Niv

"Twenty years after his death David Niven is remembered with warmth, affection and as one of the funniest and most lovable men who ever lived." "In addition to his countless cinematic triumphs, including his Oscar-winning performance in Separate Tables, Niven also enjoyed tremendous success with his hilarious autobiography The Moon's a Balloon and Hollywood memoir Bring on the Empty Horses, which sold millions of copies and confirmed him as one of the great raconteurs." "Yet behind those twinkling eyes, Niv's life was punctuated by tragedy and he was often deeply unhappy. From the death of his father when Niven was five, to the stepfather he loathed, through the death of his beloved first wife and his volatile and disturbing second marriage, tragedy and hardship were never far away. Yet through it all Niv was determined to make people laugh. 'Life is so bloody awful, ' he said, 'that it's the duty of all of us to cheer other people up, ' and he did until the day he died." "Written with the full co-operation and assistance of Niv's children, Niv is the authorised account of a remarkable life. Graham Lord has interviewed scores of people from all over the world, among them Niv's ninety-six-year-old sister Grizel and his great friends Lauren Bacall, John Hurt, Patrick Macnee, Roderick Mann, Sir Roger Moore, Sir John Mills, Sir John Mortimer, Michael Parkinson, Fiona Thyssen, Sir Peter Ustinov and Robert Wagner."--BOOK JACKET.