The Pen is Mightier: Autobiography of a Punk Rocker
By (Author) Edward Tudor Pole
Oldcastle Books Ltd
Oldcastle Books Ltd
1st July 2025
22nd April 2025
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Autobiography: arts and entertainment
Popular culture
Musicians, singers, bands and groups
Popular music
782.421660922
Hardback
304
Width 153mm, Height 234mm
Best known for forming and fronting the punk band Tenpole Tudor in 1977, Edward Tudor Pole eventually came to prominence after appearing in the film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle as a possible replacement for Johnny Rotten in the Sex Pistols.
In a series of amusing, nostalgic and sometimes outrageous stories, told with candour and wit, Tudor Pole recounts his fascinating youth pre-punk and during the time of Sid Vicious and The Clash before he moved on to an acting career appearing in numerous films and plays including Sid & Nancy, Absolute Beginners, a long term association with cult film director, Alex Cox, cameo appearances in Harry Potter and Game of Thrones and a stint presenting The Crystal Maze.
The Pen is Mightier tells of how a troubled start can lead to a happy ending. Tudor Pole writes a fast-paced account of a life spent exploring every avenue of show business before finding out where you belong, taking the reader through his eclectic career as a punk rock band leader, hit songwriter, top 10 pop star, movie actor, TV presenter, West-End leading man and long-term touring musician.
If I had to be abandoned on a desert island with an actor, I can think of no better co-castaway than Ed. His book is tremendous - particularly when he writes about the early days of punk. He was there, man! He lived it, and his storytelling is vivid and exciting -- Alex Cox
Edward Tudor Pole is an English musician, television presenter and actor. Originally gaining fame in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the punk rock band Tenpole Tudor, Tudor Pole began an acting career following the group's split in 1982. Outside of his music career Tudor-Pole is probably best known as the presenter of the TV game show The Crystal Maze from 1993 to 1995, and for his roles as Enaros in the 1997 fantasy film Kull the Conqueror and Mr. Borgin in the Harry Potter film series.