Biography Books > A Biography Books > M

Advantages: great read an absolute must have
Disadvantages: none

I purchased this book in November of 2006 from Asda at the price of £9.96, I loved Michael Barrymore in Big Brother and that is the reason why I opted for this book! (He should have won!!!!) Michael was once one of britans favorite entertainers; he regularly appeared on TV and was loved by the public for being so funny and so unique. We first saw Michael in 1975 when he won the talent show 'New faces' from then on he became a familiar and loved ...
...shows included Barrymore Strike it lucky My kind of people My kind of music And kids say the funniest things Michael Barrymore also won 13 national TV awards including best entertainment show, most popular comedy performer and even a special recognition award ...with a raft of other awards Despite all of his success he got heavily into drink and drugs and in 1997 he split from his wife of 18 years, this was when he admitted to being gay. Then ... Read review

Advantages: Compelling story, educational, well written
Disadvantages: None that I found

...* * I read Anne Frank's Diary as a teenager, when I was around the same age as she was when she wrote it. Now my interest in her has been reawakened. This time, my daughter is around the age Anne was when she wrote her diary in the Secret Annex in Amsterdam, where she remained hidden for just over two years. The reason for my latest interest in Anne Frank - and three of my children are also fascinated by her life - is the recently televised two-part ...
...on a 1998 book called Anne Frank - The Biography written by Melissa Muller. I ordered the book from the library and have just finished reading the 300 pages or so. I feel this biography is probably the best researched and most historically accurate story of Anne's short life. I always feel sceptical of biographies. They often seem to throw up more questions than answers and often paint such an incomplete or obsequious picture, that their value is ... Read review

Advantages: A riveting read
Disadvantages: You tell me!

...Floon. I thought long and hard about writing a review at all because of my personal connection and sought advice from a responsible senior Ciao member before writing this. Since the book had been proposed to Ciao by NataliePhelan and reviewed by her, it seemed that it would be OK to add my own perspective. However, this will not be a book review in the usual sense. Natalie has given an independent viewpoint of this book and anyone else who feels ...
...insight into the book’s background and its evolution and that will be the thrust of this article. ► Marie Berger ◄ Marie wanted to write long before I met her as a colleague at a school in Gibraltar in 1970. But it was not until 1985 that she got her first “big break”. Having been brought up as an adopted child, a childhood scarred by physical and emotional abuse, she much later traced and found her natural mother, whom we met in a ... Read review

Advantages: Evocative of more glamorous times
Disadvantages: Shallow

Perhaps I'm going to be a little harsh on this book, after the joy of reading his brother Frank's books. At times I was reminded of the great david Niven's books "The moon's a balloon" and "Bring on the empty horses" in a similar autobiographical style, but when you're not that famous namedropping is so passe. Content I got pissed, I got fucked and I travelled; end of story. Yes I was harsh, there are some quite humorous moments and yes there ... Read review

Advantages: Gripping, informative
Disadvantages: May be found quite hard going

Carla Van Raay's autobiography "Gods Callgirl" details the life of a naive, immature girl, then woman who is devoted to God but goes from obedient convent girl to sexual prostitute over the course of her life, but remains as naive as ever. This life story is divided into three parts and develops the tale of this Dutch girl's life over the course of the book. Part one examines the life of a child abused by her father, yet finding she felt abandoned ...
...God from a very young age. As a school girl she idolising the convent and her sole ambition in life is to serve God as a nun in one of Australia's many convents. As an early teenager feeling unloved at home by her family yet supporting her mother in everyday chores and childcare of her brothers and sister she found herself believing she was a product of the devil. A problem no confession could speak of, and no action could heal. Part two follows ... Read review