Front Row: Anna Wintour: The Cool Life and Hot Times of Vogue's Editor in Chief

by Jerry Oppenheimer

Book Overview

From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Just Desserts: Martha Stewart: The Unauthorized Biography" comes a scrupulously researched investigative biography that tells the inside story of Anna Wintour's incredible rise to power From her exclusive perch front row center, glamorous "Vogue" magazine editor in chief Anna Wintour is the most powerful and influential style-maker in the world. Behind her trademark sunglasses and under the fringe of...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312323107
• ISBN13: 9780312323103
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 377 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Fascinating, insightful read

They say a picture worth a thousand words, well, one look at Anna Wintour ooze the following thing, pure, absolute morgue. Jerry Oppenheimer's book is a fabulous, well-reaserched piece about the most powerful woman of fashion, revealing eloquent examples of her icy, ruthless, gross carreerism. As a reader of French,Italian and American Vogue, I always found the latter to be boring, sterile, cold, lacking the edginess, soul and warmth of its european counterparts. I've always found Wintour to have a dry, not particularly articulate writing style and Oppenheimer confirmed my beliefs when he reveals she was a high school drop-out, without any communication or writing skills. The woman is a pure case for the 48 Laws of Power (by Robert Greene), where cunning, maliciousness, seduction, backstabbing and using men become main instruments to claw at the top.Wintour, we learn in this book, is no woman's woman, despite heading the first fashion magazine in the world. We learn everything about her outright catty bitchiness and petty competitiveness with other women, yet how she is needy for male attention (craving time with her father among this), playing little girl, seducing,flirting and even hiding a lascivious soul behind that icy, morgue-ish exterior.A tremendous pleasure to read- plus the Arab drag queen story, where "she" and a macho French photographer terrorize Anna is hilarious!!! Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power and Samuel Vaknin book about Malignant Narcissists complete very well this book, in order to understand the woman's persona.

An Amazing Biography

I'm not into fashion, but I saw this on display at Barnes & Noble near my house and picked it up just to glannce through it. I could not put it down. This is truly a fascinating read about a powerful woman who I guess is onwe of the most powerful in the world. I had read the author's book on Martha Stewart so I knew he was good and had all the dish. But this one really goes much deeper. Based on all of his interviews, he nails Anna to the wall as tough, ambitious, driven -- and REAL bitchy. This is a great beach read, but since there's slush on the ground it'll keep me warm and cozy. I read i Devil Wears Prada but this is superiour -- and REAL!

Darin Gregus

Loved it! Yes, I'm surprised because I'm a novel reader who never picks up a biography. Oppenheimer's gift for story telling, however, made this one read more like a wonderful work of fiction. What's more, it's well known that this author is a well respected journalist who does a great deal of research so this tale is all true. Wow. What a bizarre world behind all those fashion mags and the big "philanthropic" events of the New York aristocracy. Bottom line...if you're not the type to read this kind of book, you'll love it. If you enjoy biographies, you'll love it. Can't wait for the movie (and Oppenheimer's next book). Two thumbs up.

A MESMERIZING, SCINTILLATING READ!!!!!

I picked this book up during Fashion Week in NYC and could not put it down until I came to the back cover. The author has captured the Queen of fashion in exquisite detail, giving the reader an immaculate portrait of Wintour's rise to the pinnacle of power from her childhood in London, her wild & crazy teenage years during the swinging sixties, her climb up through the fashion magazines over fellow aspirants with her 4" Manolos and lovers & friends lost and won along the way. This biography is so well researched and well sourced. Kudos to the author for not only giving us those details so that we have an accurate portrayal of the woman who determines what's hot and what's not in fashion but also for recognizing that she certainly deserves to be on the top rung of the ladder. It is only by detailing her early years that we fully understand how she ascended to this throne. I don't think previous reviewers read the same book. You don't have to be a fashionista to want to read about one of the most powerful women in business today in the world. I also read Oppenheimer's book on Martha Stewart, the first and last biography on the doyenne of domesticity. As a lover of biographies, I think he interviews hundreds of subjects and lets those who know the subject well tell the story -- unlike other popular biographers who write only from news clips. This is the real deal. If you are remotely interested in who decides what's in or out in fashion and how she acquired this extraordinary power, you'll love this page-turner on Anna Wintour.