Biography Books > L Biography Books > H

Advantages: alot you never knew about Lewis
Disadvantages: Needed more detail on early years

...for is the chapter where Lewis goes into detail about his relationship with Fernando Alonso, his Mc Laren teamate to get Lewis's version of what went on in their supposed rocky relationship which claimed much front page as well as back page headline in the press. Well far be it for me to let the cat out of the bag. I, knowing quite a lot about this young man must be objective, fair and not spoil anybody's xmas afternoon browsing. The book written ...
...of the input was from Lewis himself. So much so that the writing shows a fair amount of repetition and a naivety of someone not used to tell a story, after all Lewis has been a bit busy the last 12 years or so. Having said that the book has a reasonable balance, the first 3 chapters devoted to what it takes to be an F1 driver. The next 3 chapters are devoted to his early life, growing up in Stevenage and getting into competitive racing and his family ... Read review

Advantages: Beautifully told, brilliantly researched, you can't go wrong with this one
Disadvantages: I really cannot find any, even if I wanted to.

...story starts in 1849 amd Lizzie is described as being "tall and slender with large dark eyes and long hair the colour of pale copper. Striking, rather than beautiful, especially with those huge, heavy-lidded eyes in such a small face, Lizzie did not conform to the contemporary ideal of beauty". As the narrative continues, we learn about the youth of the subject, her family and parents, the roots of her father in Sheffield (he was convinced that ...
...been. When Lizzie first met her future lover/husband she was working as a hat-maker/shop assistant for a Mrs Tozier in Cranbourne Street, London. The two were introduced through Walter Howell Deverell, who first met Lizzie through his friend the poet William Allingham. As the story continues we learn of the relationship that becomes a can't-live-with-can't-live-without pairing, fuelled by jealousy and manipulation. We are told of some of the possible ... Read review

Advantages: The first major biography in English of an often-overlooked figure
Disadvantages: None

In the last few years there have been seemingly endless biographies about Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Empress Alexandra, Rasputin, and often combinations of the lot. Often overlooked is the woman condemned to watch the whole catastrophe as a helpless spectator, and survive it all - Empress Marie Feodorovna, Nicholas's mother, described affectionately at the time as the 'Little Mother of Russia'. Born Princess Dagmar of Denmark in 1847, she was the ...
...Danish ruling house who by various strokes of good fortune became King in 1863. Of Dagmar's siblings, one brother was chosen as King of Greece, and her favourite sister Alexandra married the future King Edward VII of England. In 1864 she was betrothed to Nicholas, Tsarevich of Russia, but he was a sickly young man and died a few months later. Dutifully she was engaged to and married the new heir to the throne, Alexander, who became Tsar Alexander ... 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