Everyone has heard the songs from The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The stage show was a roaring success in New York and London, and the much-loved feature film, directed by Hollywood veteran Robert Wise, continues to be a staple of television schedules 50 years after its release in 1965.

In this fascinating and wide-ranging book, Paul Simpson explores the incredible story of the Von Trapp family and their escape from the Third Reich in all its incarnations, from real-life adventure, to book, to stage, to award-winning film to cultural phenomenon. He discusses the stage show, the many differences that were incorporated into the fictionalisation of the tale, and how that story was brought to the screen. He also looks at the numerous other ways in which the Von Trapp's story has been told, including the two West German movies from the 1950s and the extensive forty-part Japanese anime series from the 1990s, to explain why the story of the Von Trapp family has appealed to so many generations.

Praise for A Brief Guide to Stephen King:

'The best book about King and his work I have ever read' Books Monthly

The incredible story behind the world's best-loved musical and the true story of the family that inspired it

About the Author
Paul Simpson has written on a wide variety of topics, with his recent books including an acclaimed overview of conspiracy theories, a history of spying since the Second World War, an anthology of prison breaks, and examinations of the careers of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Stephen King as well as the world of L. Frank Baum's Oz. He has been a conductor and musical director for over thirty years and runs three choirs near to his home in a small village north of Brighton, England.

Reviews
Essential guide to the iconic film. -- Roger Lewis * Daily Mail *



Book Information
ISBN 9781472118745
Author Paul Simpson
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Robinson
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 212g
Dimensions(mm) 199mm * 159mm * 19mm