J. B. Priestley
Description
John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in The Good Companions (1929), which first brought him to wide public notice. Many of his plays are structured around a time slip, and he went on to develop a new theory of time, with different dimensions that link past, present and future. In 1940, he broadcast a series of short propaganda radio talks, which were credited with strengthening civilian morale during the Battle of Britain. In the following years his left-wing beliefs brought him into conflict with the government and influenced the development of the welfare state.
Books
Angel Pavement
'Angel Pavement' provides readers with a vivid picture of London life before the war and the Blitz changed everything dramatically. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the story centres around the arrival of a mysterious Mr. Golspie at Twigg & Dersingham from the Baltic region.
Cornelius
Cornelius, a crocodile who walks upright, sees things no crocodile has ever seen before.
It's an old country
Australian professor journeys to "swinging Britain" to find his long-missing father and encounters an assortment of campy characters.
The English
Lost empires
In 1913-1914 a young Yorkshire boy's uncle sweeps him away from a dreary office job into the nomadic, boozy, amorous life of Variety performers on tour.
Man and time
Essays on the concepts of Time in various cultures and fields, from Ancient Greece to 20th century Science.
The shapes of sleep
Ben Sterndale prides himself on being a good fact-finding journalist, and in his book that means a thorough researcher and, most important of all, honest. When he is recruited by a top advertising agency to investigate the theft of a sheet of figures for a bit of pin money, he scans the local newspapers for clues. In one he discovers that a London stamp dealer has been knocked down in a hitand-run accident and when he visits the man in hospital there seem to be rather too many strangers paying courtesy calls. Then the stamp dealer whispers the mysterious phrase 'the shapes of sleep', and Sterndale suspects that at last he is on to a scoop. Following a trail that takes him through nightclubs, smart hotels and eventually to the pretty university town of Göttingen on the German frontier, Sterndale encounters some intriguing characters — including a fresh-face American girl with a fine left hook — and uncovers a disturbing story of espionage, bluff and double-bluff that leads him into increasingly dangerous territory.
The wonderful world of the theatre
Traces the development of Western theatre from the era of ancient Greece to the present day with descriptions of contemporary dramatic styles, acting conventions, and playhouses. Includes a section on Chinese and Japanese theatre.
Journey down a rainbow
Impressions of a journey in the American Southwest in 1954.
Essays of five decades
J B Priestley's ideas and opinions on everything, e.g. Falstaff, Dickens, conferences, weather, age, clothes.