Biography Books > B Biography Books > 5 GBP to 9 GBP

Advantages: Entertaining and interesting read
Disadvantages: Could have been longer

...John recently published his autobiography Anything Goes, chronicling his first forty years. His sister, Carole E. Barrowman helped him write it and between the two of them, the tone is perfect and you can easily hear John's voice coming through the text. The hardback version has a cover price of £18.99, but you can buy it for about half that if you look online. I got mine from Amazon UK for £9.49. It is around 250 pages, split into nineteen chapters. ...
...the end of the book. Anything Goes never becomes dull and each chapter has something interesting and shows the reader more about John's life, career, family and friends. He comes across just as he seems on television appearances - warm, friendly, caring, energetic, and full of life, frank, cheeky, confident and endearing. He isn't afraid of writing it how it is and is happy to laugh at his own actions. Although a couple of incidents he recalls did ... Read review

Advantages: Explains everything clearly, entertains and portrays Eleanor in a new light
Disadvantages: Hard going at times with a rather dry style

...the dearth of material on Eleanor, especially from unbiased sources. Neither does it help that she never personally corresponded with anyone. Boyd cuts through the rumours and slander spread by Eleanor's enemies and presents her as a strong feminist who refused to be a victim. He tells the story of Eleanor's life using her image as a roadmap: from the sculpted face of her youth found in Bordeaux Cathedral to her effigy at Fontevraud. This adds an ...
...a linear fashion. I liked this device, especially as Boyd refers to the pictures he uses throughout the text, rather than lumping them together with no reference or explanation. From a literary point of view, it also allows the reader to imagine Eleanor more effectively and thus makes the story more enjoyable. Boyd wins brownie points for using maps of France to explain the various territories and who ruled them in the 12th century, and for including ... Read review

Advantages: discriptive,tragic, humourous and charming
Disadvantages: none

...the most disturbuing parts of Alan Bennetts life is read aloud by him. When assaulted in Italy,Alan, then realises how many of his birthdays have been spend either ill or in hospital. He relects on the tragedy of his life in a way that is totally unsurpassed and unique to him. Bennetts, way with words, his unique sense of humour and ability to turn darkness to light , makes this a fantastic audio book. Allows the listener a privilaged insight into ...
...a wonderful story, you feel honoured to be allowed to know so much about his life, and read from his own lips, makes his story all the more poignant. This is part 4 own his diaries and can be heard alone, but having heard and read all of his diary collection, it is a fitting sequel and would be well purchased alongside the others from his publishings. I can't find a bad word to say about this CD. Well reccommended!!!! ... Read review

Advantages: How & why they do it & the reminder that *WE* still need to think
Disadvantages: That it is still necessary

...The clearest example: the Falklands War 1982 - it took a week for the pictures to get to screen. The World Trade Centre 2001 was live, literally, as it happened. This gives the manipulators virtually no time to 'spin' the story. There may still be conspiracies in newly-non-smoky corridors, but the ability to implement them is foundering on speed and public savvy. The audience is a lot more street-wise to what it hears, a lot less trusting. But mostly, ...
...morale in a time of war and the like, were slanders and libels he felt he had to challenge to protect is own integrity - but ultimately also that of the BBC who were employing him. It is to their shame that they did not publicly support him. For the usual economic reasons this particular story was not played out before the bench…but it could have been. Unlike many of his colleagues, Bowen trusts his own judgement and stands by his reports to the ... Read review

Advantages: Very truthfull
Disadvantages: none

I found this book great to read mostly because i wanted to find out Garys true feelings on his former bandmate Robbie Williams. Gary is extremely honest about the highs and lows of take that and what happened after the band split He talks about his life before the band when he was first noticed. Gary was the bands front man who wrote the hits ' A million love songs' , 'Pray' and ' Back for good'. He talks about his apprenticeship in the working ... Read review