Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Biography by McKnight, Gerald
Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Biography (First American Edition)
An Intimate, Behind-the-Scenes Account of the Master Composer and Impresario of West End and Broadway Theatre
An Intimate, Behind-the-Scenes Account of the Master Composer and Impresario of West End and Broadway Theatre
Bibliographic Specifications
• Title: Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Biography
• Author: Gerald McKnight
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press, New York (By arrangement with Granada Publishing, London)
• Publication Date: 1984
• ISBN-10: 0312036477
• ISBN-13: 9780312036478
• Edition Details: First American Edition, Standard Hardcover Release. Accompanied by a historic, publisher-inserted clarification slip stating that the subject did not consider the volume an "authorised" work.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium textured cloth-bound or quarter-cloth hardboards with crisp metal-stamped spine typography, housed in the original illustrated glossy dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 278 pages. Meticulously enhanced with a centralized portfolio of rare black-and-white historical photographs printed on high-grade coated paper.
• Language: English
• Title: Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Biography
• Author: Gerald McKnight
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press, New York (By arrangement with Granada Publishing, London)
• Publication Date: 1984
• ISBN-10: 0312036477
• ISBN-13: 9780312036478
• Edition Details: First American Edition, Standard Hardcover Release. Accompanied by a historic, publisher-inserted clarification slip stating that the subject did not consider the volume an "authorised" work.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium textured cloth-bound or quarter-cloth hardboards with crisp metal-stamped spine typography, housed in the original illustrated glossy dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 278 pages. Meticulously enhanced with a centralized portfolio of rare black-and-white historical photographs printed on high-grade coated paper.
• Language: English
Official Condition Report
• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth-bound hardboards are in very good condition, presenting dead-flat faces, rigid joints, and clean borders. All four corner tips remain crisp and unbumped. The spine is completely straight, unbent, and structurally undamaged, holding its original secure binding geometry.
o Interior: Pristine, intact, and exceptionally clean. The 278 text pages are bright white, crisp, and entirely free of foxing, user underlinings, thumb-soil, or dog-ears. Free of any standard antiquarian defects, including former owner name plates, library ink stamps, or dealer pencil annotations.
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
o Condition Details: The original vintage illustrated dust jacket is complete and highly attractive, showcasing excellent color saturation. It exhibits only very limited, minor signs of traditional edge-wear and superficial shelf-friction consistent with careful handling. The entire jacket has been carefully encased inside a professional, removable clear cellophane archival sleeve to shield it from future environmental wear and friction.
• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth-bound hardboards are in very good condition, presenting dead-flat faces, rigid joints, and clean borders. All four corner tips remain crisp and unbumped. The spine is completely straight, unbent, and structurally undamaged, holding its original secure binding geometry.
o Interior: Pristine, intact, and exceptionally clean. The 278 text pages are bright white, crisp, and entirely free of foxing, user underlinings, thumb-soil, or dog-ears. Free of any standard antiquarian defects, including former owner name plates, library ink stamps, or dealer pencil annotations.
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
o Condition Details: The original vintage illustrated dust jacket is complete and highly attractive, showcasing excellent color saturation. It exhibits only very limited, minor signs of traditional edge-wear and superficial shelf-friction consistent with careful handling. The entire jacket has been carefully encased inside a professional, removable clear cellophane archival sleeve to shield it from future environmental wear and friction.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1984 by St. Martin's Press, Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Biography stands as an early, highly significant landmark in modern theatrical literature. Written by acclaimed biographical journalist Gerald McKnight, this comprehensive work captures the exact historical moment when Lloyd Webber emerged as the most dominant, commercially successful composer in musical theatre history. McKnight gained the immense benefit of exclusive interviews with Lloyd Webber, his family, and close theatrical inner circles—delivering a deep, behind-the-professional-scenes perspective on a creative force who single-handedly reinvented the modern global musical.
Published in 1984 by St. Martin's Press, Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Biography stands as an early, highly significant landmark in modern theatrical literature. Written by acclaimed biographical journalist Gerald McKnight, this comprehensive work captures the exact historical moment when Lloyd Webber emerged as the most dominant, commercially successful composer in musical theatre history. McKnight gained the immense benefit of exclusive interviews with Lloyd Webber, his family, and close theatrical inner circles—delivering a deep, behind-the-professional-scenes perspective on a creative force who single-handedly reinvented the modern global musical.
The narrative tracks the composer's lifecycle from his eccentric musical childhood through the legendary partnership with lyricist Tim Rice, meticulously analyzing how their joint successes (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita) ultimately foundered. Turning to his independent triumphs, the book details the logistical origins and high-stakes production struggles behind massive international mega-musicals like Cats and Starlight Express, up through the early development of Aspects of Love. Although an official publisher's insert makes clear that Lloyd Webber did not consider this an "authorised" biography, McKnight's unvarnished, highly engaging analysis of creative perfectionism and West End economics remains an indispensable collectible asset for musical theatre historians, show-tune aficionados, and biography collectors alike.
Author Profile: Gerald McKnight
Gerald McKnight is a highly distinguished British journalist, editor, and prolific biographer whose investigative profiles and non-fiction works defined the standards of late-20th-century media critique. Known for his sharp narrative pacing and ability to secure deep access to elusive, high-profile figures, he served for years as a prominent feature writer and editor in the fleet street publishing circles of London. Over his illustrious career, he authored dozens of celebrated reference biographies and histories—including Gucci: A House Divided, The Secret War of Charles Fraser-Smith, and Woody Allen: Joking Aside. Celebrated for combining rigorous journalistic skepticism with an accessible, elegant literary style, McKnight's publications remain highly valued benchmarks among academic libraries and antiquarian book collectors for their timeless biographical clarity.
Gerald McKnight is a highly distinguished British journalist, editor, and prolific biographer whose investigative profiles and non-fiction works defined the standards of late-20th-century media critique. Known for his sharp narrative pacing and ability to secure deep access to elusive, high-profile figures, he served for years as a prominent feature writer and editor in the fleet street publishing circles of London. Over his illustrious career, he authored dozens of celebrated reference biographies and histories—including Gucci: A House Divided, The Secret War of Charles Fraser-Smith, and Woody Allen: Joking Aside. Celebrated for combining rigorous journalistic skepticism with an accessible, elegant literary style, McKnight's publications remain highly valued benchmarks among academic libraries and antiquarian book collectors for their timeless biographical clarity.
andrew lloyd webber biography, gerald mcknight, st martins press 1984, collectible theatre books, rare musical theatre history, vintage west end Broadway, out of print composer biographies, tim rice lloyd webber partnership, cats starlight express history
