Sid James: The Authorised Biography

Everyone thinks they know the Sid James story - the wife-beating womaniser who seduced his 'Carry On' leading lady, Barbara Windsor, and drank himself to death after the affair ended. Sid was certainly a lover of the flesh - be it chorus girls or race horses - but the rumours that have enlivened hundreds of newspaper exposes fail to tell the whole story of this complex actor. At turns a quiet, even-tempered family man and the ultimate lad, this book reveals every facet of his character through never before published correspondence with his family, friends and agent Michael Sullivan, forgotten press interviews and exclusive tales from Sid's inner circle including Joan Sims (Carry On co-star), Sally Gleeson (Bless This House co-star), and scriptwriter Vince Powell, who crafted three sitcoms for Sid and made him the star of Thames Television. Sid James: The Authorised Biography reveals the actor's many sides: the war hero, the saviour of Diana Dors, the seducer of his agent's wife, the reluctant broadcaster, shrewd investor, and addicted gambler. Sid, who counts Jonathan Ross, Paul Merton, Ben Elton and Frank Skinner as loyal and devoted fans, is as popular today as he ever was. And this revealing biography will captivate anyone interested in learning more about this national treasure of comic acting. Robert Ross has been writing about and researching British entertainment history for more than a decade, and he has written 15 books dedicated to the best of British comedy from Monty Python to Benny Hill. He has appeared in dozens of TV programmes including What's A Carry On? and Legends: Hattie Jacques.