by Lucy Ellis and Bryony Sutherland
Aurum $224
So much has been written about Nicole Kidman, her films and her relationship with that man, that anyone following her story will already be familiar with the bones of this book.
From her early years as a gangly Sydney schoolgirl, authors Ellis and Sutherland trace Kidman's ascension to stardom - through her acting and as one half of Hollywood's former royal couple - ending just months short of perhaps her greatest achievement, this year's best actress Oscar for The Hours. After early success in a string of Australian films, TV shows and miniseries, word of Kidman's talent reached the US and, in 1981, Disney offered her a role in the children's series Five Mile Creek, which was also filmed in Australia.
The exposure piqued American interest, but it wasn't until 1989, when 27-year-old Hollywood heart-throb Tom Cruise took a friend to see her in Dead Calm that Kidman says she was 'thrown into a situation that was far bigger than I could ever have imagined'.
Enchanted, Cruise flew her to Los Angeles to audition for a part opposite him in Days Of Thunder. Although Kidman was in a long-term relationship with Australian actor Marcus Graham, and Cruise was married to actress Mimi Rogers, his 'great biceps' won her over and it wasn't long before she moved to LA.
From then on, Kidman's life, relationship and career have been dissected and analysed, with plenty of speculation thrown in. This book continues that trend.