerald Clarke, author of Capote

"William J. Mann's biography of Katharine Hepburn deepens the focus on the singular life of this spectacular 20th century personality. An extraordinary job of research, and a tremendously satisfying presentation. This is solid craftsmanship, entertaining, well presented and completely satisfying."—Marc Eliot, author of Cary Grant
 
"Katharine Hepburn is a 10,000 piece jigsaw.  I would have defied anyone to have assembled the puzzle as beautifully as William Mann has done. What a job! This is one of the best books ever written about a movie star and the complexities and compromises involved with fame and celebrity. It delves intimately, candidly, mesmerizingly, into Hepburn's 'dual' sexuality as a key to her persona. The reporting is fresh and persuasive, the tone intelligent and compassionate. This is the book that finally pierces the mystery of the human being behind the legend. I couldn't stop reading—or thinking—about it."—Patrick McGilligan, author of George Cukor: A Double Life and Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light

"The time is ripe, the author is right, for this eye-opening biography. With humor and a sympathy unclouded by awe, Mann dismantles the elaborate charade that went into the Katharine Hepburn mystique.  Not least fascinating is the ambiguous sexuality that lay behind the deceptively straightforward image, carefully crafted by Hepburn herself with the eager compliance of reporters and fans."—Molly Haskell, author of From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies
 
"Kate is a fascinating exploration into the secret life of one of Hollywood’s greatest icons. I thought I knew a lot about Katharine Hepburn until I read William J. Mann's stunning biography. He has explored and explained her vulnerabilities, her fears, and most of all her intense, passionate friendships with other women. The story turns out to be richer and more amazing than I could have imagined. Mann's account is mesmerizing and well researched; he is psychologically acute without ever being clinical, deeply respectful without being reverential. Plus, Kate is a wonderful read—I could not put it down."—Patricia Bosworth, author of Diane Arbus: A Biography

"William Mann has produced a significant biography of a woman whose complicated personality ahs never been fully captured. He has presented not only an intriguing portrait of Katharine Hepburn but also an accurate picture of her Hollywood and the difficult business of stardom."—Gore Vidal

"William Mann's Kate promises and delivers 'the woman who was Hepburn' as no previous book has done. Mann's research is awe-inspiring, but his wonderfully readable account of Hepburn's ambitions, personality, and needs adds up to much more than that. It makes vivid a life that is—on the page—like its subject: unflinching, clear-eyed, and compassionate. I doubt very much we will have a more authoritative or fascinating Kate."—Steven Bach, author of Final Cut and Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl

"Biography is often the greatest form of fiction, pretending to do what only novels really can—present people all-of-a-piece. In that paradoxical sense, William Mann's Kate is a novel work of biography, indeed. Elegantly written, rich in detail, a model of thorough research, it dispenses with the need to turn an icon as complex as Hepburn into something black or white. This fullest-ever portrait of the lioness is painted in all the ambiguous shades of gray she shared with us lesser mortals. Careful and contemplative in separating life from legend, Mann sheds bright new light on both."—Barry Paris, author of Garbo, Louise Brooks and Audrey Hepburn

"Mann considers the vibrant life of a 20th-century icon with encyclopedic scrutiny and a pinch of whimsy . . . an engaging, comprehensive biography. Tapping into a wellspring of sources, the author has managed to reanimate with great skill and dexterity this shrewd, sophisticated woman. A sprawling salute to an awe-inspiring, world-class actor."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Mann makes major corrections to earlier Hepburn biographies, creating a picture of a complex woman rather than the icon she worked hard to become in the public’s eye. Prepare yourself for Mann’s shattering of the legend."—Publishers Weekly

“With her angular features, androgynous appearance, and distinctive voice, Katharine Hepburn brought a new, more adult sensibility to American movies. Journalist and cultural historian Mann  [offers] this look at the complex, contradictory life of the actress, played out against almost a century of American social history. He presents Hepburn's long-lasting influences e.g., her "can-do" New England upbringing and her beloved brother's death. He also dispels myths surrounding her love affair with actor Spencer Tracy, myths that were embellished and passed along over the years by both Hepburn's biographers and Hepburn herself . . . This is a compelling look at a larger-than-life film figure.”—Library Journal