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Loitering with Intent #1
Loitering with Intent: The Child
In the first volume of his acclaimed memoirs, the actor narrates his childhood as the son of a bookmaker in a bleak industrial slum in England during World War II and his stints as a journalist and a sailor. Reprint. NYT.
198 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
8 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
Peter O'Toole
13 books14 followersTrained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).
Eight-time Academy Award nominee for Best Actor and recipient (2003) of the Lifetime Achievement Academy Award.
Nominated for the Academy Award for his performances in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), "Becket" (1964), "The Lion in Winter" (1965), "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969), "The Ruling Class" (1972), "The Stunt Man" (1980), "My Favorite Year" (1982), and "Venus" (2006).
He received the British Academy of Film and Televison Arts (BAFTA) Award for his performances in "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Becket."
He received the Golden Globe for his performaces in "Becket," "The Lion in Winter," and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips."
Recipient of the Emmy Award (1999) for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his performance in "Joan of Arc."
He was awarded many additional awards for his performances on stage and screen.
Eight-time Academy Award nominee for Best Actor and recipient (2003) of the Lifetime Achievement Academy Award.
Nominated for the Academy Award for his performances in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), "Becket" (1964), "The Lion in Winter" (1965), "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969), "The Ruling Class" (1972), "The Stunt Man" (1980), "My Favorite Year" (1982), and "Venus" (2006).
He received the British Academy of Film and Televison Arts (BAFTA) Award for his performances in "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Becket."
He received the Golden Globe for his performaces in "Becket," "The Lion in Winter," and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips."
Recipient of the Emmy Award (1999) for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his performance in "Joan of Arc."
He was awarded many additional awards for his performances on stage and screen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 18, 2023
In the first volume of his autobiography, Peter O’Toole talks about his father, Hitler, and his unconventional childhood. He takes us through his young childhood, life as an evacuee, his service in the Royal Navy, and his acceptance into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).
January 1, 2014
Reading this, the first of a two volume memoir, was like listening to your grandfather tell you the story of his childhood. He's all over the place, tells events out of sequence and chases rabbits so deep into holes you are unsure where the story first began. His use of colloquialisms, one right after another in rapid succession, make you question whether he's even speaking English. But you, shy young grandchild that you are, are too smitten to ask him to stop and translate.
Loitering With Intent: The Child is not a conventional memoir. You won't learn very much about the facts of Peter O'Toole's life, but you will get a sense of his imagination, his sense of humor, his fears and desires, and the depth of his affection for his mummy and daddy--all those interior things that you don't get from a traditional celebrity memoir.
Loitering With Intent: The Child is not a conventional memoir. You won't learn very much about the facts of Peter O'Toole's life, but you will get a sense of his imagination, his sense of humor, his fears and desires, and the depth of his affection for his mummy and daddy--all those interior things that you don't get from a traditional celebrity memoir.
December 18, 2013
Hard to believe an actor without literary aspirations can write such rich and original prose. Lively commentary on growing up alongside Hitler's war.
November 17, 2010
A terrific celebrity autobiography. O'Toole writes with wit, drama and verve. Occasionally his vernacular veered off into the impenetrable. A glossary for those of us bereft of English slang of the 40s and 50s would help.
When speaking of himself, or his family, or the times, O'Toole is charming. He's every Irish raconteur you've ever imagined, but better. The odd bit is his fixation on Nazi history, and Adolf Hitler specifically. To be sure, WWII was the main event of his childhood and had a profound effect on his generation. But it's not until about 2/3rds of the way through the book that he reveals his monomania for Nazi history. Before that point, we had brief interludes chronicling the rise of the Fuhrer alongside the rise of Mr. O'Toole. Weird and a touch off-putting.
Otherwise, a wonderful book, easy and enjoyable to read. I'll be reading the next volume as soon as I can find it.
When speaking of himself, or his family, or the times, O'Toole is charming. He's every Irish raconteur you've ever imagined, but better. The odd bit is his fixation on Nazi history, and Adolf Hitler specifically. To be sure, WWII was the main event of his childhood and had a profound effect on his generation. But it's not until about 2/3rds of the way through the book that he reveals his monomania for Nazi history. Before that point, we had brief interludes chronicling the rise of the Fuhrer alongside the rise of Mr. O'Toole. Weird and a touch off-putting.
Otherwise, a wonderful book, easy and enjoyable to read. I'll be reading the next volume as soon as I can find it.
July 23, 2010
His delightful writing style sweeps you along with the actor growing up in WW2 England. 'The child is father to the man' as they say. He introduces us to his family, friends, and adventures, along with the unique dialects of his youth, including the whimsical Cockney argot that befuddles so many Americans: 'trouble and strife' = 'wife', 'dog and bone' = phone. Strange.
I had no idea that O'Toole was so obsessed with the life of Adolf Hitler, but it's understandable, I suppose, since Germany was busily bombing England at the time and O'Toole was relocated to the countryside, as were many if not most children during those terrible years. So as a kind of bonus, you get a brief bio of the Fuehrer too.
I had no idea that O'Toole was so obsessed with the life of Adolf Hitler, but it's understandable, I suppose, since Germany was busily bombing England at the time and O'Toole was relocated to the countryside, as were many if not most children during those terrible years. So as a kind of bonus, you get a brief bio of the Fuehrer too.
February 12, 2014
Floridly written( in a good way). Much of the book is a meditation on O'Toole's greatest fear as a child. Adolf Hitler. His recap of Hitler's career has a trenchant bite reminiscent of Christopher Hitchens.
July 4, 2020
Peter O'Toole is a witty writer! A truly great story teller. He is so funny, and I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. I just wish I was able to understand more of the references and jokes he made which seemed to be the lingo of the times back then in the UK.
December 27, 2013
Hitler? Who would have guessed that Hitler would occupy such a large part of Peter O’Toole’s childhood autobiography?
This is the first volume of that biography and is called “The Child”. It covers his family (bookmaker father and loving mother) growing up as he did during World War II. The family left London and the bombing to live in the remote country side where it was so dark (with the black outs) that people were injured and died from walking into darkened light polls.
O’Toole was born in 1932 so he was 7 when the war began and 12 when it ended. During that time he had imaginary battles and dreamed of assassinating Adolf Hitler. In the book we follow young Hitler’s life as O’Toole tries to understand what made the mad man who he was. This is all someone interesting and not at all one expects. We also have O’Toole’s discovery of Rugby and Cricket as well as attending the horse races with his bookmaker father. (His second volume covers his early career in acting.)
O’Toole does move back and forth and uses words and phrasing that are quite difficult to read and follow at times. Yet, many of his stories are fun and give you some insight into his struggles. Would any of this be of interest if this were written by Peter Nobody? I doubt it. But that is the point isn't it.
I had this book for some twenty years and just had to read it when I learned of O’Toole’s death this month. (I even watched "My Favorite Year" again which offers up a flawless performance by O’Toole. After all Peter O'Toole has been my favorite actor since first seeing him in Lawrence of Arabia.)
This book is for fans who might like to spend a few hours with Mr. O’Toole.
This is the first volume of that biography and is called “The Child”. It covers his family (bookmaker father and loving mother) growing up as he did during World War II. The family left London and the bombing to live in the remote country side where it was so dark (with the black outs) that people were injured and died from walking into darkened light polls.
O’Toole was born in 1932 so he was 7 when the war began and 12 when it ended. During that time he had imaginary battles and dreamed of assassinating Adolf Hitler. In the book we follow young Hitler’s life as O’Toole tries to understand what made the mad man who he was. This is all someone interesting and not at all one expects. We also have O’Toole’s discovery of Rugby and Cricket as well as attending the horse races with his bookmaker father. (His second volume covers his early career in acting.)
O’Toole does move back and forth and uses words and phrasing that are quite difficult to read and follow at times. Yet, many of his stories are fun and give you some insight into his struggles. Would any of this be of interest if this were written by Peter Nobody? I doubt it. But that is the point isn't it.
I had this book for some twenty years and just had to read it when I learned of O’Toole’s death this month. (I even watched "My Favorite Year" again which offers up a flawless performance by O’Toole. After all Peter O'Toole has been my favorite actor since first seeing him in Lawrence of Arabia.)
This book is for fans who might like to spend a few hours with Mr. O’Toole.
September 15, 2010
I found this in the laundry room as we were packing up to move. I am so glad that I did not throw it away. Once I got beyond the slang and the stream of consciousness approach, it was so much fun! Peter O'Toole was a great British actor in the 60s thru 80s. He was flamboyant, hilarious, and full of life, a working class lad who made good! Such stories! I am looking forward to reading part 2 (Loitering with Intent the Apprentice)about his time at the British Academy of the Arts learning his craft, if it is still in print.
December 17, 2013
Peter O'Toole is a delight to read. His 2 volume autobiography is truly the best auto bio I've ever read. I couldn't put either volume down once I started reading. A brilliant, extremely gifted and phenomenal actor, these books prove he was also a great writer.
Highly recommend. I can read these again and again.
Highly recommend. I can read these again and again.
October 17, 2024
Outstanding drunken poetic yapping. Absolutely beautiful prose and description. Of course, sometimes he goes off on a tangent (hence 4 stars) but this is one of my favourite novels, purely for the way it's written. A worthwhile read.
February 17, 2023
His writing is very good but I did not like the style as it was more stream of consciousness. I wanted to read a biography that was more nuts and bolts with a little style. I could not stay interested in the book. So I stopped reading before it was finished.
July 18, 2023
I'm not finished and will continue to keep this next to my bed. Mr. O'Toole's writing sometimes takes more mental energy than I have. His oral propensity comes across like a verbal magic-eye poster. If you relax your mind and lean into it, his stories come alive. Loitering reminds me of Ulysees ~ hopefully you get into the flow and it all makes sense. His story feels important ~ a huge work of art helping to define the 20th century.
May 17, 2020
Born in 1932, noted British actor Peter O’Toole is but a child throughout the Depression as well as World War II. So of course his remembrances are colored by those events. The man’s diction is curious, part northern England (he is from a suburb of Leeds), part student of RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts), part guttersnipe, part Orson Welles stinging wit. It may even sound a bit as if he recorded his words and then transcribed them. That is usually a mistake, but if he did so, here it is a marvel, for terms like Moo Cow (recalling perhaps Joyce’s nicens little moo cow from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man) seem to roll off his tongue. O’Toole employs the words “I fancy” to recreate an imagined conversation of his father’s. He employs the rhythm and meter of a man who has performed Shakespeare on the loftiest of stages and portrayed a British icon in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, a work which seems to gain more scope and clarity as the years pass. All throughout, he alternates sections directly about his childhood with sections in which he traces in very salty terms the life of one Adolph Hitler, dubbing him Alf from time to time. Even as a child he realizes how much Hitler has affected his life, and the older he gets perhaps the more bitter he becomes. At the same time, this is a man who will never remain bitter; he is too grateful for his exceptional life, and this is even before he becomes famous. An enjoyable read.
September 3, 2012
His wit and intellect leap off the page. This series of books was a joy to read, even if some of the slang took a while to figure out. Some of his stories made me cry and some I laughed with until tears streamed down my face.
December 11, 2012
Very well-written with great child's perspective of WWII.
March 26, 2014
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
The 'Lawrence of Arabia' star reads from his memoirs.
The 'Lawrence of Arabia' star reads from his memoirs.
March 15, 2023
THE AUTHOR
Peter O’Toole was a stage and film actor. He is known for his stage portrayal of Shakepeare’s Hamlet, and his film performances Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Becket (1964), The Lion in Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr Chips (1969) and The Ruling Class (1972). O’Toole died in 2013 after a long career spanning seven decades.
THE BOOK
In the first volume of his autobiography, Peter O’Toole talks about his father, Hitler, and an unconventional childhood. He takes us through his young childhood, life as an evacuee, his service in the Royal Navy, to his acceptance into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).
REVIEW
It’s not everyone who would spend a portion of their autobiography talking about Hitler. And yet, O’Toole became fascinated with this extraordinary figure from history, that he first got to know about through the Pathé newsreels, as a child. He intersperses Hitler’s life from childhood with his own life story in random, yet thoughtful provoking, ways. It seems an extraordinary thing to do, yet the power of Hitler and his evil truly made a huge impact on him.
Also, his love for his father is very clear. He remembers much about his father’s life as an itinerant bookie. Their close relationship is spoken of in touching detail.
O’Toole’s writing could be described as semi stream-of-consciousness. The method of writing will not be to everyone’s taste. It is written in a very British manner with British colloquialisms that not all will understand (although O’Toole does explain them along the way).
His love of expressing the written word is very evident. He had the gift of the gab, a touch of the Blarney. It’s very obvious that he enjoyed the process of writing — he seems to have revelled in the richness of language.
He wrote in a highly descriptive fashion that gives the impression that he was right there in the moment of the memory. When he wrote about his childhood, he wrote as though he were still that child. Those memories are encapsulated in a very fluid language; a caressing that enveloped the very essence of his thought.
It’s been a delight to read his autobiography. I’m looking forward to reading the second volume.
This review was originally posted on Medium.
Peter O’Toole was a stage and film actor. He is known for his stage portrayal of Shakepeare’s Hamlet, and his film performances Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Becket (1964), The Lion in Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr Chips (1969) and The Ruling Class (1972). O’Toole died in 2013 after a long career spanning seven decades.
THE BOOK
In the first volume of his autobiography, Peter O’Toole talks about his father, Hitler, and an unconventional childhood. He takes us through his young childhood, life as an evacuee, his service in the Royal Navy, to his acceptance into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).
REVIEW
It’s not everyone who would spend a portion of their autobiography talking about Hitler. And yet, O’Toole became fascinated with this extraordinary figure from history, that he first got to know about through the Pathé newsreels, as a child. He intersperses Hitler’s life from childhood with his own life story in random, yet thoughtful provoking, ways. It seems an extraordinary thing to do, yet the power of Hitler and his evil truly made a huge impact on him.
Also, his love for his father is very clear. He remembers much about his father’s life as an itinerant bookie. Their close relationship is spoken of in touching detail.
O’Toole’s writing could be described as semi stream-of-consciousness. The method of writing will not be to everyone’s taste. It is written in a very British manner with British colloquialisms that not all will understand (although O’Toole does explain them along the way).
His love of expressing the written word is very evident. He had the gift of the gab, a touch of the Blarney. It’s very obvious that he enjoyed the process of writing — he seems to have revelled in the richness of language.
He wrote in a highly descriptive fashion that gives the impression that he was right there in the moment of the memory. When he wrote about his childhood, he wrote as though he were still that child. Those memories are encapsulated in a very fluid language; a caressing that enveloped the very essence of his thought.
It’s been a delight to read his autobiography. I’m looking forward to reading the second volume.
This review was originally posted on Medium.
April 26, 2018
Not long after Peter O'Toole died in December 2013, I spotted this, the first installment of his two-volume memoir, on a friend's bookshelf. She said it was very good. Being an O'Toole fan from an early age, I asked if I could borrow it. Yes, she said.
Since it's now April 2018, it's long past overdue. I started reading it ASAP, but set it aside for reasons I don't remember and only got back to it this spring. Why the delay? I'm usually reading three or four or five books at a time, all in short spurts, usually before I fall asleep at night. This isn't the best way to read Loitering with Intent. Its language is rich, often headily so, and suffused enough with British colloquialisms and O'Toolean idiosyncrasies to make it challenging -- until one sits back, relaxes, and becomes willing to follow wherever O'Toole leads.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will now go looking for part 2, Loitering with Intent: The Apprentice. I also promise to return this copy to its rightful owner (you know who you are, if you haven't forgotten who you lent it to). And I might acquire my own copy, because this is the sort of book I like to dip into from time to time, to savor the words as they flow by me.
Since it's now April 2018, it's long past overdue. I started reading it ASAP, but set it aside for reasons I don't remember and only got back to it this spring. Why the delay? I'm usually reading three or four or five books at a time, all in short spurts, usually before I fall asleep at night. This isn't the best way to read Loitering with Intent. Its language is rich, often headily so, and suffused enough with British colloquialisms and O'Toolean idiosyncrasies to make it challenging -- until one sits back, relaxes, and becomes willing to follow wherever O'Toole leads.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will now go looking for part 2, Loitering with Intent: The Apprentice. I also promise to return this copy to its rightful owner (you know who you are, if you haven't forgotten who you lent it to). And I might acquire my own copy, because this is the sort of book I like to dip into from time to time, to savor the words as they flow by me.
February 20, 2019
This is not a conventional memoir, it’s just as much about how he writes as it is what he’s writing. It jumps back and forth in time periods from primary school to entering RADA and back with no natural flow and jumps from present first person to narrator style leaving you to catch up as to where you are. Memories appear like water colour impressions, hard to grasp an exactness of what’s happening but incredibly vivid. You get an amazing sense of who he is without many facts like being told stories by a grandparent of their childhood when they’re not overly paying attention to where it’s all headed. I could have done with a lot less Hitler but growing up when he did it’s unsurprising it colours his whole childhood. Looking forward to the next instalment- The Apprentice
May 15, 2022
Totally incomprehensible for the main, O’Toole tells his own story and yet it somehow feels completely generic and like the only other book he read was Ulysses. Strangest of all is a consistent attempt to mirror his own life with Hitler’s, it is a conceit that - let me tell you - does not work at all. Yet somehow I enjoyed this? Maybe because I’m such a fan of O’Toole’s acting work that I just heard his soft posh accent in my head the entire time and I was kind of just enamored by this rambling grandfather trying to tell the story of his childhood. Can’t say I actively recommend this but I also found it for free, what do you want from me.
October 1, 2022
Very interesting tales from Peter O'Toole's early life but written in a rather florid and whimsical style that is hard to get used to. The portions of the book dealing with Hitler, which are ongoing throughout the book, seem to be written in a manner that is over the top, almost camp. In some places the style works well, as when he makes use of rhyming Cockney slang to describe his ne'er do well father who likes the races and who has some dubious associates; in other places it seems to detract from emotional experiences he is describing.
August 4, 2021
O'Toole wrote in an idiosyncratic fashion which, while very descriptive, loses itself in the rich scenery rather than providing a continuum of events. Good fun to dip into, but I didn't enjoy it as a straight-through read.
February 15, 2021
It seems a world younger, freer, less weary.
May 25, 2022
Phenomenal use of language. It's like he us beside you talking. It jumps around and talks of Hitler a lot but it has some magic phrases and a great spirit.
August 7, 2022
Trying to be too clever by half for me.
October 7, 2022
Thought I’d love it as I’m a huge fan of the author and had heard so many good things about it. But to me it just came across as a rambling incoherent mess of a book. 🤷♂️
November 4, 2022
Very unusual writing style which I found a little irritating at times. His constant referral to Hitler got boring for me. Still lloking forward to reading his next though.
April 24, 2024
Read it for the sheer pleasure of the wordplay in a now vanished dialect.
September 8, 2025
[⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️] [08/14/25 - 09/08/25]
Reading this again, I am once again hugely impressed. Wonderfully stream-of-consciousness, never afraid to be near-incomprehensible, endlessly inventive. Part childhood memories, part young man’s debaucheries, large part biography of Adolf Hitler, and only a very small part connected in any way to acting, this is held together by sheer force of personality. I love this book.
めっちゃよかったなスタイル。色んななんとなくの考え，一部は戦争歴史，一部は子供頃の思い出、少ない一部はみんなの読者の思った通りの俳優の歴史。けどスタイルと書き方はいつも元気そうや面白いのでいつも楽しい
[⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️] [03/05/23 - 03/22/23]
This never lets up for a minute. Packed with bold choices and led by a whirlwind stream-of-consciousness structure. Plus somehow in addition to being an autobiography of O’Toole it’s also a biography on Adolf Hitler? And a really well-done one too? Very literate and provocative throughout, but never losing the through-line among all the references and asides. This has instantly shot up to my list of favorite books. Can’t wait to read the follow-up.
ライティングスタイルは多くのエネルギーがある！クリエイティブな言葉遣いや話。全部はやばい順位けどそれが強いライティングの洗濯。大好きだった
Reading this again, I am once again hugely impressed. Wonderfully stream-of-consciousness, never afraid to be near-incomprehensible, endlessly inventive. Part childhood memories, part young man’s debaucheries, large part biography of Adolf Hitler, and only a very small part connected in any way to acting, this is held together by sheer force of personality. I love this book.
めっちゃよかったなスタイル。色んななんとなくの考え，一部は戦争歴史，一部は子供頃の思い出、少ない一部はみんなの読者の思った通りの俳優の歴史。けどスタイルと書き方はいつも元気そうや面白いのでいつも楽しい
[⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️] [03/05/23 - 03/22/23]
This never lets up for a minute. Packed with bold choices and led by a whirlwind stream-of-consciousness structure. Plus somehow in addition to being an autobiography of O’Toole it’s also a biography on Adolf Hitler? And a really well-done one too? Very literate and provocative throughout, but never losing the through-line among all the references and asides. This has instantly shot up to my list of favorite books. Can’t wait to read the follow-up.
ライティングスタイルは多くのエネルギーがある！クリエイティブな言葉遣いや話。全部はやばい順位けどそれが強いライティングの洗濯。大好きだった
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews