Dangerous Woman : The Life, Loves, and Scandals of Adah Isaacs Menken, 1835-1868, America's Original Superstar

Thedefinitive biographyofa trailblazing actress who entertainedand shockedthe nation and the worldMarilyn Monroe might never have become the legend she did without Americas original tragic starlet: actress and poet Adah Isaacs Menken (183568). In a century remembered for Victorian restraint, Menkens modern flair for action, scandal, and unpopular causesespecially that of the Jewish peoplerevolutionized show business. On stage, she was the first actress to bare all. Off stage, she originated the front-page scandal and became the worlds most highly paid actresscelebrated on Broadway, as well as in San Francisco, London, and Paris. At thirty-three, she mysteriously died.A Dangerous Woman is the first book to tell Menkens fascinating story. Born in New Orleans to a kept woman of color and to a father whose identity is debated, Menken eventually moved to the Midwest, where she became an outspoken protg of the rabbi who founded Reform Judaism. In New York City, she became Walt Whitmans disciple. During the Civil War she was arrested as a Confederate agentand became Americas first pin-up superstar. Menken married and left five husbands. Ultimately, she paid dearly for success. A major biography of a remarkable woman, A Dangerous Woman is must reading for those interested in womens history, the roots of modern-day American Judaism, and African-American history.Praise for a previous book by Barbara and Michael Foster, Forbidden Journey: The Life of Alexandra David-NeelHers was a great human life, very well written up in Forbidden Journey. . . . Surely this biography will provoke even more interest. New York Times Book Review