Teller of the Unexpected - The Life of Roald Dahl, an Unofficial Biography

Book of the Week on Radio 4, and in the Observer, Sunday Times, Daily Mail and The Week
'Riveting, and immaculately written' Sunday Telegraph

'A superb psychological study of a literary genius' Business Post

'A rounded picture... and gets to Dahl's flawed, human core' Country Life

'Crisply done and well-judged' TLS

Roald Dahl was one of the world's greatest storytellers. He conceived his vocation as one as intrepid as that of any explorer and, in his writing for children, he was able to tap into a child's viewpoint throughout his life. He crafted tales that were exotic in scenario, frequently invested with a moral, and filled with vibrant characters that endure in public imagination to the present day.

In this brand-new biography, Matthew Dennison re-evaluates the received narrative surrounding Dahl - that of school sporting hero, daredevil pilot, and wartime spy-turned-author - and examines surviving primary resources as well as Dahl's extensive literary output to tell the story of a man who identified as a rule-breaker, an iconoclast and a romantic, both insider and outsider, hero and child's friend.

About the author

Matthew Dennison is the author of nine critically acclaimed works of non-fiction, including Behind the Mask: The Life of Vita Sackville-West, a Book of the Year in The Times, Spectator, Independent and Observer, and the much-praised Eternal Boy, a life of Kenneth Grahame, and his biography of Her late Majesty The Queen, published by Head of Zeus.

Summary

A concise life of Roald Dahl – much-loved author and creator of numerous iconic literary characters.

Foreword

From one of our finest contemporary biographers, a concise life of Roald Dahl - much-loved author and creator of numerous iconic literary characters.

Additional text

An elegant new biography... capturing [Dahl's] grandiose, tragedy-specked life.

Product details

• Authors: Matthew Dennison, Dennison Matthew
• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.04.2022
• EAN: 9781788549417
• ISBN: 978-1-78854-941-7
• No. of pages: 272
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Humanities, art, music > History; Non-fiction book > History > Biographies, autobiographies; England, Biography: general, Biography: historical, political & military, English, LITERARY CRITICISM / Children's & Young Adult Literature, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / 20th Century, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Biography: writers, Non Fiction, Biography: historical, political and military, Children's & teenage literature studies, Children’s and teenage literature studies: general