Laurence Olivier was both an enchanter and a force of nature. In The Real Life of Laurence Olivier, Roger Lewis goes beyond the magical illusions the actor created, to tell the truth about the man’s sexuality, ambition, revenges, power, preoccupations and achievements.

Most of all, Olivier’s life and work become a love story — the tale of the relationship with Vivien Leigh, who was destroyed by the extent of her passion for him, as he himself was cast into a frenzy of guilt and disillusion.