Jack Hawkins is admired for his great film performances, but he also led an extraordinary life, as recounted here in his remarkable autobiography. Born in the Edwardian era - as a young child he remembers people madly celebrating in his North London street the outbreak of the war with Germany in 1914 - the luck (and talent) that led to his debut on the West End stage in 'St Joan' at the age of 13; then hitting Broadway aged 18 in the roaring Twenties, the bright lights undimmed by the Prohibition. A prolific and hugely successful stage career through the 1930s came to an abrupt halt with World War II, as Jack volunteered for the army, and was lucky enough to wind up without a gun in his hand but in India, masterminding (with variable resources) all troop entertainments for ENSA.
In the post-War era, he was surprised to find his stage career rapidly recover, but soon to be overtaken by films, and following two exceptional and charismatic performances, in
Mandy
and
The Cruel Sea
, his reputation as an international star was established with
The Bridge on the River Kwai
,
Ben Hur
Lawrence of Arabia, The League of Gentlemen, Zulu.
But Jack was cut down in his prime by a diagnosis of cancer of the larynx at the age of 55; the surgery resulted in the complete and irrevocable loss of his signature voice. He describes coping with this tragic reversal, through which he continued to regard himself as lucky: lucky to be alive, to enjoy the unwavering love and support of his wife Doreen, and his children.
This, his own account of his life, comes with the warmth, humour and unassuming modesty that characterised Jack, and for which he was justly celebrated as a public personality. This new edition of the original text is introduced with a Foreword by his son, Andrew Hawkins.