Biography Books > S Biography Books > John Simpson > less than 5 GBP

Advantages: well written, gets you involved, doesn't spend ages on the politics
Disadvantages: You don't want it to finish and you may want to be him!

...he strikes me as being a man who has met hundreds of very interesting people and has seen places that I can only dream of going in daydreams or nightmares. It is not all terrible war stories though, there are parts that will have you laughing out loud such as the interview he did with Colonel Gadhafi in 1998 which the Colonel himself was constantly breaking wind, him and his team crawling past a customs desk on their hands and knees due to lack of ...
...This book is a must read for anyone – I have to admit I am very slack when it comes to current affairs and history but this book isn’t about the wars its about the people he met and the places he has been. The other details: ISBN number: 0-330-35567-8 Book price £7.99 but is on Amazon for £6.39 new and cheaper for used copies. It has been published by Pan Macmilliam books, URL http://www.panmacmillian.com Photos – which are also stunning - are ... Read review

Advantages: A humorous,factual and totally absorbing red.you discover what actually happened on the spot
Disadvantages: None to speak of.

I much admired the way John and his team endureed severe hardship and great courage in braving out the most dangerous and arduous conditions and the loyalty and cameraderie shown by the team.It wasparticularly useful to understand how much time & effort goes into an operation on the ground hours of toil which is related into several seconds on camera as allowed by the producers,they make it appear so simple ,so easy, while the reverse is true.The ...
...the American correspondants and the pressure they under to focus on good news rather than bad in order to keep the American tuning in to the programme.John goes to great lengths to praise the work of others while underplaying his own part in producing the final transmission.His command of the Englih language is also a great factor in enhancing a rattling good read.It is essential reading for liesure periods ,holidays where one has time to read in ... 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