Party of the Century - by Deborah Davis

About the Book

In 1966, Truman Capote threw a masked ball in honor of "Washington Post" publisher Katharine Graham at New York's Plaza Hotel--an event that became infamous as the "party of the century." Lavishly illustrated, this book paints a portrait of revelry at the height of the swinging 1960s.

Book Synopsis

In 1966, everyone who was anyone wanted an invitation to Truman Capote's "Black and White Dance" in New York, and guests included Frank Sinatra, Norman Mailer, C. Z. Guest, Kennedys, Rockefellers, and more. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and drawings of the guests, this portrait of revelry at the height of the swirling, swinging sixties is a must for anyone interested in American popular culture and the lifestyles of the rich, famous, and talented.

From the Back Cover

"Parties are the nightly ritual of sophisticated society. I find it fascinating that Truman Capote's famous Black and White Ball at the Plaza Hotel in New York in 1966 has become one of those legendary parties that exemplifies the ritual as a part of social and literary history. How beautifully Bedorah Davis has recounted the creation and execution of Truman's ball in minute and dishy detail. The ball marked the very peak of his dazzling literary career and the beginning of the literary downfall from which he never recovered. I knew Truman, and I was riveted by Davis's book."
--Dominick Dunne, author of "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles and An Inconvenient Woman"

"Deborah Davis captures a crystal moment in time with all the elegance and irony it deserves. A black and white truffle of a book--delicious."
--Jane Stanton Hitchcock, author of "One Dangerous Lady and Social Crimes"

"In this extraordinary book, Deborah Davis tells the story of how international society and the 1960s converged at the Plaza Hotel at the party of the century. It was a moment in time and Davis captures the excitement in delicious detail. I loved this book."
--Ina Garten, author of the "Barefoot Contessa" cookbooks

"Davis shines a kaleidoscopically colorful light on the Black and White Ball, a cultural happening that defined the time. Immersing oneself in these pages is the next best thing to being there."
--Jill Kargman, coauthor of "The Right Address and Wolves in Chic Clothing"

"One of the best reads of the season will be Deborah Davis's Party of the Century, an encyclopedic look at the famous Black and White Ball."
--Billy Norwich, "Vogue"

Review Quotes

* In Party of the Century, Deborah Davis tells of the now legendary Black and White Ball. Truman Capote threw the bash at Manhattan's Plaza Hotel on Nov. 28, 1966. Its guest of honor was Katharine Graham, president of the Washington Post Co., but no one had any illusions: The purpose of this gala was to celebrate the host, a serious writer but also a celebrity. There had never been much doubt about the celebrity part -- from the moment that he styled himself as a male nymphet for his first novel's jacket photo, Capote had shown a rare talent for self-promotion. What had been in doubt was the literary prowess. As he entered his forties, the once-promising young writer had produced only a few slim volumes of exquisitely written fiction and journalism. But recently In Cold Blood -- a masterpiece in the literature of fact -- had routed the skeptics, and it was time to celebrate. Capote's plan, notes Davis, was to mix and match people: titled aristocrats with intellectuals with ordinary Joes from the rural Kansas county where the In Cold Blood murders had occurred. But in this respect, the party seems to have failed. "I've never seen such ghettoizing in all my life," complained Capote's lover, Jack Dunphy. "No group mixed with another group." As for the excluded, the book reproduces the cover of a subsequent Esquire issue. Under the rubric "We wouldn't have come even if you had invited us, Truman Capote" is pictured a surly-looking group comprising Jimmy Brown, Kim Novak, Tony Curtis, Pat Brown, Ed Sullivan, Pierre Salinger, Lynn Redgrave and Casey Stengel. (The Washington Post, June 4, 2006)

"...opens up his [Truman Capote] vulnerable heart as well as, and more accurately than the film..." (Yorkshire Post, June 2006)

"...gripping...very enjoyable in a voyeuristic way...." (Observer, April 2006)

"...Davis's excitement about the ball and its organisation is contagious...there is room too, for this stylish, sparkling little volume...." (Sunday Times, April 2006)

"...full of lavish photographs and anecdotes detailing the glitz and glamour of Truman's infamous black and white masked ball..." (Stella Magazine, April 2006)

"...an interesting read and a must for all Capote fans..." (The Western Daily Press, April 2006)

"brings splendidly colorful behind-the-scenes action and players up front." (The New York Times, March 19, 2006)

"...Davis details every glittering facet of the painstakingly planned bal masque ... an evocative testament to bygone elegance, etiquette and entertaining..." (Guardian, March 2006)

"...captures the spirit and significance of the occasion with new material and fresh perspective, making this a party worth crashing..." (Town and Country, March 2005)

Truman Capote's legendary masked ball, at New York City's Plaza Hotel on November 28, 1966, was a hyped-up media event meticulously masterminded by the self-promoting, social-climbing author of In Cold Blood. Davis (Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X) dishes up the menu, the decor, the outfits and the guest list of 540, clueing the reader in to how Capote dangled the prized invitations for months, snubbing early supporters like Carson McCullers as he determined who was "in" and who was "out." In choosing his guest of honor, Capote eschewed glamorous "swans" like Babe Paley and Marella Agnelli in favor of "dowdy" Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham. Actress Candice Bergen was bored at the ball; Capote's elevator man danced the night away with a woman who didn't know his pedigree; and Norman Mailer sounded off about Vietnam. This frothy effort retreads ground already covered by Gerald Clarke, George Plimpton and Sally Bedell Smith, among others. Black-and-white photos have frozen the beautiful people of the '60s in all their preening glory, and readers also get to see the invitation and the fashion s

About the Author

Deborah Davis is a writer and film executive who has worked as a story editor and story analyst for several major film companies. She is also the author of the well-reviewed strapless: "John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X."