"Don Geary, a single father and freelance graphic designer, barely manages to make ends meet as he works the margins of the churning creative economy in Portland, Oregon, during the Obama administration. Talented but solitary, sensitive but critical, Geary tries to make it through a season in which he monitors the rise of social media and local “thought leaders” from an increasingly desperate position. In scenes of humor, anxiety, tenderness, and desire, Gielgud chronicles men and women who, in a world of streaming video and nonstop commentary, quietly struggle through personal crises almost entirely unobserved."--Publisher's website.

Published to coincide with the centenary of Gielgud's birth, this is the remarkable autobiography of one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, seen through his frank, mesmerizing, and intimate letters. of photos. Line drawings.

Sir John Gielgud displayed a remarkable talent for writing as well as performing, publishing several 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 Noël 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.

In his lifetime Gielgud was acclaimed as the finest classical actor of the twentieth century and Jonathan Croall's biography from 2000 was instantly recognised by critics as a masterful achievement, one that was 'unlikely to be surpassed' (Sunday Telegraph). Since that time however a considerable amount of new material has come to light and the passing of time has allowed a new candour. John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star sees this peerless biographer return to his subject to offer the definitive life of Gielgud. For this new biography Croall's exhaustive research has included over a hundred new interviews with key people from his life and career, several hundred letters from Gielgud that have never been published, scores of letters written to him and archived versions of his film and television work. As Gielgud worked increasingly in this medium during the last third of his life much greater attention is given to this than in the earlier work. Fresh light is thrown on his professional relationships with figures such as Laurence Olivier and Edith Evans, and on turbulent episodes of his private life. The overall result is a a much more rounded, candid and richly textured portrait of this celebrated and complex actor.

Based on interviews with over 100 friends and colleagues who worked with Gielgud, this biography covers Gielgud's childhood amongst his famous Terry relations, his early struggles as a young actor, his triumphs in Shakespeare at the Old Vic and his late flowering as an Oscar-winning film star.

Sir John Gielgud's acting career was among the most distinguished of his generation. Now, in this insightful biography, Morley traces not only the actor's career, but also gives a refreshingly frank look into Gielgud the man, and how his professional success as an actor often came at the expense of his personal happiness. 48 photos.