The story of Joan Bakewell's life and times spans the Blitz in Manchester, Cambridge during the glittering era of Michael Frayn, Peter Hall, Jonathan Miller et al, London at its sixties peak and the world of the media and the arts from the 60s to the present. Her career spans over 40 years, including 13 years as presenter of "Heart of the Matter", six years as BBC television's arts correspondent presenting for "Newsnight" and as the anchorwoman for BBC2's "Late Night Line Up" in the 1960s. As she reflects on the choices she ...
Read More
The story of Joan Bakewell's life and times spans the Blitz in Manchester, Cambridge during the glittering era of Michael Frayn, Peter Hall, Jonathan Miller et al, London at its sixties peak and the world of the media and the arts from the 60s to the present. Her career spans over 40 years, including 13 years as presenter of "Heart of the Matter", six years as BBC television's arts correspondent presenting for "Newsnight" and as the anchorwoman for BBC2's "Late Night Line Up" in the 1960s. As she reflects on the choices she has made and the influences that shaped her, she confronts painful memories of her mother's behaviour and describes both her affair with Harold Pinter and her two marriages. Throughout, she uses her own experiences to explore the extraordinary change in women's roles during her lifetime, to create a thought-provoking portrait of Britain since the 1940s.
Read Less
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed to cart. $2.34, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brooklyn Park, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed: an Autobiography to cart. $12.33, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2003 by Hodder & Stoughton.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed: an Autobiography to cart. $12.33, good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2003 by Hodder & Stoughton.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Ripped/damaged jacket. The dust jacket of this book is slightly damaged/ripped, however, this does not affect the internal condition. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed to cart. $13.99, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by Sceptre.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed to cart. $15.13, good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by Sceptre.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed to cart. $15.17, very good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2003 by Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed to cart. $16.99, very good condition, Sold by Brit Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milton Keynes, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by Sceptre.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed to cart. $16.99, very good condition, Sold by Brit Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milton Keynes, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2003 by Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed to cart. $18.22, very good condition, Sold by Greener Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from London, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2003 by Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
Add this copy of The Centre of the Bed to cart. $18.33, very good condition, Sold by Greener Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from London, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by Sceptre.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Stains on pages and the side **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
This author has a fine mind and writes with a literary thoughtfulness. It really is a pleasure to read, taking us through her life and sharing her growing enlightenment.
Joan Bakewell was born Joan Dawson Rowlands in 1933 and grew up near Manchester, England, with a rather repressed mother who slowly succumbed to melancholia and a father who was her champion and for whom she was the favoured elder child. Passing the scholarship and going to grammar school, she went on to Cambridge, married Michael Bakewell and became almost by default, a television broadcaster, becoming known for being part of the avant garde documentaries. In one way, the whole book is a mini-history of British television from the 1950s, and it is fascinating to see how the BBC (at first the only television service) grew and flourished, became aware of ratings, monetary issues, audience pleasing, and in the process perhaps lost its way somewhat from the free-minded, vanguard programmes that once were made. The author became known as 'the thinking man's crumpet', and insulting as that may sound today, it was said with admiration.
Joan Bakewell is frank about her private life, her relationships, her mistakes. She became a long-time, on-off lover of the renowned playwright Harold Pinter, and it is here that her writing takes flight and gives us a perfectly proportioned version of events. She refers to 'the secret' (p.200) : "Something happens to secrets. They have a life of their own.....They shift and mature. They become wayward and uncontrolled....", and later when the secret becomes gradually known, "The secret is beginning to flex its muscles." (p.205) This is superb writing.
The whole book is a journey, sharing the author's points of view, her philosophical musings, her coming to terms with endings: her mother's, father's, sister's deaths, her relationships. Towards the end it does seem that there is a trifle too much talk of television, but this is a small criticism. The whole book comes together like a beautifully sewn patchwork quilt.
