A Huddersfield author renowned for her historical books and novels has written the definitive account of one of Hollywood’s most famous and tragic love stories.

Catherine Curzon has penned the story of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall’s legendary love story in a book called The Real Bogie and Bacall.

As a renowned expert on English royalty and Georgian history, Catherine has written several books with titles such as The Kings Of Georgian Britain, The Real Queen Charlotte: Inside the Real Bridgerton Court and The Mistresses of George I and II.

She also writes World War Two dramas with friend Helen Barrell under the pen name Ellie Curzon which are focused on a village at war. They have already done a couple of series of the best-selling books with a new series of five more to come, this time based on the London Blitz.

Catherine, 47, of Almondbury, is also a keen Huddersfield Town fan and is looking forward to the new season.

She only went to her first game less than 10 years ago when a friend persuaded her to go.

“It was one of those promotions when you could buy a ticket for a tenner,” said Catherine. “I only went to see what it was like but absolutely loved the experience, was instantly hooked and had a season ticket within two weeks. It’s all about that sense of being part of a community and it’s so family friendly.

“I’m now a Town supporter through thick and thin and although times have been a bit thin recently I really hope this season is a new start and we do really well.”

Catherine’s love of history started as a young child with her grandad, who lived on the edge of Sherwood Forest, telling her tales.

He claimed a light in the woods was highwayman Dick Turpin’s house and told Catherine all about Marie Antoinette, the last Queen Consort of France who was guillotined in 1793 during the French Revolution. The young Catherine was not just hooked, she became obsessed with this tragic character from history.

That grew into a fascination with Georgian and 18th century history and Catherine set up a website about the 18th century and the interest in it led to her factual historical books.

She also uses the name Madame Gilflurt on social media, a Georgian word which means a capricious, gossipy woman.

Catherine has been married to Rick for 20 years who is a supply teacher in Huddersfield and will be starting at Moor End Academy in September teaching photography.

She worked in the marketing department for engineering and technology at the University of Huddersfield for more than 10 years before leaving around six years ago to concentrate on full-time professional writing.

Catherine has her eye on doing more books about Hollywood as she loves that 1940s, 50s and 60s golden era and also has plans to write about 1970s horror too. Catherine did a film degree at Staffordshire University and then followed that up with a Masters in film from the University of Nottingham.

Here’s the background to Catherine’s book The Real Bogie and Bacall.

After three marriages, bitter battles and violent confrontations, hard drinking actor Humphrey Bogart seemed destined never to find his happy ever after.

Lauren Bacall came to Hollywood as a wide-eyed teenager looking for a break and ended up as one half of Tinseltown’s golden couple and the love affair between Bogie and Bacall took the world by storm.

Featuring contemporary letters, newspapers and memoirs, The Real Bogie and Bacall turns the spotlight on one of Hollywood’s most celebrated love stories, from its tumultuous beginnings to its tragic finale.

It was the Hollywood romance that warmed hearts and thrilled audiences, but the path to true love was littered with alcoholism, abandonment and bitter disappointments.

As a history expert Catherine has appeared on Radio 4’s PM programme and Dan Snow’s Story of England, as well as radio stations across Europe and the UK.

Her work has been featured online by BBC News, BBC History Extra and in publications including All About History and Who Do You Think You Are? along with international publications such as Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair and The Washington Post.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.

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