Tears of Battle: An Animal Rights Memoir

by Brigitte Bardot, Anne-Cïcile Huprelle, Grace McQuillan (Translator)

Overview

An Account of one Woman's Courage, Caring, and Generosity in the Face of the Inhumane

Brigitte Bardot—a global icon of French cinema—has used her fame to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. Leaving the spotlight of stardom, she has dedicated her time and fortune to promoting the welfare of animals, both domestic and wild, around the world.

Over the past forty years, Bardot has evolved from an international film icon of the glamorous sixties to an icon of that of a crusader for animal rights, forming her own foundation and meeting with leaders from around the world and lobbying for legislation to protect animals. In this poignant memoir, she uncovers the struggles of her decades-long battle—detailing the too few victories and the heartbreaking defeats—and revealing herself as never before seen through her reflections about nature, herself as a superstar, and the passion that has driven her away from glamour of her previous fame toward the humble calling of serving others.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948924023
Publisher:	Arcade
Publication date:	04/09/2019
Edition description:	Translatio
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	1,126,335
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Brigitte Bardot starred in her fist role in Crazy for Love in 1952, and gained international recognition for her role in the 1957 film And God Created Woman. Retiring from film at the age of thirty-nine in 1973, she has since dedicated her life to campaigning for the protection of animals. She currently lives in France.

Grace McQuillan has translated the works of Andreï Makine, Stéphane Allix, and has received a French Voices Award for her translation of Le Crieur de Nuit by Nelly Alard. Her work has also appeared in The Brooklyn Rail and PBS NewsHour. Originally from New Jersey, she now lives in Nevis.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Introduction: "The Blue Hour" xiii

Chapter 1 The Meaning of My Battle 1

Chapter 2 The Animal I Am 49

Chapter 3 My Animal Life 77

Chapter 4 My Dream as an Inheritance 159

Epilogue: Saint Brigitte 175

Acknowledgments 181

Appendices 183

Editorial Reviews

"One of the first megastars to speak up about the importance of helping animals.”—Ingrid Newkirk, President, PETA

"A sincere, moving, true book. "— Franz-Oliver Geisbert, journalist for La Provence (France)

"Unapologetic. . . . An impassioned plea for humanity to evolve toward what the author describes as 'one of its greatest qualities: mercy.'" —Kirkus Reviews

"A critical commentary regarding the justifications for the domination [of animals] in contemporary society." —Livres Hebdo

"The star who gave up her career to fight against abuse. . . . a myth and a social phenomenon." — Paris Match

"Tears of Battle is a tender adagio of attrition which nevertheless emanates a force that wavers towards the future." —Nice-Matin

"In her new book . . . the icon of French cinema Brigitte Bardot tells of her fight for the animals, who 'saved' her from the dizziness of the lime-lights, and pleads for 'a common future' for all living things."— Agence France Presse

"The most famous actress of French cinema . . . on what was the great fight of her life." — Le Monde

"A rebel . . . that age has not calmed." —L'Express, Best Book Sales in France

"In Tears of Battle, [Bardot] reveals as never before her fights which caused a sensation." — La Provence

"At once very honest, modest, and full of sincerity. It is an essential book." — Le Petit Journal

"Brigitte Bardot shares with us some great moments of her life as an independent woman. In Tears of Battle, she explores her own animal nature that made her revolt against animal cruelty." — Femitude

"Uncompromising." — ICI Paris

"A captivating testimony. . . . This book gives a closer look at the life of B.B., not the star adulated, but the other: the lover, the protector of animals, she who works tirelessly so that wherever they are on earth, these sentient beings are a little better treated." —Tele Star Jeux

"A fascinating, balanced memoir. . . . These confessions have the force of the upmost frankness." —L'Abeille 54

"For the first time, B. B. explores her wild, gentle, and ferocious nature, explaining the inspirations behind the choices that marked her life. Instinctive, free, and moving, she goes back on her experience as a star, her daily life in contact with her animal companions, and her struggle on their behalf. . . . At 83, she's shedding tears from her battles and wondered about the impact her nearly half-a-century of activism has had."—L'info-journal, Fondation Brigitte Bardot

"She was a sex symbol, a legend, an epic personality . . . [and] a woman of heart, mobilized daily for our animals. And that's not cinema."—Midi Libre 

From the Publisher

2019-02-03

The French cinema icon shares her post-film journey of animal activism.

Known around the world as a rebellious, sometimes-scandalous sex symbol, Bardot (Brigitte Bardot: My Life in Fashion, 2016, etc.) retired from acting in 1973 to focus on advocating for animal rights. In this memoir, she provides an intimate look at her motives and experiences in fighting for the well-being of animals. Among the first celebrities to use their fame to draw public awareness to issues of animal cruelty, Bardot delivered international attention to the plight of seals when she arrived in Canada in 1977. The author implicitly connects her past objectification as an actor with the situation facing animals, as she frequently discusses her animal instinct, nature, and soul. "I've known treachery, perversity, faithlessness, ingratitude, and cowardice that man is capable of," she writes. "I've hated humanity's penchant for destruction and became animal in order not to belong to the inhuman cohort that made me so ashamed." Chronicling more than four decades, the narrative is an unapologetic story of how Bardot dedicated her considerable star power to improving animal welfare. Since her retirement from acting, she has found herself on the front lines of rescue efforts around the world, and she established a nonprofit organization, La Fondation Brigitte Bardot, to advance public awareness and improve conditions for all animals. This is not a book of theories about animal rights; nor does it provide a detailed, linear description of the author's work. Indeed, parts of the narrative are scattered and jarred by awkward transitions. Still, Bardot shares an emotional, highly personal testimony of her decades of animal activism. Some of the firsthand accounts of deplorable animal conditions may be too intense for some readers, but they serve as urgent calls to action. Throughout, Bardot acknowledges both the individuality of animals and the animal nature of humanity, connecting the dots between species with a heartfelt memoir of personal and social change.

An impassioned plea for humanity to evolve toward what the author describes as "one of its greatest qualities: mercy."

Kirkus Reviews