Biography Books > M Biography Books > M

Advantages: great read, well written and inspirational
Disadvantages: sad and disturbing in some places, made me cry!

As a fan of autobiographies and true stories, this book caught my eye at the school I volunteer in. The book people bring in products for us to look at and purchase every few weeks and this one was an absolute bargain at just £4! RRP is £9.99 The title grabbed my attention immediately and when I read the back and discovered it was an autobiography, I placed my order. When the book arrived the following week, I started reading it straight away. Once ...
...heart rendering story of Martha had me in tears from laughing one minute and sadness the next. The book is written from the point of view of Martha, born a bastard to a teenage mother, growing up in slums of 1950's Dublin and the various trials and tribulations she has to overcome. The story begins with a nearly four year old Martha living with her Mother, Auntie and Cousin and remembering a relatively ok childhood with some happy memories, compared ... Read review

Advantages: Everything you could want to know about Fonteyn and then some
Disadvantages: Can be a bit harsh regarding other dancers

...first Prima Ballerina Assoluta, Dame Margot Fonteyn, took 13 years to put together. During that time Daneman earnt the trust and co-operation on Fonteyn's friends, family and colleagues (although sadly over 30 of the interviewees died before the books publication). This access to the people who knew her, plus her access to Fonteyn's mother's memoirs allows Daneman to achieve an astonishing imaginative fusion with her subject. Born Margaret "Peggy" ...
...points out, to Margot to become what little girls dream of becoming - The most famous Ballerina in the World. Margot began her ballet studies in Shanghai. After moving back to the UK when she was 14, Dame Ninette De Valois, then director of the Vic-Wells Ballet School grabbed hold of Margot's Fate with both hands. Under De Valois's tutelage, and the guiding hands of choreographer Frederick Ashton, Fonteyn became one of the greatest dancers in history. ... Read review

Advantages: honest life story. funny and also touching.
Disadvantages: none if you have an open mind.

Well I think I need to start this review with a little explanation. My friend Lorna is a professional mistress!! I have known Lorna from our days at school but only got in touch again when she emailed me after seeing I was on my old school directory on My Space. I used to live next door to Lornas first husband and remember she was just a little on the wild side then!! Since getting in touch we haven't met but swap regular "did you hear about……" emails. ...
...to justify why I feel the need to right a review on Lornas first book detailing her life from school to present day. Now im really not sure how this review will go down on here but to be honest if you are still reading after seeing the book title then you really should be open minded enough to not judge this book by its cover. There are many opinions on right and wrong and it really would be a dull world if we were all the same. The book is a paper ... Read review

Advantages: Beautifully presented book, great content, extensively researched
Disadvantages: Slightly expensive for the casual fan

...so many books available about Marilyn Monroe, that it is often a wonder why so many new ones get published. Biography after biography arrives, most of them rehashing the same old photos with the same kind of text. But occasionally, a new book on the film star comes along which has a refreshing perspective to offer. One such book is this – Marilyn Monroe Private and Undisclosed by Michelle Morgan. Being a longtime fan herself and President of the ...
...background knowledge of a devoted Marilyn fan, but has added a whole new level of research on the topic. In the quest to discover new aspects and details of Marilyn’s life, Morgan has contacted former boyfriends, co-stars and friends who knew the actress, many of whom have never shared their memories before. This extra level of research has also led to the uncovering and subsequent publication of rare and unpublished photographs. There are over seventy ... Read review

Advantages: It's really true, very captivating
Disadvantages: not everybody can handle this story

This book tells us the story of a woman in South Africa who was raped and almost murdered. The first thing I saw from this book were the pictures of the writer’s injuries. After seeing that, I think there can be two possible reactions: Being shocked and not wanting to look at it, suppress the feeling of disgust and try to forget about it. Being shocked at the first moment but then wanting to know more about this story, how it could happen and what ...
...was the second one. I must admit that I can’t recommend this book to everybody – just do the test described above and you know if it is a good book for you. If you can’t handle to look at these pictures you probably won’t handle the very descriptive parts of the book. Once started with reading the book it becomes very fascinating and you don’t want to stop reading anymore, just waiting for the next opportunity to read one more chapter, wanting to ... Read review