The Real Bettie Page: The Truth about the Queen of the Pinups

by Richard Foster and Richard W. Foster

Book Overview

"Updated by the author with a new epilogue"--Back cover. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806520752
• ISBN13: 9780806520759
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Citadel Press
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great

I used this book for my school reading log. It was very interesting and fun to read!!! It arrived in mint condition and I am very satisfied =]

Foster's Opus: Gutsy, Great Read

Well, I loved it, cover-to-cover. Fans of the pinup girl have been debating this book since it appeared with Bettie's infamous mug shot on the cover and lurid tales of wackiness all over it. But for the E! crowd, this is the other side of Page's life: the stuff missing from the Karen Essex-penned hooey-fest that also banked on Page and left her with very little money. Page allowed herself to be used; she was lost in the self-delusional fantasy of a diva; for countless naughty little things from under the counter and grimyy little girlie pulps, she worked just fine. She couldn't dance, she had a massive twang that ruined her acting ability; she allowed her posessions to be thrown away for failure to pay the storage. And, oh yeah, she had this little thing about kninves and getting God's instructions who to hack up. Suddenly, there's a morality tale. In 2005, it isn't that easy to vanish or whitewash old sins: truth tends to burp its way out, and Foster was there to chronicle it. Well, well done!

The Bettie I never heard about

My all time favorite book on Bettie is "The Life Of a Pin-Up Legend". She spoke with the authors of that book and gave her blessing. That book has a "happy ending", Bettie finding solace in bible study and religion. This book, "The Truth About the Queen of Pin-Ups", tells a very different side of Bettie's life story, one that I'd never heard about before. It surprised me! I'm not surprised Bettie wouldn't help with this book. It focuses on years she wants to forget. It's sad to hear about her problems with mental illness. I found it interesting mainly because the author spoke to a woman who actually lived with Bettie for a time, and the pictures were interesting. This book doesn't change my opinion of Bettie Page, she is still my favorite icon. I don't mind if the Goddess is all too human. Still love her!

Bettie Page is not just an icon, but a real human

I was interviewed for a book about my idol Bettie Page by a reporter named Richard Foster. Little did I know that this book would be a bombshell of a story. Foster dug up some dirt on the Queen of Curves that made plenty fans scowl in disgust at the author's investigating skills. I was shocked to read about Bettie's abuse as a child and later her mental illness, but then again I was glad to see that she was a real woman with real problems and not just some objectified pin-up girl without a soul. After reading the entire book, I love Bettie even more now, and respect her for her courage and strength to keep on going. I talk in the book about why so many fans love her and what she did as an icon. (...)

One that you can't put down.

I am new to the Bettie Page revivial. Though I hesitated buying this as I thought it might be a bit of a "tell all", I couldn't resist some of the post 57 photos contained. Mr. Foster sets this up very well especially for those Bettie Page novices. I found the foreword and the preface very enlightening. From that point, Mr. Foster elaborates on the "real Bettie Page" in the first chapter. The known and the unknown relevant to Bettie Page is examined in detail. With respect to the unknown, well, Mr. Foster is of two minds. Truthfully, it can be said that he does not wish to betray one whom he holds in esteem. I tried putting myself in his shoes; if I knew what he knew would I reveal? I decided yes, also with reservations. Still I read on. Buy this book! It is ideal if you are in a nostalgic mood with a few hours to kill. I bet it will leave you wanting more!