The Autobiographies
In a society like today where everyone has become celebrity obsessed it doesn't come as a surprise to find that many of the top selling books of every year are some of the latest celebrity autobiographies. Some of these are long awaited celebrity life stories like; Sharon Osbourne, Julie Walters, Terry Wogan and Gary Barlow. There have also been surprising hits like Jade Goody's autobiography and unsurprising flops like Chantelle Hougton, Ashley Cole. Then you have the likes of Katie Price who has released 4 autobiographies in the last 5 years (all ghost written of course). On this page of Facet we will give you the low down of the best autobiographies and the ones to leave on the shelf!
Dawn French Dear Fatty
Dawn French is probably one of the most loved English comedians in the UK so it's no surprise her autobiography hit the best sellers list in 2008. Her book takes the form of letters to people past and present in her life that have made a difference to her, many of which are to her dad who killed himself when she was 19. French's letters to her dad throughout the book are the cause of many tears, in a number of letters she tells her dad about the things in her life he has missed, her marriage to Lenny Henry, the arrival of their adopted daughter Billie, as well as her public and personal achievements.
French wrote her entire book by pencil and pad because she isn't good with computers. She also found it difficult to open up about her life to people she didn't know, but then knew the whole point of the book was to do so. French someone to come in and interview her mum Roma and her 100 year old Grandma so she was sure she got everything write. By doing this it made her come up with the idea of writing to the people in her life, and the title is that to her best friend and comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, fatty is French's nickname for Jennifer which is a long running joke between them.
French's great humour is found throughout the book; like a joke letter to Madonna, another joke with Saunders after Madonna wouldn't appear on one of their shows. The main theme in her book the loving relationship between her and her father, she speaks nothing but fondness of both her parents, saying her childhood was nothing but happy, not even knowing that her father suffered from depression, which later caused him to take his life saying her mother and father hid it from her and her brother. Her fondness of her mother Roma is also shown in the book, when French wanted to not go to college after her dads death her mum would have it, and Roma turned her life around turning her hand at a variety of things like helping drug addicted mums kept hold of their children.
During her book she talks openly about her marriage troubles, when Lenny spent time in The Priory, her 2 miscarriages, the adoption of Billie, her first boyfriend, who helped her through her dads suicide, who she was set to marry and who then later broke her heart by sleeping with another women as well as discussing her weight issues.
In short if you love Dawn French and even if you just think she's a bit funny' Dear Fatty is a great read and you are likely to come out of it loving her!
Michael Parkinson Parky: My Autobiography
Parky is one of the most loved television personalities and prize winning journalists, and this showed when he released his book and it became an instant best seller. The book starts at his Yorkshire mining family routes and follows his journey to becoming one of the most loved celebrity figures that he is today.
Parky talks about his childhood with lots of love and fondness, he remembers at 10 years old his father asking him if he wanted to spend his life working in the mine like him, and him replying with Nay father', for his father to reply by telling him to get his head out of his own bum and up others! He grew up in the Yorkshire town of Barnsley, to a family with no money, like everyone else, having to queue for a weekly bath, but never the less he had a very happy childhood. He talks about leaving school after his O Levels to work at his local newspaper, and becoming obsessed with celebrities after meeting a Miss World (who later married Michael Caine) on a train journey.
The book follows how he became the celebrity interviewer for the Daily Express, which was where his famous interviewing style first got noticed and landed him his well known Television programme, Parkinson, in which he interview more that 2,000 famous faces from 1982 to 2007 (changing from the BBC to ITV in between). He talks about the people he has had on his show, from greats like Muhammad Ali, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and many more, to the lows of the Meg Ryan interview.
Parky also talks of his utter love for his family, his wife Mary who he married in 1959 and who he has 3 children with. The book goes through them bringing up their own children, to having his children bringing up their own, and Parky becoming a Granddad to his much loved 8 Grand Children.
Parky's book is a real page turner, getting to look into someone's life who has been involved in the broadcasting world for as long as Parky has. Reading the book feels like a addition of his great television programme, making it a must read book!
Sharon Osbourne - Extreme
After being married to rocker Ozzy Osborne, daughter of notorious music manager Don Arden and having the crew of MTV following hers and her families lives 24/7 for 3 years for the hit show The Osbournes and a survivor of Bowel Cancer, it didn't come as a surprise that as soon as her book was released it went straight to Number 1, the book very much lives up to the title.
Extreme takes the form of both a short diary and a book, between every chapter there are a few pages in which Sharon talks about her live as she's writing the book. In a very frank and honest account of her life (and let's face it who would expect any different from Sharon) you get to see the true Sharon and her life exactly as it happened. She talks about growing up with her father Don, how she would cover for him when the debt collectors were round, and her life turned when she met married rocker Ozzy, fell out with her father and took on the management of Ozzy when he got kicked his band Black Sabbath.
Sharon talks about her problems with her weight, suffering from bulimia her addiction to eating as well as her endless trips under the knife. She talks in more detail about the parts of her life we already know about, her marriage problems, when Ozzy tried to kill her, the drugs and raising their children together. The book also shows the move from the Sharon behind Ozzy to the Sharon in front of the camera in The Osbournes and her time on The X Factor, her relationship with Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and her very public dislike of Dannii Minogue.
The book is also about her survival of Bowel Cancer which she was diagnosed with during the MTV show, how she coped and how her family coped. Also in the book is the devastating accident in which she nearly lost the love of her life, Ozzy when he came off the back of a quad bike.
Even though they have had they highs and lows and what seems like almost an unbelievable life one thing you get throughout the whole of Sharon's book is the unmistakable love she has for her husband and family. Reading her book feels almost like a rollercoaster, it is full of big highs and huge lows, but also shows Sharon's great charm, humour and her great business eye!
Sheila Hancock Just Me
Sheila Hancock is one of Britain's most loved comic actresses, married to fellow National treasure John Thaw for 29 years right until his sad death in 2002, after writing their joint book The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw' after his death. The book was an honest and open account of their life together, about his alcoholism, depression and when they separated for a time, it wasn't a surprise that her own autobiography was a best seller.
Just Me' follows Sheila and how she dealt with the loss of John and who she rebuilt her life after he'd gone, Sheila tells her story with fantastic wit, charm and wonderful description. Throughout the book she gives and honest account of how life as a window is for her, spending time on her own in hers and Johns favourite home in France, how it feels to be there without him.
The book shows honestly how she didn't want to move on from remembering John, saying frankly that she would still think he would walk through the door to see her, how her grief had moved to a state of chronic depression. Walking around their beloved French house, she had stopped seeing everything they had been fond off and she instead saw everything that needed doing, that she couldn't do without John and so she chose to sell the house and move on.
Move on is what she does and the book sees her cope honestly and frankly and come out the other side, able to see life without John and just remember their life and many memories together. Being a Quaker Sheila chose to live life their way, live adventurously'. She set about travelling, joining a group of solo travellers to Budapest and then to Thailand on her own, she knew she needed to get used to it. Whilst travelling in the book she visits Venice and Berlin and remembers fondly a holiday with her beloved husband.
The book is filled with many laughs, like when she argues with the Budapest tour guide, gets arrested due to her two last names arising suspicions, all events which she turns to with great humour. During the last chapter she goes to Germany to trace her family history as part of a BBC documentary. She talks about life as an older woman, in an Italian spar she lies down quickly because the slack of your skin lies flatter'. This book is a great read, it's one that can help widows through their own grief but also for an fans, or just any Joe Blogs to read, its honest, endearing and heartfelt.
Julie Walters That's Another Story
Julie Walters is a fantastic actress, comic and personality which is why she is one of Britain's most adored national treasures. Hers long awaited autobiography That's Another Story doesn't at all disappoint as it is a great read.
Walters starts from the very beginning, talking in fondness of her childhood, how her and her brothers would but on shows in their garage for their local friends in the neighbourhood, little did she know then that she would be acting for the national when she grew up. In fact Walters first trained as a nurse, working on a women's ward in hospital in her home town of Birmingham. She tells a story during her time as a nurse of when she was dishing out lunch to find one of the women had died, she didn't want to raise any awareness to the other patients, so went on feeding her as normal. This wasn't successful when one of the patients called Florries (the patient) has fallen asleep', to Walters surprise Florrie have fallen face first into the soup, later to be followed by rigor mortis resulting in her arm flying in the air!
Walters's stories aren't just funny but touching as well as the characters becoming animated at times through her great writing. She was the daughter of a builder and decorator and a mother who had, to quote Walters an incomparable sense of drama'. They didn't have much money, but Walters's talks of an enjoyable childhood in which her parents were happy and in love, they would holiday as a family in Blackpool and Walters admits that as a young girl she was actually incredibly shy.
She brings humour to events of her teenage years, and admits how everything seemed to fit into place after she'd done her first day at drama school. She talks of her big break alongside Michael Caine in Educating Rita and of both her great working and personal relationship with her comic partner Victoria Wood. Walters talks about the great people she has worked with and of course the birth of her daughter Maisie. The book is funny, charming and warm throughout, a great read.