Maria Callas - the woman behind the legend - Arianna Stassinopoulos

She transformed herself from an awkward girl into a magnetic beauty. Her unique talent made her the most celebrated performer in modern opera. Her passion for Aristotle Onassis made her one of the most famous women in the world.

Yet in her triumph lay the seeds of tragedy: the bitter conflict with her mother; the constant battle with her voice, the anguish of a secret abortion and the humiliation of Onassis's marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy.

Drawing upon previously unpublished documents and the intimate recollections of those closest to Maria, Arianna Stassinopoulos has written a riveting biography in which she tells how Maria the woman was sacrificed to Callas the legend - surely one of the most powerful and moving stories of modern times.