One Leg Too Few

(Paperback)

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Description

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 One Leg Too Few will feature an extensive range of fresh interviews, previously unpublished archive material and a wealth of information about the most creative (and explosive) double act that British comedy has ever produced.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

Reviews

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 Cooks 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 *

Author Bio

William Cook is the acclaimed author of Ha Bloody Ha - Comedians Talking (Fourth Estate), The Comedy Store - the Club That Changed British Comedy (Little, Brown), two bestselling collections of Peter Cook's writing, and most recently the extravagantly well-reviewed Kiss Me Chudleigh- The World According to Auberon Waugh. He has worked for the BBC and written for the Guardian, the Mail on Sunday and the New Statesman.