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

Advantages: Introductory essay, clear and concise, beautiful illustrations
Disadvantages: None

...the poet and historian, Robert Southey in 1813. It has been revived and edited by Richard Holmes in a series of biographical books, Flamingo Classic Biographies series, released by HarperCollins on 17th September 2001. The book retails for £7.99. I attended a talk given by Richard Holmes promoting this set of short books (The Life of Nelson is just 300 pages) whilst at the Hay Festival this year. For the Talk, Holmes focused on another biography, ...
...At the time when Southey wrote Nelson’s biography, he was the Poet Laureate. The Life of Nelson was acclaimed as his greatest prose work. Southey meticulously researched his subject to avoid making any technical mistakes. The book is beautifully illustrated with 12 glossy prints of paints including the Battles of The Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar and the Death of Nelson. The front cover is a portrait of Nelson by Hopwood. Richard Holmes embarked ... Read review

Advantages: Detail, detail, detail
Disadvantages: Ditto

'Very well written, critical and thoroughly researched' it says on the back. Well, two out of three ain't bad, as some other popster had it. The other quote is 'Rigorously researched and thoroughly readable'. Notably these quotes are for the author and not attributed to this particular book. I cannot fault the research - and 'critically' Sandford is honest and portrays as many sides as he can find. 'Well written' only applies in a technical sense, ...
...take on this book, you possibly need to know my starting point. "Bruce Springsteen" is the backdrop to my own Glory Days. I can't pretend to have ever come close to the remotest possibility of meeting the man in person - unless the jogger outside St James' in '84 were he (the bandanna suggests little Stevie as a more likely possibility) - or maybe if the chap we took to be a scamster at the last gig were for real, I might just have..! I came across ... 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