Listen Legally to Popular Titles Full Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

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Title: Amy, My Daughter

Author: Mitch Winehouse

Narrator: Mitch Winehouse, Rupert Farley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-05-12

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

In this intimate account of Amy Winehouse's life, music, and untimely death, her father Mitch Winehouse gives readers full access to his daughters private life in the midst of her immensely public triumphs and tragedies.

Amy Winehouse needs no introduction. A critically acclaimed recording artist, Amy touched millions with her music during her short but extraordinary life. Following her tragic death in July 2011, Mitch Winehouse wants to tell her incredible story in full.

Amy, My Daughter will take the reader through her mischievous early years, her rise to stardom and to her much publicised struggles with addiction. The book will bring the many layers of her life together - the personal, the private, and the public - to create a fitting tribute to his much loved daughter.

Using exclusive extracts from the diary Mitch kept that details shocking and concerning events in his daughter's life, Amy, My Daughter promises to be the definitive book on an iconic figure who, although tragically taken at an early age, has left a musical legacy that will enthral audiences for many years to come.

All proceeds from the book will be donated to The Amy Winehouse Foundation, the charity that Mitch has established in Amys name to help children and young adults facing difficulty and adversity in their lives.

Members Reviews:

Mitch, Amy's Father

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the narrative had been less about Mitch the father and more about Amy the artist. It was painfully obvious that performance anxiety was at the root of the substance abuse YET performance was again and again encouraged and expected. Every time I heard the words "I recorded in my diary" it sounded like an awful, awful cashing in on family celebrity.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mitch Winehouse again?

Never.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Mitch Winehouse and Rupert Farley ?

Ummm...Amy's mother?

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment in how much insight I gained into the psyche of Mitch, but how very little was revealed about Amy.

Any additional comments?

God bless each and every one of our children. May their spirits soar...

Wonderful and heartbreaking

Disclaimer: Im a huge fan of Amy and like many others, embrced her into my heart from the second i heard her voice.

This book was eye opening in every sense. Not only about Amy, but also on being a parent to an alcoholic and a drug abusive daughter. I would recommend the book to anyone who can read of listen to it. I think it's important to realize what a difficult and unforgiving life can be when abusing a drug of any sort.

On top of that, Amy's story shold be heard on any corner of the world. She was an inspiration with a voice of a goddess and uncompromising honesty and she must never be forgotten. Love.

Amy Winehouse. A lost soul x

Amy was an incredible young woman who touched the hearts of many. She is very much missed and this book does her justice xx

What a story

The Life of an amazing Woman, told by her Closest friend - her father. A very honest story of a wonderful person and incredible talented artist.

Recommended

A great read about an icon who is sadly missed.

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Title: Jackie O: On the Couch

Subtitle: Inside the Mind and Life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis

Author: Alma H. Bond

Narrator: Cynthia Wallace

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-12

Publisher: Bancroft Press

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Jackie O: On the Couch is the story of Jackie Kennedy Onassis as she might have written it.

This is not just another biography. For the first time, Jackie O: On the Couch highlights Jackie's life from her own perspective, as imagined by author Dr. Alma Bond, a psychoanalyst and long-time student of Jackie lore.

The facts are all historically correct, as are the ideas, the Washington intrigue and politics, and the examination of the role of women in society and in the White House. Jackie speaks of her need to record her story truthfully - to replace the hodgepodge of lies published during her lifetime. Speaking as an older woman, she ponders how her points of view have changed from those she held when she was young.

The book delves into her childhood and explores how and why Jackie became the person she was. It also explores the Kennedys, and how John F. Kennedy's background affected his marriage. Jackie's deep love for Jack, his early inattentiveness, their difficulties together, his outrageous womanizing, happy times at the White House, and the tragedy of his assassination - all are viewed through Jackie's eyes.

Jackie writes of her need for Aristotle Onassis, debunking the notion that she married him purely for his money, and traces the joyful early years of the marriage through to its dramatic collapse and Ari's difficult death.

A different Jackie emerges into the world of publishing. Her new persona allows her to establish her very best relationship with the stout and adoring Maurice Tempelsman, until non-Hodgkins lymphoma takes her life in 1994, at age 64.

Jackie O: On the Couch is a unique exploration of the life and loves of a great historical figure. Jackie Kennedy Onassis deeply prized her privacy and, as a result, she was both revered and mysterious. In this book, much of the mystery is shed as Jackie finally emerges as a fully fleshed-out, three-dimensional person - a true human being, with enormous strengths and shortcomings, who all of us can now understand and appreciate, perhaps for the first time.

Members Reviews:

Not very subtle portrait of a lady

I am not an ardent admirer of JKO, and have little interest in her life other than its historical period, but I do like auto- and biographical fiction --- so when I read a glowing professional review of this, I downloaded it promptly. I wasn???t as prompt in slogging through it, however.

In places this is almost stream of consciousness ??? portrait of Mrs Dalloway???s inner "adult child of..."; the style must have been tough to narrate, and I don???t think the narrator was a good match for the job. Later chapters were interesting for their take on external political events, but the internal life still leaves me feeling like an unwilling voyeur or tabloid reader, however sympathetic the overall portrait.

Although I'm not squeamish about reading sordid details or mixed motives of historical actors, I think I prefer them mediated by a traditional biographer or through literary devices such as imagined journals. Although this masqueraded as a memoir written by Jackie O, it was more like ramblings from the analyst's couch in places.

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Title: Snakes and Ladders

Author: Dirk Bogarde

Narrator: Andrew Sachs

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-01-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

This is the second volume of Dirk Bogarde's autobiography, covering the time between his experiences at an army camp at Catterick to his role as von Aschenbach in the film Death in Venice. Since 1947 he has starred in more than 60 films, especially during the 1950s and 60s, including The Night Porter and Despair. Among his other volumes of autobiography are A Postillion Struck by Lightning, An Orderly Man, and Backcloth. He has also written novels: A Gentle Occupation, Voices in the Garden, and West of Sunset.

Members Reviews:

Good try Mr Sachs, but not Dirk.

Would you listen to Snakes and Ladders again? Why?

Definitely. I am revisiting all Dirk's work, written and filmed. Without Snakes and Ladders there would be a huge gap in the timeline.

What other book might you compare Snakes and Ladders to, and why?

The other books in Dirk Bogarde's series of biography.

Have you listened to any of Andrew Sachss other performances? How does this one compare?

No, but I would in the future. He is an excellent performer.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, finding it, like the others, impossible to stop listening.

Any additional comments?

All the other books in this series are read by the author. One gets used to the soft, mellifluous voice, probably the most beautiful I have heard. Andrew Sachs is an excellent reader - but, sadly, not Dirk. However, I still liked the book and got used to Mr Sachs, although he speaks slightly too quickly - just a personal opinion.

A snapshot of Dirk's early career.

Nearly a great book but falls slightly short of the mark because the man himself is not narrating. Having been spoiled by my last book about Dirk, read by Dirk, (a short walk from Harrods), I was anticipating greatness. I missed his excellent pronunciation and his delivery. Some great stories about his time in the Army and later on, a few of his famous friends, but the delivery lacked lustre for me.

An outstanding performance

You have to be a VERY courageous reader to step into the famous shoes of Dirk Bogarde and read his autobiography. We all know what Bogarde sounds like and after all he has read every other of his books. But Andrew Sachs is an audiobook star in his own right, and this reading is very simply as good as it gets. I enjoyed the content - Bogarde does tell a good tale and it is in this book that we hear of the background to Death in Venice and other key films; but time and again my attention dwelt upon Andrew Sachs. Natural expression, fluent, easy, communicative, slightly tight as I imagine Bogarde was. Totally believable. Audio bigraphy at its best, even though it wasn't the writer!!!

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Title: Hard Driving: The Wendell Scott Story

Author: Brian Donovan

Narrator: Kiff VandenHeuvel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-27-12

Publisher: steerforth press l.l.c.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Hard Driving is the dramatic story of one man's dogged determination to live the life he loved, and to compete, despite daunting obstacles, at the highest level of his sport.

Wendell Scott figured he was signing up for trouble when he became NASCAR's version of Jackie Robinson in the segregated 1950s. Some speedways refused to let him race. ''Go home, nigger,'' spectators yelled. And after a bigoted promoter refused to pay him, Scott appealed directly to the sport's founder, NASCAR czar Bill France Sr. France made a promise Scott would never forget, that NASCAR would never treat him with prejudice.

For the next two decades, Scott chased a dream whose fulfillment depended on France backing up that promise. Persevering through crashes, health problems, and money troubles, Scott remained convinced he had the talent to become one of NASCAR's best.

Hard Driving documents a previously untold chapter in the history of integration, politics, and sports in America. It reveals how France, founder of the multibillion-dollar NASCAR empire, reneged on his pledge and allowed repeated discrimination against Scott by racing officials and other powerful figures. It details France's alliances with leading segregationist politicians, such as George Wallace; the reluctance of auto executives, such as Lee Iacocca, to sponsor a black driver; and the inspiring support Scott received from white drivers, such as nascar champions Ned Jarrett and Richard Petty, who admired his skill and tenacity.

Critic Reviews:

"Donovan's writing is well-paced and measured, clearly depicting the complex atmosphere of race relations in the segregated South. His extensive reporting, including interviews with Scott before he died in 1990, combined with his descriptive and enjoyable prose about racing, make this book a deeply compelling story." (Publishers Weekly)

"Donovan has produced one of the most compelling sports biographies of this or any year. A must-read for NASCAR fans." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Paints a Much Broader Picture

I think many of the other excellent reviews here captured perfectly the essence of this book and Scott's struggle to race. The eye opener for me was the larger picture, that of the deep seated and comprehensive racism that existed at the time. We've seen the pictures of screaming faces in the street innumerable times, but what we haven't glimpsed is how that same intolerance existed at the very highest levels of American politics, culture and even the corporate boardroom. Wendell Scott's only real crime was that he inadvertently peeled back a lot of wood and found some very nasty creatures living underneath.

I followed up the book with the ESPN documentary on the same subject (in which the author is interviewed extensively). Regrettably, their white washing of the France's family's direct involvement and support for some of the worst and most powerful racists of the day shows that much of the prejudice Scott fought against is still very much alive.

Outstanding Read

What a great read. I never knew all of what Wendell had to go thru just to race. Racism was so big and large in Nascar even when Bill France Sr told Wendell that he would be treated fairly. I recommend very highly for you to read this book. Wendell Scott was an amazing man.

A True Story of A Real Stock Car Hero..

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Title: Look Back in Hunger

Author: Jo Brand

Narrator: Jo Brand

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 01-12-12

Publisher: Headline Audiobooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Jo Brand is one of Britain's funniest and best-loved comedians. With a sharp eye for the absurd and in her own unique voice, she tells her story for the first time. What possessed her to become a professional comedian in the cut-throat world of stand-up comedy after 10 years as a psychiatric nurse? How did she deal with late-night drunken audiences? Raised in middle class comfort, Brand left home in her teens to live with someone entirely inappropriate.

Her parents were aghast at her behaviour and attempted to rein in her excesses, finally giving up when she demonstrated that she was not headed for the life of a nun. From her early years growing up in a small south coast town with two brothers who toughened her up, to emerging on stage as 'The Sea Monster', Jo Brand tells it like it is with wit, candour, and a wonderful sense that life can be ridiculous but there's always a funny side.

Members Reviews:

Look back in laughter

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book without hesitation.She is an incredibly funny lady, who has had to withstand the slings and arrows of unappreciative audiences to get where she is now.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked following her journey to the career she now has.It was not an easy path, she is incredible resilient and brave woman.

Have you listened to any of Jo Brands other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have seen her do stand up, as well as various cameos in British sitcoms.I loved her in Getting On, fabulous show. Jo Brand does not disappoint here either.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked the book as a whole she has had to overcome a lot to get to where she is .

Any additional comments?

She has a dry sense of humour, that anyone would appreciate.A funny book with a lot of pathos. A lesson to us all that if we believe in ourselves we can accomplish anything.

Much too short!

Having listened to a lot of audiobiographies which are usually around the eight/ten hour mark, I was certainly disappointed to find that this was only two hours. Never mind being split into two separate downloads as is often the case, this was separated into just two chapters! The content is fairly interesting, although it`s not a comedy book or funny as has been pointed out. It`s obviously not intended to be funny as it`s a memoir so I can`t understand reviews suggesting otherwise. Overall it`s fairly interesting and killed a couple of hours on the train but... very short!

brilliant, I love Jo brand

Jo is really funny I have always liked her dry wit,would really like to see her live one day

Jo Brand!!

Loved it - this was my first Jo Brand book and it certainly won't be my last. I Loved it as I love her delivery. Listened from start to finish in one shot.

Amazing book and FUNNY

Would you consider the audio edition of Look Back in Hunger to be better than the print version?

I listened to this in the car on a long journey down south along with the other of Jo's audiobooks on here. I have to say, I enjoyed them both so much and she did make me chuckle as always. Full of interesting anecdotes as her interesting story is told. I love Jo, and her story, narrated beautifully in typical joyous 'Jo' style was a pleasure to listen to. I think she's awesome. I listen to her reading more stuff actually. She just makes me smile.

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Title: Bravemouth: Living with Billy Connolly

Author: Pamela Stephenson

Narrator: Pamela Stephenson

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-12-12

Publisher: Headline Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Billy, the ground-breaking biography of the nation's favourite iconoclast, gave millions of readers a fascinating insight into the personal and professional life of the genius that is Billy Connolly. Now, in the sequel to that best-selling book, the award-winning Pamela Stephenson celebrates life with the Scottish beastie as he hits the big six-oh.

Here we relive colourful and epic moments from Billy's early life in Glasgow - the background to an intimate portrait of his marriage with Pamela and his life in Scotland, L.A., and the rest of the world. Witty, insightful and intimate, Bravemouth draws the reader into two very different worlds - hers of international sexology and the serious psychology of humorists, his of incontinence pants, being married to a shrink... and the finer points of banjo playing.

Members Reviews:

The Big Yid

Would you listen to Bravemouth: Living with Billy Connolly again? Why?

Yes I would, it was very funny.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked getting the first hand story from a woman who should know, his wife.

Which character as performed by Pamela Stephenson was your favorite?

Billy.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No particular moment, just a nice snap shot of life with Billy.

Any additional comments?

Anyone who has followed Billy's story will enjoy this.

Not what I expected

Whilst she is probably more than qualified to narrate this book , she has probably the worst Scottish accent I have heard and its content is a bit dull

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Title: Bette and Joan and Baby Jane

Author: Tracy-Ann Oberman

Narrator: Tracy-Ann Oberman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-12

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

On 23 July 1961, filming started on "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" at the Producers Studio, Hollywood. It was a film that industry insiders thought would never be made, as its two female stars had an on-going feud as famous and as long lasting as both of their glittering screen careers. Bette Davis "the actress" and Joan Crawford "the movie star" both arrived on set determined to prove everyone wrong, including each other. . .

Tracy-Ann Obermans first radio play tells the story of the making of a legendary film, of the creation of two iconic stars and of the origins of a deep-seated hatred that spanned five decades.

Members Reviews:

RADIO PLAY!

It was a radio play!! ARGH! - I feel so stupid for not catching that part. I wanted info about the rivalry, not a production that teaches me nothing.

Bleh - total total total waste.

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Title: My Week With Marilyn

Author: Colin Clark

Narrator: Eddie Redmayne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-27-11

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

A delightfully comic and touchingly romantic interlude in which Colin Clark describes for the first time what happened between Marilyn Monroe and himself during the missing week in The Prince, the Showgirl and Me.

In 1956, fresh from Eton and Oxford, the 23-year-old Colin Clark (son of Lord Clark of Civilisation, brother of maverick Tory MP and diarist Alan) worked as a humble gofer on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, the film that disastrously united Laurence Olivier with Marilyn Monroe.

Forty years on, his diary account was chosen as book of the year by Jilly Cooper, Joan Collins and others. But one week was missing. This is the story of that week, a delicious idyll in which he escorted a Monroe desperate to escape from the pressures of stardom. Her new husband Arthur Miller was away, and the coast was clear for Colin to introduce her to the pleasures of British life. How he ended up sharing her bed is a tale too rich to summarise!

Critic Reviews:

"The immediacy and charm of Clarks recollections are possibly more illuminating than the millions of words and pictures pumped out to expose or dish the dirt on the Monroe legend" (Helen Osborne, Sunday Times)

"Beguiling, touching and compassionate." (Melanie McGrath, Evening Standard)

"An extraordinary story." (Frank Johnson, Spectator)

Members Reviews:

Short but definitely worth a listen.

I was reluctant to watch the film when it was released, fearing it would be a sensationalist "kiss and tell". When I finally saw the film I was pleasantly suprised. The film turns out to be a pretty accurate portayal of the book. If you want sensational or sordid then avoid this book. If you want a brief, and sympathetic, glimpse into a very short period of Marylin Monroe's life then this is it! Colin Clark's recollection of Marylin is captivating and Eddie Redmayne's narration is superb.

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Title: Babe Ruth

Author: Kal Wagenheim

Narrator: Richard Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-20-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Babe Ruth grew from his adolescence in a Baltimore orphanage into a baseball superstar and national treasure. But he was also a product of his time, the colorful 1920s and 1930s. A sparkling collage of narratives from the Babe, those who knew him, and the media makes this an exceptional biography as well as a work of cultural history.

Members Reviews:

Great pre-season baseball read!

enjoyable easy reading. lots of info on personal life of Ruth but good balance with baseball stories.

Babe Ruth

Great telling of his life! Both the good and the bad. From his youth till his passing. Easy read and well written.

Greatest read.

Brilliant. The good and not-so- good of a baseball legend that one can't help loving. There was no one like him. There will never be anyone like him.

It's A Homer!

In "Babe Ruth" Kal Wagenhem introduces the reader to one of the greatest icons of American sport. From his home in Baltimore through the minor leagues, the major leagues and retirement we see the man behind the hero. Wagenhem does an excellent job of interweaving baseball with life.

Through the pages we meet the dichotomy that is Babe Ruth. Though America's greatest sports hero, he never learned to take care of himself. Though he could afford any car he wanted, he needed them because he never really learned to drive safely. Despite achieving riches unimaginable for an athlete of his day, he never quite crossed to the right side of the tracks. Despite a life dripping with debauchery, he never left the Church in which he had been raised. A vocal supporter of Al Smith, he did not register to vote until long after the Smith era. After having established himself as an outstanding pitcher, he became the game's greatest hitter.

The baseball world of Ruth's day is portrayed as differing greatly from that of today. In the off season players doubled their earnings on barnstorming tours. Players rode trains rather than planes. Some abused booze rather than drugs, but Oh, they played the game and the Babe dominated it as no other player has before or since.

Babe's life was a combination of triumph and tragedy, fulfillment and despair. The road from the top was bumpy for he Babe. His dream to manage never fulfilled, Babe resented a world which, though it was his life, he never really understood.

This book changed my view of Babe Ruth. He emerges as a figure despiseable and lovable, heroic and irresponsible, admired and pitied. The ability to lead the reader to see a different viewpoint is a test of a good book. By this measurement "Babe Ruth" hits a homer.

A good book for any baseball fan

I really enjoyed this book. As a baseball fan (and a NYY fan), I had to read about Ruth. A great person from some aspects, this book took a look at the Babe from every point of view. It showed Ruth from his private and public life, his love life to his Saturday night (to Sunday morning)life. This was a very good book.

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Title: Botham: My Autobiography

Subtitle: Don't tell Kath

Author: Ian Botham

Narrator: Robin Askwith

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-07-11

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

This unique book tells the story of his life in words and images, covering his career.

AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME! This unique book tells the story of his life in words and images, covering his career at Somerset, Durham and Worcestershire, his unsurpassed England outings and ascendancy to the captaincy, and his many other interests, including his charity work and conservation trips and not forgetting his incredible stint at Scunthorpe United.

Members Reviews:

An interesting but brief summary of a hero

I liked the frank and honest way he described his career and decisions in life.

A very well narrated book that I would recommend to any cricket fans!