Bücher von Alan Bennett

Benjamin Britten, sailing uncomfortably close to the wind with his new opera, Death in Venice, seeks advice from his former collaborator and friend, W. H. Auden. During this imagined meeting, their first in twenty-five years, they are observed and interrupted by, among others, their future biographer and a young man from the local bus station. Alan Bennett's new play is as much about the theater as it is about poetry or music. It looks at the unsettling desires of two difficult men, and at the ethics of biography. It reflects on growing old, on creativity and inspiration, and on persisting when all passion's spent: ultimately, on the habit of art.

Bringing together the hilarious, revealing, and lucidly intelligent writing of one of England's best known literary figures, Writing Home includes the journalism, book and theater reviews, and diaries of Alan Bennett, as well as "The Lady in the Van," his unforgettable account of Miss Shepherd, a London eccentric who lived in a van in Bennett's garden for more than twenty years. This revised and updated edition includes new material from the author, including more recent diaries and his introduction to his Oscar-nominated screenplay for The Madness of King George. A chronicle of one of the most important literary careers of the twentieth century, Writing Home is a classic history of a life in letters.

Alan Bennett's extraordinary ear for dialogue and sharpness of perception have made him a master storyteller. In "Father! Father! Burning Bright" he writes with tragicomic insight about a son's vigil at his father's deathbed where their lifelong battle continues to the end. "The Laying on of Hands," a brilliantly funny satire, describes a society memorial service for a rather special masseur who died tragically young; and in "Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet," a lonely, unmarried department store clerk discovers there's more to life than looking after her brother through her only indulgence, her podiatrist.

Alan Bennett's award-winning series of solo pieces is a classic of contemporary drama, universally hailed for its combination of razor-sharp wit and deeply felt humanity. In Bed Among the Lentils, a vicar's wife discovers a semblance of happiness with an Indian shop owner. In A Chip in the Sugar, a man's life begins to unravel when he discovers his aging mother has rekindled an old flame. In A Lady of Letters, a busybody pays a price for interfering in her neighbor's life.First produced for BBC television in 1988 to great critical acclaim, the Talking Heads monologues also appeared on the West End Stage in London in 1992 and 1998. In 2002, seven of the pieces were performed at the Tiffany Theater in Los Angeles for a highly praised brief engagement, and in 2003 a selection of the monologues premiered in New York at the Minetta Lane Theatre. These extraordinary portraits of ordinary people confirm Alan Bennett's place as one of the most gifted, versatile, and important writers in the English Language.

Maggie Smith stars in this BBC radio adaptation of Alan Bennett's highly acclaimed autobiographical stage playAn eccentric old lady moves into a quiet street in Camden Town.

The tales of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad. When Mole goes boating with the Water Rat instead of spring-cleaning, he discovers a new world. As well as the river and the Wild Wood, there is Toad's craze for fast travel which leads him and his friends on a whirl of trains, barges, gipsy caravans and motor cars and even into battle.

This is a comic, ironic look at patronizing bureaucracy. The social services department of the local council is preparing a register of the elderly and eager June Potter is despatched. Mam and Dad are in their 60s, but they are perfectly able-bodied and have no intention of being registered.

In 1974, Alan Bennett encountered Miss Mary Shepherd, an elderly eccentric who was living in a van in the street near his home in Camden Town. He eventually allowed her to park her van in his garden, the idea being that she would stay three months - but those three months extended to fifteen years.

Green FormsDoris and Doreen are comfortably installed in an obscure department of a large organization. On a normal day they keep busy by flirting with nice Mr Tidmarsh in Appointments or pursuing their feud over a plug with Mr Cunliffe in Personnel. This is not a normal day. Someone has an eye on them and a shadow is falling across their tranquil lives. Are they about to be fired?A Visit From Miss ProtheroMr Dodsworth has recently retired. Sitting at home, he is contemplating his life and achievements with quiet satisfaction. There is a sharp ring at the door. His former secretary has come to ruin it all. Ironic wit and compassion mark this touchingly real story.

Muriel's husband Ralph has just died, leaving her well off, until her son Giles invests the money unwisely. Eventually, neglected by Giles and her disturbed daughter Margaret, Muriel ends the play alone and poor, determined to cheerfully "soldier on". From the stage version of "Talking Heads".

Graham, a middle-aged bachelor, emotionally retarded and chronically dependent on his mother, finds life difficult enough at the best of times. When Mother meets an old flame and seems set to marry him, however, Graham''s old insecurities rear their ugly heads again. Fate, eventually, rescues Graham and he resumes his normal life of banal muddle under his mother''s amnesiac tyranny.

A British Labour M.P., ten years into his second marriage, feels tethered in a time of change. He is distrustful on the one hand of the "mawkish mentality" of the young and, on the other, of the encroaching motorway life of the middle aged who can look forward to nothing more than the fairly imminent end of a not so very interesting road. "The play is a small jewel of bewilderment and regret." - London Sunday Times

The decades-old question surrounding the death of the Red Baron has been embroiled in controversy. In this book, the author has uncovered new information and insights, shedding new light on the events of that day.This is a true story of young men who fought and died for their country. It puts the reader behind the stick of a Sopwith Camel from the pilot''s point of view. This is the first of two volumes.Part One of this comprehensive study covers the life of Captain Arthur Roy Brown, who is well-known as an ace fighter pilot. The basic story is told in Brown''s own words, via his previously unpublished letters home and the entries in his Pilot''s Flying Log Book. His surviving Combat Reports are also included. The letters and the Combat Reports are unedited, and are used to tell the story within a military, historical and geographical context. They are accompanied by over 500 photographs, most of them never before published, plus diagrams and maps. Part Two of the book covers Captain Brown''s encounter with Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, in detail.The story is told on the basis of recently released official documents of the time, together with recently offered letters written by some of the participants and witnesses. The new information corrects several well-established beliefs, and is able to provide the true story together with the necessary confirmation. In 1995 Alan Bennett toured the site in France where Captain Brown had attacked the Red Baron on 21 April, 1918. As an experienced pilot of similar aircraft, he had grave doubts as to the truth of some parts of the story. The eventual result was a book written in conjunction with Norman Franks: "The Red Baron''s Last Flight." After plentiful information from readers, Captain Roy Brown''s family and Wop May''s son, plus further research in France, a considerably different picture of the entire event and of Roy Brown''s life emerged. The new book, Captain Roy Brown, tells the complete definitive story.Margaret Harmon is Captain Roy Brown''s daughter. She lives in Arizona, and provided most of her father''s letters. Denny May is Wilfrid "Wop" May''s son. He lives in Alberta and is very active in keeping his father''s legacy alive. Alan Bennett finished compiling his book on Captain Roy Brown around Christmas of 2006. He was always striving for perfection to make sure his manuscript would be as complete as possible. He received correspondence from around the world to help him in this endeavour. Though not in great health towards the end, he nevertheless continued his research with passion and zeal. Alan Bennett passed away in January 2007.