David Niven (1) (1910–1983)

...Of war and glamour.

At the end of the 1930s, we're introduced to Stani, a Polish-American, who we follow into the '40s. During a stint in Britain, he takes up arms against the Germans which is something that ends up leaving a few lasting marks on his life. One of those marks is a climatic event which is strikingly depicted, and once the ordeal and its aftermath have passed, it's hard not to think, gee I wonder what's next? It is also during the war that he makes the acquaintance of a young show more lady whom he falls in love with. And her aspirations to become a film star leads them westward across the pond to Hollywood, back to the state Stani grew up in. This creates a stark contrast between the two parts of the story, emphasizing the distinct phases of their lives.
It took at little while for the book to gain momentum, so I could latch onto the proceedings and characters. With that being said, it increasingly gets better and better, and more immersive as it moves along. Mr. Niven's firm grip of the English language allows him to sprinkle in beautifully descriptive language at a whim, which brings the world and people to life with great efficiency. The globetrotting and varied scenery provide ample opportunity for that to shine though some early characters feel underdeveloped. And I would've loved to have heard more Mrs. Quansett-Fowles. At times, mostly in the first part of the book, it moved on too quickly from a conversation or scene, which would leave a slightly disjointed feel to the page. Generally, it has some truly funny moments that had me laughing out loud, but also a few moments that didn't stick the landing. As the story progresses Stani's girlfriend takes more of the spotlight for periods of time. These shifts have immense benefits in building up their personalities, conveying the love between them, and almost makes their bond a character in and of itself.

The story draws upon David Niven's experiences during the war and in Hollywood. For example, the trip to South America is from one motion picture he worked on himself, and is a definite highlight. This amalgamation is fertile ground allowing him to cherry pick inspiration for the book and its twists and turns. It also blurs the line between fiction and reality which adds some mystery that works as an enhancing quality. Furthermore, he had such a knack for picking titles for his books that not only stands out, but is also intertwined with the book itself. And this is no different. I simply adored the way it was elegantly woven into the story multiple times.

"In Chicago, on the return trip, he was surrounded by Polish Americans, who forced him to make amends for is inability to speak their language, by acknowledging many toasts in Polish vodka. So many, that by the end he couldn't even speak English."

The adventures in Hollywood really lets Mr. Niven display his knowledge of the industry. It opens up for more interpersonal intrigue, and bit by bit he lets you peek behind the glamour curtain and see the cutthroat ways of the business, which even when detracted from the story is incredibly interesting. And if you, like me, cherish the Golden Age of Hollywood there are small grains of gold plotted in the second part of the book. Historical nods to the time period, actors that show up, and when one evening, there's a screening of "Gilda", you know they're in for a good time. As mentioned, it is small grains, so it won't detract from your enjoyment if you're not familiar with the period, but I appreciated the extra spice.

"Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly" managed to stir up quite the emotional response in me as a result of a certain happening. It's not a big surprise that this thing happens, but there are two crucial aspects that cements its effect. The story and personal relationships are told with great integrity, and leaves a lingering element of disbelief that it actually will happen. Furthermore, the way the event unfolds with the guidance of Niven's pen is simply superb.
Sitting alone in the laundry room reading, I was utterly shocked by the transpiring events. I had to get up. My heart was pounding into my rib cage, and I started frantically pacing the floor, back and forth, almost panting. Part of me wanted to throw the book away, or at least put it on ice, as I almost felt personally betrayed! However, I stuck with it, deciding to I would not go to bed before I finished the book. And after my initial inner tremors subsided, a fleeting light bulb ignited above my head leading to the realization that I genuinely care about these characters.

Unfortunately, the book ends rather abruptly without tying up the story with a graceful bow which it so sorely deserves, which leaves it too open ended for my taste. Whether Mr. Niven intended there to be a second entry, I do not know. What I do know, on the other hand, is that I do not regret the time I spent with this enchanting tale. At the end, I truly felt like I had been on a journey with these people over many years, and they will stay with me for a long time. It is not without its shortcomings, but in spite of that, it is absolutely worth experiencing today, more than 40 years after its publication. show less

A promising first outing with room for improvement.

I quite liked the stories of his upbringing, which certainly had its difficulties and challenges, with him definitely needing a proper Father figure in his life. It really is remarkable to think about where he started and ended up. Being kicked out of schools and the times being what they were, he was not shown a lot of mercy. Everything would change when he got into the new Stowe School.
J.F. Roxburgh, headmaster of said school, had a show more profound impact on Niven. He absolutely idolized him. I was hoping we would hear about correspondences between them throughout the years, or some sum-up, but alas, that never came to be. That is unlike Nessie, a young lady he had a sort of relationship with when he was a teenager. A quite heart-warming little tale, she moved to America while he was in the army, and he never heard from her again.
Niven's time in the army is divided into two sections, his first stint in the early thirties and then during WWII. The first stint did not really catch my attention, and the abundance of names he served with started flowing past my head. His stint in WWII was a tad better, but still left much to be desired. He writes that other authors have done a better job at portraying the war, and whilst that may be true, that is not the point of reading the book. We read it to hear your perspective, and your experiences.

In time, he got a lucky break, took the ball, and ran with it. Before that, he was even a bootlegger. He was given this lucky break by Sam Goldwyn, who would have a portrait of Niven from WWII on his piano. He never took it down, not even during rough times in their relationship, and David Niven was released.
The book certainly has its share of name droppings here and there, some are substantiated with stories more than others. I quite liked the relationship he had with Olivier and Leigh, godparents of his first son, but it would have been nice if it stayed a bit longer with the names put forth.
I would've loved to hear more behind the scenes stuff of the films he worked on. He does that perfectly with "Around the World in 80 Days", but I desperately wanted more of it, as I was frantically glued to the pages that revolved around Hollywood. We don't really hear anything about his portrayal of James Bond in "Casino Royale" from 1967, which is a shame. Some background on how it came to be, how he was approached, his portrayal as opposed to that of Sean Connery would have been neat. But then again, I would've loved to have heard more about a lot of his films.

There are two sections of photos, 39 in total. Although I love the addition of them, they are just jammed into these two sections by themselves, even showing people yet to be mentioned. Even though they feature captions, most pictures should have been placed alongside the general writing to really flesh it out, and get some more background. The pictures themselves are great. One is quite sad, which was taken with his Father on the day he left for the front in WWI, never to return. He mentions it meant little to him when it happened, at age 5, but it would mean a lot more as he got older. We never hear about it, though...

You are, more or less, always kept at an arm's length from Mr. Niven, which is both a plus and a minus. It is without a doubt intended, as he writes, some of the attraction of classic Hollywood was the mystery around the big stars. He does, however, let his guard down a little bit here and there, for example when his first wife tragically dies after a fall, not even reaching thirty years of age. It was heartbreaking to read leading up to it and what he went through afterwards.

It could have done with some better pacing and even editing. Sometimes it just jumps from one thing to another, almost feeling like taking the needle of a running LP in the middle of a song. He never had a biological child with his second wife. Suddenly, in the book, it's mentioned she just suffered her second miscarriage. We never heard of the first one, or the impact of either. Another example is how he suddenly became a father for the second time. Not leading up to it, a lovely meeting between him and Primmie, his first wife. Both examples just come out of nowhere and ruins the flow at the time.

The ending was incredibly odd and did not fit in at all, sticking out like a sore thumb, focusing very quickly Niven's being acquainted with the counter culture of the late '60s. He prefaces it with rewarding the loyal reader, and as he did not know how to really end the book, he sought the advice of a "writer friend" who said to bring the book up to date and then stop writing. Terrible advice. The last chapter was going so strong, and then it just ended on a dud.

I may have pointed out a lot of detractors, but it comes from the heart, as I really enjoyed reading this book. It has genuinely funny moments that had me laughing, such as a brief moment with Noël Coward:
"Uncle Noël! Look at those two little doggies! What are they doing?"
"The little doggie in front," said Godfather Noël, "has just gone blind, and his friend is pushing him all the way to St. Dunstan's."
Sitting down with the writings of Mr. Niven is never a bad idea, it is often quite fun, and I definitely feel like watching a lot more of his films.

"The Moon's a Balloon" is a good place to start with David Niven, but he would surpass this book with his subsequent recollections about the Golden Age of Hollywood in "Bring on the Empty Horses". This does, however, not detract this from being a charming book, by a charming man. show less

Absolutely mandatory reading if you are into The Golden Age of Hollywood.

Mr. Niven writes with wit and humour injected throughout, and his encompassing grasp of the English language enables him to draw you in and glue you to each page. It's not all about the glamour, with tales of power such as the gossip columnists who could destroy careers overnight, and the seemingly many untimely demises of actors, especially at the hand of alcohol. It's a great reminiscing of days of yore, not centred show more around the author, but the people he encountered and befriended.

You'll be delightfully treated with dedicated chapters to stars such as Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, Samuel Goldwyn and Fred Astaire. You'll also hear about Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Charles Chaplin, Jack Warner, and many more. The book also includes pictures, many of them are taken by the author, featuring some of the people he mentions, giving an enhanced feeling of you being walked through an enchanting time in history with your personal guide and gentleman, Mr. Niven.

One thing I did not like was the structure of the book, as it really could have benefitted from more paragraphs to break up the text some more, easing up the eyes, so you're not met with so many walls of text on each page. Then there's the two "Our Little Girl" chapters, placed in opposite ends of the book. It seems, at least from the first chapter, to be fictitious, as it follows the character of Missie, and her tribulations of being a beautiful and successful actress. Some say it may be about Vivien Leigh, but I think it's just a rumour without substance. I was not at all fond of the first chapter, especially as it succeeded the chapter about The King - Clark Gable, which had me vehemently engrossed in the book. The second chapter changes narrative to a first-person perspective, and introduces the character of David, who ends up experiencing the miserable mental breakdown of Missie who cracks under the pressure of a top Hollywood star. For me, this turned it around to believing it is half fiction, half-truth, and the author simply could not resist adding it to the book, but changed some names around to protect "Missie". The second chapter definitely was a vast improvement, however, it still felt like an odd addition with an odd placement.
I have mixed feelings about the ending. On one hand, it is quick, poignant and hard hitting, but on the other hand I would've liked a bow elegantly summing up this marvellous book that covers such an interesting and beloved time in modern history.

The title of the book, which indeed is odd, is a quote from Hungarian-American director Michael Curtiz, during the filming of "The Charge of the Light Brigade", which stars David Niven and Errol Flynn. Here's how it is written in the book:
"Mike Curtiz was the director of The Charge and his Hungarian-oriented English was a source of joy to us all.
High on a rostrum he decided that the right moment had come to order the arrival on the scene of a hundred head of riderless chargers. "Okay," he yelled into a megaphone. "Bring on the empty horses!"
Flynn and I doubled up with laughter. "You lousy bums," Curtiz shouted, "you and your stinking language ... you think I know fuck nothing ... well, let me tell you - I know FUCK ALL!"
One can only imagine the stinging bellyache from the amount of laughter they experienced at that time.
Besides that, this certain film also led to legislative action by U.S. Congress and increased activity by American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as 25 horses were killed during filming.

David Niven was a truly gifted storyteller and writer - a real raconteur. From the fishing trips with Clark Gable, the wild partying times with Errol Flynn, to his wife hitting it off with Greta Garbo, you'll hear about humour and heartbreak, in a time never to be surpassed. I would've loved it to be twice as long! If you are in the least interested in The Golden Age of Hollywood, you will not regret tracking down this book because it is one aptly deserving the adoration it receives. show less

This is an excellent insight detailing how Niven became an actor, and a nostalgic history lesson. The book carries the same charm as the author, but also shows a man who was as human as the rest of us, softening the clean-cut image of Niven and men of that time. I was surprised, bordering on shocked, at how fast he seemed to fall in love, and the swiftness with which he remarried after his first wife died, a situation I found peculiar, leaving me to question whether it was a sign of the show more times, or a gut reaction somewhat motivated by grief. There are some motivations it’s hard to pin down, and having loved Niven’s film work for so long, I had to accept I simply can’t possibly know. This is an enjoyable, witty and charming account of a young man finding his place in the world, though not as in-depth as some might wish. show less