Biography Books > R Biography Books

Advantages: A trip down memory lane for those who also remember the Nolans
Disadvantages: ended too soon

Well I must say, after receiving this book as a birthday present I thought I might give it a try when there's nothing else to be done. What a pleasant read I found it to be, very entertaining. The book depicts well the atmosphere and camraderie at Pontin's, and he certainly did live it up while working there (puts Alfie Moon in the shade!) Shane's personality and sense of humour definitely comes through I almost laughed out loud at times. Although ...
...latter stages of the book as his marriage breaks down, and Shane knows he only has himself to blame he finds the guilt very hard to bear. I got the impression that Shane and Coleen Nolan were made for each other, but he blew it!!!! Altogether an entertaining read and was sad to come to the end. ... Read review

Advantages: Funny, honest, endearing and engaging.
Disadvantages: Sometimes you want to shout "Get a grip on yourself, man".

You spend all of those years as a member of the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World, and you end up, unsurprisingly, with drug and alcohol problems and frequent trips to rehab. More of a surprise is the revelation that Ronnie Wood never had much in the way of cash through these seemingly plentiful, hay-making years, and when he did, he did his best to blow it all as quickly as possible. That he seems to be on more of an even financial keel ...
...above all, he comes across as a decent, honest bloke who would happily share a pint with you. Of lemonade, these days, I guess. A cut above the usual rock star autobiography for its candour, its wide-eyed naivety, and eye-popping tales of Miami drug dealers, life on the road and with the family. Almost worth the cover price just for the tale of the emptying of Tony Curtis's wine cellar. ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting insight into the author's opinions
Disadvantages: Sensationalist writing style that irritates

...but an analysis of the Rat Pack phenomenon at the height of its popularity. It follows the rise and fall and rise and fall and rise and death of the three plus two singer-actor-comedians who stormed their way into the charts and hearts of 50s and 60s America in a way that was unprecedented and, claims Levy, never again seen... This is the fame in the life of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. "Frank, Dean, ...
...from the mid-fifties through the Rat Pack heyday up to the election of John F Kennedy and the death of Marilyn Monroe. It tackles the gossip and the rumours; being mainly a book about the wonder (debatable) that was Frank Sinatra, this is largely to do with two things: Organised crime and JFK. The two halves of the books are neatly bisected with a generous 16 pages of black and white photographs that span the period and illustrate the text. In terms ... Read review

Advantages: excellent
Disadvantages: none

Laurie Lee was a poet, musician and traveller who came from Gloucestershire. He was born in the early twentieth century and departed from this world not so very many years ago. "Red Sky at Sunrise" is a colelction of his three autobiographical works, which I'll outline in turn. "Cider with Rosie" is a recounting of Lee's youth in the Slad valley near Stroud. In the time before cars were common, and children were not confined to hosues, he roamed ...
...poor but happy life. Slightly nostalgic, slow paced, virtually no plot but much attention to the details of ordinary people's lives. A beautiful peice of writing. "As I walked out one midsummer morning." As a young man, lee shoulder a knapsack, took his violin and, like a character from a fairy story, set out to find his fortune. His travels took him to London, and then he spent a year walking across Spain, busking for his bed and board. Vivid, ... Read review

Advantages: Quite interesting
Disadvantages: Only quite interesting

PRICE & PUBLISHER: This hardback is currently for sale for £11.39 new on Amazon, and was published by Little Brown, Sept 2006. 416 pp. It's heavy and gave me wrist ache (ooer missus) so I recommend waiting for the paperback. A GOOD READ? I used to dismiss Everett as yet another floppy-haired posh-boy who can't act, but is very beautiful and excellent at playing upper class roles (ie themselves, usually). This book changed my opinion only in that ...
...and a good writer most of the time. I have not read any of his novels. Everett was born in Norfolk in 1959, son of a Major. After a spell in Hook, Hants, the family moved on to Braintree in Essex and were part of the hunting fraternity. Impressed at an early age by the film "Mary Poppins" he identifies with a couple of the characters and is stirred to perform. A couple of prep schools were followed by admission to the Catholic Ampleforth College ... Read review