David Jason : my life.

Originally published: London: Century, 2013.

Born the son of a Billingsgate market porter at the height of the Second World War, David Jason's early life was spent dodging bombs and bullies, both with impish good timing. Giving up on an unloved career as an electrician, he turned his attention to acting and soon, through a natural talent for making people laugh, found himself working with the leading lights of British comedy in the 60s and 70s: Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Bob Monkhouse and Ronnie Barker. Barker would become a mentor to David, leading to hugely successful stints in Open All Hours, Porridge, and the Two Ronnies. But it wasn't until 1981, kitted out in a sheepskin jacket, a flat cap, and a clapped-out Reliant Robin, that David found the part that would capture the nation's hearts: the beloved Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter in Only Fools and Horses. But he was never a one-trick pony, as proved by his award-winning spell as TV's favourite detective Jack Frost, his country jaunt as Pop Larkin in the Darling Buds of May, and even as the voice of a crime-fighting cartoon rodent in the much-loved children's show, Dangermouse. But it hasn't all been so cushty: from losing out on a key role in Dad's Army to nearly drowning in a freak diving accident, David has had his fair share of ups and downs, most tragically the loss of his long-term partner Myfanwy Talog to breast cancer. David's is a touching, funny and warm-hearted story, which charts the course of his incredible six decades at the top of the entertainment business. From shopkeeper to detective inspector, crime-fighter to market trader, who knows where he'll be this time next yeara