The Making of Markova Paperback – July 15, 2014

This is a very thick tome and I am only up to the Thirties in it. Having read numerous books on the Ballets Russes and the birth of British ballet, I think Markova's documents provide a priceless view of the day-to-day life of dancers and their companies. Sutton manages to capture the heady atmosphere very well. Markova had first to survive her childhood and then the death of Diaghilev. The odds were so heavily against her, even with all her good fortune and ability, that both are nothing short of miraculous. One feels again the overwhelming need for luck and timing in the lives of artists.

This is a book about Alicia Marks-aka Alicia Markova, the English dancer. She overcomes a language impediment, knocked knees, flat feet, and having grown up Jewish. It is a long book. The pictures are black and white. I got this book wanting to know more about Natalia Markova, the Russian dancer.

This book gives a comprehensive view of Markova's life, from her childhood days in London, through the turbulent years of World War II, and into her golden years. She sacrificed her health and her personal life for her art, and was a guiding force for the growth of ballet in England. I would highly recommend this book to those who love reading about the lives of the great dancers of the twentieth century and the days of Diagalev and the Ballet Russe.- Mary-Ann Trippet'

A beautifully written, fascinating historical biography of British ballerina Markova. Couldn't put it down...learned so much about pre and post war ballet history...lots of information/description of the various ballet companys and those who danced, directed and managed them. A truly great read for ballet afficiondos!

Beautiful book, everything you ever wanted to know about the subject, who was one of my childhood idols. Lots of great photographs.

Tina Sutton's new biography of ballerina Alicia Markova is jam-packed with facts about both Markova's life and mid-century British ballet. Sutton states on her website that she has not written a "ballet book," but a book about Markova is exactly that. There are a number of inaccuracies about ballet's history, specifically regarding Giselle, Markova's major role. The text is stuffed with long block quotes which distract from the narrative. Sutton is an enthusiastic author but her background in historical scholarship and ballet are sorely lacking for this reader.

I am a passionate dance fan and read most dance biographies; however, I am finding this to be dull (how can anything about the art of dance be dull?). I'm having trouble slogging through it when I would rather be bouree-ing through it.

An interesting biography of a ballerina often portrayed as gifted but aloof. The author shows a much more rounded and interesting figure in a book that is thick, but pleasant to read. Lots of wonderful detail about the ballet world from Diaghilev through the sixties.

A VERY INFORMATIVE BOOK.BECAUSE THE BOOK IS REALLY WELL WRITTEN AND VERY WELL RESEARCHED.THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE EXCELLENT AND ITIS A BEAUTIFULLY PRODUCED PUBLICATION.

This book is a treasure trove of of information about a past era in which Alicia Markova, the third prima ballerina assoluta in history, was recognized as a unique dancer. I saw her live and those dance images haunt me to this day. She was a world star, a fashion icon, a pioneer in Television who worked with the greatest musicians and choreographers of her time and was, nonetheless, the epitome of the romantic ballerina as none other. Tina Sutton has done a remarkable job in evoking the myriad facets of a fascinating personality and performer. The research was based on Markova's personal memorabilia to which the authoress had access. Recommended to all balletomanes. David Gleaton

Interesting and inspiring story . Markova was a star in all aspects of her life.

I'm a huge fan of the Ballet Russes and of Alicia Markova, so this seemed like the perfect book for me. And I did greatly enjoy it. Tina Sutton not only provides beautiful stories and information about Markova, but also about her friends, family and social circle. She also makes excellent use of sources and quotations, something that one does not always find in biographies.However, I was really sad to see that Sutton sometimes seemed to think it necessary to be more than a little dismissive and sometimes downright rude about other acclaimed dancers who were working at the same time as Markova, or a little later. Because Anna Pavlova and Alicia Markova have been compared so much, Sutton appeared to believe that pointing out how Markova could be seen as a better person than Pavlova (eg. Pavlova was cripplingly shy and antisocial, a fact which Sutton, in true American fashion, seems to find deeply upsetting) would aid her underlying argument that Markova is the best thing that ever happened to ballet, when no reader in their right minds would want to read what quickly became a Eurovision Dance Contest. I love Markova; I greatly admire her dancing and her character, but I found this attitude made me almost want to dislike her, and it became something of a battle to love her as she deserves. Another dancer who is repeatedly ridiculed is Margot Fonteyn, who I adore and was sad to see being treated in such a manner. Pavlova, Markova and Fonteyn all did a great deal for ballet; I wish Tina Sutton could see that by bashing Pavlova and Fonteyn, she detracts from the reader's feelings for Markova.Despite that rather long rant, I do still recommend the book, as it is crammed full of fascinating titbits. Just, take it with a pinch of salt when Sutton writes about dancers other than Markova.

Very happy with the prompt delivery and good price for this book as it was for a present