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Party of the Century: The Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and His Black-And-White Ball
In 1966, everyone who was anyone wanted an invitation to Truman Capote's "Black and White Dance" in New York, and guests included Frank Sinatra, Norman Mailer, C. Z. Guest, Kennedys, Rockefellers, and more. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and drawings of the guests, this portrait of revelry at the height of the swirling, swinging sixties is a must for anyon...more
Paperback, 293 pages
Published
January 1st 2007
by John Wiley & Sons
(first published 2006)
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Party of the Century is a documentary/biography of Truman Capote and the party he threw at the Plaza Hotel ballroom in NY in November of 1966 after completing his "non-fiction novel" In Cold Blood. Truman was an aspiring socialite. Through his literary success, he was able to meet and cultivate friendships with people of many different backgrounds. However, his major friendships were with society's wealthiest women. He was a gay man and an excellent conversationalist. He loved gathe...more
Deborah Davis’s book is an interesting and amusing book, which centers on the last significant event in Truman Capote’s life, his notorious Black and White Ball. The ball which was supposed to honor Katharine Graham, president of the Washington Post, was nothing more than thinly veiled attempt by Truman Capote to promote himself and the success of In Cold Blood.
What I love about this book is that Davis spends times examining Capote’s Swans, the rich and powerful society woman who he...more
What I love about this book is that Davis spends times examining Capote’s Swans, the rich and powerful society woman who he...more
Perhaps it is just me, but I loved this book and found it to be fascinating. I developed an interest in Truman Capote after seeing the film "Capote". I am also a huge fan of Harper Lee and found out about Truman's relationship to her and the famous group of woment he called his "Swans". Truman Capote was a complicated man, small in stature yet huge in EGO. He was a master manipulator on one hand and a very lonely, insecure man on the other. He was in to using people to his ow...more
The first third of this book is more of a light biography of Capote, interspersed with un-numbered chapters, each of which highlights one of Capote's "swans," the socialites he considered his closest friends at the time--Babe Paley, C.Z. Guest, etc. Once the party talk kicks in, though, this book goes way too fast. I wanted more! This really needed to be a coffee table book, because I wanted to see as many of the dresses and masks as possible (and preferably in color). It's easy en...more
If you are an historian of the Sixties, you know that Capote's timing for his extravagant ball on November 28, 1966 was perfect. It was the probably the last possible moment of the twentieth century that he could have had a party with a guest list of jet-setters of this magnitude. Within months the world would change profoundly--the beginning of the world we know today. Even the black & white color schemes and geometric shapes so much associated with the mid-60s were about to explode into psyche...more
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A dishy account of arguably last century best ball. Truman Capote is a fascinating character and a wonderful writer. This book captures a very window in time when he was at his zenith of power (socially, artistically). I was surprised that the Duke & Duchess of Windsor didn't attend. Beside Jackie Kennedy, nobody who was anybody was missing at this party.
Growing up in the 60's, I don't remember hearing or reading about Mr. Capote's party but most of the events and a lot of the people written about, I do remember. This is a gossipy but entertaining look at a period of our history which was a precursor to our obsession with "celebrities" that exists in our culture today.
Fantastic insight into the glamour society of the 60's. Very well researched and Deborah portrays a vivid backdrop of the conflicts of conscience in an era of great social change.
Before TMZ.com and D-Listed, there were society gossip columns. If you enjoy celebrity gossip that is well written, it is certain this will appeal to you. To be fair to the author, there is a an impressive breadth of examining Truman's childhood that she covers - Truman's neglectful parents leaving him practically to raise himself among eccentric Southern kin, having social-climbing parents too selfish to instill a sense of security in the precocious young Truman. From most popular to most des...more
Except the OH town is NOT Coahocton -- it is Coshocton. Wow -- just shows that REAL editing went to the proverbial HIAH long ago. I suppose this is a very tiny thing but not to a buckeye who actually knows where it is and how it's spelled -- yikes.
OH -- you want to know about the book? It was okay -- interesting to know how Capote went downhill after the smash success of In Cold Blood -- though I personally love the work he managed after that, he really did do himself in in the long...more
OH -- you want to know about the book? It was okay -- interesting to know how Capote went downhill after the smash success of In Cold Blood -- though I personally love the work he managed after that, he really did do himself in in the long...more
Delicious reading!
I really enjoyed this biography of Truman's infamous Black and White Ball. I learned so much more about his friends and Friend-emies then I realized I would. It dove deeply into Society at that time and Capote's interesting way of dealing with people.
I did not learn as much about the ball itself as I thought I would. I was amazed that there was but one chapter that described the actual party.
Overall, I thought it was well written and really enjoyed reading about that tim...more
I did not learn as much about the ball itself as I thought I would. I was amazed that there was but one chapter that described the actual party.
Overall, I thought it was well written and really enjoyed reading about that tim...more
This book is a riveting snapshot of a particular moment in time and a particular set of "beautiful people". The care, thought, obsessiveness, and cash Capote put into staging his spectacle at the Plaza are just unbelievable, and really rather tragic when you realize that his life went completely downhill once it was over. If you enjoy catty gossip about 1960s socialites and movie stars as much as I do, you'll probably like this book.
Details his relationships with the rich and famous as well as the Deweys from Kansas to give a glimpse into the who's who on the guest list. I had no idea the party was given for Katherine Graham - now I'd like to read her biography. I'm intrigued by his following, his "Swans." He is an interesting character from an interesting period and I plan to read more about him.
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At the time of initial publication, Publisher's Weekly had this to say about Party of the Century: "Truman Capote's legendary masked ball, at New York City's Plaza Hotel on November 28, 1966, was a hyped-up media event meticulously masterminded by the self-promoting, social-climbing author of In Cold Blood." It remains a perfect summary of the affair and the book.
I had just finished In Cold Blood, and wanted to know more about Truman Capote. This breezy, almost gossipy little book filled that need nicely. You'll find out some of Capote's biography, his childhood, some things about writing in Cold Blood, but mosstly it is about his socail coneection in New York City and his famous Black and White ball. Very entertaining.
One of my all-time favorites.
Somehow I expected more pictures and less text.
It was interesting and dishy, but like Davis' other book, she's using a lot of other peoples' material and stretching it out into a book. There's less about Kay Graham than I expected, too. It's mostly about Capote.
It was interesting and dishy, but like Davis' other book, she's using a lot of other peoples' material and stretching it out into a book. There's less about Kay Graham than I expected, too. It's mostly about Capote.
A fun book about a great party...It's well written and researched...but could have been a bit more detailed. If you've never ready anything about or by Capote...probably not the best choice but otherwise it's pretty entertaining.
Totally delicious, "civilized" celebrity smut. I like to think it's a decent exploration into one of the more interesting icons of pop culture, but really it was just a fun expose of Capote's world and his Swans.
The first section, a brief summary of Capote's life was mildly entertaining--but by rights this should have been a photo essay. By the book's middle section the author is really stretchhhhhhing the material
This book is one to pick up and read off an on when nothing else especially compelling is on the bedside table. It is a trip through NY society during the period and somehwat entertaining.
This is a very fun and flirty book. I quick read, while also adding insight into Capote. Only read if you already have a background on him. This will not offer his life story.
I was on a Truman Capote kick for a while. If you love him and all his "swans" this is a great account of the famous Black and White Ball.
Good NY gossip book.
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