Product Description

Alec Guinness appeared in 77 films and 55 plays, winning acclaim for commanding roles such as Professor Marcus in "The Ladykillers". Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Star Wars" and George Smiley in "Smiley's People". Although he was a gifted actor and a familiar figure to many, he was also a complex, multi-layered man who was careful throughout his life to show only a little of his real self, never too much. The author includes some new information about Guinness's childhood, his secret relationships and the fears that haunted him. O'Connor's research includes interviews with Guinness himself as well as those who were close to him.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1017052 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 464 pages

Review
'the more I think about this book, the more I come to believe that it is one of the truly great actor biographies of our time' Sheridan Morley, LITERARY REVIEW

About the Author
Garry O'Connor has directed at the Royal Shakespeare Company, been a critic for The Times and written authoritative biographies of Paul Scofield, Peggy Ashcroft, Ralph Richardson and Sean O'Casey.

Customer Reviews

Alec Guiness, The Unknown
A well researched, engrossing biography of Alec Guinness is marred by the snide attempts of the author to discover an active homosexual life for his subject.

When proof proves elusive O'Connor is forced to resort to "assumptions" and "probabilities".

There is, also, frequent repetition of minor details. How many times do we need to be told that Sir John Geilgud was 10 years older than Sir Alec? Or that his mother's name was Agnes Cuff before she adopted the more grandiose de Cuffe?

These irritations apart, the book provides a comprehensive study of an unusual man.

It is full of detail, is immensely readable and provides a fund of information about the private man and the public performer.