Author(s): Helmut Newton

Biography & Memoir

A master of the risque, Helmut Newton scandalized and intrigued the world for half a century with his provocative photographs of women and his 'bad boy' persona. Here, Newton presents a candid portrait of himself, revealing a lifetime of adventure and providing compelling insights into the connection between his life and work. Born in Berlin in 1920 to a wealthy Jewish family, Helmut Newton was an overprotected child with no interest in school. At the age of twelve, he purchased his first camera, beginning a fascination with photography that would eventually propel him to the heights of international celebrity. Barely eighteen when Kristallnacht tore Germany apart, Newton managed to escape the Nazis. After indulging in a series of shipboard romances, Newton arrived in Singapore and soon became a gigolo and lover of an older woman. But the world was at war and talk of interning German Jews became prevalent even on the streets of Singapore.