Biography Books > S Biography Books

Advantages: none
Disadvantages: will make you cry

Broken by Shy Keenan is not a book for the faint hearted to read. It is one of the most disturbing stories of child abuse ever written. It is unbelievable to think that there are perverts out there who get their kicks out of treating young children like sex objects, but it happens and Shy Keenan is a survivor of such abuse. Shy Keenan was let down by the social services and the police and made to believe that she was a bad person who attracted ...
...and also extreme sadness that there are people out there who have suffered such terrible childhoods at the hands of the people who were meant to look after them and protect them. Broken is available from various bookshops. I paid £9 for the hardback from Amazon. ... Read review

Advantages: laughter and tears of sadness
Disadvantages: Not to be read if you read his Plonkers book

I am actually reviewing a book but also raising a question about the author from my personal experience of reading two of his other books. For anyone not having knowledge of the author, Stephen D. Smith is a practising solicitor in Rotherham and also the author of a number of books, relating to his early life in the legal profession. This book is, according to the 'About the author' page, the second in his series following on from Boozers, Ballcocks ...
...something which I will go into detail later. For the benefit of those who have read my previous reviews by this author, if you experience a sense of 'I've read some of this before' feeling, then join my club, although this will be the second time around for me! The book introduces the reader to many characters on both sides of the law, both criminal and civil along with Smith's friends and colleagues. In the first chapter we meet Albert Heptonstall, ... Read review

Advantages: Enjoyable read
Disadvantages: Parts repeated from previous novel

Plonkers, Plaintiff's and Pleas, is a novel by Stephen D. Smith, a practising solicitor in Rotherham, in which he recalls his life both inside and outside of the legal world. These are told in an easy to read style and the authors' down to earth manner, sense of humour or disdain is regularly portrayed throughout the book in both his spoken comments and even more so, unspoken thoughts, which give the reader a portrait of him. There is a short foreword ...
...who extols the authors ability to tell a tale, whether funny or sad. For me, praise indeed from such a wonderful entertainer. Having read the first book, Ballcock's, Boozers and Bail, I found that this book was out of print, however, I luckily found one on e bay and successfully won it. After impatiently waiting (the Mrs will testify to that!), it duly arrived and I immediately settled down, oblivious to everything around me. The very first sentence ... 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: A great read
Disadvantages: Swearing

...2006, I read Extreme - Sharon Osbourne's autobiography. I really enjoyed it, so when I heard she had a second book out - Survivor - I borrowed it from the library and finished it last night. I think most people know who Sharon Osbourne is. As well as being the wife of Black Sabbath star Ozzy and mother of actress and singer Kelly, Sharon Osbourne is well-known in her own right, especially in the UK for her part on the judging panel of The X Factor. ...
...married, as both Ozzy and Sharon had been nasty to each other in the past and often displayed unacceptable behaviour. In Survivor, with Ozzy now sober and clean, their marriage comes across as mutually beneficial, loving, caring and warm - just as it should be. It was also interesting to read updates on her children - Kelly, Jack and the more private Aimee. As a mother myself, I was interested to read about Sharon moving onto a new phase of her ... Read review