Perhaps best known today for his English lyrics for the first West End Production of Les Miserables, but he was a prolific writer. In his diverse career as a journalist and wordsmith, Herbert Kretzmer has interviewed and profiled some of the twentieth century’s greatest figures in theatre, literature, show business and sport. His meetings with these legends are touching, funny and devastatingly honest, providing brief but lasting snapshots of their lives. Brought together for the first time, these portraits offer unique insights into some of the extraordinary talents and personalities who have shaped our culture. Kretzmer ‘s intimate interviews allow us to meet such charismatic individuals as Truman Capote, Petula Clark, Billy Wilder, Cassius Clay, Anita Loos, John Osborne, Joan Plowright, Nicol Williamson, Peter Shaffer, J. P. Donleavy and many others. They are people who achieved greatness by virtue of their innovations, personalities and flair, and in these glimpses into their lives they share their hopes and opinions, anecdotes and memories.