The Moon's a Balloon: The Guardian’s Number One Hollywood Autobiography

Front Cover
Penguin UK, Apr 28, 2005 - Biography & Autobiography - 336 pages

ONE OF THE BESTSELLING MEMOIRS OF ALL TIME WITH OVER FIVE MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

Discover the heartfelt, laugh-out-loud account of one of Hollywood's greatest actors and, above all, greatest men

Debonair English wit and humourist extraordinaire, star of The Pink Panther, Casino Royal and Around the World in 80 Days, few Hollywood actors are remembered as fondly as David Niven.

In this bestselling autobiography, Niven shows how, even as an unknown young man, he knew how to live the good life, regaling us with tales of school expulsion and wartime hi-jinks. However, it is his accounts of working and partying with the legends of the silver screen - from Lawrence Oliver and Vivien Leigh to Elizabeth Taylor, Noel Coward and dozens of others - that turn this memoir into an outright masterpiece.

An intimate, gossipy, warm and above all charming account of life inside Hollywood's dream factory, The Moon is a Balloon is a classic to be read and enjoyed time and again.

***

'An immensely enjoyable, witty and racy memoir' Sunday Times

'Forthright, bawdy, and often hilarious, zany and zestful, his anecdotes should keep you entertained for hours' Sunday Express

'Niven's life was Wodehouse with tears' John Mortimer

 

Selected pages

Contents

Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 13
Section 14
Section 15
Section 16
Section 17
Section 18
Section 19
Section 20

Section 9
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
Section 21
Section 22
Section 23
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

actor Army arrived asked Aubrey Smith Bachelor Mother Barracks battalion beautiful became boys British called Cary Grant Club Colonel colour Commander Company cricket David David Niven dinner door dressing eyes face film finally Flynn friends fuckin Gary Cooper gave girl Goldwyn Goulding Grizel Guns of Navarone hand head Hertz Highland Highland Light Infantry Hjördis Hollywood Hollywood Cricket Club huge hundred Jocks join later Lefty London looked McClain mess months morning mother movie Nessie never Nigel Bruce night Niven Noël Coward officers once party pick picture Pink House platoon play Primmie realised regiment Ronald Colman round sailing Sandhurst scene Scots Guards Sergeant smiled sorr Squadron stood Street studio suddenly Sunday things Todd told Tommy took train Trubshawe turned waiting walked weekend weeks Wyler York

About the author (2005)

David Niven was born in London in 1910. He was one of Britain's best known actors and, in later years, a bestselling author - his autobiography, The Moon's A Balloon which was first published in 1971, sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Often remembered for playing the archetypal English gentleman, he made ninety films during a career that stretched over forty years. He died in 1983.

Bibliographic information

TitleThe Moon's a Balloon: The Guardian’s Number One Hollywood Autobiography
AuthorDavid Niven
Editionreprint
PublisherPenguin UK, 2005
ISBN0141937343, 9780141937342
Length336 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts
Performing Arts / Film / General
  
Export CitationBiBTeX EndNote RefMan