Biography Books > A Biography Books > B > Anthony Bourdain

Advantages: Dozens of delicious and dodgy dinners
Disadvantages: It's vegetarian hell!

...this swaggering, gung-ho account of a year-long global culinary gross-out, he despatches, or witnesses the bloody deaths of, a pig, a lamb, several rabbits, a turkey and a cobra. I wasn't totally surprised by the carnage. I had read Bourdain's previous, autobiographical 'Kitchen Confidential'. He describes that book as "an obnoxious and overtestosteroned account of my life in the restaurant business". It was all that and more. It took the reader ...
...was never going to be a genteel affair. If American celebrity chef Bourdain is not totally honest in his justifications for the brutal, foulmouthed world of the restaurant kitchen, he is at least open about his motivation for writing 'A Cook's Tour'. On the back of the success of 'Kitchen Confidential' he persuades an editor to allow him a culinary grand tour. Ostensibly 'in search of the perfect meal' (the book's subtitle), he would get to play ... Read review

Advantages: Funny, incisive and refreshingly honest
Disadvantages: Might put some people off eating out

A couple of years ago we were told that cooking was the new rock'n'roll. If Anthony Bourdain is to be believed, it's the new punk - it's in your face, sharp as a Sabatier knife and it makes no apologies. "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly" is a rollercoaster ride through his career from the lowly days as dishwasher in Provincetown, Cape Cod to the rocky heights of the Rockerfeller Centre's world famous "Rainbow Room". It's ...
...and back to New York again, manage restaurants where he is responsible for everything from the hiring and firing of the waiting staff to creating every dish on the menu. Bourdain is refreshingly honest. His story is told almost warts and all (he can't spill all the beans - there are some people who are just too dangerous to risk angering) and he offers some expert advice for anyone thinking it's a profession they might like to try. He engages the ... Read review

Advantages: Great inspirational reading
Disadvantages: Bit long winded when she laks about other race competitors

Black White and Gold is the biography written by 2 times Olympic champion, Dame Kelly Holmes. She starts the book in March of 2005 as she is sitting in a limousine driving towards the gate of Buckingham Palace. She is off to receive her Damehood and she says how surreal it felt and how she had to pinch herself to make sure it was really happening. She tells how she joked with the other people who were also their receiving their Damehood and Knights', ...
...to have the Queen place the sword on each of her shoulders, she tells them all she is going to kneel down anyway! As we all know she did not and she received her dame hood in the correct way! We are then taken back to her early years and she tells how when her parents found out she was pregnant and had split up from her boyfriend they did not want her to have the baby but she went ahead and when Kelly was born her mother was given the choice of ... Read review

Advantages: Funny, interesting and gossipy
Disadvantages: slightly boring in places

After watching multiple episodes of Britain's got talent, and quite enjoying the remarks made by Piers Morgan I decided to pick up one of his books. My brother had a copy 'Don't you know who I am?' so this was the obvious choice. The book consists of a number of diary entries around the time after his Mirror newspaper sacking, and evolves around his search for a new job, celebrity status and also I had no real idea of who Piers Morgan was except ...
...owing to a sacking. In this book Piers lifts the lid on his meeting with numerous celebrities ranging from top bench cabinet ministers to the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Sharon Osborne, all of which are thoroughly eventful. My favourite has to be his meeting with Sharon where he waits for her PR to go to the loo before asking her opinion of certain celebrities knowing that she would be more likely to slag them off without the PR present. Piers manages ... Read review

Advantages: Easy to read and follow
Disadvantages: Controversial at times with strong opinions

This is the story of one of Britains most controvercial and opinionated Shock Jock Radio presenters. It takes you along the road of his life in Radio, including Top Shop Radio, for the Top Shop clothes store, Local Radio in Newcastle, Radio Aire in Leeds, where he took his show to Television, to his last show on Talk Sport Radio. It also talks about his diagnosis with Cancer and the setting up of his cancer charity. This book does not dissapoint. ...
...his opinions on a variety of subjects as well as charting his life and career. It also has a wonderful tribute to his personal friend, Bernard Manning, who passed just before the book was published. Witty, controversial and entertaining, this is a must read for all who have listened to the James Whale Radio Show. The book is written by James himself and charts his life at various stages as well as sharing his experiences and opinions. ... Read review