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Tales from the Back Green

Tales from the Back Green

by Bill Paterson (Author)

  • New

    Paperback 2009

    $8.84
Synopsis

When these captivating Tales from the Back Green were broadcast on BBC Radio they were described by The Herald as 'a vividly engaging portrait of a vanished city' and The Scotsman as 'an engaging series fondly and wittily rendered'. Now published for the first time, actor Bill Paterson's stories brilliantly evoke his 1950s Glasgow boyhood. This is a world of intriguing characters and extraordinary events set against the background of the changes and challenges of the post-war era - the nuclear threat, the fading dominance of the kirk, Rock and Roll, the disappearance of the beloved trams, and why penny whoppers were not worth tuppence. As a young surveyor, Paterson was witness to the dramatic transformation of the city, as austere tenements were swept away to make way for new roads and high-rise blocks. Tales From the Back Green is a brilliant realisation of childhood and youth; of memories Paterson describes as 'suspended in amber like Jurassic Park's mosquito, with its DNA still intact.' He wonders whether our memories change from grey to gold as the years pass - do we naturally recall our childhood as a time of optimism and hope?

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More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 160
 Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 06 Aug 2009
ISBN 10: 0340936827
ISBN 13: 9780340936825
Book Overview: The Number One Scottish bestseller by the much-loved actor Bill Paterson.

Media Reviews
Magical . . . exquisitely funny . . . evocative * Daily Mail *
Pithy, colourful, and sometimes very funny . . . anyone who lived through the social and economic upheaval of Glasgow in the 1950s and 60s will find something in Tales from the Back Green that will strike a chord, be it major or minor. * Herald *
Sharp, funny, unsentimental. Great stuff. * Guardian *
Affectionate, and beautifully written and narrated. * Daily Express *
Warmly nostalgic * Saga Magazine *
As cosy and comforting as hot buttered toast on a cold winter's morning, and none the worse for that. This unashamedly nostalgic collection is a fine and gentle piece of work. * Tribune *
A wonderful collection of stories -- heartfelt, honest and astonishingly vivid. A tremendous achievement. * William Boyd *
Bill Paterson's account of his Glasgow childhood is fond but never sentimental. He gets things right. A generation - and not just in Glasgow - will remember that this is what our lives were like. * Ian Jack *
Author Bio
Bill Paterson was born in Glasgow. His theatre career includes being a founder member of 7:84 Theatre Company with the landmark production of The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black, Black Oil. Film and Television work includes Wives and Daughters, The Crow Road, The Witches, Truly Madly Deeply, Traffik, The Singing Detective, Aufweidersehn Pet, Comfort and Joy, The Killing Fields, Criminal Justice, Little Dorrit and Law and Order. He is a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.