Frank and revealing, this fully authorised biography by Tommy's friend
and colleague, acclaimed TV producer, John Fisher, is the first ever
intimate portrait of Britain's best-loved, but little known, entertainer.
More than just a comedian, Tommy Cooper was a born entertainer. Working
in a golden age of British comedy, Cooper stood - literally - head and
shoulders above the crowd, and had a magical talent for humour that defied
description. When Cooper enlisted in the army in 1939, and began to perfect
his comic timing on his army colleagues in the Egyptian desert, the man with
the fez was born. Cooper was at the heart of the thriving British variety
scene, adored by his legions of fans and much revered by his fellow
professionals. The gentle giant of entertainment accompanied his bewildered,
botched magic act with a sublime sense of bravado and a face that was made
for comedy. He was one of the first funny men to have the entire nation in
stitches. But, there was a man behind the laughter that few people saw.
John Fisher was Cooper's friend and colleague and witnessed first-hand the
child that lingered within the adult and moments of self-doubt and inadequacy
that contrasted with the genial exterior. Until his tragic death, which
occurred in the middle of his act on live television in 1984, Tommy Cooper
lived in constant fear of the day he would be found out by his audience.
He could never believe the accolades that came so thick and fast from every
direction, and died to the sounds of laughter that he never really believed.
Supplementing his own intimate knowledge with material accessed for the first
time from the archives of Tommy's agent and manager, Miff Ferrie, and with
the full co-operation of the Cooper family, John Fisher brings alive the man
behind the comedic mask in this definitive biography of a comedy legend.

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