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Today’s book is:
Not a Number: Patrick Mcgoohan - a Life by Rupert Booth
When Patrick McGoohan first starred in Danger Man in 1960 and as ‘Number 6’ in cult show The Prisoner, industry insiders hailed the arrival of an enigmatic genius and Hollywood beckoned. But who was this man who worked as a chicken farmer and bank clerk before becoming a hugely successful actor simply by chance?
In this up-to-date biography Rupert Booth reveals the true character of a man whose off-screen behaviour matched his fiery on-screen persona.
Why was he so puritanical, refusing to even kiss a woman for any part he played? Why was he so controlling over his work in The Prisoner and other productions?
A timely exploration of the man whose declaration ‘I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, de-briefed or numbered!’ continues to resonate with audiences decades after it was first uttered with such conviction.
You can buy the book here (Amazon link).
The Prisoner remains one of the best TV series ever made. The success of Danger Man gave McGoohan a free hand in the making of the series and it remains very much his vision of a future that looks all too familiar today. Whose side are you on? All sides turn out to the same, the illusion of separation. The foreshadowing of today's cancel culture in the episode where No 6 is branded Unmutual. What a great word. Everytime I read that so and so has been "cancelled" I recall that very episode. Patrick McGoohan - the man who predicted the future.
I was riveted by the Prisoner as a teenager. It was defiantly formative, and stays with me to this day.
I have reconciled my self to the idea that it does not resonate with most as it does with me, but I know me kindred spirits when I find them.