Absolutely mandatory reading if you are into The Golden Age of Hollywood.

Mr. Niven writes with wit and humour injected throughout, and his encompassing grasp of the English language enables him to draw you in and glue you to each page. It's not all about the glamour, with tales of power such as the gossip columnists who could destroy careers overnight, and the seemingly many untimely demises of actors, especially at the hand of alcohol. It's a great reminiscing of days of yore, not centred around the author, but the people he encountered and befriended.

You'll be delightfully treated with dedicated chapters to stars such as Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, Samuel Goldwyn and Fred Astaire. You'll also hear about Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Charles Chaplin, Jack Warner, and many more. The book also includes pictures, many of them are taken by the author, featuring some of the people he mentions, giving an enhanced feeling of you being walked through an enchanting time in history with your personal guide and gentleman, Mr. Niven.

One thing I did not like was the structure of the book, as it really could have benefitted from more paragraphs to break up the text some more, easing up the eyes, so you're not met with so many walls of text on each page. Then there's the two "Our Little Girl" chapters, placed in opposite ends of the book. It seems, at least from the first chapter, to be fictitious, as it follows the character of Missie, and her tribulations of being a beautiful and successful actress. Some say it may be about Vivien Leigh, but I think it's just a rumour without substance. I was not at all fond of the first chapter, especially as it succeeded the chapter about The King - Clark Gable, which had me vehemently engrossed in the book. The second chapter changes narrative to a first-person perspective, and introduces the character of David, who ends up experiencing the miserable mental breakdown of Missie who cracks under the pressure of a top Hollywood star. For me, this turned it around to believing it is half fiction, half-truth, and the author simply could not resist adding it to the book, but changed some names around to protect "Missie". The second chapter definitely was a vast improvement, however, it still felt like an odd addition with an odd placement.
I have mixed feelings about the ending. On one hand, it is quick, poignant and hard hitting, but on the other hand I would've liked a bow elegantly summing up this marvellous book that covers such an interesting and beloved time in modern history.

The title of the book, which indeed is odd, is a quote from Hungarian-American director Michael Curtiz, during the filming of "The Charge of the Light Brigade", which stars David Niven and Errol Flynn. Here's how it is written in the book:
"Mike Curtiz was the director of The Charge and his Hungarian-oriented English was a source of joy to us all.
High on a rostrum he decided that the right moment had come to order the arrival on the scene of a hundred head of riderless chargers. "Okay," he yelled into a megaphone. "Bring on the empty horses!"
Flynn and I doubled up with laughter. "You lousy bums," Curtiz shouted, "you and your stinking language ... you think I know fuck nothing ... well, let me tell you - I know FUCK ALL!"
One can only imagine the stinging bellyache from the amount of laughter they experienced at that time.
Besides that, this certain film also led to legislative action by U.S. Congress and increased activity by American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as 25 horses were killed during filming.

David Niven was a truly gifted storyteller and writer - a real raconteur. From the fishing trips with Clark Gable, the wild partying times with Errol Flynn, to his wife hitting it off with Greta Garbo, you'll hear about humour and heartbreak, in a time never to be surpassed. I would've loved it to be twice as long! If you are in the least interested in The Golden Age of Hollywood, you will not regret tracking down this book because it is one aptly deserving the adoration it receives. ( )

A sequel to Niven's hilarious The Moon's a Balloon, Bring on the Empty Horses is more a collection of stories rather than the memoir of The Moon's ... and while sometimes the stories felt like they had been cut from his previous book, there is much to enjoy here.

Including great characters like Charles Aubrey Smith and Hopalong Cassidy (and their meeting on the cricket field), and an explanation of the book's title I wish Niven had lived long enough to publish a third tome. ( )

A great read following up on his first book The Moon is a Balloon ( )

David Niven was not a great actor, but he was a great raconteur. This is a second collection of his stories of Hollywood in the 1960's and 1970's, stitched together with a bit of autobiography. After the wonderful magic of vol. one "The Moon's a Balloon", this is a small letdown, but still a good book for an idle moment. ( )

Niven must have been the ideal guest. He was a naturally-gifted storyteller with a wonderful, often self-deprecating, sense of humour. ( )