Biography Books > B Biography Books > by Author Name (First Letter)

Advantages: Far more to Bobby George than meets the eye
Disadvantages: none

...it certainly made me see Bobby George as far more than sequins and a candelabra. I started off being a Bobby George fan - a fan of the charm, the personality, the enthusasm for darts and the great showmanship. I ended the book with a great feeling of respect and the hope that one day he'll lift the Embassy trophy and put the icing on his cake. ... Read review

Advantages: A damned enjoyable read to raise a laugh.
Disadvantages: None for me.

The Author. Stephen D. Smith, locally known as Steve, started work as an office boy in a law firm, attending night school and eventually becoming a qualified solicitor himself. Two years after qualifying, he set up his own practice in Rotherham with a partner Steven Wilford in 1981. Not only has he become a highly successful solicitor but also an accomplished public speaker and author. He was awarded the MBE in 2006 for his services to charity. ...
...uncorrected proofs version published in 2006 and although there is a new titled edited edition, I would think that the basic content would be the same. I also believe that the book was originally published in the mid 1990's, although I am unable to confirm that. There are the usual initial pages to begin with, an about the author, contents pages, a foreword by another author, Gervase Phinn, a preface by the author himself and a page of acknowledgements. ... Read review

Advantages: Extremely well researched and presented facts.
Disadvantages: Style slightly too academic for me.

...Girls. This biography, Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth, is her latest published work. Her next book is due to be a family biography called The Churchills. She lives in the New Forest area of Hampshire and is interested in horses, aviation and sailing. She also likes travelling and is a member of The Royal Geographical Society. *** Peak District Connections *** I love relaxing in the Peak District, and as a result of spending many happy ...
...a lot about Bess of Hardwick, through visiting property once owned by her, and wanted to find out more. This book tells in academic detail her rise to become the second wealthiest women in Elizabeth I's England, having acquired much property in the Midlands including the Chatsworth Estate and Harwick Halls (both new and old versions). The author appears to want to accept no previous research into this lady at face value. (Inaccurate "facts" have ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting, humorous, factual, serious, it has the lot.
Disadvantages: None for me.

I have read a number of biographies and auto biographies over the years, although, despite being a retired police officer, never one relating to the job I held for 30 years. This book, however, was bought and read on the recommendation of an officer from the City of London, whom I had befriended as a Federation rep at conferences. My friend's recommendation that it was a good read was certainly true and I found myself transported back in time to ...
...title suggests, it is the story of the author's life, briefly from his childhood days from his birth in 1944, to his retirement from the police in 1999, the bulk of the book being his police service. To set the scene of Bob's start in life, the first 3 chapters chronicle his childhood and his first jobs prior to joining the police. To say his early childhood was bizarre is, to say the least, an understatement. He tells of how, before he was born, ... Read review

Advantages: It educates about Islam's roots and the hospitality of the Middle East
Disadvantages: I honestly can't think of any

Blood and Sand is a beautifully written autobiography by BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner. Not only does he tell the tale of the terrible attack he and cameraman Simon Cumbers were subjected to in Riyadh, but he tells it with with an incredibly unweakened love for the Middle East. Born in London, Frank Gardner went on to study Arabic Studies at university, before securing himself a well-paid job in banking with many exclusive benefits. Feeling ...
...travel articles he had written as a student and during his early career, recognising that he wanted to become a journalist, and educate the West about the Arabic world. Gardner goes on to tell of his struggle to get in to journalism in his thirties, clinging on to every contact and offering himself for graveyard shifts and jobs noone else wanted. Eventually he climbs through the ranks to BBC Security Correspondent (of which he is the first - he ... Read review