This, long-awaited, biography of the great Ingrid Bergman, was finally published in Britain in November 1997 and has not disappointed. Personally, I think it will become the bible for her fans, along with her own memoirs, published in 1980. Ingrid's children urged her to write her own story, for they pointed out to her that, after her death, all sorts of things could be written about her - she must set the record straight. This she did, admirably, with the help of Alan Burgess.

This new biography is by Donald Spoto, a writer who takes his subjects seriously and has researched Ingrid's life and career in detail. He has dispelled some of the more ridiculous things written about her since her death - the idea that she was in love with most of her directors and co-stars and had numerous affairs, for example. Spoto knew Ingrid well and he wanted to get rid of some of the "nasty" insinuations: for this I thank him. He does not try to make a saint of Ingrid, far from it, and he does not leave out the few love affairs she had during her Hollywood years. Ingrid was a woman of great beauty and much passion - small wonder that she strayed at times. Half the world has always been in love with her, anyway. But, what does emerge, is that they really were affairs of the heart, a heart which sadly needed affection. Her first husband, Dr Petter Lindstrom controlled her career and finances, but there is little evidence that he loved her or attempted to understand her.

Mr Spoto analyses Ingrid's career in depth. Interestingly, we read for the first time, details of her Broadway debut in "Liliom" and of the intensity of her performance in it. When it comes to the Hollywood films, Spoto goes into quotes at length from "Notorious" [was that his favourite film?], and gives similar treatment to "Spellbound", "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" and others.

The time of Ingrid's departure to Italy to work with Roberto Rossellini, fall in love with him, bear his son and marry him, is treated with understanding. Sensation-seekers will find nothing here. Mr Spoto admits that he, personally, sees little to admire in any of Rossellini's work, something with which many film buffs would disagree. He shows honesty here,as he does throughout the book.

In dealing with Ingrid's "Renaissance", her career after the Rossellini years, Spoto is less detailed. This is a pity, as much of her best work was done at that time - "Anastasia", "Indiscreet" "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness". He does enthuse about "Autumn Sonata" and discusses Ingrid's work in the theatre, of which she did a great deal after 1960.

There is much about her work in "A Woman Called Golda" and the pain and discomfort she suffered during the making of this, her final piece of work.Mr Spoto treats with delicacy and love Ingrid's brave fight against cancer - we, her fans, can only thank him for the way he wrote about her final months.

I can find little fault with this book - except for one or two factual oddities, such as the spelling of Ingrid's mother's name: he calls her Frieda, when the name has always been spelt Friedel.

Now that I've read the book and written this review, I can only hope that Mr Spoto will write another book about Ingrid! He has written two about Hitchcock and Dietrich - so why not Bergman!