Vanessa

"She is the greatest actress of our time," Tennessee Williams said. And not many people would argue with him. Vanessa Redgrave has been acclaimed for her work on the stage and in movies for over thirty years, since her first great success, playing Rosalind in As You Like It at Stratford-upon-Avon. She made the "leap into political life" almost simultaneously, joining Bertrand Russell in the movement for nuclear disarmament, and her commitment to political activism has been unwavering. As she explains here, these twin passions - for her art and for politics - nurture and feed on each other, providing the two great themes of a truly remarkable life. The Redgrave family has a long history in the theatre, and Vanessa writes thoughtfully and intelligently about her craft. Her grandparents and great-grandparents were actor-managers, writers, and actors. Her father, Michael Redgrave, was the son of an actor who starred in some of the first silent feature films in Australia. Vanessa married the director Tony Richardson, and they had two daughters, the actresses Natasha and Joely Richardson. She had a son, Carlo, with the Italian actor Franco Nero. Redgrave writes movingly of the strain her political activity has put on her family, and of the effect it has had on her career. But she is stalwart in her commitments. Her book is an honest and poignant account of an artist's compassionate, intelligent, brave, and loving engagement with the world.