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Noel Coward

A Biography

To several generations, actor, playwright, songwriter, and filmmaker, Noël 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 Noël 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

622 pages | 32 halftones | 6 x 9-1/4 | © 1998

Biography and Letters

Gay and Lesbian Studies

Literature and Literary Criticism: British and Irish Literature

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Coward Family Tree
Veitch Family Tree
1. Family Album
2. A Talented Boy
3. Podge and Stodge
4. Rising Star
5. The Young Idea
6. Lord of a Day
7. Bright Young Thing
8. The Vortex
9. Society’s Hero
10. On with the Dance
11. Home Chat
12. Bitter Sweet
13. Private Lives
14. Cavalcade
15. Design for Living
16. Tonight at 8.30
17. To Step Aside
18. Present Laughter
19. Could You Please Oblige Us with a Bren Gun?
20. Play Parade
21. Don’t Let’s Be Beastly
22. Peace in Our Time
23. Island Fling
24. A Bouquet of Violets
25. Live in Las Vegas
26. Pomp and Circumstance
27. Prisoner of a Legend
28. Sail Away
29. Dad’s Renaissance
30. A Song at Twilight
31. The Party’s Over Now
Acknowledgments
Source Notes
Index

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