26 October 2011 Last updated at 01:30

Who was Hurricane Higgins?

In the 1970s and 80s, the face of Alex "Hurricane" Higgins was recognisable even to those who were not snooker fans. On and off the table he was an entertainer - the most charismatic player during game's golden era.

A year after his death, a new biography examines how this much-admired character, beset with addiction problems, died in isolation in Belfast aged 61.

Nicola Stanbridge from BBC Radio 4's Today programme met the book's author, former ITV snooker presenter Tony Francis - and Higgins' best friend, fellow player Jimmy White.

To see the enhanced content on this page, you need to have JavaScript enabled and Adobe Flash installed.

Nicola Stanbridge's radio report will be on the Today programme on Wednesday 26 October 2011 - also on BBC iPlayer.

All images subject to copyright - check captions for individual credits.

Audio interviews by Nicola Stanbridge. Slideshow production by Paul Kerley and Tom Colls. Publication date 26 October 2011.

More audio slideshows:

The comedy of David Croft

London 2012 - Olympic architecture

Rural visions of England