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The Two of Us

My Life with John Thaw (Digital download)

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The Two of Us

By: Sheila Hancock
Narrated by: Sheila Hancock
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Bloomsbury presents The Two of Us written and read by Sheila Hancock.

When John Thaw, star of The Sweeney and Inspector Morse, died from cancer in 2002, a nation lost one of its finest actors and Sheila Hancock lost a beloved husband. In this unique double biography she chronicles their lives – personal and professional, together and apart.
John Thaw was born in Manchester, the son of a lorry driver. When he arrived at RADA on a scholarship he felt an outsider. In fact his timing was perfect: it was the sixties and television was beginning to make its mark. With his roles in Z-Cars and The Sweeney, fame came quickly. But it was John's role as Morse that made him an icon. In 1974 he married Sheila Hancock, with whom he shared a working-class background and a RADA education. Sheila was already the star of the TV series The Rag Trade and went on to become the first woman artistic director at the RSC. Theirs was a sometimes turbulent, always passionate relationship, and in this remarkable book Sheila describes their love – weathering overwork and the pressures of celebrity, drink and cancer – with honesty and piercing intelligence, and evokes two lives lived to the utmost.©2004 Sheila Hancock (P)2005 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Funny Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

‘A book of exceptional emotional candour'
‘Wise, witty and at times unbearably moving'
‘Startlingly good ... Hancock is remarkably good at evoking period and place'
‘Her honest, graceful account leaves nothing out - Thaw's alcoholism, his depression, their separation, their love'
All stars
Most relevant
For sharing this insight into grief . Delivered well despite the difficulty that must be overwhelming.

Thank you

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This recording was so touching because of Sheila Hancock's raw portrayal of her feelings through diary extracts.

Her juxtaposition of her getting to know John Thaw with how she dealt with her feelings on his illness, and then death, made the recording all the more poignant. I did shed a tear at various points as she tapped into my own fears of loss and death.

Yet it is also upbeat, with Sheila's forthright views, and her plain talking about what Al-Anon taught her, her part in the chaos of alcoholism, and how they eventually were able to be truly happy as John found he could abstain from drinking even though he suffered from the disease of alcoholism.

(I did absolutely hate how the impact of the poignant ending was diluted by the following voice of that American Woman proclaiming the virtues of Audible.com though!)

Love, Desperation and Recovery

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What an amazing, beautiful and strong person Sheila Hancock is. Listen to this book in one night ( I got audio books to help me sleep, that back fired big time). Ordered her second book so no sleep again tonight.

Hooked

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There is my story too within this story that is the most beautiful thing I have read

C’est le plus même

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Another of those where it was essential the author was also the narrator - Sheila Hancock shifts between her years with John and his illness and her dealing with life after his passing. She is very honest which makes for good listening - they certainly had a tempestuous relationship. I got the book as I loved Thaw as an actor but knew little about him - it is certainly well explained about his sad upbringing but I didn’t know how his drinking affected his life and probably took his life at such an early age. I was left with the feeling that although he passed 20 years ago Sheila’s life is still very much about John. A good listen - recommended.

Emotional and gripping

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