The Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt By Arthur Gold & Robert Fizdale
The Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt (First US Edition Hardcover Copy)
The Definitive, Myth-Shattering Biography of the Greatest Theatrical Diva and First International Superstar
The Definitive, Myth-Shattering Biography of the Greatest Theatrical Diva and First International Superstar
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt
- Authors: Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale
- Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York
- Publication Date: 1991
- ISBN-10: 0394528794
- ISBN-13: 9780394528793
- Edition Details: Stated First Edition, First Printing. Standard hardcover release with original unclipped dust jacket.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium cloth boards accented with elegant gilt-stamped typography across the spine and a custom debossed motif on the front cover panel, paired with high-grade coordinating endpapers.
- Physical Format: Heavy, large octavo (8vo), 351 pages. Exceptionally enhanced with a massive 48-page central section of rare, high-gloss archival photographs, production prints, theatrical playbills, and portraits spanning her legendary career.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Near Fine (NF) / Mint
- Exterior / Cloth Boards: The cloth binding remains in immaculate, absolute mint condition. The chassis sits perfectly square and completely flat with razor-sharp corners. The original spine is highly rigid, uncreased, and crisp, displaying zero shelf friction, bumping, or reading lean along the margins.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, perfectly clean, and tight. Internal pages and the extensive 48-page photographic layout are pristine, exceptionally bright white, and untouched. Entirely free of standard user highlighting, ink underlining, dealer pencil marks, or dog-ears.
- Provenance: An exemplary archival-grade volume showing no signs of institutional library stamps, bookstore price stickers, or previous owner nameplates.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Condition Details: The original, strikingly elegant illustrated dust jacket retains vivid, rich color contrast and deep clarity. It displays only very limited, superficial signs of handling and minor micro-friction along the outer extremities. It features no structural tears, open chips, or sun fading, and comes protected in a clear, archival Cellophane cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1991, The Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt stands as the definitive, unrivaled biography that finally does justice to the glorious excess of the grandest theatrical diva of all time. Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) was the world's very first true international superstar, enrapturing audiences across Belle Époque France, Victorian England, and the frontiers of the American West alike.
Acclaimed biographers Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale draw upon a massive mountain of rare, previously unpublished archival materials, private letters, and contemporary critical appraisals to reveal the iron-willed, tempestuous woman behind the legend. Lively, sophisticated, and wonderfully gossipy, the narrative captures a charismatic superstar who was simultaneously a brilliant self-promoter (who famously slept in a custom coffin) and an indefatigable femme fatale. The book documents her passionate offstage life—including high-profile affairs with Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas fils, and Gustave Doré—her bitter rivalries with contemporaries like Eleonora Duse, and her historic late-career triumphs, such as playing Hamlet at age 55 and performing for frontline soldiers during World War I even after the amputation of her right leg. It is a spectacular chronicle of a singular artist who redefined the very nature of modern celebrity.
Author Profile: Arthur Gold & Robert Fizdale
Arthur Gold (1921–1990) and Robert Fizdale (1920–1995) were a world-renowned American classical two-piano ensemble who successfully pivoted into literary history. After dominating international concert stages for decades, a hand injury prompted their transition into research journalism. Together, they co-authored highly acclaimed, prize-winning biographies, including the landmark Misia: The Life of Misia Sert. Their joint literary style is widely praised by academics for its seamless blend of narrative speed, deep cultural intimacy with European art history, and an unmatched ability to balance high scholarly precision with engaging, witty storytelling.
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