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The Hidden Life of Maria Callas
'Call it ‘charm’, call it ‘magic’, call it ‘Maria’' - Dorle Soria
‘The new face of Maria Callas … is even more dramatic than how History (with a capital H) has already painted it.’ - Vogue Italia
Maria Callas (1923–77) was the greatest opera diva of all time. Despite a career that remains unmatched by any prima donna, much of her life was overshadowed by her fiery relationship with Aristotle Onassis, who broke her heart when he left her for Jacqueline Kennedy, and her legendary tantrums on and off the stage.
However, little is known about the woman behind the diva. She was a girl brought up between New York and Greece, who was forced to sing by her emotionally abusive mother and who left her family behind in Greece for an international career. Feted by royalty and Hollywood stars, she fought sexism to rise to the top, but there was one thing she wanted but could not have – a happy private life.
In Cast a Diva, bestselling author Lyndsy Spence draws on previously unseen documents to reveal the raw, tragic story of a true icon.
"Lyndsy Spence presents an in-depth and sympathetic picture of the woman behind the legend."
Daily Mirror,
27th August, 2024 in Biography & Memoir, Entertainment, Women in History
Author of Where Madness Lies Lyndsy Spence, has provided the soundtrack to the fascinating, but also tragic, life of film star Vivien Leigh. The complete playlist is available on Spotify below. Happy listening… Track 1: Il cielo in una stanza by Mina The dreamy orchestration evok…
24th June, 2021 in Biography & Memoir, Entertainment, Women in History
Maria Callas is one of opera’s greatest talents, and yet so much of her life is lost when we focus solely on Callas the artist and ignore Maria the woman. We spoke to Lyndsy Spence, author of Cast a Diva: The Hidden Life of Maria Callas, about Maria’s legacy… What drew you to Mar…
13th December, 2019 in History, Trivia & Gift
The festive season is upon us, and to celebrate we asked some of our authors about the figures from history they’d be interested in chatting to over Christmas dinner, and the Christmases past that most appeal to them… Which figure from history would you invite over for Christmas…
21st May, 2019 in Biography & Memoir, Women in History
We continue to be fascinated by the glamour, glitz and gossip that made up the lives of the turbulent 20th century’s society women, and historian Lyndsy Spence has brought 10 of these compelling women back to life in her book, She Who Dares. We had a chat with Lyndsy to ask her a…
14th February, 2019 in Biography & Memoir, Society & Culture, Women in History
As with every rite of passage in Margaret Whigham’s young life, she strove to be the first of her contemporaries to officially come out into society. Headstrong, wilful and with disregard for her parents’ authority, she wrote in her memoirs: ‘My mother must have realised there wa…
15th June, 2017 in Biography & Memoir, Women in History
Doris Delevingne was never going to be mediocre, despite her lowly origins and place, as a woman, in society. She was born Jessie Doris Delevingne in Beckenham in 1900, her mother was a housewife and her father owned a haberdashery shop which also dealt in fancy French goods. Lik…
29th September, 2016 in Biography & Memoir, Entertainment, Women in History
In 1926, budding actress Carole Lombard was still a teenager, trying to work her way through the Hollywood minefield. She had already been employed by Fox, and hoped it would lead to big things. However, she soon learned that in order to become a star, she would have to do more t…
17th December, 2015 in Biography & Memoir, Women in History
Born at the turn of the twentieth century when votes for women were a distant dream, Diana Mitford’s strive for independence was provocative and courageous. Her father, David, the 2nd Baron Redesdale had his own ideas on modern womanhood – he detested makeup and similar artifices…
