Noël Coward: 'Sing when the Guns are Firing'
Richard Hughes uncovers the patriotic efforts of the actor and playwright Noël Coward during the Second World War and argues that he should be remembered for more than merely entertaining the troops.
It was as a writer and performer that Noël Coward (1899-1973) is best remembered for his war effort, most obviously in the form of his much-lauded propaganda film In Which We Serve (1942). Yet this notable achievement masks a series of personal disappointments for Coward, who thought he had much more to offer than his talents as an entertainer. In fact he had a varied wartime career, characterised by commitment, energy and generosity on several levels.
This article is available to History Today online subscribers only. If you are a subscriber, please log in.
Please choose one of these options to access this article:
- Purchase a online subscription and receive unlimited access to our archive for one week, one month or a year
- Purchase a print and website subscription, giving you one year's access to all our content and 12 editions of History Today magazine.
- If you are already a print subscriber, purchase the online archive upgrade for a year's worth of access at a reduced price
Call our Subscriptions department on +44 (0)20 3219 7813 for more information.
If you are logged in but still cannot access the article, please contact us
Related articles
This Month's Magazine
Newsletter
From The Current Issue
|
Patrick Bishop
|
|
David Torrance
|
|
Tim Stanley
|
From The Archive
|
Richard Pflederer evaluates a vital tool of the age of discovery. |
Advertisement
Available To Subscribers
Follow Us
The History Today Blog
|
Posted 1 day 12 hours ago
|
|
Posted 3 days 5 hours ago
|
|
Posted 4 days 5 hours ago
|
On This Day In History
Tamerlane, or Timur, one of history's most brutal butchers, died on February 18th, 1405.