The story of Ted Lewis carries historical and cultural resonances for our own troubled times.
A thoroughly researched, thoroughly fascinating account of the tumultuous life of Ted Lewis, the troubled crime writer who wrote the novel on which Get Carter was based.
Lewis’s life story reads like a riveting movie script, with its punch-powerful rags-to-riches-to-rags narrative. Born in 1940 in Manchester, Lewis studied at Hull College of Arts and Crafts before heading south to the Big Smoke. Here he embraced all that Swinging Sixties’ London had to offer while embarking on a career in advertising and TV. Socialising with Soho gangsters provided much stimulation and Lewis authored nine novels. While the critical and commercial success of the movie might have made his star rise, real-life resulted in tragedy, with the break-up of his marriage and early death at the age of just forty-two.
The author’s knowledge of his subject is exceptional, and his unfailing respect makes for an elegant, enthralling reading experience, while Lewis’s legacy lives on through the work of contemporary crime writers. Truly a treat for noirists. Joanne Owen
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
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