One of Them

One of Them is a memoir by Michael Cashman, detailing his life as an actor, campaigner, and politician, and his fight for gay rights. It has been praised for its honesty, humor, and historical significance.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 18 February 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

An extraordinary life, depicted with searing honesty and a colourful journey sprinkled with delicious anecdotes, "One of Them" is a memoir that tells not just the story of Michael Cashman's life, but also the battle for LGBT equality in the UK. With a foreword by Graham Norton, a review by the Guardian, and endorsements from Ian McKellen, Alan Johnson, Jo Brand, Armistead Maupin, and many more, this book is a treasure to cherish. Growing up in post-war East London, the son of a docker and an office cleaner, young Michael Cashman's life changed when he was discovered, aged twelve, and transported to the West End stage. He would make history – first as an actor, one half of the first gay kiss broadcast on a British soap, BBC TV's EastEnders, and then as a campaigner and politician, founding Stonewall with Ian McKellen, and embarking on a fight for gay rights across the world that would lead him and his partner Paul Cottingham from tea in LA with David Hockney to flying the rainbow flag over the Royal Albert Hall with Elton John. "One of Them" contains as many multitudes as its author: glorious nostalgia, showbiz gossip, and a stirring history of a civil rights movement. And above all things, it is a love story – a tender account of a partnership that changed the world. "Passionate and true ... A great book about love, pain, and the whole damn thing," Simon Callow says. "Brutally frank and brave ... A brave, good man," Sheila Hancock says.

Weight: 324g
Dimension: 128 x 197 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526612366