See "The girl in the black helmet: Louise Brooks remembers.," New Yorker, Aug. 29, 2022, pp. 29-47.

Kenneth Tynan’s profiles largely live up to his flamboyant reputation, his prose happily glorifying the people whose work he admired. Many of these pieces are standard newspaper profiles enlivened by florid yet sharp turns of phrase and sharp insights. Probably the best pieces come towards the end when the New Yorker allowed him plenty of space to profile his targets; it’s often fascinating to see a fine critical mind at work (or enjoying itself a little too much as is evident in the Nicol Williamson profile). Probably the highlight is the very last piece in the book, a piece which details the career of Louise Brooks, an old Hollywood starlet who departed for European arthouse cinema and ended up forgotten and alone in New York but for a few articles on cinema. It feels like a mature, melancholy tribute to a youthful heroine who retains her fascination. Like all the richest food though it’s best sampled in small portions so the prose doesn’t cloy and being to feel too heavy. This book should probably come with a health warning; that it may destroy the love of even the hardiest Marvel fan. It’s an unofficial history of one of the dominant cultural forces of the late twentieth century, taking the story from its origins as Timely Comics to the point of what looks like their greatest triumph; the conquering of the silver screen. ( )

If nothing else, the purchase of this book would be worth it for the last profile in the book about Louise Brooks. I hadn't even heard of her before reading it and was introduced to an extremely fascinating woman.

Well worth it. ( )

Authors, English > Biography/Celebrities > Biography/Biography > 20th century/Actors > United States > Biography/Authors, American > Biography/Actors > Great Britain > Biography