By far the best thing about my stuff I've ever read

Arthur Miller

John Lahr writes like a master. He has a unique understanding of those who labour in the corners of showbiz

Mike Nichols

Lahr's profiles are the nearest we get to modern theatre history. What Lahr has is the key to the dressing room door

Spectator

To say that Lahr lives and breathes showbusiness is an understatement … Lahr occupied until recently American theatre's equivalent of an Archbishop's chair: senior drama critic of the New Yorker ... In an industry not known for its love of reviewers, he remains the only critic in history to have won a Tony award … Crafted in Lahr's polished prose, [Joy Ride] is studded with anecdotes: meeting, as a starstruck 26 year old, Harold Pinter in a diner on 45th Street in New York; being given a hunting knife by David Mamet. If you're curious about Ingmar Bergman's obsession with punctuality, or what it feels like to go through a Broadway opening in the carpet-chewing company of Tony Kushner, the book is – like Lahr himself – engaging and loquacious company

Andrew Dickson, Guardian

Mr Lahr patiently mines the essence of his subjects – playwright, directors – with the affection of a fan, the insight of a confidant and the authorial flair of an experienced critic. The effect is often delicious … A lifetime of listening closely for what is left unsaid. His discoveries are a delight to read

Economist

Something of lasting value. A delight.

the Economist