If you enjoy one play by Coward, the next logical step is to investigate his other works Design for Living (1933), about a "progressive" romantic triangle, and Blithe Spirit (1941), about a man who is haunted by the meddling ghost of his first wife, share much of the style and sensibility of Private Lives.

Frederick Lewis Allen's Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s (1931) and Since Yesterday: The 1930s in America (1940) are lively, readable histories of the twenties and

thirties, respectively, written by a contemporary historian. They provide a useful survey of the major events of the years during which Coward achieved his widest fame.

The Amazing Mr. Noel Coward (1933), by Peter Braybrooke, written soon after Private Lives appeared, is an enthusiastic celebration of Coward' s talents. While far from objective, it vividly reflects the towering stature Coward attained in the...