Biographies of Famous People

Moonwalk – Michael Jackson’s Only Autobiography

bioboy — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:50:13 +0000

Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

bioboy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:43:44 +0000

Mick Foley Autobiography – Have a Nice Day! A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks

bioboy — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:57:39 +0000

True Compass: A Memoir by Edward M. Kennedy

bioboy — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:12:44 +0000

Jane Austen Biography – A Fascinating Look at the Writer

bioboy — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:59:34 +0000

Jane Austen: A Life

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $16.00

Amazon Price: $10.88

‘Jane Austen: A Life’ provides a peek into Austen’s life outside her manuscripts and writings. Tomalin poured tons of research and personal deduction to unveil Austen’s shroud of mystery to her audience. Readers of ‘A Life’ will find a refreshing non-feminist take on Austen’s personal life, her accomplishments, dealings and relationships.

Claire Tomalin approaches the private life of Austen with a critical eye, weighing accounts of everyone that ever came to know Austen, be it her neighbors and relatives. Tomalin also included a fascinating analysis of Austen’s writings in relation to her life.

Tomalin dug into the lives of Jane Austen’s living descendants and explores the history of her lineage. The author also makes her own perspective known the the audience, with intelligent deduction since so little is known to the public about Austen. However, she leaves the reader with facets of factual findings and lets the reader deduce the truth for themselves.

Reading this book feels like you have been transported back in late eighteenth century, where you get a cue of how society functions back then. Close family members and friends were portrayed with a sense of realness that all the more enriches this biography.

Austen’s life circumstance of rags to recognition is retold, revealing Austen’s admirable strengths and quality through tough times. Austen’s travels and her encounters with interesting individuals makes this book an interesting read. Fans will definitely feel more intimate with Austen, rekindling the desire to reread Austen’s classic collection after reading this biography.

Patrick Swayze Biography – ‘The Last Dance’ Review

bioboy — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:40:26 +0000

Patrick Swayze: One Last Dance

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $24.99

Amazon Price: $16.49

With the sad passing of Patrick Swayze, author Wendy Leigh accounts the trials and tribulations of the famous actor in detail entitled “One Last Dance”. This Patrick Swayze biography talks about his colorful childhood growing up in his dancer-mother’s studio to his meeting of the love of his life, Lisa Niemi.

Readers will be delighted to find juicy details about his long lasting love affair with Lisa, his soul searching period in New York, early development from rookie actor to famous superstar in Hollywood and an insider look at the set of Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Point Break and other notable movies.

Leigh also deals with sensitivity Swayze’s dwindling state when he first found out that he his cancer of the pancreas and recounts his heroic battle with the disease with admirable compassion. Swayze is portrayed with dignity till his very last breath.

What is enjoyable about One Last Dance is that the readers will feel as though as they are invited into Swayze’s private world without feeling invasive nor voyeuristic because it is written as a dedicated tribute to the sexy and charismatic performer.

We get a strong sense of Swayze’s intriguing character, his strong personality and personal warmth through empathetic voice of Wendy Leigh. Although this book is both entertaining and well researched, it is laden with jargon that laypeople might have to look up in the dictionary every now and then.

This though might be might not be a total off-putting attribute for all Swayze fans who will find their literal slog well worth the effort. This book is, afterall, one that fans will relish and come to remember Swayze with graceful light. A must read for all who loved, watched and “danced” with the late entertainer.