Sir Roger Moore selects his six favourite books

Sir Roger Moore selects his favourite six books for the Daily Express.

TAI-PAN
by James Clavell
Hodder, £8.99

All Clavell’s books are brilliant but I have a particular affection for this one. It’s about the beginning of Hong Kong and contains one of my favourite insults, which film producer Cubby Broccoli and I invariably greeted one another with: “Ye be a bag full of farts!”

THE RECONSTRUCTIONIST
by Josephine Hart
Out of print

Although I loved Damage I preferred this which explores the lingering influence of parents on their children. Her characters’ inner voices with their doubts, cynicism and deeply hidden vulnerabilities ring true. It’s a remarkable novel of startling psychological power. In my opinion, her best.

THE CHOICE
by Bryan Forbes
Troubadour Publishing, £8.99

I served in the Army’s Combined Services Entertainment Unit with Bryan and made a couple of movies with him. This is set in post-war Germany – a Germany we both served in at that time – and it’s a very authentic and quite unforgettable read. The title refers to a young soldier forced to choose between love and conscience.

A POSTILLION STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
by Dirk Bogarde
Orion, £8.99

Dirk was an actor and writer whom I admired greatly. His autobiographies were simply brilliant and despite the fact that the recent collection of letters shows him to be somewhat of a snob and bigot, I must include this book. The memories of his childhood and first steps as an actor enthralled me from beginning to end.

ENTIRELY UP TO YOU, DARLING
by Richard Attenborough
Hutchinson, £20

A more recent addition to my library, Richard’s autobiography offers a wonderful insight into a man of great determination, and his story of the struggle to obtain finance for some of the finest films of the past 50 years was amazing. I’ve read many biographies and autobiographies and this rates as one of the finest.

THE KITE RUNNER
by Khaled Hosseini
Bloomsbury, £7.99

A story of fathers and sons, friendship and betrayal, and the casualties of fate. It’s set in Afghanistan during the Seventies and all 12-year-old Amir wants is to win the local kite-fighting tournament, along with his friend Hassan. But one seemingly ordinary afternoon the Russians invade and everything changes. A thought-provoking novel and a deserved bestseller.

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