Barker's biography to be reissued

Ronnie Barker’s authorised biography is to be re-released this autumn to coincide with his 75th birthday.

BBC Books landed the rights to Bob McCabe’s book after a fierce bidding war between publishers.

Commissioning editor Ben Dunn said: "We are thrilled to have acquired the biography of one of the most celebrated entertainers in British television history and one of the BBC's greatest talents."

The book was first published in 1998 and contains contributions from those who worked alongside him, including David Jason, John Cleese, David Frost, Eric Idle and Michael Palin.

Since then, Barker has made limited forays out of retirement, including a forthcoming Two Ronnies comeback and a Bafta tribute. And two of his sitcoms, Porridge and Open All Hours, were included in the BBC's recent list of the top ten best British sitcoms, as decided by viewers.

The book will be published on October 7, priced £18.99 – but you can save £5.70 by preordering from Amazon. Click here.

Published: 30 Jun 2004