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

Advantages: A little shocking in parts, admirable for her bravery
Disadvantages: Dissapointing ending, not very well written.

I have always enjoyed memoirs, its a genre i continually revisit, and tales of hardship always compel me. I particularly enjoy drug/rehab memoirs, such as 'A million little pieces' by James Frey, and 'A piece of cake' by Cupcake Brown. I also love emotional rollercoasters, i love Jodi Picoult, and i've also read several similar stories of Child Abuse. I decided this book would be perfect. I bought the book in Woolworths in my lunch break, and was ...
...as i got home, but dispite being a page turner, it was dissapointing. The book was strangely compelling, i had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next, but it never excited me. The novel is written in a really matter-of-fact way. Despite the fact the acts were horrifying, i didn't feel the protagonist's pain, i couldn't relate to the character and i didn't connect emotionally. I found myself carrying on with it out of curiosity ... Read review

Advantages: Colourful accountof a childhood in Cairo
Disadvantages: none

Edward Said's autobiography 'Out of place' is Said's life story that spans across continents, cultures and religions. Said, how is a famous professor for Literature and an ardent supporter of the 'Palastinian Cause'has given us a fascinating account of his and his relatives' nomadic life. Having brought up as an Arabic Palastinian with a US passport, little Edward grows up in Cairo, Jerusalem and numerous other places in the post-war Middle East. ...
...at his British school nor by his Arabic Muslim neighbours, he soon feels isolated and looks for his identity. Said's account of a childhood in Cairo is fascinating-the reader gets personal as well as historical information about Palastinians after their forced emmigration. The book is well written as the reader gets a comprehensive understanding of Middle Eastern and World Politics of that Era as well being captivated by the book's maion charcters: ... Read review

Advantages: Informative, a must for G N R fans
Disadvantages: None

...read' for any fans of Guns N Roses or anyone who wants to know a bit more about those guys who wrote 'November Rain'. Paul Stenning gives an in depth portrayal of how 'five of the most ragtag urchins' met and formed a unique and amazing band. Charting their early rehersals and song writing,as well as a liberal sprinkling of 'extra curricular activities' this unauthorised biography takes us through the hits that became 'Appetite for Destruction' and ...
...it interesting to read the inspriration behind some of the hits, for example Slash messing about on the guitar became the riff for 'Sweet Child Of Mine' while 'Right Next Door To Hell' was a reference to some of Axl's unfortunate neighbours. There is plenty of information from Axl's early childhood which gives an insight into his later mental state. While most of his lyrics are deep and heartfelt, they range paradoxically from beautiful, through ... Read review

Advantages: Great detail and insight
Disadvantages: Upsetting in parts

Fantastic Book I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It really is a brilliant read. It gives a deep insight into the war going on in Iraq from a woman's point of view. The torture and pain they go through. It is a great book which is very relevant to today's society. It is extremely interesting and wouldn't want to say a lot about it or else it would just spoil it. You have to read it for yourself to understand it and to realise ... Read review

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