Biography Books > by Author Surname (First Letter)

Advantages: Great observation, gentle humour, enjoyable anecdotes
Disadvantages: A little old-fashioned in places

Lady Winifred Fortescue and her rather older husband John move to Provence in the early 1930s, to escape Britain between the wars. This book opens with a delightful chapter describing the building work which they had done on a house they bought in the days when sterling was a strong currency. The workmen are a mixture of French and Italian: hot-tempered and yet loyal, hard-working and yet taking lengthy breaks for every possible reason. Inevitably ...
...arrives long before the house is ready. All the workmen help in the various crises that arise, such as a large olive branch blocking the path, and a wall being knocked down by the huge delivery van. When, at last, the roof is on the house, the entire work-force has a celebration meal with wine and biscuits, music and dancing. 'Perfume from Provence' is a semi-autobiographical account told in the first person by Lady Fortescue. It covers different ... Read review

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" I have a low tolerance for mediocrity in music and life. Im into pain and joy and the in between doesn't interest me" So said Steve Earle in 1986 and although its the sort of rhetoric that music stars and actors tend to reel off to achieve a desired effect, Earle's life really is a testament to that quotation. It has been a life of tremendous highs and shattering lows, achieving fame and riches and losing it all to the excesses around him. This ...
...but came back from the bring to find that happiness is not found in material things, that its the love, trust and friendships that constitute the real successes in life. Steve Earle lead a happy, if poor, life growing up. Moving around as his fathers job dictated, Earle became used to being semi nomadic as the family moved around the southern states. As he grew into his teenage years he realised that he could grab peoples attention with his musical ... Read review

Advantages: Thrilling
Disadvantages: Terrifying

...where fighting was commonplace. Fifty Dead Men Walking is the best selling autobiography that tells us his story of behind the scenes at both the IRA and the Special Branch, working as Agent Carol, it is estimated that he has saved over fifty lives (hence the title of the book), most of whom would never know the risks he has taken to save them, but he shares it all with us and it truly is a fascinating read. As a child Marty witnessed much brutality, ...
...see in our lifetimes, not just at the hands of the IRA but also at the hands of the Armed Forces, but as an adult he witnessed far more than imaginable. Like many any young boys from working class families, he ends up wheeling and dealing in many illegal money making schemes never seeming to gain any reputable full time employment always managing to avoid the IRA Policing Squad, many would report crimes to the IRA rather than the local authorities ... Read review

Advantages: Objective, warts-and-all story of Abba and their manager as a group and individuals
Disadvantages: Too little about the actual music

...also written track-by-track notes for the insert booklet to 'Abba: The Definitive Collection', a 37-track double CD released October 2001. Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of Abba Carl Magnus Palm Omnibus Press, 2001, 554pp, 32pp of plates 0 7119 8389 5 £19.95 (high street); £15.16 (Amazon) ... Read review

Advantages: Easy to read and very informative
Disadvantages: May be difficult to track down

...is an important number. It's the ISBN of "The Real Frank Zappa Book" published by Picador. I bought this, read it, loved it, lent it, never got it back, forgot about it , then saw it in Fopps in Glasgow for a paltry £3.50, bought it, read it again, and now I'll tell you about it. Frank Zappa died of cancer about 1992/3 and was a great loss to the art world. He hd been making music since the early sixties , with the Mothers of Invention, and as a ...
..."The Yellow Shark" stayed on the classical charts for over twelve months following its release. THe book is a series of recollections about Zappa's early life and how he became who he is and the aquaintances he made along the way. The most fascinating part of this book, and the one that gives the biggest insight into what Frank was really like, is his opinions on art , the government , taxes, morality, religion , and the British. It's fascinating ... Read review