Julia Child (1912–2004)
Author of My Life in France
About the Author
Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California on August 15, 1912. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Smith College in 1934 and served with the Office of Strategic Services in East Asia during World War II. After the war, Child lived in Paris for six years, attending the famous show more Cordon Bleu cooking school. After graduating from cooking school, Child opened her own culinary institute called, L'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes with her friends Simone Bech and Louisette Bertholle. She achieved critical acclaim with her first cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking which was first published in 1961 and is still in print today and helped to popularized French cuisine in America. Starting in 1963, Child hosted the first of many award winning cooking series on PBS, where she was best known for her exuberant personality and flamboyant cooking style. Her other books include The French Chef Cookbook; From Julia Child's Kitchen; and The Way to Cook. She also filmed an instructional video series on cooking and wrote columns for various magazines and newspapers. She died of kidney failure on August 13, 2004 at the age of 91. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Belongs to Eat Life Photos
Series
Works by Julia Child
Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking (2000) — Author — 995 copies, 3 reviews
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto (2010) — Author — 686 copies, 16 reviews
Julia Child: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations (The Last Interview Series) (2019) 29 copies, 1 review
Julia's Delicious Little Dinners: Six perfect small dinner parties to share with family and friends. (1998) 24 copies
Julia's Menus for Special Occasions: Six menus for special celebrations--from a cocktail party to a buffet dinner. (1998) 18 copies
Italian Food 3 copies
The French Chef [TV series] 3 copies
McCall's – July 1978 — Contributor — 1 copy
Associated Works
Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America's Best Bakers (1996) — Original PBS Series — 1,058 copies, 9 reviews
Beard on Food: The Best Recipes and Kitchen Wisdom from the Dean of American Cooking (1974) — Introduction, some editions — 268 copies, 1 review
Eat, Memory: Great Writers at the Table: A Collection of Essays from the New York Times (2008) — Contributor — 179 copies, 6 reviews
The Artist's Table: A Cookbook by Master Chefs Inspired by Paintings in the National Gallery of Art (1995) — Contributor — 39 copies
An American Feast : A Celebration of Cooking on Public Television (1999) — Foreword; Contributor — 39 copies
Wine, Food & The Arts: Works Gathered By the American Institute of Wine and Food. Volume One — Introduction, some editions — 2 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Child, Julia Carolyn
- Other names
- McWilliams, Julia Carolyn
- Birthdate
- 1912-08-15
- Date of death
- 2004-08-13
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Smith College (B.A., history, 1934)
- Occupations
- cookbook writer
television host - Organizations
- Office of Strategic Services (WWII)
Smith College - Awards and honors
- Légion d'Honneur (2000)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2003)
Emblem of Meritorious Civilian Service - Agent
- William Loverd
- Relationships
- Child, Paul (husband)
Prud'homme, Alex (nephew)
Jones, Judith B, (editor) - Short biography
- Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California. She was graduated from Smith College and worked for the OSS during World War II in Ceylon and China, where she met Paul Child. After they married they lived in Paris, where she studied at the Cordon Bleu and taught cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, with whom she wrote the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). In 1963, Boston's WGBH launched The French Chef television series, which made her a national celebrity, earning her the Peabody Award in 1965 and an Emmy in 1966. Several public television shows and numerous cookbooks followed.
- Cause of death
- kidney failure
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Pasadena, California, USA
- Places of residence
- Pasadena, California, USA
Paris, France
New York, New York, USA
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Marseille, France (show all 7)
Washington, D.C., USA - Place of death
- Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
I've just finished read this book and I feel a little like crying, the way one might when saying goodbye to a dear and much enjoyed friend after a raucous and hilarious long weekend somewhere, knowing you might not see that friend again. I really enjoyed reading this book and am somewhat sad to be at the end of it already.
My interest in French cuisine is minimal, so I've not read any of Child's cook books. I do remember seeing many episodes of her TV show through the years. Really, I was show more inspired to check out this book because a friend had me watch the movie Julie and Julia, and I was so taken with the Julia Child segments that I wanted to know more. In this book, I found what I had hoped.
This is a personal guided tour through Child's discovery of her "spiritual home" and the adventures that came to her because of that discovery. She's honest but generous, friendly without being gushing, enthused without overwhelming bias. To pull out an old, disused word, she's affable. She's amiable. She's a good talker, fun to listen to, with interesting things to say and a sense of humor about it all. She's an optimist, the gloss of which shines up what you know are dark moments for her and which probably buoyed her up through her many years of travel, learning, frustration and work. The view of France she creates is, in my opinion, filtered entirely through the kind of person she was. The book is exactly what the title advertises, and that life in France is worth reading about. show less
My interest in French cuisine is minimal, so I've not read any of Child's cook books. I do remember seeing many episodes of her TV show through the years. Really, I was show more inspired to check out this book because a friend had me watch the movie Julie and Julia, and I was so taken with the Julia Child segments that I wanted to know more. In this book, I found what I had hoped.
This is a personal guided tour through Child's discovery of her "spiritual home" and the adventures that came to her because of that discovery. She's honest but generous, friendly without being gushing, enthused without overwhelming bias. To pull out an old, disused word, she's affable. She's amiable. She's a good talker, fun to listen to, with interesting things to say and a sense of humor about it all. She's an optimist, the gloss of which shines up what you know are dark moments for her and which probably buoyed her up through her many years of travel, learning, frustration and work. The view of France she creates is, in my opinion, filtered entirely through the kind of person she was. The book is exactly what the title advertises, and that life in France is worth reading about. show less
While I've enjoyed watching Julia Child occasionally on TV, and I own a copy of her famous cookbook, I have always felt somewhat intimidated by this matriarch of elegant meal prep.
"As Always, Julia" brings Julia Child to earth, and makes her not only approachable, but warm, human, funny, intelligent and someone you'd want to have for a next door neighbor. I had no idea who Avis DeVoto was until I read this book of letters between these two. I have not yet seen the movie in which she show more evidently becomes known to Americans, but she is introduced quite well in this collection of letters. Covering a span of over 30 years, Avis and Julia kept up a witty, no-holds-barred trans-Atlantic correspondence covering everything from how to poach fish, how to write, edit and publish a cookbook, the chilling impact of McCarthyism on American life, finding housing in France, Norway, Germany, to whether or not to use a pressure cooker for long simmering soups and stews.
Starting as pen-pals and continuing for several years before they had a chance to meet, the letter-writing cemented a friendship that coincidentally involved an unofficial business relationship, and reveals two well-educated, very talented women living out their lives in roles new to both of them. Their letters were at times about subjects many would consider banal, but they offer a glimpse into a world all but forgotten in today's high-tech environment. It is a book that is big, bold, heavy and not easily read in one sitting. Therein lies the beauty of it -- it can be read and savored, like a good wine, in small sips over a lingering period of time. For fans of Julia Child, it is a must read.
Joan Reardon has done a yeoman job of editing and compiling the correspondence to make it interesting, engaging, and compelling. show less
"As Always, Julia" brings Julia Child to earth, and makes her not only approachable, but warm, human, funny, intelligent and someone you'd want to have for a next door neighbor. I had no idea who Avis DeVoto was until I read this book of letters between these two. I have not yet seen the movie in which she show more evidently becomes known to Americans, but she is introduced quite well in this collection of letters. Covering a span of over 30 years, Avis and Julia kept up a witty, no-holds-barred trans-Atlantic correspondence covering everything from how to poach fish, how to write, edit and publish a cookbook, the chilling impact of McCarthyism on American life, finding housing in France, Norway, Germany, to whether or not to use a pressure cooker for long simmering soups and stews.
Starting as pen-pals and continuing for several years before they had a chance to meet, the letter-writing cemented a friendship that coincidentally involved an unofficial business relationship, and reveals two well-educated, very talented women living out their lives in roles new to both of them. Their letters were at times about subjects many would consider banal, but they offer a glimpse into a world all but forgotten in today's high-tech environment. It is a book that is big, bold, heavy and not easily read in one sitting. Therein lies the beauty of it -- it can be read and savored, like a good wine, in small sips over a lingering period of time. For fans of Julia Child, it is a must read.
Joan Reardon has done a yeoman job of editing and compiling the correspondence to make it interesting, engaging, and compelling. show less
Julia Child's memoir of her years in France, her marriage with Paul Child, and her experiences starting the PBS sensation that was The French Chef.
I adored every second of this memoir. Julia Child is such a wonderfully charming personality and she comes to brilliant life in the pages of this book. Her descriptions of her life in France will make anyone anxious to travel abroad, her descriptions of food are positively scrumptious, and her reflections on her life with Paul are very sweet. A show more fantastic feel-good read. Highly recommended. show less
I adored every second of this memoir. Julia Child is such a wonderfully charming personality and she comes to brilliant life in the pages of this book. Her descriptions of her life in France will make anyone anxious to travel abroad, her descriptions of food are positively scrumptious, and her reflections on her life with Paul are very sweet. A show more fantastic feel-good read. Highly recommended. show less
A very rose-coloured glasses look on life - through diplomatic postings and local culinary dishes - in post-WII Western Europe and the US.
I can't tell if Child truly was that open and optimistic or if she really had such a charmed life. Upper middle class upbringing, diplomatic posts around Europe, with all the networking that comes with it, making connections that would eventually come in handy for her culinary aspirations. Arguably the most important connection she ever made was with her show more super-supportive and super-handy husband Paul: what a gorgeous partnership.
With its easygoing prose and the laissez-faire attitude of Child (except when she's writing her famed cooking bible - which was conceived by two other friends who seemed to have paled into the background after Child joined the project -, then she's an eagle-eyed dictator/businesswoman), this was very much a fairytale recount of her rise to culinary heights. And just like all the dishes described, the book itself was a delight and leaves one hungry for more.
I would love to read more about just Julia and Paul's marriage, and in particular about Paul's role. There's something about famous couplings where more often than not, one is famous for their work, and the other is famous for being the muse/support. It fascinates me, especially when it's a man who is in the muse/support role (looking at you Leonard Woolf). I also just want a photobook of Paul's works, the ones in this book were gorgeously composed. show less
I can't tell if Child truly was that open and optimistic or if she really had such a charmed life. Upper middle class upbringing, diplomatic posts around Europe, with all the networking that comes with it, making connections that would eventually come in handy for her culinary aspirations. Arguably the most important connection she ever made was with her show more super-supportive and super-handy husband Paul: what a gorgeous partnership.
With its easygoing prose and the laissez-faire attitude of Child (except when she's writing her famed cooking bible - which was conceived by two other friends who seemed to have paled into the background after Child joined the project -, then she's an eagle-eyed dictator/businesswoman), this was very much a fairytale recount of her rise to culinary heights. And just like all the dishes described, the book itself was a delight and leaves one hungry for more.
I would love to read more about just Julia and Paul's marriage, and in particular about Paul's role. There's something about famous couplings where more often than not, one is famous for their work, and the other is famous for being the muse/support. It fascinates me, especially when it's a man who is in the muse/support role (looking at you Leonard Woolf). I also just want a photobook of Paul's works, the ones in this book were gorgeously composed. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 45
- Also by
- 12
- Members
- 19,302
- Popularity
- #1,130
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 304
- ISBNs
- 169
- Languages
- 14
- Favorited
- 26
