Charles Dickens

'This is the book we have long been waiting for and only Simon Callow could have written it. The theatre was central to Dickens's life, and it needed a skilled biographer to do justice to the subject. Simon Callow rises superbly to the challenge and the result is a marvellous book that really deepens and enriches our understanding and enjoyment of Dickens.' Michael Slater

'A comprehensive biography as enthralling as one of his own performances ... A great achievement.'
Catherine Peters, Literary Review

'Vivid and exuberant... This book, with its fresh angles and out-of-the-way sources, is the harvest of [Callow's] dedication [to impersonating Dickens on stage]... His book is a celebration, jubilant, vigorous, imaginative, and, as Dickens might have said, an all-round sizzler.' John Carey, Sunday Times

'Callow . . . writes with great authority and elegant insouciance, which makes this "biography with a twist" very entertaining.' Independent on Sunday

'By his enthusiasm for his subject, Callow has ensured that his book is a worthy addition to the Dickens studies.' Sunday Express