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Accustomed as I am Basil Boothroyd

Accustomed as I am By Basil Boothroyd

Accustomed as I am by Basil Boothroyd


$10.39
Condition - Very Good
Only 4 left

Summary

Accustomed As I Am is an intimate portrait and sometime surreal travelogue of the author's own grim and terrifying experiences on the public speakers' circuit in the wilds of Little England.

Accustomed as I am Summary

Accustomed as I am: The Loneliness of the Long-distance Speaker by Basil Boothroyd

Basil Boothroyd takes the reader on a comic journey through an era when the likes of the Women's Institute and the Rotary Club were still the social hubs of the nation and needed a steady stream of guest speakers to keep their members entertained. Accustomed As I Am is an intimate portrait and sometime surreal travelogue of his own grim and terrifying experiences on the public speakers' circuit in the wilds of Little England. Addressing everyone from Park Lane black-tie shindigs for corporate clients to the inmates of Pentonville prison and the Edgware Young Women's Mizrachi Society, he is asked to entertain on every subject from the Life-Cycle of the Beaver (with slides) to Transport Through the Ages. While masquerading as a How-to-Book, Boothroyd wilfully loses us in a confusion of slapstick asides and self-effacing comic digressions as he unsuccessfully attempts to navigate the pitfalls of a thankless profession. It's a sordid tale of dingy hotels, bad transport, self-doubts, hecklers, drunks, technical difficulties, misjudged audiences and unsuitable material - instantly and painfully recognizable to anyone who has ever had to sit through a speech or make one themselves.

Accustomed as I am Reviews

the finest comic writer we have PG Wodehouse a man of unusual talent... a wonderful eye for the revealing comic detail... his writing had at times a Faberge glitter. RGG Price

About Basil Boothroyd

Basil Boothroyd was one of the most celebrated Punch writers of the 20th century. He first contributed in 1938 and was assistant editor from 1952-1970. He was equally wellknown for his BBC broadcasts and became a much requested public-speaker on both sides of the Atlantic. He published a number of books including three volumes of his radio talks and five volumes of his Punch articles. He produced much of his writing from a hut in his Sussex garden.

Additional information

GOR004596765
9781853754548
1853754544
Accustomed as I am: The Loneliness of the Long-distance Speaker by Basil Boothroyd
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Welbeck Publishing Group
20010712
160
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Accustomed as I am