A common man,a common reader. (Top Ten Biographies)

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Product:	Top Ten Biographies
Date:	29/11/01 (67 review reads)
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Advantages: Everyday books for everyday folks, Not pretencious, Esy to read

Disadvantages: Late trains, Channel Fives reception in the midlands, Taxi drivers

If you are a pretentious git and you are reading Tolskoys second thirty years with the feet on the coffee table resting on Stephen Hawkins “Brief History of Time, then you wont want to be reading this opinion for inspiration and further reading hints.
Where as if you are totally normal and read books that make you smile, and not a git, then read on.

Ten good reads and not in order.

1) GARY NELSONS “LEFTFOOT FORWARD”
It’s probably the definitive football book on the life and time of the contemporary lower football league player. As an ex slugger out in division one and two, the Charlton player s autobiog covers his root into the game and his rise to almost the top.
A jouneymans tale to the extreme with lots of funny moments and a great insight of the life of a thirty something player hanging on in there.

2) SIMON HUGHES…. ANOTHER HARD YAKKA…..This one like the other sports autobiog i enjoyed, won the book of the year in the late nineties. Its another portrayal of a not so star player who makes a few quid from the sport he loves.
Cricket is the subject of this one as we follow the life and time on the author slugging it out for the mighty Middlesex CCC.
It’s funny, and funnier still if you follow the game and the players. The guy who wrote this now writes for The Times and is the expert in the blacked out van on Channel Fours excellent cricket coverage.
A must for lovers of leather on willow. Its not a fuddy duddy typical cricket read either and it’s very sharp and well written.

3) URI GELLAR…….I forget the name of the title but was pleasantly surprised how good a read this was.The enigmatic spoon bender has bamboozled many,even the greatest of sceptics.Its nice to have a little insight on where all that mystery came from.
Weather he’s a con or not, you get a fascinating insight into his rise to mega stardom and all the benefits. Theres mor
e to this guy and the book leaves open the question if there is more to the spoon bender.
Be warned, strange things happened to me during and just after I read it.

4) DAVID LE ROTH..CRAZY FROM THE HEAT…..To be honest im only half way through this as its my reading for jury service. And so far its been superb as the surprisingly articulate ex Van Halen frontman cajoles his life from college band to Rock God.
Its intelligent and funny with lots of references to old washed out rock dude household names and the rivalry between the ax men and mike jocks. If you ever wanted to know what goes on when the last amp roles into the truck, read on.

5) ROBERT DE NIRO….It wasn’t such the man that was interesting in the book but the Scorces relationship.
The two have done their best work together and look last apart. Theres a lot of probing into the illusive method actors live in this biography and people in and around him.
Although the book and author never really get into the actor, theres tons who for admirers of Americas finest contemporary movie actor.

6) NICK HORNBY…. FEVER PITCH Another superb slant on the obsessive footy fan and what length’s they will go to see their team. The edge here is that the fan in question is a middle class boy who uses his growing love of the game through his life to explain his feelings on life and social class.
Football and middle England never used to be seen in the same take aways until the air to the Hornby fortune picked up a pen.
Very funny and crisp with lots of content for the foot hater, as well as connoisseurs of the beautiful game. Essential football literature reading. Shame about the movie though.

7) JIMMY WHITE,…,Behind the white ball…Ok the title says it all about the books intelligent content,or not.But the ghost writer was connected enough to the snooker maestro to produce a great read.
Theres not a lot more to The Whirlwin
d than the East Londoner you see on the screen. But boy has he some tales to tell on the seedier side of the game.
Its packed full of anecdotes and stories, most of them involving his great mate The Hurricane.He even saw Steve Davis drunk.
It’s funny and informative as the star gives himself up totally to the biography.
Lets hope he can write the epilogue again by winning the big one.

8) STEPHEN SPIELBERG…..I’m a big fan of his movies like most so what better a read than his biography. Theres tone of stories about fellow directors and film set debacles, including the legendary Jaws set and the not so menacing shark.
The early year’s stuff is tiresome but if you stick with it, your are invited into the director’s magical world. Lots of people with good words for the genius Spielberg us, and not a lot of detractors.nice guy, significant director of the twentieth century.

9) GEORGE LUCAS…..Again you just have to read up on these guys if you loved their films. Ok he only made five, but man are they’re some good snippets about behind the scenes on the actors and sets.
If you are a Star Wars nut than this will blow your socks off!.
If you’re a film nut then it will blow your slippers off. Very unofficial biography.

10) SYLVESTER STALLONE…..A ROCKY LIFE……The title is as original as the book with variety magazine show biz legend Frank Sennello giving us the low down on Sly.
This is a brilliant read and theres tons of things about all his famous movies and personal life that may spice up your public bus conversations.
It really is quite addictive as you go from Slys early days in avante garde art movies to ”Stop or my Moma will shoot.
Now any guy who can go from those extremes is an interesting a guy.
He also claims to have an IQ of 147 and he wrote Stayin Alive with John Travolta.Theres a lot more to Rock than you think.


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