"Phantom: Michael Crawford Unmasked" chronicles Mr. Crawford's early career up thru 1990 and his POTO performances in LA. If you are looking for details about his early life (few are mentioned unless they deal with his career) or his more recent accomplishments, read his autobiography, "Parcel Arrived Safely, Tied with String" published in 1999. As with his autobiography, there are a number of black and white photos. Hayward cites numerous reviews of Crawford's performances and quotes the author's personal interviews or correspondence with many of Crawford's colleagues, including several well-know actors from British TV, stage and screen. There are quite a few behind the scene details about his stage and screen work. An index and chapter notes are provided at the end of the book, as well as a listing of his albums, film, stage and TV appearances(as of 1990). This book was originally published in the UK, so being a fan of British film and TV, I was familiar with many of the actors/personalities to which Hayward refers. Otherwise the average reader may have no idea who they are. Apparently there are several editions of this book, because the one I have has a different publisher [Weidenfeld and Nicholson] and pagination [ix, 196 p.] from that listed above. If you are a fan of Crawford, and can find a copy of this book, it is worth reading.
Enjoyed the book!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I learned a few things about my favorite Phantom I hadn't read elsewhere. I enjoyed it.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.