"Peter Cowie began writing about the cinema while at Cambridge University in the early 1960s. In 1963 he founded the annual ""International Film Guide"", which he edited for four decades. His more than thirty books include studies of Orson Welles, Francis Ford Coppola, and Akira Kurosawa, as well as more than a dozen commentaries on classic films for The Criterion Collection, and has lectured in four continents."
""A commanding portrait...one that consistently ties events in his life to specific scenes, themes and locations in his movies. Having met Bergman in 1969 and corresponded with him until 1995, veteran film author Peter Cowie is able to channel first-hand knowledge of Bergman into a book that's respectful without being overly reverential."" - Matt Looker, Total Film ""Indispensable...rich, engaging, thorough.""- Sight & Sound ""Cowie's meticulously researched book maps the details of Bergman's eventful personal life onto his characters and themes."" - Barney Horner, New Statesman ""Scrupulous, accurate and trustworthy.""- Tom Shone, Sunday Times ""Brings us as close to the man - and the artist - as we're likely to get...Sure to become the definitive Bergman biography."" - Paula Hammond, Film Juice ""Immensely insightful."" - PD Smith, Guardian