David Niven: The Man Behind the Balloon

David Niven appeared in films for more than 50 years of his life, from swashbucklers such as The Prisoner of Zenda and The Guns of Navarone to the Pink Panther series. In this fascinating biography of the star, Munn looks at the funny stories and the sad underlying truth, from his outrageous days with Errol Flynn and their irrevocable split—"You always know where you are with Flynn. He always lets you down."—and numerous affairs with stars and prostitutes, to an attempted suicide, his horrific experiences in war-torn France, and the breakdown and blame of his second marriage. This compelling text includes interviews with his second wife, Hjordis, John Huston, Rex Harrison, Laurence Olivier, Loretta Young (they discussed marriage once), Niven's long-time friend Michael Trubshawe, Peter Ustinov, Ava Gardner, and many more. Funny, poignant, and told with the compassion of one who knew him, this is a fascinating portrayal of a legend that really gets behind the screen and autobiographical persona.