Biography Books > by Original Release Year

Advantages: Dozens of delicious and dodgy dinners
Disadvantages: It's vegetarian hell!

...this swaggering, gung-ho account of a year-long global culinary gross-out, he despatches, or witnesses the bloody deaths of, a pig, a lamb, several rabbits, a turkey and a cobra. I wasn't totally surprised by the carnage. I had read Bourdain's previous, autobiographical 'Kitchen Confidential'. He describes that book as "an obnoxious and overtestosteroned account of my life in the restaurant business". It was all that and more. It took the reader ...
...was never going to be a genteel affair. If American celebrity chef Bourdain is not totally honest in his justifications for the brutal, foulmouthed world of the restaurant kitchen, he is at least open about his motivation for writing 'A Cook's Tour'. On the back of the success of 'Kitchen Confidential' he persuades an editor to allow him a culinary grand tour. Ostensibly 'in search of the perfect meal' (the book's subtitle), he would get to play ... Read review

Advantages: Evocative of more glamorous times
Disadvantages: Shallow

Perhaps I'm going to be a little harsh on this book, after the joy of reading his brother Frank's books. At times I was reminded of the great david Niven's books "The moon's a balloon" and "Bring on the empty horses" in a similar autobiographical style, but when you're not that famous namedropping is so passe. Content I got pissed, I got fucked and I travelled; end of story. Yes I was harsh, there are some quite humorous moments and yes there ... Read review

Advantages: a personal story of a mothers in turmoil
Disadvantages: none

...sadly murdered by Roy Whiting a known sex offender.. The book follows Sara & Michael's story from before Sarah's birth taking you through their feelings of having a girl after already having two sons on a low income, all through Sarah's early childhood... you get a sence of knowing the family quite well through the early chapters... The book then turns to that dreadfull day in July (july 1st, 2000) from the children playing happily on the beach in ...
...that Sarah's body was found... a very very traumatising day for the family, through this book Sara talks of her pain anger and frustrations following Sarah's abduction.. you learn of the marriage troubles depression and terrible times they all went through all whilst in the public eye. Sara tells of her quest to get Sarah's Law passed in government and the problems that arose during this.. Also we are taken upto and passed the trial of Roy Whiting. ... Read review

Advantages: Compelling
Disadvantages: N/A

This is the first book I've read from Anya Peters, my daughter-in-law gave it to me to read. Through reading it all my emotions surfaced, parts of it shocked me, other parts amused me and it also made me cry, but I couldn't stop reading it although I was sickened by events in the book. Anya Peters has captured what it was like to be an outcast and to not belong to a family unit, although she suffered mental and physical abuse from her cousins, who ...
...loved them and wanted to be a part of their family, but she was never really accepted. This book is not for the faint hearted and if you don't like to read of cruelty, deprivation and hate then you had better leave it alone because this is real life, Anya's real life and it wasn't pretty. She was abused by her Uncle in a very depraved way and this book tells it as it was in sickening detail, it also deals with a family's shame about what has happened ... Read review

Advantages: great read an absolute must have
Disadvantages: none

I purchased this book in November of 2006 from Asda at the price of £9.96, I loved Michael Barrymore in Big Brother and that is the reason why I opted for this book! (He should have won!!!!) Michael was once one of britans favorite entertainers; he regularly appeared on TV and was loved by the public for being so funny and so unique. We first saw Michael in 1975 when he won the talent show 'New faces' from then on he became a familiar and loved ...
...shows included Barrymore Strike it lucky My kind of people My kind of music And kids say the funniest things Michael Barrymore also won 13 national TV awards including best entertainment show, most popular comedy performer and even a special recognition award ...with a raft of other awards Despite all of his success he got heavily into drink and drugs and in 1997 he split from his wife of 18 years, this was when he admitted to being gay. Then ... Read review