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Advantages: an insight into the early days of rock and roll
Disadvantages: wallows in the authors self promotion

There are many moments in popular culture that it would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall too. These moments not only change the lives of the people present but also have repercussions that resonate throughout the whole world, the oft-cited Butterfly Effect. There is a moment in this book which documents such an event, a chance conversation in a London Pub that united a band and a manager that would take the music world by storm and open up ...
...more of that later. Andrew Loog Oldham grew up in post war England raised only by his mother at a time when single parents were frowned upon. His mothers struggle to give them both the lifestyle that she thought that they both deserved can be seen to have shaped the boys early attitude and made him into someone always looking for something more than he had. It also made him something of a rebel. These two factors, as well as developing a talent ... Read review

Advantages: Gets nearer to the truth than many other authors
Disadvantages: Lot of political discussion,sometimes hard to follow.

Eva Peron is without doubt one of the most fascinating female icons of the twentieth century. However, much that has been written about her is shrouded in myth and romanticism. This book delves deeper into the legend and reveals the real woman behind the image. It investigates how her very humble beginnings, born the illegitimate daughter of an Argentinean peasant woman, shaped her character; her desperate need to be loved and admired, her struggles ...
...character, her ability to turn a blind eye to things she found difficult. It also looks at her life with Juan Peron, which was not, according to this book, the lovey-dovey relationship portrayed in some books and on the screen. (The book alleges that during her final days Peron could not bear to be near Eva, because her decaying body offended him.) Most intriguingly, the book discusses how, after her death from cancer, Evita’s body disappeared, and, ... 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