She was an icon, one of the most watched, photographed, and gossiped-about personalities of our time. Child star, daughter of a controlling stage mother, Oscar-winning actress, seductress and eight-time wife, mother of four children and grandmother of ten, champion of funding for AIDS research, purveyor of perfumes and jewellery, close friend of celebrities and tycoons.

Liz portrays Taylor's life and career in fascinating, revealing detail and includes an additional new chapter, bringing her beloved fans up to date on her final years. By way of more than a thousand interviews with stars, directors, producers, designers, friends, family, business associates, and employees and through extensive research among previously disclosed court, business, medical and studio documents, bestselling author Heymann reminds readers of her very public escapades and unveils her most private moments - frequently through the words of those who knew her best.

Here are the highs and lows of her film career and the intimate circumstances of her marriages to Nicky Hilton, Michael Wilding, Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton, Senator John Warner and Larry Fortensky. Here, too, is the truth about Taylor's father and her friendships with leading men Montgomery Clift, James Dean, and Rock Hudson, as well as with the eccentric Malcolm Forbes and Michael Jackson. From her illnesses, injuries, weight swings and battles against drug and alcohol dependencies, to her sexual exploits, diamond-studded luxury, and tumultuous relationships with husbands and lovers, this is the enormously contradictory and glamorous life of Hollywood's last great star.