If you love little black dresses and going to Tiffany’s “calms [you] down right away,” then you will also love these best books on Audrey Hepburn.
As a super fan myself (I even styled my wedding after Audrey’s signature look), I feel like I have been preparing to write this post for 15+ years of collecting and reading Audrey Hepburn books. It was actually one of the first blog post ideas I jotted down when I decided to start a blog!
Our Audrey is oh-so-stylish, graceful, and gracious, but there’s SO much more to her story, from her difficult childhood in Europe in World War II to devastating miscarriages and marriage troubles. Oh, and that unforgettable movie career and timeless style! These books tell ALL, from biographies to photographic accounts to personal mementos. You may have a hard time choosing just one book from this beloved list.
Top 3 Best Books on Audrey Hepburn
TOP PICKS
Audrey Hepburn Treasures is rare and hard to come by at this point, but if you can get your hands on it, it’s an absolutely amazing book for collectors — a scrapbook of sorts, filled with trinkets and a healthy mix of images and text.
Dutch Girl is widely considered to be a “must read” for those interested in Audrey’s historical background, particularly during World War II. I found it to be riveting.
Enchantment falls on the opposite end of the spectrum — it’s a juicy, salacious, and even jaw-dropping account of Audrey’s life with a focus on topics like her insecurities and infidelities.
Details on All the Best Books on Audrey Hepburn
Audrey & Givenchy: A Fashion Love Affair by Cindy De La Hoz
Audrey & Givenchy is a swoon-worthy book that details the decades-long fashionable friendship between Audrey Hepburn and fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy. From their first meeting in which he didn’t know who she was until her untimely death, together they created some of the most memorable cinematic and real-life fashion.
It’s mainly a picture book with some descriptions of the unforgettable fashion of Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Funny Face, and more, as well as iconic styles like little black dresses, bateau necklines, and capri pants.
It’s perfect for fashionable Audrey fans who love to wear her look! I own it and love to peruse it.
The Audrey Hepburn Estate by Brenda Janowitz
The Audrey Hepburn Estate is a fictional book inspired by Audrey Hepburn and, particularly, the movie Sabrina. It’s part modern love triangle, part historical fiction, and part mystery, with references to Audrey Hepburn sprinkled throughout.
Emma is a chef who finds herself back at the childhood estate where she lived above the garage with her mother, a maid, begging her old friend, Leo, not to demolish it. Leo used to have a crush on her growing up, but the estate resident, Henry, always captured her heart, and he’s back in the picture too.
Along the way, they uncover more details about mysteries in the house that captivated them as children, and as all of this tension slowly builds, it eventually reaches a point of no return, as truths that change everything are revealed.
What made this novel extra special for me were the descriptions of all the Audrey Hepburn-inspired Easter eggs at the end.
Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother’s Kitchen by Luca Dotti
New York Times bestseller
Would it surprise you to learn that Audrey Hepburn was a homebody? Audrey at Home is a bestseller that allows you to enter her personal life in a time before social media allowed such a sneak peek.
It’s a unique biography compiled by her son, Luca Dotti, that combines anecdotes, excerpts from her personal correspondence, recipes for her favorite dishes written in her own hand, and over 250 previously unpublished family photographs.
Test your hand at Audrey’s chocolate cake with whipped cream, penne alla vodka, Turkish-style sea bass, and even spaghetti al pomodoro.
It’s like a scrapbook of Audrey’s personal life through the lens of food, ideal for Audrey Hepburn’s foodie fans.
Audrey Hepburn Treasures by Ella Erwin, et al.
Audrey Hepburn Treasures is one of my absolute favorite books of all time, and one I have owned for about 15 years! I still remember finding it on Amazon when Amazon was just a bookseller, and then proudly displaying it on my bookshelf. Dare I say it’s the best of the best books on Audrey Hepburn.
It’s an extremely incomparable book, part historical, part biographical, part personal scrapbook — with actual “treasures” in little envelopes within the pages. As you recount the highs and lows of Audrey’s life you will happen upon such objects as a ticket to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a letter from Truman Capote, and a postcard from Hubert de Givenchy.
I still enjoy combing through this book and finding some new way to delight in it each time. It’s a keeper and an absolute must-have for the biggest and best Audrey Hepburn fans!
Audrey in Rome by Luca Dotti
>
Audrey in Rome is primarily a photography book edited by Audrey’s son, Luca Dotti, connecting Audrey through three different decades to the city of Rome with which Audrey has several connections — from the days of Roman Holiday to her marriage to Andrea Dotti and residence in Rome, and beyond.
It’s a unique compilation for those who love street style and this ancient city.
Audrey Style by Pamela Clark Keogh
Audrey Style is another great book for fashionistas. I’ve had this one on my shelf forever as well. It’s a “style biography” with about half photography and half narrative, covering anything everything from movie style to personal style, makeup, and iconic “Audrey” pieces.
Read interviews with Hubert de Givenchy (of course!), Gregory Peck and Ralph Lauren. And see eye-catching sketches from Vera Wang, Manolo Blahnik, Alexander McQueen, and others. This is one biography that’s simply fabulous.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: The Official 50th Anniversary Companion by Sarah Gristwood
A list of the best books on Audrey Hepburn wouldn’t be complete without the Breakfast at Tiffany’s Official 50th Anniversary Companion. First of all, that robin’s egg blue cover!
This book is half photography and half narrative, with tons of behind-the-scenes scoop about the making of this iconic movie and everything that came after: the cast, the city, the fashion, the song!
Every Breakfast at Tiffany’s fan is sure to delight in this insider knowledge and learn something new while enjoying photos both in front of and behind the movie camera. I really enjoyed it and am happy to have it on my shelf.
Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen
Dutch Girl stands apart from all the other best books on Audrey Hepburn. It’s a biography that focuses almost entirely on her childhood during World War II.
Many fans will be surprised to learn how the War shaped her. There are connections to both Hitler and Anne Frank, as well as her secret dance performances, malnutrition, and bearing witness to horrible acts of violence.
Though not talked about as often as her movie career, the 1940s forever influenced Audrey’s life, all the way until the years before her death when she worked for UNICEF. I found it to be a riveting read for those interested in the historical events that influenced Audrey.
Already read and loved Dutch Girl? Then, check out the author’s newest release, Season of the Gods, a captivating historical fiction gem for the gripping story behind the scenes of the making of Casablanca. (Sponsor)
Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spoto
New York Times bestseller
Confession: I wasn’t sure I wanted to read Enchantment. I knew Audrey Hepburn’s life contained many lows and worried that it would romanticize her life. Well, it didn’t, and it was fantastic — a jaw-dropping five-star read for me.
I thought I knew Audrey Hepburn. I was wrong. This biography dove DEEP into her personal life: her insecurities, marital difficulties, secret romances, devastating miscarriages and so much more. I have never heard the details of this book anywhere else, and it unabashedly gave the real deal about everything that was Audrey’s real life, for better or for worse. I recommend it SO highly.
Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson
- New York Times bestseller
- A New York Times Book of the Year
Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. is a mostly narrative account of the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the truest of fans of the iconic flick.
It’s filled to the BRIM with behind-the-scenes information, and it also immerses the reader in the life of late 1950s America, and how it shaped the film that we still love to this day.
How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life by Melissa Hellstern
How to Be Lovely is one of my favorite types of biographies: It focuses on the values that shaped Audrey Hepburn’s life in a compact format of both photographs and easy-to-skim narrative lessons.
These are Audrey’s philosophies on work, love, motherhood, and life for you to gain insight into how to perfect the art of living “the Audrey way.”
Conclusion
As a longtime “super fan” of Audrey Hepburn, trust me when I say that those were the best of the best books on Audrey Hepburn for you to devour. It’s an eclectic mix of fiction and really unique nonfiction books to keep the biggest fans immersed. To recap and help you decide what to read first or next, my top three picks are:
TOP PICKS
Audrey Hepburn Treasures is rare and hard to come by at this point, but if you can get your hands on it, it’s an absolutely amazing book for collectors — a scrapbook of sorts, filled with trinkets and a healthy mix of images and text.
Dutch Girl is widely considered to be a “must read” for those interested in Audrey’s historical background, particularly during World War II. I found it to be riveting.
Enchantment falls on the opposite end of the spectrum — it’s a juicy, salacious, and even jaw-dropping account of Audrey’s life with a focus on topics like her insecurities and infidelities.
Related Audrey Hepburn Posts
If you love the best books on Audrey Hepburn, check out these posts:
