- Paperback: 528 pages
- Publisher: Sceptre; New edition edition (4 Jun 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340649690
- ISBN-13: 978-0340649695
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 476,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Biography Of Peter Cook
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Review
'Lively and penetrating' -- Independent on Sunday 'At last, this book explains the mystery of Peter Cook - how someone so funny, so loveable, so handsome, could make such a total hash of his life. Harry Thompson's pedigree in television comedy makes him an authoritative commentator on Cook's performances' -- Lynne Barber, Daily Telegraph 'Unputdownable, level-headed and intelligent' -- Nicholas Lezard, Guardian 'This definitive biography...as heartbreaking as it is entertaining' -- Jessica Berens, Times Literary Supplement
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Review
'Lively and penetrating'
( Independent on Sunday )'At last, this book explains the mystery of Peter Cook - how someone so funny, so loveable, so handsome, could make such a total hash of his life. Harry Thompson's pedigree in television comedy makes him an authoritative commentator on Cook's performances'
(Lynne Barber, Daily Telegraph )'Unputdownable, level-headed and intelligent'
(Nicholas Lezard, Guardian )'This definitive biography...as heartbreaking as it is entertaining'
(Jessica Berens, Times Literary Supplement ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
On the presumption that it will mainly be fans of Peter Cook's comedy who pick this book up, I can assure potential readers that you will often laugh out loud at the stream of reproduced work from his long career and anecdotes from his strange life.
More than that though, you get a thoroughly convincing assessment of Cook's long, slow descent into alcoholism (and most other vices you care to name), depression, loneliness, and fear of failure. It is perhaps a testament to 'Cookie' that he could sink so low, and so slowly, and yet remain so loved and admired by anyone, star name or not, who came into contact with him.
It is quite astonishing that a book could be this funny and at the same time so sad. The best biography I've ever read.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A top-notch biography of a great comedian, one whose gift for comedic improvisation was too specialised. Like Peter Sellers, Cook comes across as a melancholy, introverted man who constantly felt the need to wear a mask, to act the part of 'Peter Cook'. His life story comes across as a greek tragedy - his rise is meteoric, and his decline and fall are inevitable, and entirely self-inflicted. The imagine of Peter Cook's talent languishing at home, telephoning late-night radio phone-in shows, is extremely depressing. That said, there's an unexpected upturn near the end (his classic appearance on 'Clive Anderson Talks Back'), and the book thankfully doesn't gloss over the brilliant, brutal 'Derek and Clive' LPs.
It would make an excellent film, too.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Most people will be aware both of just how funny Peter Cook was and how his life fell apart in the late 70's and never really recovered. This excellently researched biography provides us with a great deal of detail about his entire life and the author has clearly spent a great deal of time interviewing various people who knew him.
For myself I did not realise just how many people he influenced and worked with in the early part of his life. There is a good amount of transcribed scripts which make the book extremely funny to read in places. It does however become moving towards the end as it is covering the times when Cook's life fell apart. It is truely tragic just how much of a mess he got himself into.
The one thing that slightly lets the book down is that the author is clearly somewhat in awe of Cook and seems unable to be critical of the bad aspects of his character. There were several instances of Cook being truely horrible to various people (frequently to Dudley Moore) and the author seems determined to make excuses for Cook when the fact is, he was just being horrible.
All in all though this is a great biography of one of the funniest men there has ever been.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bitter sweet genius
Thompson's account of Peter Cook is near flawless which is more than can be said of Cook himself. It's lengthy, but never ever dull. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Beefcake Pantyhose
The Extraordinary Life of Britain's Best Comedian.
The late Harry Thompson epitomised what it is to be a brilliant biographer, from the opening page Peter Cook's extraordinary life is revealed in vibrant and engaging prose which... Read more
Published 9 months ago by SarahMcB
THE DON
Peter Cook is,was the man.The Don of comedy this is a great read suberbly written by the late Harry Thompson. Read more
Published 13 months ago by mister joe
Peter Cook - A Biography
This was purchased as a present and has been very popular - in fact I hope to read it sometime! Delivery was very good.
Published 19 months ago by Mrs. M. Ivory
Not too many Cooks like that one...
Superior biography, well researched and written with a degree of humour. Of course, as an Irish Catholic bishop I didn't understand many of the swear words used in his later... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Bishop of Galway
Peter Cook Biog- Harry Thompson
Wonderful book,always gripping. I have read many biogs of TV Comics/Film Stars etc and my interest has waned with irrelevant,wandering facts but not with this book ! Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2007 by Mrs. A. F. Ellis
Triumphal
Do you want to know an interesting fact? I thoroughly enjoyed this absorbing biography of a truly individual Englishman. Read more
Published on 3 Dec 2003 by "stevekerr14"
A well-researched and understanding biography
Peter Cook was a man of contradictions: an amazing talent who eventually failed in the harsh world of show business; a kind, friendly, good-humoured man who destroyed his marriages... Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2003 by T. D. Welsh
Enter the Tragic World of a Comic Genius
I cannot recommend this book highly enough - not only it is wonderfully informative, but unlike some biographers these days (Roger Lewis's The Life & Death Of Peter Sellers springs... Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2002
A thoroughly compelling read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderfully fascinating biography by Harry Thompson. He has certainly managed to get to grips with his remarkably gifted and complicated subject. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2002 by A. B. Pearl
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