Greasepaint and Cordite: How Ensa Entertained the Troops During World War II

by Andy Merriman

Greasepaint and How ENSA Entertained the Troops During World War II [Hardcover] Merriman, Andy

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book interesting, well-written and well-researched.

My criticism is that it would have been better if the book had been written twenty or thirty years earlier when more ordinary ENSA entertainers were alive and could have shared their memories of working for the organisation. Instead, a great deal of information had been found in books by - or about - famous performers like Vera Lynn and Joyce Grenfell. I had already read many of the books in the author's bibliography, so I did not discover much new information in this book as the experiences of forgotten performers were rather thin on the ground.

[Robin Braysher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating and entertaining read, especially with so many familiar names who started off in ENSA etc.; it's worth mentioning, though, that it doesn't restrict itself to ENSA but also includes other entertainment bodies, such as 'Stars in Battledress', which makes for a more interesting book. Broadly chronological, it does go off on multiple tangents, particularly when looking at the careers of entertainers, but it's the gossipy nature of the book that makes it entertaining. It probably could have done with better editing as there are some errors and I was irritated by the multiple misspelling of 'Ordinance' for 'Ordnance', but that's just me!

That the author is the grandson of a founder member of the Roosters Concert Party, formed in Greece in 1917, and the son of a writer on the radio show 'Beyond Our Ken' is of no relevance, but shows his 'showbiz' credentials.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, if you have an deep interest in war time entertainment, but written as if it was an official government report on ENSA. Not very entertaining.