Loitering with Intent: The child

Loitering with Intent: The child by Peter O’Toole is a memoir published by Macmillan in 1992, featuring 198 pages in English. This book presents an account of O’Toole’s early life, detailing his childhood experiences shaped by his father, Captain Patrick O’Toole, an itinerant racetrack bookmaker, and his mother, Constance Jane Eliot Ferguson, who had a strong desire to marry for financial stability. The narrative also touches on his schooldays during a tumultuous historical period, his time in the navy, and his brief stint as a cub reporter, culminating in the serendipitous audition at RADA that set the stage for his acting career.

Readers will find a personal exploration of O’Toole’s formative years, offering insights into the influences that shaped him as a person and an actor. The memoir delves into themes related to motion picture actors and actresses in Great Britain, as well as the broader context of actors’ biographies. Through his reflections, O’Toole provides a unique perspective on the events and circumstances that led to his eventual success in the performing arts.