Biography Books > R Biography Books > 5 GBP to 9 GBP

Advantages: Funny, honest, endearing and engaging.
Disadvantages: Sometimes you want to shout "Get a grip on yourself, man".

You spend all of those years as a member of the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World, and you end up, unsurprisingly, with drug and alcohol problems and frequent trips to rehab. More of a surprise is the revelation that Ronnie Wood never had much in the way of cash through these seemingly plentiful, hay-making years, and when he did, he did his best to blow it all as quickly as possible. That he seems to be on more of an even financial keel ...
...above all, he comes across as a decent, honest bloke who would happily share a pint with you. Of lemonade, these days, I guess. A cut above the usual rock star autobiography for its candour, its wide-eyed naivety, and eye-popping tales of Miami drug dealers, life on the road and with the family. Almost worth the cover price just for the tale of the emptying of Tony Curtis's wine cellar. ... Read review

Advantages: excellent
Disadvantages: none

Laurie Lee was a poet, musician and traveller who came from Gloucestershire. He was born in the early twentieth century and departed from this world not so very many years ago. "Red Sky at Sunrise" is a colelction of his three autobiographical works, which I'll outline in turn. "Cider with Rosie" is a recounting of Lee's youth in the Slad valley near Stroud. In the time before cars were common, and children were not confined to hosues, he roamed ...
...poor but happy life. Slightly nostalgic, slow paced, virtually no plot but much attention to the details of ordinary people's lives. A beautiful peice of writing. "As I walked out one midsummer morning." As a young man, lee shoulder a knapsack, took his violin and, like a character from a fairy story, set out to find his fortune. His travels took him to London, and then he spent a year walking across Spain, busking for his bed and board. Vivid, ... Read review

Advantages: Fantastic writing, amazing story
Disadvantages: You will probably cry (I did!)

...we would ever see him on tv again, would he be the same person? The first television appearance was on Jonathan Ross, and I tuned in eagerly, to see if the Hamster we all loved was still there. It seemed yes he was, apart from a new love for celery, and an uncanny ability to recall everyone's phone number! What relief. During this time we had been watching the media storm against the BBC and more specifically Top Gear, claims it was dangerous, it ...
...I had found Hammonds interview on Ross fascinating. Being stingy however, I waited until I could pick it up at two books for £7 in the supermarket! (In all fairness, it's only now Mia's reaching one that I get chance to read anyway!). To be honest, I didn't expect a talented writer when I thought of Hammond, which in hindsight, was silly, he is a journalist after all. I was shocked by the unique and direct writing style he used. Somehow, there ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent read
Disadvantages: None

Russell Watson first came to my attention when I heard him sing at the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. He sang 'Where my Heart Will Take me' (one of mine and my hubbies all time favourite songs) and I suddenly realised what an amazing voice he had. When I knew he was writing his biography I could not wait to get a copy and read it. Russell starts the book in October 2007 at the time of his collapsed and when he was told he needed ...
...We are then taken back to his childhood where he tells about how he grew up in Sunningdale Drive in Irlam, Manchester. He lived there with his mother and father and his younger sister Hayley. He openly talks about how he had a happy childhood due to the fact that his father always worked his hardest and his Mother always had her radiogram playing, he believes this is where his love for classical music came from. He tells us about the group of friends ... Read review

Advantages: Cheap, fun and easy to read
Disadvantages: I want her life

I bought this book on a spur of the moment shopping trip, basically because I was interested to see how Coleen went from being a schoolgirl to a WAG in such a short space of time. I was amazed to read her story and see how down to earth she really was, even after being catapulted at amazing speed into the limelight. She was even thoughtful enough to come back to her book and update it with her wedding plans for the release of the paperback edition. ...
...quick life update, within which she includes girly pages with tips on make-up, fashion, nights out and quizzes, making it so much more like a diary. It is really easy to read and highly enjoyable to learn how down to earth she is and how she enjoys nothing more than snuggling on her sofa watching the soaps just like the rest of us. ... Read review