Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock was a comic fiction who lived in an imaginary place called East Cheam and had total reality for millions of people. Anthony John Hancock, clown, was not content with this, and searched for more reality, and more truth until he finally lost himself in a fantasy world.

With these words the authors begin their biography of the comedian who, at his peak, commanded the attention of 30 per cent of the adult population of the United Kingdom for half an hour a week, and won its enduring affection. This new edition of "Hancock" features some fascinating additional material and unpublished photographs.

Torn between delight and despair, Hancock sought an unattainable perfection in comedy until he ended his life in Australia with a final drink and a handful of pills. But before his tragic death he created more laughter than any other entertainer of his generation.

The truth about this complex man is derived from the memories of writers like Alan Simpson and Ray Galton, J.B.Priestley and Philip Oakes. The book also includes the recollections of Kenneth Williams, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes, and scores of others who knew and loved Tony Hancock.