Noel Coward: A Biography

by Philip Hoare

Book Overview

To several generations, actor, playwright, songwriter, and filmmaker, No l Coward (1899-1973) was the very personification of wit, glamour, and elegance. His biographer, Philip Hoare, given unprecedented access to the private papers and correspondence of Coward family members, compatriots, and numerous lovers, has produced the definitive biography of one of the twentieth century's most celebrated and controversial figures.

"Philip Hoare's careful research and lucid presentation in his No l Coward: A Biography adds depth to the picture."-New York Times Book Review

"A fascinating, in-depth biography."--Library Journal

"Hoare has profiled vividly and in-depth a complex legend who had a talent for creating and recreating both himself and his works."--Publishers Weekly

"In the thicket of books about the life and work of Coward, Philip Hoare's stands out as the most well-documented and objective."--Los Angeles Times

" Hoare's] book, like its subject, strives for effortless sophistication, and succeeds."--Newsday

"Hoare's retelling of Coward's story is] the most vivid, insightful, and fascinating so far."--John Lahr, The New Yorker

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226345122
• ISBN13: 9780226345123
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 622 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Definitive Noel Coward

Philip Hoare has compiled the most complete of all the Coward biographies and I think I have read them all save Cole Lesley's. Hoare points out dramatically what a complicated personality Coward was and how his sexual orientation impacted his talent and his fame. I worked with Coward late in his life (1960/61) and knew only his celebrity. His autobiographies and most of the other bios dealt only on that level. It took Hoare and the passage of time to reveal the more complicated and private side of his amazing life. I will always cherish my brief encounter with the Master.