David Niven Books

What a treat! So refreshing to have someone as talented and connected as Niven share his uncensored experiences. The stories of Errol were moving beyond anything I'd ever read about him before. Everyone has sung this book's merits, I want to concentrate on "Our Little Girl". WHO THE HECK WAS THAT???? People are saying Vivien Leigh (came from Arizona, left her mother behind, had a baby, married a camera man, married three times, grew up in the Hollywood system, a blonde known as the Erector set?????) Vivien Leigh doesn't even begin to fit this description. Lana Turner seems most viable but these details do not fit her story either. Same with Rita Hayworth. WHO WAS IT???

I read both books at school in the eighties. I well remember coming across them at the back of the room in my English teacher's large bookcase. I don't remember much, just that they were a great read. Well his first time sticks in my memory....

There is something about the way in which David Niven writes about other people where you just know they would approve. David Niven always seemed to play the good guy, the hero, the sort of person to whom we would all wish to aspire. Writing about those people with whom he worked and came into contact was, however, a serious departure from acting - and could easily have gone so horribly wrong.

In this book, however, he confirms his credentials as a writer and pours his own brand of humour onto each and every encounter he describes. Not once does he stoop to the level of gossip monger, not once does attack another person.

Instead, we have a first hand account of that golden age of Hollywood written by a master wordsmith who has also mastered the art of writing humour.

Was it me, or did I detect a certain disappointment from within his own relationship?, or was it that David Niven was far too much the perfect gentleman to describe such things.

If you are a fan of the olden days - the golden days of Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. If you simply want a damned good read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy such an excellent product.

NM

David Niven is an often neglected actor from the Golden Age, but as a man, he was very likable. This book is proof that the talented actor was also a talented writer. He discusses many different people and scenerios in this book, the title of which is derived from an amusing incident on a film set. He writes with depth and clarity; it is obvious he has really analyzed the people he mentions. His respect for fellow stars and directors is admirable, especially the malligned ones.

Here we learn that the "Goldwynisms" that Samuel Goldwyn is so famous for might have all been made-up. We learn that Errol Flynn was indeed a womanizer, but no rapist. We hear an amusing story about Edward Goulding's funeral complete with the worst pallbearer casting in history.

The oddest thing in the book is a short story in the form of a chapter called "Our Little Girl." I still am not sure why it was included.

The stories and writing are incredible and gives you a real sense of what true Hollywood glamor was like back in those wonderful early years. However, I do believe the "our little girl" story was actually about Lana Turner, not Vivien Leigh. He talked about Vivien and Larry Olivier in another book or section of this book, but I doubt it was Vivien that had a breakdown. Nevertheless, the man was a great actor. What a terrible amount of suffering he endured in life and what a tragic death from Lou Gehrig's disease. Would you believe he and his second wife aren't even buried together! Too bad he's not buried next to his first wife Primula in the church where they were married. Primmie was his true love. He was blessed to have his two boys as comfort after her tragic death at a party at Ty Power's house. Get both the books and read them, you'll enjoy every word and all the inside scoop on lots of famous Hollywood folks we all still love.

Celebrity autobiographies are exercises in exhibiting the overexposed. However, dignity and discretion are assumed by the reader. Consequently, the author is oblidged to spend the entire book repeating, in essence, "I don't mean to brag but..." Also, celebrity autobiographies are famous for their creativity. David Niven's is pretty par for the course. I doubt if more than 25% of the incidents included happened exactly as described, if at all. All the better for the reader. The truth is usually rather dull or unpleasant. The narrative itself is very readable in a relaxed chatty style. Who knows if he even wrote it himself. You never know. Maybe he wrote the bare bones out and gave it to a ghostwriter to pad it and make it sound like "David Niven" wrote it. Wouldn't be the first time. Who cares? It's a fun story filled with famous people being interesting.

Published in 1972, THE MOON'S A BALLOON proved one of the great bestsellers of the decade--and if you read the first page you'll know why. You are immediate hooked by star David Niven's wild, wicked sense of humor. Whether it is his Dickensian childhood, his outrageous tour of duty with the British military, or his climb to unexpected stardom, this is truly Niven exactly as you imagine he would be.

Imagine, however, seems to be an operative word. Niven was less interested in relating the facts of his life than he was in telling a good story and in putting his best face to the public--something that is not entirely unexpected in an autobiography, particularly the autobiography of a Hollywood star. Later writers have noted that Niven played fast and loose with the facts in THE MOON'S A BALLOON, and that for all his charm he could be viciously despicable when the mood took him; it is also worth pointing out that he was never quite the "A List" star that he seems to be in his memoirs.

But all this is actually a little beside the point. Whether it is factually accurate and emotionally honest or not, THE MOON'S A BALLOON is simply a delightful read right from the first page, where we meet Nessie, the Picadilly hooker who introduced Niven to the joys of the flesh. Approximately half the book concerns Niven's life before he arrived in Hollywood as a would-be actor, and it is a riotous ride; once Niven hits the film industry, however, he begins to name drop with the best of them--offering memorable glimpses of such famous names as director William Wyler and stars Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh. It is all fascinating stuff.

It can also be quite startling. As just one example among many, when writing of his first wife's death Niven mentions that Joan Crawford stepped in to care for his children while he attempted to cope with his grief. Yikes! And although he was a great womanizer and cut a swath through Hollywood's beauties, Niven does no name dropping there; he does, however, describe an affair with a "Great Big Star" who was very likely Merle Oberon, the leading lady of WUTHERING HEIGHTS.

True enough, THE MOON'S A BALLOON will hardly stand a cold factual analysis--but it is a tremendously fun thing to read, a joyous and fun book, and while quite a lot of it is of the "tall tale" variety it certainly presents the star as he likely most wished to be seen and be remembered. Don't pick it for bedtime reading, because you'll never put it down! Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

David Niven was not always a star. He had to go away and learn his trade in "B" movies before being allowed to enter the big time. He learnt that trade well but, unlike some who were destined to become greats of Hollywood, he also put his entire acting career on hold whilst he served as an officer in a fighting unit throughout WW2.

This book tells the first half of his life's story and what a story it is. Like every biography ever written, the best bits do not happen at the beginning, so some readers, therefore, might find it slow going at first. Though many will not. But then we meet the rich and famous stars of Hollywood from another era and learn a little about each of these people and their various relationships as we move from one to another and sometimes back again.

Written in David Niven's own hilarious style, there is so much humour here that you "will" find yourself insisting others read this book. In fact, it is so funny - especially his descriptions of the wrong use of English words by foreign movie directors, one finishes the book in the knowledge that had David Niven not become an Oscar-winning movie star, he would easily have achieved great success as a writer.

The underlying theme, of course, is David Niven's life and, as one reviewer has already said, this book leaves you wishing you had met this man. Me too.

NM

Let me explain what I mean.

First of all, from the very beginning pages of the Book, I could sense the smooth flow of thoughts, pouring out of MAN Niven, not ACTOR Niven.

Second, I could also feel for MAN Niven and what he went through in his youth and early manhood.

David Niven is a born storyteller. He should have dared direct movies as well. He would have succeeded splendidly because one of the very first requirements for a director, both on stage, as well as on camera, is to know how to tell a story, and tell it in a coherent and organized way.

That he had chosen not to do it, means that he was aware of his limitations and probably preferred to stick with what he knew best: acting.

I bought this book just by chance at Heathrow, while traveling to New York, feeling bored to death by the many security checks and formalities to be undergone these days, in order to be able to travel from point A to point B on the globe.

I had absolutely no idea what it was all about, but the title intrigued me, also because I had heard about it some years ago, but didn't pay appropriate attention to it at that time.

So, here I went and bought it. Finally on board of my flight carrying me to the U.S., I opened it and before I knew better, I had already landed at JFK having read half of it.

I could have blasted the pilot for that, but it wasn't his fault. I am a slow reader. I have to savor all the finesses contained in a book, given that the same is worth the effort. Believe me, "The Moon Is A Balloon", is such a book.

During my entire stay in the U.S. I carried the book around and kept on reading it - I should actually say - devour it. When I finally came to its end I felt disappointed.

Not by the book and magnificent tales and accounts it contains, but having come to a point where there was nothing more to read.

This is a book that will leave you with a "hunger" to read more about MAN David Niven and what he has to say about his experiences.

It is not just what he says, but how he says it.

The descriptions of the people he met, the places he visited, the moods and colors of his world, all come to life vividly.

Perhaps because I am a stage director, interested in directing movies, I may have a distorted vision on this, but I could actually visualize what David Niven was describing.

Various wild images a la Charles Dickens, especially at the very beginning of the book, sprung out of my mind (even "The Turning of the Screw" popped up - go figure why...).

Then, while he was describing his experiences with the schooling system in England, I visualized sorts of crazy images half-ways out of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", mixed with "Blackboard Jungle" and/or "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" - the male version that is.

Later the encounter with his first love affair (I won't reveal more about it, you must read by yourself), I had flashes of "Of Human Bondage" and "Great Expectations".

His Malta adventure in the Army, almost sprung out from very early forties war movies, or thirties movies with Clark Gable.

Now I realize how deformed my professional mind is, but indeed I could feel being transported there, in his "Balloon", in his world, and felt part of his tragicomic life.

David Niven takes you by the hand and leads you into his secret garden, in which you discover the ugly sides of life, but also the very splendid tiny little pleasures that make his and everyone else's life pleasurable and indeed, worth living.

It is funny to think that David Niven's "Balloon" closely resembles to the one Jules Verne's created in "Around the World in 80 Days", and while this was a total work of fiction, Niven's own takes you much farther, than just around the world.

It takes you into a lesson of lived life, told by a human being who has truly learned from his mistakes and learned from them what life is truly all about.

The lesson though, never comes from a pulpit, it comes as a highly entertaining and fascinating account of experiences, at times very funny, at times very grim, but never, never boring.

I was stunned to finally witness that even a person like Niven, that was alive for most of my lifetime, could still enthrall and grip me with his writing style.

I usually have always avoided reading modern authors, or biographies of modern personalities, except maybe Science Fiction books (Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury or Arthur C. Clarke), since they all seem to resemble each other.
It is a continuous ego-trip with lots of whining and gossiping involved, but no true and genuine life experience and wisdom shared, and if is at all shared, it is in the form of "...let me tell you how to change your life, into a successful business-like one...".
Lots of preaching from insignificant and dull people I wouldn't even like to meet in person, even if I had a chance to do so.

David Niven never preaches, he just tells you how it was and the ways he managed to work himself out of trouble and into a very useful and respectable life.

I absolutely love his book.

Alas, David is not among us anymore, because if he were alive today, I would absolutely want to know and meet him in person, and perhaps even work with him.

I am over fifty, but I get a sense that with a person like him, I could still learn a lot in matters of life and how to survive even the most adverse of situations in it.

Dear readers, allow me to suggest this book to all of you. You won't regret it. This is not just another boring autobiography.
This is a man's heart opened up to the world, for the best and the worst.

David Niven's soul lies in his lines and comes alive when these lines are read.

Bless you David, wherever you may be, my thoughts are with you.The Moon's a Balloon

I just want to quickly add to all these other five-star reviews that this is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. David Niven candidly bares his vulnerabilities and lets us in on the obstacles and hurts he endured. I read this at a time that I felt I was drifting and this made me feel much better. There are amusing stories about Hollywood and the rest of the world in the old days. Blessings to David Niven. It's a breeze of a read and I envy those of you who have it yet to enjoy for the first time!

David Niven was not always a star. He had to go away and learn his trade in "B" movies before being allowed to enter the big time. He learnt that trade well but, unlike some who were destined to become greats of Hollywood, he also put his entire acting career on hold whilst he served as an officer in a fighting unit throughout WW2.

This book tells the first half of his life's story and what a story it is. Like every biography ever written, the best bits do not happen at the beginning, so some readers, therefore, might find it slow going at first. Though many will not. But then we meet the rich and famous stars of Hollywood from another era and learn a little about each of these people and their various relationships as we move from one to another and sometimes back again.

Written in David Niven's own hilarious style, there is so much humour here that you "will" find yourself insisting others read this book. In fact, it is so funny - especially his descriptions of the wrong use of English words by foreign movie directors, one finishes the book in the knowledge that had David Niven not become an Oscar-winning movie star, he would easily have achieved great success as a writer.

The underlying theme, of course, is David Niven's life and, as one reviewer has already said, this book leaves you wishing you had met this man. Me too.

NM

Time and subsequent biographies have revealed that much of Niven's memoirs are make-believe and exaggeration but that doesn't stop them being great fun and a classic of the genre.

Although this book is out of print, it is a must read! I wasn't at all familiar with David Niven's work (and actually, I still don't know much about his films) but I wanted to read the book just for his chapter on Fred Astaire. The chapter on Astaire is actually found in Niven's second book, "Bring On The Empty Horses", but I was lucky enough to get both books in one. So even though I knew nothing about Niven's career, I was enthralled with this book. Its the best movie star autobiography I've ever read. It reads as a sort of series of sketches connecting different parts of Niven's life. It is extremely funny and Niven's willingness to talk about all aspects of his life make some great stories. He doesn't shy away from personal details, everything, including a retelling of his first sexual experience, is included. Its a delightful read and because of Niven's lengthy career it is long, but its one of those where you wish he'd written three or four more books. I strongly recommend this to anyone with an interest in old Hollywood or anyone with a good sense of humor. It definitely does not appeal to Niven fans only! However, if you are interested in Niven, I suggest you read a brief biography on him beforehand. He rarely mentions dates or years and sometimes I got confused in the time period because I was unfamiliar with his work so I couldn't place a movie with a year. He is very witty, charming, and funny. I can see why he became a star.

Also highly recommended is "Bring On The Empty Horses". Its not an autobiographical continuation of "The Moon's A Balloon". Its a series of chapters about Niven's acquaintances. Everyone from Bogart to Cary Grant to Errol Flynn are represented. Its just as good as the first book.

Witty, urbane, occasionally insightful, 'The Moon's a Balloon' is a marvellous reminiscence of Hollywood's Golden Age, and is as delightfully unpretentious as it's author, Academy Award-winning actor David Niven.

Niven must have been a welcome addition to any party, as his writing has a chatty, 'have you heard the story about...' quality that makes each experience a topper to the one before! You'll follow his early life, and introduction into Hollywood, where he shared a cottage with legendary hell-raiser Errol Flynn (who would bed an endless stream of stars and starlets, while avoiding jealous husbands and boyfriends by the narrowest of margins), to his involvement with Samuel Goldwyn and the British acting community (including a hilarious tale involving Nigel Bruce and a rare plant), to a horrible yet hysterical Broadway stint, to his recollections about the production of 'Around the World in Eighty Days'.

Niven was not one to 'blow his own horn', and he tends to downplay his own adventures (he was a decorated officer in WWII, who survived D-Day; he only lightly touches upon it, and says he was only 'doing his part'), and the book ends on a slightly jarring note, as he acknowledges his complete confusion over current tastes in lifestyles and music (using James Taylor, of all people, as a reference to what was incomprehensible!), but all in all, the book is a delight, and was such a commercial hit that it spawned a sequel, 'Bring On the Empty Horses'.

If there is ANY book that deserves to be back in print, it's 'The Moon's a Balloon'. When that happy day arrives, run, do NOT walk, to buy it! You WON'T be disappointed!

Scientists & academics have spent entire careers investigating what makes people happy. But hidden in obscure scholarly journals & reports, their research is all too often inaccessible to ordinary people. At last, social scientist & psychologist David Niven, Ph.D., distills the scientific gobbledygook of over a a thousand of the most compelling & important studies on happiness into easy-to-digest nuggets of advice. Each of the hundred practices, attitudes, & habits for happiness is illustrated with a clear example & illuminated by a straightforward explanation of the science behind it to show you how to transform a ho-hum existence into a full & happy life.

This is a great book for anyone aspiring to heighten his or her level of happiness. It's a book that challenges the spirit, and asks the question; are you ready to jump into a life of happiness, or do you just want to sit on the sidelines? Several times while reading I felt convicted that I wasn't trying my hardest to be happy, when I was finished I felt like I knew what I could to become happier. This compilation of shorts is like a 365-day calendar, everyday a new page to gain inspiration from.
In my opinion it was an awesome anthology. The book was filled with short stories, research facts, and quotes to live by. It gave me an opportunity; happiness is in our lives we just have to reach out and grab it. I felt supported by a few of the stories I read throughout. There was a piece about religion and how you should never let your religious beliefs fade. There are always people out there trying to bring down someone's religious beliefs, this made me feel like I had someone else on my side.
The book fit into my life. It had the same type of facts in the book as there are in my life. There was another story that talked about being aggressive with your family or friends. Like arguing or just not expressing your feelings how you really feel or want to. Some of my friends tend to be aggressive and I feel like it puts up a barrier between us. When I read this it gave me insight on how to deal with these situations.

This is a great book for anyone aspiring to heighten his or her level of happiness. It's a book that challenges the spirit, and asks the question; are you ready to jump into a life of happiness, or do you just want to sit on the sidelines? Several times while reading I felt convicted that I wasn't trying my hardest to be happy, when I was finished I felt like I knew what I could to become happier. This compilation of shorts is like a 365-day calendar, everyday a new page to gain inspiration from.
In my opinion it was an awesome anthology. The book was filled with short stories, research facts, and quotes to live by. It gave me an opportunity; happiness is in our lives we just have to reach out and grab it. I felt supported by a few of the stories I read throughout. There was a piece about religion and how you should never let your religious beliefs fade. There are always people out there trying to bring down someone's religious beliefs, this made me feel like I had someone else on my side.
The book fit into my life. It had the same type of facts in the book as there are in my life. There was another story that talked about being aggressive with your family or friends. Like arguing or just not expressing your feelings how you really feel or want to. Some of my friends tend to be aggressive and I feel like it puts up a barrier between us. When I read this it gave me insight on how to deal with these situations.

There is something about the way in which David Niven writes about other people where you just know they would approve. David Niven always seemed to play the good guy, the hero, the sort of person to whom we would all wish to aspire. Writing about those people with whom he worked and came into contact was, however, a serious departure from acting - and could easily have gone so horribly wrong.

In this book, however, he confirms his credentials as a writer and pours his own brand of humour onto each and every encounter he describes. Not once does he stoop to the level of gossip monger, not once does attack another person.

Instead, we have a first hand account of that golden age of Hollywood written by a master wordsmith who has also mastered the art of writing humour.

Was it me, or did I detect a certain disappointment from within his own relationship?, or was it that David Niven was far too much the perfect gentleman to describe such things.

If you are a fan of the olden days - the golden days of Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. If you simply want a damned good read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy such an excellent product.

NM

There is something about the way in which David Niven writes about other people where you just know they would approve. David Niven always seemed to play the good guy, the hero, the sort of person to whom we would all wish to aspire. Writing about those people with whom he worked and came into contact was, however, a serious departure from acting - and could easily have gone so horribly wrong.

In this book, however, he confirms his credentials as a writer and pours his own brand of humour onto each and every encounter he describes. Not once does he stoop to the level of gossip monger, not once does attack another person.

Instead, we have a first hand account of that golden age of Hollywood written by a master wordsmith who has also mastered the art of writing humour.

Was it me, or did I detect a certain disappointment from within his own relationship?, or was it that David Niven was far too much the perfect gentleman to describe such things.

If you are a fan of the olden days - the golden days of Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. If you simply want a damned good read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy such an excellent product.

NM

I just finished reading this book tonight and it was wonderful and interesting..He has first hand stories of Hollywood greats such as Errol Flynn,Clark Gable, Sam Goldwyn, Humphrey Bogart, and many others. You can tell that Mr.Niven really loved life. One of the great things about this book is that he had nice things to say about those he wrote about.

There is something about the way in which David Niven writes about other people where you just know they would approve. David Niven always seemed to play the good guy, the hero, the sort of person to whom we would all wish to aspire. Writing about those people with whom he worked and came into contact was, however, a serious departure from acting - and could easily have gone so horribly wrong.

In this book, however, he confirms his credentials as a writer and pours his own brand of humour onto each and every encounter he describes. Not once does he stoop to the level of gossip monger, not once does attack another person.

Instead, we have a first hand account of that golden age of Hollywood written by a master wordsmith who has also mastered the art of writing humour.

Was it me, or did I detect a certain disappointment from within his own relationship?, or was it that David Niven was far too much the perfect gentleman to describe such things.

If you are a fan of the olden days - the golden days of Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. If you simply want a damned good read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy such an excellent product.

NM

David Niven was not always a star. He had to go away and learn his trade in "B" movies before being allowed to enter the big time. He learnt that trade well but, unlike some who were destined to become greats of Hollywood, he also put his entire acting career on hold whilst he served as an officer in a fighting unit throughout WW2.

This book tells the first half of his life's story and what a story it is. Like every biography ever written, the best bits do not happen at the beginning, so some readers, therefore, might find it slow going at first. Though many will not. But then we meet the rich and famous stars of Hollywood from another era and learn a little about each of these people and their various relationships as we move from one to another and sometimes back again.

Written in David Niven's own hilarious style, there is so much humour here that you "will" find yourself insisting others read this book. In fact, it is so funny - especially his descriptions of the wrong use of English words by foreign movie directors, one finishes the book in the knowledge that had David Niven not become an Oscar-winning movie star, he would easily have achieved great success as a writer.

The underlying theme, of course, is David Niven's life and, as one reviewer has already said, this book leaves you wishing you had met this man. Me too.

NM

David Niven was not always a star. He had to go away and learn his trade in "B" movies before being allowed to enter the big time. He learnt that trade well but, unlike some who were destined to become greats of Hollywood, he also put his entire acting career on hold whilst he served as an officer in a fighting unit throughout WW2.

This book tells the first half of his life's story and what a story it is. Like every biography ever written, the best bits do not happen at the beginning, so some readers, therefore, might find it slow going at first. Though many will not. But then we meet the rich and famous stars of Hollywood from another era and learn a little about each of these people and their various relationships as we move from one to another and sometimes back again.

Written in David Niven's own hilarious style, there is so much humour here that you "will" find yourself insisting others read this book. In fact, it is so funny - especially his descriptions of the wrong use of English words by foreign movie directors, one finishes the book in the knowledge that had David Niven not become an Oscar-winning movie star, he would easily have achieved great success as a writer.

The underlying theme, of course, is David Niven's life and, as one reviewer has already said, this book leaves you wishing you had met this man. Me too.

NM

There is something about the way in which David Niven writes about other people where you just know they would approve. David Niven always seemed to play the good guy, the hero, the sort of person to whom we would all wish to aspire. Writing about those people with whom he worked and came into contact was, however, a serious departure from acting - and could easily have gone so horribly wrong.

In this book, however, he confirms his credentials as a writer and pours his own brand of humour onto each and every encounter he describes. Not once does he stoop to the level of gossip monger, not once does attack another person.

Instead, we have a first hand account of that golden age of Hollywood written by a master wordsmith who has also mastered the art of writing humour.

Was it me, or did I detect a certain disappointment from within his own relationship?, or was it that David Niven was far too much the perfect gentleman to describe such things.

If you are a fan of the olden days - the golden days of Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. If you simply want a damned good read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy such an excellent product.

NM

There is something about the way in which David Niven writes about other people where you just know they would approve. David Niven always seemed to play the good guy, the hero, the sort of person to whom we would all wish to aspire. Writing about those people with whom he worked and came into contact was, however, a serious departure from acting - and could easily have gone so horribly wrong.

In this book, however, he confirms his credentials as a writer and pours his own brand of humour onto each and every encounter he describes. Not once does he stoop to the level of gossip monger, not once does attack another person.

Instead, we have a first hand account of that golden age of Hollywood written by a master wordsmith who has also mastered the art of writing humour.

Was it me, or did I detect a certain disappointment from within his own relationship?, or was it that David Niven was far too much the perfect gentleman to describe such things.

If you are a fan of the olden days - the golden days of Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. If you simply want a damned good read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy such an excellent product.

NM

There is something about the way in which David Niven writes about other people where you just know they would approve. David Niven always seemed to play the good guy, the hero, the sort of person to whom we would all wish to aspire. Writing about those people with whom he worked and came into contact was, however, a serious departure from acting - and could easily have gone so horribly wrong.

In this book, however, he confirms his credentials as a writer and pours his own brand of humour onto each and every encounter he describes. Not once does he stoop to the level of gossip monger, not once does attack another person.

Instead, we have a first hand account of that golden age of Hollywood written by a master wordsmith who has also mastered the art of writing humour.

Was it me, or did I detect a certain disappointment from within his own relationship?, or was it that David Niven was far too much the perfect gentleman to describe such things.

If you are a fan of the olden days - the golden days of Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. If you simply want a damned good read, you will enjoy this book. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy such an excellent product.

NM