With the characteristic variety of mood and tone evident in his films, these letters document the development of Francois Truffaut from rebellious boy to mature film-maker in the last years of his life. They reveal the warmth, humanity, idealism and sharp wit of a man whose work was his lifelong passion. His correspondents include other celebrated film-makers, such as Alfred Hitchcock and Louis Malle, and there is also a first-hand account of his argument and subsequent break with Jean-Luc Godard.