DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

One Leg Too Few

William Cook author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cornerstone

Published:15th May '14

Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date

One Leg Too Few cover

One Leg Too Few by William Cook is the first full-length dual biography of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, and the first to be written with the consent and cooperation of both of their estates, by bestselling author of Tragically I was an Only Twin.

Like a lot of marriages it ended badly, but for nearly 20 years, between the first date and the inevitable divorce, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were the funniest thing on three continents. This book tells the story of that relationship, and the comedy that came from it.

One Leg Too Few will feature an extensive range of fresh interviews, previously unpublished archive material and a wealth of information about the most creative (and explosive) double act that British comedy has ever produced.

One Leg Too Few is a book about an extraordinary relationship: a friendship, a partnership - almost, at times, a marriage. Like a lot of marriages it ended badly, but for nearly 20 years, between the first date and the inevitable divorce, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were the funniest thing on three continents.

One Leg Too Few is the story of that relationship, and the comedy that came from it.

With wit and warmth, William Cook charts the rise of a remarkable 20 year comedic partnership - and how it fell apart. * The Observer *
A well written biography by a talented writer... William Cook charts the progress of their unlikely marriage very perceptively * Daily Mail *
This is the definitive biography of the double act; not only informative but also vastly entertaining. * Sunday Express *
Sympathetic yet sharp-eyed, he gives a vivid, poignant sense of the forces that held them together and which, ultimately, tore them apart. * Mail on Sunday *
Funny, sad and always entertaining * The Independent *
The author deftly weaves together camaraderie, comedy and collapse – and beloved sketches lift off the page. A nostalgic joy -- Jonathan Dean * The Sunday Times *
William Cook’s dual biography is absorbing and incisive… This book goes a long way towards unravelling the enigma of two men who redefined the art of comedy. It is touching, funny, sad, tragic; all the things Pete and Dud were. And that is all you can ask of a biographer. * Herald Sun *
What makes William Cook's biography especially touching is its sense that, despite their messy divorce, they never stopped loving each other. Cook recounts their story with wit and clarity. But it is as a psychological portrait of the pair's devoted then fractured friendship, that the book is really compelling * Sunday Times *
Detailed and moving account of the career of this eternally popular yet fatally ill-matched comedy duo * Observer *
William Cook is supremely knowledgeable about British comedy, and has interviewed many insiders. So read this and weep. * Guardian *

ISBN: 9780099559924

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 44mm

Weight: 564g

720 pages