Book Synopsis

This definitive New York Times bestselling biography of Anna Wintour, now featuring a new afterword, follows the steep climb of an ambitious young woman who would--with singular and legendary focus--become one of the most powerful people in media.

As a child, Anna Wintour was a tomboy with no apparent interest in clothing but, seduced by the miniskirts and bob haircuts of swinging 1960s London, she grew into a fashion-obsessed teenager. Her father, an influential newspaper editor, loomed large in her life, and once he decided she should become editor-in-chief of Vogue, she never looked back.

Impatient to start her career, she left high school and got a job at a trendy boutique in London--an experience that would be the first of many defeats. Undeterred, she found work in the competitive world of magazines, eventually embarking on a journey to New York and a battle to ascend, no matter who or what stood in her way. Once she was crowned editor-in-chief of Vogue--in one of the stormiest transitions in fashion magazine history--she continued the fight to retain her enviable position, ultimately rising to dominate all of Condé Nast.

Named one of Time's 100 Must-Read Books of 2022, this in-depth and revealing biography is based on extensive interviews with Anna Wintour's closest friends and collaborators. Weaving Anna's personal story into a larger narrative about the hierarchical dynamics of the fashion industry and the complex world of Condé Nast, Anna charts the relentless ambition of the woman who would become an icon.

Review Quotes

"Anna is brilliantly written and well-researched, full of the kinds of details you've always wanted to know about Wintour's early life, and the ways in which she used her considerable gifts to amass astonishing, and enduring, power and influence."
--Laurie Woolever, author of Bourdain, The Definitive Oral Biography

"Anna serves up Wintour A to Z, in page-turning detail. A dazzling and exhaustive deep dive into the ruthless, glittering world of fashion media and one of its most iconic empresses."
--Lisa Napoli, Author of Susan, Linda, Nina, & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR

"A fascinating portrait of the secretive queen of fashion. The devil is in the detail."
-Andrew Morton, New York Times bestselling author of Diana: Her True Story

"Having interviewed over 250 sources (many of whom are unforgettable and quotable characters themselves)... Odell takes readers through Wintour's lifelong love of fashion, her personal life and romantic relationships, and, primarily, her decades-long career... While Odell's nimble writing moves at a clip, the extent and detail here make this perfect for fashion devotees and fans of publishing industry tales as Anna's career coincides with sea changes in magazine journalism."
--Booklist, Starred review

"Odell takes her readers behind Wintour's iconic bob and sunglasses in this deeply researched account, delivering a close-up view of the most powerful woman in fashion."
--Sara Gay Forden, author of House of Gucci: A True Story of Murder, Madness, Glamor and Greed

"The details of Anna Wintour's life have been kept as tantalizingly hidden as her eyes behind her trademark sunglasses. This book tells her stunning story. Extraordinarily sweeping, astute, and unputdownable."
--Sheila Weller, New York Times bestselling author of Carrie Fisher: A Life on the Edge and Girls Like Us

"The most comprehensive biography of the media icon... [Anna] fascinates with Odell's well-documented account of Wintour's broad influence."
--Library Journal

"The secret to [Anna's] longevity is the subject of Odell's biography, which is drawn from interviews with Wintour's tightknit inner circle. Given that she's famously private and notoriously aloof, the participation of intimates in the book's reporting indicates a green light from Wintour herself. But Odell is unsparing, detailing Wintour's ambitious rise and ruthless power grabs, dotting the narrative with a healthy amount of gossip and color."
--Bloomberg Businessweek

"What scintillates...are the intimate details about a famously inscrutable subject...as well as the blunt treatment of Wintour's more problematic sides.... [a] fascinating look at an enigmatic figure."
-Publisher's Weekly

"You'll walk away knowing every step--and misstep--in Wintour's famous ascent."
--The New York Times

About the Author

Amy Odell is the New York Times bestselling author of Anna: The Biography, an in-depth examination of Anna Wintour, and the essay collection Tales from the Back Row. A veteran culture and fashion journalist, she writes the influential newsletter Back Row. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Time, New York magazine, and numerous other publications.