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The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir
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The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir Hardback - 2015 - 1st Edition

by David Hare

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From the publisher

David Hare has long been one of Britain's best-known screenwriters and dramatists. He's the author of more than thirty acclaimed plays that have appeared on Broadway, in the West End, and at the National Theatre. He wrote the screenplays for the hugely successful films The Hours, Plenty, and The Reader. Most recently, his play Skylight won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Revival on Broadway.

Now, in his debut work of autobiography, "Britain's leading contemporary playwright" (Sunday Times) offers a vibrant and affecting account of becoming a writer amid the enormous flux of postwar England. In his customarily dazzling prose and with great warmth and humor, he takes us from his university days at Cambridge to the swinging 1960s, when he cofounded the influential Portable Theatre in London and took a memorable road trip across America, to his breakthrough successes as a playwright amid the political ferment of the '70s and the moment when Margaret Thatcher came to power at the end of the decade.

Through it all, Hare sets the progress of his own life against the dramatic changes in postwar England, in which faith in hierarchy, religion, empire, and the public good all withered away. Filled with indelible glimpses of such figures as Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, Tennessee Williams, Helen Mirren, and Joseph Papp, The Blue Touch Paper is a powerful evocation of a society in transition and a writer in the making.

Details

  • Title The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir
  • Author David Hare
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition number 1st
  • Edition 1
  • Pages 368
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher W. W. Norton & Company, U.S.A.
  • Publication date 2015-11
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Illustrated
  • ISBN 9780393249187 / 0393249182
  • Weight 1.5 lbs (0.68 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 in (23.88 x 16.26 x 3.05 cm)
  • Category Biography / Autobiography
  • Library of Congress subjects Dramatists, English - 20th century, Hare, David
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2015017212
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 09/01/2015, Page 24
  • Kirkus Reviews, 07/15/2015, Page 0
  • Library Journal, 05/15/2015, Page 0
  • Library Journal Prepub Alert, 05/15/2015, Page 56
  • New York Times Book Review, 11/22/2015, Page 14
  • Publishers Weekly, 11/09/2015, Page 0
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The Blue Touch Paper A Memoir
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The Blue Touch Paper A Memoir

by Hare, David

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The Blue Touch Paper : A Memoir
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The Blue Touch Paper : A Memoir

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The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir
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The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir
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New York: Norton, 2015. hardcover. fine/very good(+). Illustrated in black and white. xiv, 347 pages. 8vo, blue and tan boards, d.w. New York: Norton, (2015). Fine in a very good(+) dust wrapper.
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The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir Hardcover First Edition

The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir Hardcover First Edition

by David Hare

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In The Blue Touch Paper, legendary British playwright and screenwriter David Hare delivers an unflinching and evocative memoir, chronicling his journey from a self-doubting youth to a visionary force in contemporary theater and film. Hare masterfully intertwines his personal story with the shifting cultural and political landscapes of post-war Britain, detailing his artistic struggles, ideological awakenings, and relentless pursuit of truth through drama. With candid prose and sharp insight, he reveals the inspirations behind his seminal works—including Plenty, Skylight, and The Hours—offering an intimate portrait of the creative process and the sacrifices demanded by a life in the arts. This first edition hardcover is an essential addition for collectors, theater enthusiasts, and those fascinated by the intersection of politics and storytelling.
Who is David Hare?
David Hare is one of Britain's most influential playwrights and screenwriters, known for his sharp political commentary and… Read more
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The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir [Hardcover] Hare, David
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