The Two of Us

My Life with John Thaw

By: Sheila Hancock

Narrated by: Sheila Hancock

Bloomsbury presents The Two of Us written and read by Sheila Hancock.

When John Thaw, star of The Sweeney and Inspector Morse, died from cancer in 2002, a nation lost one of its finest actors and Sheila Hancock lost a beloved husband. In this unique double biography she chronicles their lives – personal and professional, together and apart.
John Thaw was born in Manchester, the son of a lorry driver. When he arrived at RADA on a scholarship he felt an outsider. In fact his timing was perfect: it was the sixties and television was beginning to make its mark. With his roles in Z-Cars and The Sweeney, fame came quickly. But it was John's role as Morse that made him an icon. In 1974 he married Sheila Hancock, with whom he shared a working-class background and a RADA education. Sheila was already the star of the TV series The Rag Trade and went on to become the first woman artistic director at the RSC. Theirs was a sometimes turbulent, always passionate relationship, and in this remarkable book Sheila describes their love – weathering overwork and the pressures of celebrity, drink and cancer – with honesty and piercing intelligence, and evokes two lives lived to the utmost.

©2004 Sheila Hancock (P)2005 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"Constructed with considerable skill....A book of exceptional emotional candour." (Sunday Telegraph)
"An impressive and affecting work of art." (Spectator)

John Thaw

Would you consider the audio edition of The Two of Us to be better than the print version?

I have not read the hardcover book. I knew John Thaw primarily through movies and television. This is the reason I chose the audio version. He seems more alive on this format.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Two of Us?

I found the moment he found out he had esophageal cancer and the life he chose to live afterwards both brave and heart breaking. I still have his Morse episodes on CD. That is the beauty of this medium. He lives forever.

What about Sheila Hancock’s performance did you like?

Sheila Hancock's performance spot on. I can not envision anyone else recording this. The emotion she conveys truly moved me. I listened to the audio book twice. Wonderful

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

John Thaw's dignity through his illness and his relationships were inspiring.

Any additional comments?

I just loved getting to know John Thaw the man, it gives me more insight into his characters.

Interesting and enjoyable to learn more an icon

Excellent book and interesting to learn about such a famous icon and his life. Sheila has let us in to their life and experiences both good and bad. A loss for people that admired John this book has enabled the reader to learn more about John and add to the memories of his life.

I so enjoyed this!

Admiring both these actors, I found it fascinating to learn more about their lives together and their professional experiences. Sheila Hancock's honest, compassionate writing about struggles--but also joys--was just what I needed to distract me from the scariness of the world.

sad and enthralling

sheila hancock is quite brilliant in the way she switches between past and present and tells the story of her life, johns life, life together and apart, and then his death. Very moving.