Five Rounds Rapid!: The Autobiography of Nicholas Courtney, Doctor Who's Brigadier

by Nicholas Courtney, John Nathan-Turner (Editor)

The world of Doctor Who would not be the same without Nicholas Courtney -- the only actor to play alongside every incarnation of the famous Time Lord. Courtney captured the hearts of the show's legions of fans as Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, the uncompromising stiff-upper-lipped quintessential British soldier. A stalwart of Doctor Who throughout the 70's and the 80's, the phlegmatic character of Brigadier character of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart provided the perfect balance for the erratic and ever-changing Doctor. As the British commander of the Unit Nations Intelligence Taskforce the Brigadier did battle with Daleks, Yeti -- in fact every noteworthy alien race that the Doctor ever encountered.This unique volume explores all aspects of a fascinating man. From his remarkable youth to the heights of television stardom come anecdotes and revelations in his own words, lavishly illustrated with over a hundred never-before-seen photos focusing on his years in Doctor Who. Beautifully put together, this is the ultimate tribute to a much-beloved fan favorite.

Genres: Doctor Who, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir

128 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

About the author

William Nicholas Stone Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011) was a British television actor, most famous for playing Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.

Reviews

[Gareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first of two autobiographies from Nicholas Courtney. It seems reasonable to assume he wasn’t happy with this one, and the most popular criticism would seem to suggest why: there’s too much emphasis on Doctor Who.

It’s from Virgin Publishing so that’s hardly a surprise. Doctor Who non-fiction was a cottage industry for them in the 90s. On the plus side it’s no doubt because of Who that we got this book at all. On the negative side that emphasis can be distracting, with unnecessary comparisons between unrelated career points and Doctor Who stories he was in, or absurd interjections like “Janet ‘Greatest Show In The Galaxy’ Hargreaves”. (A Doctor Who story he WASN’T in.) It’s difficult not to assume that this was the work of the editor, John Nathan-Turner, who may have thought readers simply couldn’t go five pages without Who. And he might well be correct in many cases, but that indulgence makes for a lesser book, creating the absurd impression of Nick Courtney: superfan.

Still, it’s by no means a Doctor Who book and nothing more. Courtney gives a jolly account of his many theatrical and telly jobs, and he is utterly candid about these experiences, often sharing insights both good and bad regarding the work and other colleagues. He’s honest (if a little opaque at times, perhaps for discretionary reasons) about his somewhat rascalish romantic history. It’s not a particularly dense account of his life, but what you do get has clearly been thought about. If nothing else, his pointed complaints about Equity in-fighting and the state of the BBC make it clear that Nick’s writing it, not JN-T.

And yes, Doctor Who features pretty heavily as subject matter as well. It would do, to be fair: it was a big part of his life, during and after his appearances in the show. Only fair to cover that as well. A lot of genuine affection can be found, along with further examples of candour. (Some, like his obvious attraction to Sophie Aldred, are less appealing than others.)

While not a deep dive, Five Rounds Rapid delivers a good amount of depth about this actor’s life and a generous selection of pictures. It’s better than I expected.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

どういう感じでブリゲディアがいろんなドクターと共演することができたのかずっと不思議だったけれども読んだらものすごく納得だった。

イギリスの劇場事情とTVドラマ界となんだか皆が知り合いという感じで、モンスターの中の人たちともかつて劇場で一緒に働いたことあるとかその後一緒になるとか。すごくつながっていて納得。

あとジョン・パートウィーとの関係も面白かった。最初はちょっとなじまなかったのが後に車に一緒に乗るシーンの撮影のリハーサル後に不意に「今まで一緒に仕事したなかで1番いいヤツだな」と言われて感極まってしまった話とか、コンベンションでみんなで回った話しとか、こうやってドクター・フーファミリーが形成されていったんだなぁと。

ジョン・パートウィーの訃報をきいたのはコンベンションで一緒にすごした数週間後のことって話しもすごく悲しいんだけれどそうやって何かしら接点があって一緒に過ごした時間があったっていうのを知れて嬉しかった。

ブリゲディアのこと余計に好きになったし、オーディオドラマとか他の作品も機会があれば見てみたいなぁと。

[Richie The Collector · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evokes fond memories of Nicholas Courtney, both on screen and in real life. He very kindly signed this book for me at convention in 1999. Only now have I finally got round to reading the whole thing!

[Susan Brand · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting read, and the photos are wonderful. A nice insight into an actors life and a must read for anyone interested in the classic era of Doctor Who!

[Kristina Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

You get the sense from this book that Nicholas Courtney could have provided a wealth of anecdotes to fills several books. There was far more to Doctor Who's Brigadier than I'd realised.