Since hitting the spotlight at the age of ten when she first captured the hearts of the wartime public across the world with a magical performance on the It's All Yours programme of the BBC's British Empire Service, she has appeared in more than thirty British and American films, cut millions of discs in a variety of languages and risen from being the pure English `Our Pet' to becoming France's own 'Petulante Petula' and finally America's Queen of 'Downtown' and an internationally acclaimed star.
Yet, until now, little has been known of the real person behind the headlines. Never before has she spoken of her true relationship with her father and of her battle to
lose the `little girl' image he so painstakingly; manufactured around her. Nor of the two, true loves of her life which preceded her marriage to her French husband and manager, Claude Wolff. Or of the mystery illness which has led to enormous speculation about her health.
In this book and for the first time she tells, with her friends, the real and often sad story, behind the public smile. How she saved Harry Belafonte from humiliation; why she has always loathed comparison with Julie Andrews; what she thinks of Fred Astaire, Peter O'Toole, John Lennon and Roddy Llewellyn and why she never did get to sing Charlie Chaplin's final song.
So many unanswered questions have always surrounded this tiny lady whose name has become a household word. This book, complete with many unique b/w photographs, attempts to answer them all.
Contains 16 pages of b/w photographs.
