The greatest living Englishman? (Life On Air - David Attenborough)

Member Name: darren55

Product:	Life On Air - David Attenborough
Date:	07/09/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fabulous look at the life of an British institution

Disadvantages: None

If I ever had one chance to change place with someone it would be Sir David Attenborough, he's been my hero for many years with his brilliant natural history programmes and superb voice overs.

I can remember watching life on earth probably second or third time round in the early eighties which as a 24 part series was and still is breathtaking. Some programme makers might look at that series as the best moment in their career but David Attenborough went on and made so many wonderful natural history programmes. Here in this book he talks about his early days at the BBC, his time as the controller of BBC2 and his decision to leave his corporate role and make his award winning natural history programme Life On Earth.

The book is packed full with anecdotes and witty little asides and through it all you get the feeling that Davids voice can be heard with his famous voice telling you about his life. This is a true autobiography in that reading the book makes you feel that David is sat in a comfy armchair telling you his life story.

Yes, you get the sense that Sir David comes from a hugely priviledged background and that everything came very easy for a man with breeding, wealth and contacts but you never get the sense of pomposity or aloofness. Sir David comes across as a man who you'd love to have a drink with and he couold tell you about shooting eye-eyes in Madagascar or the Paradise birds or lonesome George or getting into a pit full of bat droppings, he'd do the talking and you'd just keep filling up his glass every now and again.

This book also has a record for the most pictures in any autobiography, there are four seperate images from the times and tides of his life and the people he's met and the animals he's shot. They are detailed, in colour mostly and for once linked to in the text in that the pictures have some kind of relevance to a particular chapter or anecdote in the main text.

David attenborough has been my hero for many years and when you consider great viewing moments, you start thinking about, well the scene with the Ugandan gorillas, or the bit with the bats at the bottom of that huge bat dropping hill, or the paradise birds, or the fin of a blue whale exploding just infront of his little boat. With my own favourite Attenborough moment is the chimps hunting down a columbus monkey and Attenborough saying in their behaviour we see echoes of our own in his sweat stained blue shirt.

He also reveals why he wears his famous blue shirt and canvas sacks, why he never learnt to drive, what his favourite piece he ever filmed and what happens when things go wrong.

This is a warm, enjoyable read about one of the legends in the world of TV natural history documentary makers, maybe the greatest of all makers of documentaries on any subject. Attenborough leads you throughhis life and through out its enjoyable, witty and endearing -much like the man you suspect.

Summary: Great book by a great man