The Pen is Mightier: Autobiography of a Punk Rocker

by Edward Tudor Pole

Whether trading one-liners at RADA with Ralph Richardson, shooting the breeze with Clint Eastwood, acting in Edwardian comedy with Rex Harrison or dodging fights with Sid Vicious, Edward Tudor Pole has proved himself equal to many a challenge.

In a series of amusing, nostalgic and sometimes outrageous stories, told with candour and wit, Tudor Pole recounts his fascinating youth pre-punk and his time with the Sex Pistols, writing &apos;Who Killed Bambi&apos; with Vivienne Westwood for them before fronting 80s punk band Tenpole Tudor and playing with the Clash and the Ramones. When the group eventually imploded Tudor Pole ran away from rock & roll and joined the theatre, appearing in West End shows and numerous films including <em>Sid & Nancy</em>, <em>Absolute Beginners</em> and an &apos;appearance&apos; in <em>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</em>.

But finding the life of an actor ever more intolerable - and after a stint presenting <em>The Crystal Maze</em> - Tudor Pole returned to his calling as a full-time singer and guitarist and he has been touring ever since.

<strong><em>The Pen is Mightier</em></strong> <strong>tells of how a troubled start can lead to a happy ending. Tudor Pole writes a fast-paced account of a life spent exploring every avenue of show business before finding out where he belongs.</strong>

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2025

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this autobiography charting his career as a musician and an actor some funny and interesting stories charting the ups and many downs of his career

[Richard Luck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An early book-of-the-year contender. Wunderbar!

[PAUL SEERY · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Punk Rocker, Tv presenter and actor who despises the acting profession (and he gives his reasons for this in Chapter 23.) A very warm hearted book, funny in lots of places. He found his calling after seeing the Stones on tv in 1964. The emergence of the Punk movement in the ‘70s fitted him like a leather glove. He was primed and ready for the chaos of it all.

I’ve read lots of rock autobiographies over the years and few are as wildly entertaining as this. Read this and it’ll put a smile on your face.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read from Edward Tudor Pole. Was he a punk? TV presenter? Actor? He was all three, starting off in music and, ultimately, drawn back to music. This is his journey of finding himself having been an apparent outcast. A feeling of not quite fitting in, which I can totally relate to. He meets and works with a wide range of musicians and thespians over the decades and what a journey it is.

[Martin Whatmough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. A very Frank and personal view of a career (and life). Not a mega star perhaps but someone who’s lived there life they wanted to live and achieved what they wanted to achieve.

Hilariously funny in parts, very poignant in others and overall very much written in the style only Ed Tenpole could.

[Ben Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breezy and entertaining ramble through a life that has splintered off in all sorts of directions - all told in the manner of a chap who has been honing this book since he was a Stones-obsessed teen. No bitterness, just love for the fortune of several, almost accidental careers.

[Steve Amphlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent autobiography for people of his/my generation.

[John Seven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed seems like a lovely bloke and I'm grateful to him for taking the time to write this. I wish his old music had made a bigger impact in the US, it really deserved it.