Read these books for the real stories behind Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.

‘Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era’ by Laurence Leamer

If you want to know what really happened between Capote and his Swans, you can’t do better than Leamer’s book. It follows the salacious story behind Answered Prayers, the book Capote was trying to write about his so-called friends, and the shocking betrayal that led to his downfall.

‘Capote: A Biography’ by Gerald Clarke

Once you’ve been bitten by the Capote bug, pick up this definitive biography of the late writer. According to Leamer, the author had “unprecedented access” to Capote in his last years. “It’s so good a book that nobody’s ever tried [to write another one],” Leamer says. “It’s the definitive book. It’s that good.”

Next, read Capote’s account of Holly Golightly, who Leamer calls “in a way, the first swan.” The movie fictionalized her story, of course, so read the book to see where the iconic Audrey Hepburn character draws inspiration. “We’ve got a beautiful young woman who seeks to find a rich husband and the movie turned it into a fantasy,” he explains. This volume also includes three of Capote’s most famous stories: “House of Flowers,” “A Diamond Guitar” and “A Christmas Memory.”

‘This Crazy Thing Called Love: The Golden World and Fatal Marriage of Ann and Billy Woodward’ by Susan Braudy

One of the stories that brought down Capote focused on Ann Woodward, who married banking heir Billy Woodward. “They had a troubled marriage,” Leamer explains. “There were burglars in their area where their mansion was. One evening, she says she thinks it’s a burglar coming and she goes out in the hallway and she shoots and kills her husband. Truman had the police files. It’s indisputable that it was an accident.” Of course, that doesn’t make for much of a story so Capote put his own spin on it. Read the true account here, in what Leamer calls “a deeply truthful, well-researched story.”

‘In Cold Blood’ by Truman Capote

While not related to The Swans, we recommend reading this one if you’re still curious about Capote. First published serially in The New Yorker in 1965, this is the gripping story of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, and the two men, Richard Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, who murdered them on the night of November 15, 1959. It was a smash hit at the time and heralded a totally new kind of journalism. Don’t miss it.