Sharon Tate: Recollection Hardcover – June 10, 2014

I've had Recollection in my wish list for a few months now. Admittedly, I held off on buying it because I felt the price was too high and coffee table books about actors invariably contain the same old photos one can find online for free. I was wrong on both counts. While Recollection could be considered pricey, you get every one of your pennies worth. You're also going to get some high quality photos that don't necessarily pop up in a cursory Google search. I own quite a few coffee table books covering various subjects and I can say, without a doubt, that Recollection qualifies as one of the best.First, the quality of the photographs in this book are amazing. I don't say that lightly. I have far too many books that contain pictures that are flipped, stretched and pixelated beyond belief. Even if you don't consider yourself a collector, it's still a bit of a pain to pay good chunk of change for a coffee table book that contains photos that look like they were culled from the internet and resized to fit a large page or inexplicably flipped (why do that?). Thankfully, all the photos in this book are crisp, clear (save for a few screen grabs) and seemingly in their original form. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the book contains a number of photos I've never seen before. I am by no means a Sharon aficionado but I figured this book wouldn't contain that many new pictures. Aside from the personal family photos, there were also many from Sharon's career I had never seen. That alone is worth the price. I was also pleased with the quality, design layout of the book.As a few reviews here have already bemoaned, Recollections contains minimal text. I thought it was common knowledge that coffee table books (or "photo-bios") are generally devoted to photographs but I was obviously wrong. If you're looking for a traditional biography, you will be disappointed. The majority of the text that is present was written by Sharon's younger sister Debra. She shares memories and anecdotes of her older sister, some of which she has also shared on various television shows. There are also bits of text from Sharon's friends, her widower Roman Polanski (who also writes the foreword), other family members and Sharon herself. While the text is minimal, I felt it did a good job of conveying the type of person Sharon was and how people felt about her. The text, along with the beautiful pictures, allows Sharon's spirit and beauty to come through loud and clear on every page. As the point of this book was not to dwell on her death, there is no information about that. The book simply ends the year Sharon died, 1969. As the circumstances surrounding her death have been covered and recovered elsewhere, this isn't an issue for me.I'm aware that Debra Tate has become something of a polarizing figure these days, but I think she did an excellent job with this book. Her aim was to focus on Sharon's life and I think she did just that. When Sharon is discussed, her death inevitably becomes the focal point. That is to be expected considering the amount of coverage the murders got and still get, but this book is like a beautiful palate cleanser that reminds us that Sharon wasn't just a victim or a footnote in creepy Los Angeles crime history. Aside from being exquisitely beautiful (and how!), she also seemingly had a beautiful personality and soul. For those reasons, she should be remembered and celebrated.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Sharon beyond the Manson spookiness or anyone who just likes beautiful photographs. If you're into 60s fashion, this is also a book to grab as the clothing and makeup from that time are well represented. I have an embarrassing amount of books (I may be a hoarder!), but Recollection is one that I know I will continue to trot out a few times a month to look through.

I feel obligated to write this review.I have been a huge fan (I hate that word) of Sharon's since I was a child. Without question one of (if not THE) sweetest souls and most beautiful creatures anytime, anywhere, EVER; Sharon's memory deserved a tribute such as this. Unfortunately, most pictures of her were often in books that concentrated on her terrible murder. Debra's loving look at her sister's life, featuring photos from all phases of her life, is excellent, well layed-out, colorful and focuses on Sharon's inner, as well as outer, beauty, eschewing mention of her demise. I was moved in a very real way. The pictures were flawless and the testimonials heartfelt (Patty Duke's comment about her friend and co-star brought tears to my eyes).I'm glad Debra produced this book. Despite her efforts on her sister's behalf, I've read a lot of garbage about Debra from insensitive trolls that question her sincerity or accuse her of capitalizing on Sharon's murder. Regardless, Debra's love and admiration for her sister shines through in every photo chosen and in the prose and testimonials utilized. One feels her sense of loss and grief at having someone so beloved wrenched away at so young an age. This is a lovely proclamation of love from one sister to another. I believe Sharon would be proud.I could not possibly recommend this book enough. The price alone is a steal considering the pantheon of pictures and the high-quality design of the book. I am through-the-roof about this project. In some way or other, I've been waiting for it for decades.Great job Debra. F*** the naysayers.

I am so happy that Sharon Tate's sister Debra Tate has taken the time to pay tribute to the life of Sharon Tate. Since 1969, the only thing you would ever hear about Sharon Tate is her, her baby son's and her friend's horrific deaths at the hands of the Manson followers. Manson's unbelievable evil from 4 1/2 decades ago has overshadowed Sharon Tate's life, until now. Now Debra Tate has compiled a beautiful book showcasing Sharon's life and after viewing this book, you will see that Sharon's life was totally beautiful.This nice large book showcases Sharon Tate's entire life in breathtakingly beautiful large photos. Sharon was such a gorgeous baby, her mother Doris Tate entered her baby photo to the Miss Tiny Tot Of Dallas Contest, and 4 month old Sharon won. When you see these photos, it is not surprising she won, as Sharon Tate was born one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her mother Doris said when Sharon became a teenager, people would actually stop and just stare. People had never seen such a gorgeous natural born beauty, and when you see these photos of a teenage Sharon, you will also stop and stare, as her beauty even as a 13 year old is hard to believe.Besides the beautiful large photos, the book contains quotes from other movie actors and actresses and famous personalities who knew Sharon. Every one made the same comments that Sharon was a beautiful soul with a gentle spirit, whose inner beauty matched her outer beauty. Roman Polanski wrote some of his memories of Sharon with some of the photos in this book that are just so touching. There were so many beautiful women of the Sixties and Sharon Tate will always be one of them. Sharon epitomized the beautiful Sixties Woman with her perfect figure and face and her natural fashion style of the mod look back then and I am so happy that her sister Debra took the time to share Sharon's life with us in such a beautiful tribute in this 5 Star book. The beautiful Sharon Tate, like the beautiful Jean Harlow had a short life, and it's wonderful that we start remembering Sharon for her life with this fitting tribute from her sister Debra.