Volume 1 – Self Portrait

£11.99

(4 customer reviews)

This is a moving, witty and candid account of a fascinating life among the talents who defined the swinging sixties. Appearing in ground-breaking television from an early age, Anneke Wills was one of the busiest actresses of the 1960s – her role as Polly establishing a template for one of television’s most iconic and prized roles – the glamorous Doctor Who girl. This is a beautifully written story of a unique childhood, life at the heart of swinging sixties London, and a turbulent marriage to a leading actor. Anneke’s life revolved around the eccentrics, actors, film-makers, painters, designers, poets, satirists and drunks who were changing the world. Illustrated with previously unseen photographs and Anneke’s own drawings and paintings, this is the story of a rich and colourful life, and the growth of a truly remarkable woman.

Signed by Anneke Wills

PLEASE NOTE: This book weighs 500g, so postage is high for this item.

Out of stock

Category: SKU: SP

4 reviews for Volume 1 – Self Portrait

  1. Paul Castle –

    Summary: Inspirational and saddening, this is the first half of Anneke’s life told with honesty.
    Reviewer: Paul Castle from Coventry

    I’ve met Anneke Wills at various ‘Doctor Who’ conventions and signings over the years, and whilst I must have been one of many hundreds she always leaves me feeling happy and content. The first time, in 1997 mere days before Lady Diana died, she spoke to me like I’m a real person she enjoyed spending a couple of minutes chatting with rather than just a sad little boy with nothing better to do than obsess about an old telly show. I was in love! No, that’s a cliche, I wanted her as a big sister! She’s a wonderful lady and the first person I’ve ever been interested in enough to want to read their autobiography.

    So, when last year she came to a decision in an interview on stage to write her memoirs, I knew we were in for a treat. She asked the audience if we would buy it and we all put up our hands! And just a year later, she was there again, promoting her new book on stage with her publisher, Tim Hirst, and I put my money where my mouth had been just a year earlier and bought a copy from the lovely lady herself.

    Two weeks later I’ve read the book, and I feel saddened that I’m not going to be spending my lunchtimes at work in her company any more. She’s taken me through the first half of her life, talking with honesty and frankness about her childhood, teenage years as an emerging actress, and her twenties during which she was both a highly successful actress, wife and mother. Anneke doesn’t sensationalise her story, but the pains and joys are there in full and frank detail exposing the cliche ‘if you remember the sixties, you weren’t there’ as a myth.

    If you’re a fan of sixties ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Strange Report’, I strongly recommend this book. But more than that, if you want to read about the life of a young lady in the swinging sixties, then Anneke’s book is the best you’ll find. There’s no pretention, no luvvy duvvy or militant hippyness, or any wisdom after the fact, this is just a life as it was lived written with honesty, clarity, and love.

  2. Mark st Andrew –

    This is a brilliant book. Anyone interested in 60s culture should read it. I only stumbled across it after seeing the striking cover image somewhere on the web and tracked it down from there. Miss Wills has had a real rollercoaster of a life, and this book is only part one!

    It turns out that Anneke was the first glamorous female doctor who assistant, and as such set a vogue for pretty young girls travelling with the fella that has lasted right up to today. Her character was a proper 60s carnaby street dolly bird, and whilst I didn’t have much interest in the show before (im only 25), her story has compelled me to find out more about the show whilst she was in it.

    There are some brilliant tales in here, and some interesting names dropped along the way. This isn’t in anyway a 60s survivor’s story, more like a personal account of someone busy living their life while the scene happened around them.

    Buy it, Anneke Wills rocks.

  3. Michael Mcmanus –

    Anneke Wills is one of the most extraordinary people any of us could hope to meet, either in the flesh or through her writings. This book casts a unique light on “Doctor Who”, on the lives of the people herein and on an entire era. Miss it and miss out. Too many biographies are little more than pathetic, woeful and self-serving hagiographies – with punches pulled, issues fudged and crucial players unnamed. This book is a rare and noble exception. Here you will find a soul laid bare, a way of life detailed and a truly wonderful human being exposed to the world. There are no words that could truly convey the value of this book, still less the unalloyed joy that is Anneke. It’s your call, gentle reader, but opt out and you’ll miss out – on a truly life-enhancing, priceless and jaw-dropping read.

  4. Esmerelda –

    If you were one of those that missed the Swinging Sixties for any reason, then this book will show you what you missed! An amazing journey from early school days through to college, marriage and children, Anneke tells us what is was like, with honesty, care and a great sense of fun. Plus there are some great photographs!

    Uplifting and heartbreaking in places this is a journey of one women who really was in the middle of where it was ‘at’. Littered with names that at the time were unknown and are now household names, we get to watch the growth the scene, the people and of course Anneke.

    Read it because you want to know what happened in her life, read it because you want to know what it was like to be in London in the Sixties, read it as a piece of social history but most of all read it to hear this woman’s story.

    When you have read this check out the second volume Naked.

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