Autobiography:

The Autobiography #1-2

by Noël Coward

Noël Coward was one of the most celebrated characters in British theatrical history, with a career that spanned almost sixty years as a writer, actor, producer and director. This volume brings together his three Present Indicative charts his progress from a 'brazen odious little prodigy' to the immense success of Cavalcade in 1931; Future Indefinite deals with the war years, which saw the publication of Blithe Spirit, Present Laughter and In Which We Serve; and Past Conditional is the beginning of what was to be his third memoir, dealing with the 'missing' years in between.

Genres: Biography

592 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1986

About the author

Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music.

Among his achievements, he received an Academy Certificate of Merit at the 1943 Academy Awards for "outstanding production achievement for In Which We Serve."

Known for his wit, flamboyance, and personal style, his plays and songs achieved new popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, and his work and style continue to influence popular culture. The former Albery Theatre (originally the New Theatre) in London was renamed the Noël Coward Theatre in his honour in 2006.

Reviews

[Boris Cesnik]

Too much of too little is not enough. I want more.

Expectations are the hardest bitches to contain.

I wanted that wit, humour, sarcasm and knack for swift one liners. I hoped to laugh out loud at every passage, every memory and every tale.
Instead I got bored.

Too many words, too many events but all the same over and over, too little variety.

I had the feeling that, although its language style is Britishly pitch-perfect, it only allowed to remain on the surface of what his character and personality was. I don't think he went deep enough.

I hoped for a more outspoken elegy and detailed analysis of his own plays. Instead trips, openings, encounters, tea parties followed each other through the eyes of a semi Victorian mentality without that purposeful thread I call 'the living'.

[Steve Higgins]

A fabulous collection of all Noel’s autobiographies. The world of the theatre of 100 years ago is revealed, many names that meant very little to me. In his later autobiography we begin to recognise many famous people although does not name drop like many similar book and his always witty commentary is wonderful

[Terry]

So gifted and brilliant and unbelievably fast Noel Coward should be read and heard and seen by lovers of the theatre and the English language.

[Deb]

Glossy!