|
Post by Sir Blimely Windy on May 20, 2007 21:11:53 GMT
I thought we had better have a thread of recommendations for books of this genre.
I can heartily recommend 'Billy' by Pamela Stephenson.
It is a moving and, at times, unsettling, account of the life and career of one of Britain's favourite comedians.
The fact that it is written by an ex-comedienne is startling. It is startlingly good, and the fact that Billy Connolly's wife is now a psychologist means that it is by no means just a description. There is a lot of analysis of why the 'Big Yin' is so anarchic.
|
|
|
Post by ivy noidea on May 20, 2007 22:00:22 GMT
I thought we had better have a thread of recommendations for books of this genre. I can heartily recommend 'Billy' by Pamela Stephenson. It is a moving and, at times, unsettling, account of the life and career of one of Britain's favourite comedians. The fact that it is written by an ex-comedienne is startling. It is startlingly good, and the fact that Billy Connolly's wife is now a psychologist means that it is by no means just a description. There is a lot of analysis of why the 'Big Yin' is so anarchic. I am a big fan of Billy Connolly and have been for well over 30 years. I am also a lover of biographies. Hence I have a copy of Billy. I found it almost as bad as Catch 22 - see zzzzzzlist thread. I could not get into this book at all.
|
|
|
Post by Sir Blimely Windy on May 21, 2007 16:25:56 GMT
I can also heartily recommend 'Shadowlands' by Brian Sibley.
It is a story of one of children's literature's greatest authors, C S Lewis, and how, at late middle-age, he fell in love with an American Divorcee.
A fabulous book.
|
|
|
Post by sussexgirl on May 21, 2007 17:24:02 GMT
I went through a phase of only reading biographies/autobiographies many years ago, the one about Martin Luther King Jr which was written by his wife is truly uplifting
|
|
|
Post by Glen B Ogle on May 23, 2007 21:00:11 GMT
"Billy" seems to be a book people either love or hate - my brother thought it was fantastic but I couldn't get past the first few pages.
I've just started reading "Pastoral Symphony" by Chapman Pincher. It's a fascinating insight into his love of the countryside, with references to his reporting on affairs of state (much of his info came through attending shooting parties).
Glen
|
|
|
Post by Ciara Genn on May 23, 2007 22:54:33 GMT
I enjoyed Nicky Campbell's "Blue-Eyed Boy". It tells the tale of how he was brought up by a Protestant family in Edinburgh as an adopted son, but then traced his birth parents and found out that his father was an Irish Catholic with IRA connections. It is well written and interesting.
|
|
|
Post by adamzappel on May 24, 2007 12:19:19 GMT
I thought we had better have a thread of recommendations for books of this genre. I can heartily recommend 'Billy' by Pamela Stephenson. It is a moving and, at times, unsettling, account of the life and career of one of Britain's favourite comedians. The fact that it is written by an ex-comedienne is startling. It is startlingly good, and the fact that Billy Connolly's wife is now a psychologist means that it is by no means just a description. There is a lot of analysis of why the 'Big Yin' is so anarchic. Just a minor detail, Blimely. I believe Pamela Stevenson is a psychotherapist, rather than a psychologist. I have always been a huge fan of Billy Connolly so I read the book in order to get to know him a little more. I found the book well-written, interesting and informative but nowhere near as revealing as I expected. I was hoping to meet the man behind the mask but that wasn't to be. His stage/film persona is so brilliant and appealing that I'm happy to go on taking him at face value. An incredibly talented man and a great communicator.
|
|
|
Post by lenityg on Jul 10, 2007 22:53:48 GMT
If you want a moving and funny and informative autobiography/biography the the two of us by Sheila Hancock I thought was wonderful. Am currently reading it for the third time
I actually didn't enjoy Moab is my washpot which suprised me as I thought anything that my lovely Stephen did would be amazing. As is my want read it again and enjoyed it slightly more. Will try one more time. Maybe you shouldn't read autobiographies by people you are obsessed with but that could just be me.
|
|
|
Post by Jim Possible on Jul 11, 2007 20:14:20 GMT
One of the best autobiography works I ever read was by England footballer, Terry Butcher. One of the worst was that of former England rugby captain Will Carling.
|
|