or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
42 used & new from £0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
National Service: Diary of a Decade
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

National Service: Diary of a Decade (Hardcover)

by Richard Eyre (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
RRP: £18.99
Price: £16.14 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.85 (15%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 10? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
11 new from £4.43 29 used from £0.01 2 collectible from £5.00
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback (New edition) £8.99 £7.19 67 used & new from £0.01
Audio CD (Audiobook) Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Utopia and Other Places by Richard Eyre

National Service: Diary of a Decade + Utopia and Other Places
Price For Both: £22.03

One of these items ships sooner than the other. Show details

  • This item: National Service: Diary of a Decade by Richard Eyre

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Utopia and Other Places by Richard Eyre

    Usually dispatched within 3 to 5 weeks.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Utopia and Other Places

Utopia and Other Places

by Richard Eyre
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £5.89
State of the Nation

State of the Nation

by Michael Billington
4.7 out of 5 stars (3)  £16.00
Peter Hall's Diaries: The Story of a Dramatic Battle (Oberon Book)

Peter Hall's Diaries: The Story of a Dramatic Battle (Oberon Book)

by Peter Hall
£13.59
The Royal Court Theatre Inside Out

The Royal Court Theatre Inside Out

by Ruth Little
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £12.50
How Plays Work: A Practical Guide to Playwriting

How Plays Work: A Practical Guide to Playwriting

by David Edgar
£7.49
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (6 Oct 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0747565899
  • ISBN-13: 978-0747565895
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 4.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 636,187 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   National Service opens new browser window
Ask.com  -  Find the Best Results for National Service 
   Need to Start a Blog? opens new browser window
www.squarespace.com  -  An innovative new way to put your blog, and more, online. 
   Get Hosted Blog Service opens new browser window
www.TypePad.com  -  Create a Professional Presence with Customized Blogs from $8.95/mo 
  
 

Product Description

Review

'A matchless chronicle of arguably the finest decade in the National's history nothing could testify to its continuing vitality than this with more vigour and eloquence than this rich, enthralling book' Sunday Times 'A superlative record of a theatre, a man and a time' Simon Callow, Guardian 'Insistent, persuasive, disarming and catching' Daily Telegraph 'If there was an equivalent to the Archbishop of Canterbury in the theatre, it would surely be the director of the National Eyre's book is a compulsive and rewarding read He can be pithy; he can be painterly and, occasionally, surprisingly tender Would the memoirs of George Carey matter to us as much? I doubt it' New Statesman --This text refers to the Paperback edition.


Daily Telegraph

‘Insistent, persuasive, disarming and catching’ --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

National Service: Diary of a Decade
82% buy the item featured on this page:
National Service: Diary of a Decade 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£16.14
The Call-up: A History of National Service
7% buy
The Call-up: A History of National Service 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
£5.97
Brasso, Blanco and Bull
5% buy
Brasso, Blanco and Bull 4.8 out of 5 stars (4)
£5.89
National Service: The Best Years of Their Lives
4% buy
National Service: The Best Years of Their Lives 3.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£15.04
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Standing Ovation, 7 Aug 2006
By Lovborg (London) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: National Service: Diary of a Decade at the National Theatre (Paperback)
This is a magnificent, utterly absorbing book.

Not only does it give you a fascinating insight into the mind and working practices of one of the most brilliant theatre directors, but it shows the frustrations (sometimes misery) and complications of running an enormous organisation, while doing another job in parallel.

He tells (with absolute honesty) the story of the ten years in which he ran The National Theatre: the rehearsals, the first nights, the notices (good and bad)- and more than that, the meetings, the people and the politics (quite literally: Blair, Thatcher, Major and Kinnock are all here, as well as the more familiar theatrical greats such as Fiona Shaw, Deborah Warner, Alan Bennett, David Hare, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench).

What is striking is how recognisable Eyre's situation seems. On one hand, this is a unique account: how many of us have ever run the country's largest theatre? On the other, this is a story of a man whose great skill in one area - directing theatre - leads him into doing a job for which he has little training: running a huge organisation. Anyone who has got to the top of their profession, and then suddenly had "management" thrust upon them will recognise the frustrations, the politics and the draining demands made.

But this is an exhilarating book, for all its public and private disappointments, it is also full of triumphs - as any account that includes Eyre's "Guys and Dolls", " Amy's View". "David Hare Trilogy", "John Gabriel Borkman" and "King Lear" (to name but a few) would have to be.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4.0 out of 5 stars A must for all pseuds, 12 Mar 2009
By Seamus Mcneill "booklover" (Belfast) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: National Service: Diary of a Decade at the National Theatre (Paperback)
This is a wonderful description of life inside a publicly subsidised bubble. It is full of right on opinions shared by the chattering classes which confirm the old definition of a liberal as someone who hates his own country. It has some very good jokes and theatrical anecdotes and a sharp degree of bitchiness about other art forms --"...the world of opera:self important and irredemiably elitist." Sounds like a good description of the National Theatre!
What other head of an organisation could have so many self admitted poor results and still keep his job. Oh yes, one whose work was heavily subsidised by those who neither saw nor cared about his business.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject























i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.