! Del of a Life

by David Jason

Overview

A third volume of memoirs from the national treasure and Number 1 Bestseller David Jason, following on from the success of his previous much-loved books My Life and Only Fools and Stories, which have sold over 600k HBS combined. "PRE-ORDER NOW: the hilarious and heartfelt new autobiography from the national treasure Sir David Jason In celebration of Sir David Jason’s 80th year, A Del of a Life: Lessons I've Learned relives Jason’s extraordinary life and career from over 50 years in entertainment. From a trainee electrician to one of Britain’s most revered and loved actors, Jason shares heartfelt and hilarious wisdom with readers on subjects ranging from family to work, resilience to ebullience. Told with his characteristic warmth and wit, Jason shines a wonderful new light on the characters and shows that fans have come to love him for, from Del Boy to Granville, Larkin to Frost. ‘In my first two books, I enjoyed sharing my life with the great British public, and I was overwhelmed by their support and kindness. In my new book, A Del of a Life, I am delighted to share with readers some of the hard-won lessons I’ve learned along the way – how to dream big, how to work hard, and how not to fall through the gap in the pub bar…"

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787465367
Publisher:	Penguin Random House UK
Publication date:	09/01/2021
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Sir David Jason was born in 1940 in North London. His acting career has been long and varied: from his theatre work in the West End to providing the voices of Mr Toad from The Wind in the Willows, Dangermouse and The BFG. From Open All Hours to The Darling Buds of May to his starring roles as Detective Inspector Frost in A Touch of Frost and, of course, Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter in Only Fools and Horses.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 On matters medical and constitutional 15

Chapter 2 On humble beginnings and surprising outcomes 33

Chapter 3 On celluloid dreams and the view from the cheap seats 53

Chapter 4 On surviving the lockdown and encountering ghosts of various kinds 69

Chapter 5 On taking to the stage, and on learning on the job. Plus the life-changing tip I got from Fagin 95

Chapter 6 On my reconciliation with Del, and on finally gathering with the faithful 123

Chapter 7 On first impressions and lasting memories in Only Fools and Horses 151

Chapter 8 On hanging out with the greats, and making the best of the little moments 187

Chapter 9 On setbacks, rejections and coming out the other side 213

Chapter 10 On eating nicely, swallowing your pride, and the recipe for a perfick life 241

Chapter 11 On ending things the right way, keeping things going, and staying on the right side of the law 265

Chapter 12 On learning from the best, on taking stock, and on getting back out there 285

Appendix: In which the author fills some painfully vacant time during lockdown by seeing how much cockney rhyming slang he can remember and how much of it he can fit in one paragraph. With a glossary for anyone who doesn't understand this kind of rabbit (and pork = talk) 303

Acknowledgements 307

Index 309