Biography Books > P Biography Books

Advantages: Intriguing insight into Clough as a manager and individual
Disadvantages: None

Duncan Hamilton was a journalist at the Nottingham Evening Post for over twenty years. He was to gain access to Brian Clough's Nottingham office on his very first day at the newspaper as a nervous sixteen year-old journalist. Brian Clough was one of the self-proclaimed giants of the English game who brought unlikely success to two of the most unfashionable English football clubs: Derby County and Nottingham Forest. Hamilton would become an integral ...
...journalists who would gain his trust. As such Hamilton was fortunate to have access to every aspect of the club, and he does a good job of painting a vivid portrait of Clough's eccentric personality and draws some light on his seemingly innate capacity as a manager who was always ready to put down his critics in the media and the boardroom. Hamilton was able to record all the successes, the misfortunes, the arguments and the drink that eventually ... Read review

Advantages: Fascinating story, evocative details, beautiful writing
Disadvantages: I didn't want it to end

"A Portrait of a Turkish Family" is an autobiographical work that tells the story of one Ottoman family from the turn of the twentieth century through the First World War and the establishment of Turkey as a republic. Irfan Orga was the eldest of three children; his mother was born into the harem - as were most women of such standing - and married at the age of thirteen. When the book opens, Irfan and his parents and younger brother live with his ...
...often idyllic childhood with warmth and humour, depicting the childlike vigour of his mother, the haughtiness of his grandmother and the kindness of the servants. One memorable episode describes a trip to the hamam (Turkish baths) with his mother and grandmother that is like a trip to the beach with the servants instructed to prepare hampers of food for the day. Orga writes "She always engaged private room for herself at the hamam; a room for disrobing ... Read review

Advantages: Learn things about yourself you never knew
Disadvantages: Can be emotional

...(at the end of this year and the beginning of 2007) which I look forward immensely to purchasing and reading through. # PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives (compiled by Frank Warren) # Hardcover: 278 pages # Publisher: ReganBooks (Dec 2005) # Language English # ISBN: 0060899190 ... Read review

Advantages: Very interesting read and full of information
Disadvantages: none

Paul O'Grady is a well know day time television presenter. He started out on his own show on ITV but soon moved over to channel 4. Almost as well know as Paul is his beloved dog Buster. The biography has been written by Neil Simpson and gives a wonderful and very detailed insight into the man himself and his childhood and also his alter-ego Lilly Savage. THE BOOK The book has been split into 16 chapter, Introduction - Live at Five 1 - the Boys ...
...into what it takes for Paul to go out everyday and do his show. It then moves on to the first chapter where we learn all about Paul's family. They were an Irish family which moved to a Liverpool working class district. Paul grew up in a big extended family and it was at this time when he became a great friend with Cilla Black. We hear how Paul's door was always open and the neighbours were always filling their house and the men of the area were always ... Read review

Advantages: A great read
Disadvantages: A bit to graphic

I was recently given this book to read by a family member, and to be honest when I asked her what the story was about I was quite dubious as to whether I wanted to read it or not as this is not the type of story I would personally go for myself. I must say though that once I started reading I could not put it down and had completed it in two days. This book has twenty chapters, an acknowledements page and an Introduction which goes : " There are ...
...abuse on a daily basis. You can turn a blind eye and consider this too nasty to read about, or you can take a courageous step forward and share a few moments from my world. We can only bring about change by doing something postitve and being prepared to listen. This is my story." The book as a whole, is a mans biography of how he spent his childhood being abused both mentally and sexually by his step father. All he wants is for his father to love ... Read review