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The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

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The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

By: Roger Lewis, Steve Coogan - introduction
Narrated by: Justin Avoth
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Summary

'A fascinating, tragic and instructive story, vividly told' Sunday Telegraph

Roger Lewis, in his no-holds-barred biography, exposes a Peter Sellers the world little knows. Recognized as the greatest British comic since Charlie Chaplin, Sellers was the grand master of fifty-five films - from Dr. Strangelove, to Being There and the Pink Panther hits.

But shadowing his phenomenal career was a history of increasingly bizarre behaviour involving psychotic violence, compulsive promiscuity, drug abuse and humiliating self-destructive obsessions with people including Princess Margaret, Sophia Loren, Liza Minnelli and each of his four wives (Ann Hayes, Britt Ekland, Miranda Quarry and Lynne Frederick). He alternately showered his wives and children with gifts and then threatened to kill them. Sellers' fluidity as an actor made for a terrifying madness that grew like a slow metastasizing cancer throughout his adult life.

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers concludes with his premature death at the age of 54, 'sick at heart and alone in those sunless hotel rooms', so recoiled from intimacy that no one really knew him anymore.

PRAISE FOR THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS

'It is a mad book - but then the subject is a madman. I love Lewis's passion ... I recommend it' Sunday Times

'Reinventing the genre as well as reassessing its subject with formidable intelligence, this book is a remarkable achievement' Literary Review

©2025 Roger Lewis (P)2025 Quercus Publishing
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I borrowed this book from the library in the 90s and thought it was amazing. 31 years later I had no hesitation in buying the audiobook. It is so evocative and compelling that a simple review is hard to do it justice but in my opinion Roger Lewis is an outstanding author. The narration is also first class.

A masterpiece

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Excellent book. Brilliant narrator. A long listen, but completely worth it. One wonders about neurodiversity.

Thorough and pulls no punches

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I have been hoping that Roger Lewis’ exceptional biography of Peter Sellers would be recorded for ages, so was delighted that the original book has been updated for his centenary and recorded as an audio book. A really great listen, great narration and the book itself is near perfect for me. Funny, tragically sad, and the research is exhaustive. Fantastic.

The Best Telling of Peter Seller’s Life and Death

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Gripping, revelatory, tragic. Superbly read, and an exceptional bit of writing. Immediately bought the physical book to pour over details again.

Magnificent

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When I began this book I came close to returning it. I really did not enjoy the first few hours but then when we reached the point where Seller’s joined the R.A.F during the war the book improved. There is a narrative thread here but the author jumps forwards and backwards in time in a somewhat confusing manner.
I do not like this book, the author is all too eager to criticise and demean actors who Sellers encountered or worked with and contemporary films. He almost seems vindictive at times. I accept that 40s and 50s films are very much of their time but the author seems unwilling to accept that these were hugely popular at the time as were the stars that he criticises.
Some people may say that this is a comprehensive account of Seller’s life but to me it comes across as an over long exercise in repeating over and over and over what an unpleasant person Seller’s was.
Watch Seller’s films, enjoy his talent and give this unpleasant read a miss.

Never meet your heroes

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