Probably the best biography that could have been written on Atkinson, considering the constraints - it was written in 1999 and has been done without the co-operation of its subject. Actually, come to think of it, one gets the feelings maybe a there could have been a bit less reliance on press clippings.
But it offers a solid concise analysis of Atkinson's life and career: well-off rural upbringing, decent school, three years at uni in the north, then Oxford and stardom very quickly. Atkinson's face has been his fortune but he also worked very hard and was fortunate in his collaborators (esp Richard Curtis).
I remember first seeing him in Never Say Never Again - he was obviously a star. I also remember seeing him in a short film A Moment in Time which ran at some cinemas. They were planning vehicles for Atkinson on tv out of uni - how different had he been Australian.
Little of the real Atkinson comes through - he's shy, retiring, serious, likes to break things down economically like the engineer he is. Some useful reminders, like the fact that the first Blackadder was a bit of a flop and he flopped on Broadway.
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