Quintessentially English, Niven was a Hollywood star in the time when an English accent and formal manners were in vogue. Successful as he was, as soon as war against Germany was declared, he returned to Britain to fight as a soldier for six years. One of Niven's most famous lines, illustrating just how he could appeal to an audience was delivered when he was presenting the Oscars in 1974 and a naked man ran across the stage behind him, "Isn't it fascinating to think, that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life, is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings!"This is light reading, an entertaining life-story of an officer, a gentleman and a excellent raconteur. ( )

Biography Humour

The original and funniest celeb autobiography ( )