Peter Ustinov: The Gift of Laughter

The authorised biography of Peter Ustinov by John Miller. Ustinov was renowned throughout the world as an actor, playwright, director, novelist, wit and raconteur. Born in England in 1921 of Russian immigrant parents, he discovered an ability to mimic while at school. He wrote his first play before he was 20 and he had more than a dozen produced, three of which were later filmed. As an actor he won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in Spartacus and Topkapi and he also made three appearances as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. He has also directed operas in every major opera house in Europe while his one-man show, An Evening With Peter Ustinov was a hit in London and on Broadway. He has published several novels and one early volume of memoirs and been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. This warm and revealing biography looks behind the public image to give an enthralling portrait of a man whose unique gift of laughter made him one of the world's most popular and respected entertainers.

Part of the Bill Douglas and Peter Jewell Collection