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296 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2006
About the author
Beverley Nichols
101 books149 followersJohn Beverley Nichols (born September 9, 1898 in Bower Ashton, Bristol, died September 15, 1983 in Kingston, London), was an English writer, playwright, actor, novelist and composer. He went to school at Marlborough College, and went to Balliol College, Oxford University, and was President of the Oxford Union and editor of Isis.
Between his first novel, Prelude, published in 1920, and Twilight in 1982, he wrote more than 60 books and plays on topics such as travel, politics, religion, cats, novels, mysteries, and children's stories, authoring six novels, five detective mysteries, four children's stories, six plays, and no fewer than six autobiographies.
Nichols is perhaps best remembered as a writer for Woman's Own and for his gardening books, the first of which Down the Garden Path, was illustrated — as were many of his books — by Rex Whistler. This bestseller — which has had 32 editions and has been in print almost continuously since 1932 — was the first of his trilogy about Allways, his Tudor thatched cottage in Glatton, Cambridgeshire. A later trilogy written between 1951 and 1956 documents his travails renovating Merry Hall (Meadowstream), a Georgian manor house in Agates Lane, Ashtead, Surrey, where Nichols lived from 1946 to 1956. These books often feature his gifted but laconic gardener "Oldfield". Nichols's final trilogy is referred to as "The Sudbrook Trilogy" (1963–1969) and concerns his late 18th-century attached cottage at Ham, (near Richmond), Surrey.
Nichols was a prolific author who wrote on a wide range of topics. He ghostwrote Dame Nellie Melba’s "autobiography" Memories and Melodies (1925), and in 1966 he wrote A Case of Human Bondage about the marriage and divorce of William Somerset Maugham and Gwendoline Maud Syrie Barnardo, which was highly critical of Maugham. Father Figure, which appeared in 1972 and in which he described how he had tried to murder his alcoholic and abusive father, caused a great uproar and several people asked for his prosecution. His autobiographies usually feature Arthur R. Gaskin who was Nichols’ manservant from 1924 until Gaskin's death from cirrhosis in 1966. Nichols made one appearance on film - in 1931 he appeared in Glamour, directed by Seymour Hicks and Harry Hughes, playing the part of the Hon. Richard Wells.
Nichols' long-term partner was Cyril Butcher. He died in 1983 from complications after a fall.
Between his first novel, Prelude, published in 1920, and Twilight in 1982, he wrote more than 60 books and plays on topics such as travel, politics, religion, cats, novels, mysteries, and children's stories, authoring six novels, five detective mysteries, four children's stories, six plays, and no fewer than six autobiographies.
Nichols is perhaps best remembered as a writer for Woman's Own and for his gardening books, the first of which Down the Garden Path, was illustrated — as were many of his books — by Rex Whistler. This bestseller — which has had 32 editions and has been in print almost continuously since 1932 — was the first of his trilogy about Allways, his Tudor thatched cottage in Glatton, Cambridgeshire. A later trilogy written between 1951 and 1956 documents his travails renovating Merry Hall (Meadowstream), a Georgian manor house in Agates Lane, Ashtead, Surrey, where Nichols lived from 1946 to 1956. These books often feature his gifted but laconic gardener "Oldfield". Nichols's final trilogy is referred to as "The Sudbrook Trilogy" (1963–1969) and concerns his late 18th-century attached cottage at Ham, (near Richmond), Surrey.
Nichols was a prolific author who wrote on a wide range of topics. He ghostwrote Dame Nellie Melba’s "autobiography" Memories and Melodies (1925), and in 1966 he wrote A Case of Human Bondage about the marriage and divorce of William Somerset Maugham and Gwendoline Maud Syrie Barnardo, which was highly critical of Maugham. Father Figure, which appeared in 1972 and in which he described how he had tried to murder his alcoholic and abusive father, caused a great uproar and several people asked for his prosecution. His autobiographies usually feature Arthur R. Gaskin who was Nichols’ manservant from 1924 until Gaskin's death from cirrhosis in 1966. Nichols made one appearance on film - in 1931 he appeared in Glamour, directed by Seymour Hicks and Harry Hughes, playing the part of the Hon. Richard Wells.
Nichols' long-term partner was Cyril Butcher. He died in 1983 from complications after a fall.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 8, 2021
A collection of essays written about his travels in America in the 1920's. It's more serious than most of his books I've read to date, but there are flashes of humour, and it still had me laughing out loud and the tone is recognisably Nichols.
Naturally, I find some of the chapters are more interesting than others; I really enjoyed his meeting with Anita Loos and discussion of her book, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which I still haven't read, but have moved it up the queue. I also liked the chapters where he meets Charlie Chaplin, and the one where he goes to the Speakeasies, he has an interesting take on Prohibition. My favourite one though, was the one where he meets up with the president of the Society for the suppression of vice. "I found myself in a small room so dirty that I instantly wished I could instil into the society a realization of the nrcessity of suppessing dust as well as vice.". He has different ideas as to what constitute vice anyway; people who believe that to spare the rod is to spoil the child, people who stare at hunchbacks, people who leave their cats to fend for themselves while they go on holiday, and people who persecute those who are mentally warped.
Naturally, I find some of the chapters are more interesting than others; I really enjoyed his meeting with Anita Loos and discussion of her book, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which I still haven't read, but have moved it up the queue. I also liked the chapters where he meets Charlie Chaplin, and the one where he goes to the Speakeasies, he has an interesting take on Prohibition. My favourite one though, was the one where he meets up with the president of the Society for the suppression of vice. "I found myself in a small room so dirty that I instantly wished I could instil into the society a realization of the nrcessity of suppessing dust as well as vice.". He has different ideas as to what constitute vice anyway; people who believe that to spare the rod is to spoil the child, people who stare at hunchbacks, people who leave their cats to fend for themselves while they go on holiday, and people who persecute those who are mentally warped.
September 13, 2024
Five stars not because it's the best writing of all time. In fact, compared to his books written 30 years later, you can feel the youth and inexperience. However, it was absolutely fascinating to read essays on American life as viewed from an British point-of-view just after the Great War and just months before the stock market crash. An incredible bit of immersive history!
Also just loved the marginalia in the copy I found at a used book shop at the beach. Autographed in 1929, but held a 1976 Trimet pass. 😍
Also just loved the marginalia in the copy I found at a used book shop at the beach. Autographed in 1929, but held a 1976 Trimet pass. 😍
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews