As long-suffering EastEnders patriarch Charlie Slater; Derek Martin has become one of British TV s best loved stars. Now in this witty and revealing memoir; Derek tells of his extraordinary journey from growing up in the real East End of London during the Blitz to taking up residency in Albert Square. Derek s journey to Albert Square has proved to be an eventful one. A bone fide East Ender; born within the sound of Bow Bells; Derek grew up during the Blitz in a tight-knit; working-class family. In this candid memoir he describes those tough early days; his stint in the police; life on the wrong side of the law and how he turned his dream of being an actor into a reality. But not before trying his hand as a professional gambler and acting as a runner for the notorious East End gangster Charlie Kray; brother of twins Ronnie and Reggie. Determined to be an actor; Derek began his hugely successful stage and screen career firstly as a stuntman; before landing memorable TV roles in series such as Law and Order; Minder; King and Castle; The Governor and doomed soap Eldorado. In this frank and revealing tale; Derek pulls no punches as he admits past mistakes and describes his remarkable transformation into one of our best loved actors. Meet the man behind the character as he shares with readers his heartbreak over two marriage break ups and his devotion to his twin boys. An East End Life is a truly remarkable story spanning nearly seven decades; packed with tears and laughter that will endear you to this popular star.
#4490371 in eBooks 2013-09-13 2013-09-13File Name: B00G6SZDH0
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Great play; so-so translationBy Blue LuciaThe play itself is terrific; if infuriating. Ibsen did a terrific job illuminating how communities struggle to balance short-term economic interests with long-term health and prosperity; as well as the difficulty of having public debate about scientific issues when most people dont understand the technical details well enough to make their own informed judgments about relative risk and consequences. Replace "tainted water in the public baths" with "climate change" and you see how relevant this play remains today.However; this translation is not great. It often reads like a transliteration; with clunky turns of phrase that may be more precise matches to the original Norwegian but dont sound at all natural in English. The result is that much of the dialogue in this translation feels overly formal and stilted; not the dynamic and vigorous discussions that I suspect were intended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Written in 1882; Could have been written last year.By doctormamaThis classic Ibsen play is remarkably modern in content and theme. Imagine - a scientific-minded professional discovers potentially deadly toxic material in a towns main tourist draw; and the town tries hard to ruin him! Imagine - a large group of scientists agree that human activity is creating potentially deadly climate change; and the powers that be try hard to ruin them! Oh my.So many people have been returning to Orwells 1984; given the current American climate of charges of "fake news" and assertions of "alternative facts" and so on. I would suggest that this play also deserves a second look (or first; if you didnt read it in high school).0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. VERY TRUE STORY FOR TODAYBy 91185This book; written in the form of a play; is as true today as when it was written. Dont let the fact that it is a "play" keep you from reading it! I never thought I would want to read a play either; but this one has changed my perspective on them. Rather than tell what the book is about; which ruins the story for me; I would just highly recommend that people read this. Its a good story with a good morality element.