Sir John Gielgud was one of the most distinguished and best-loved actors of the twentieth century. Born in 1904 into a family with acting in their blood, Gielgud made his acting debut at the Old Vic at the age of seventeen and went on to a glittering theatrical career as performer, director and producer. It was a career that spanned both stage and screen, and included roles as diverse as Shakespeare's tragic heroes and the playboy's fatherly butler in the 1982 film 'Arthur', for which he was awarded an Oscar.
Gielgud also displayed a remarkable talent for writing, publishing several acclaimed books about his life and profession. This unique volume brings together two of these for the first time: 'Early Stages', his classic memoir of childhood, of growing up and taking to the stage, with vivid evocations of his family and the people he knew and worked with, from his great aunt Ellen Terry to Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham and Peggy Ashcroft; and 'Backward Glances', a collection of essays in which Gielgud shares memories of a life lived to the full, reflects on a range of theatrical matters, and draws witty and affectionate portraits of friends and colleagues such as Sybil Thorndike, Vivien Leigh and Charles Laughton.
Written with grace, erudition, warmth and wit, 'Gielgud On Gielgud' provides an irresistible insight into the world of Sir John Gielgud.
