Dress to Kill [Paperback]

Following his success as stand-up comic and theatrical performer, Eddie Izzard has turned his attentions to the written word. His first book, Dress to Kill, is a series of conversations with writer/presenter David Quantick that claim to reach "deep inside the most original head in Britain". Presented as a mixture of opinion and autobiography, Dress to Kill is a riveting, witty read that features a number of stunning photographs by Steve Double. These capture Izzard on and off the stage in London, New York and San Francisco, illustrating the subject's colourful persona, not to mention vast wardrobe and astonishing array of nail varnishes.

Izzard employs his unique conversational style to describe his journey from his birth in South Yemen through his itinerant childhood to coming out as a transvestite, and finally becoming a comic, media personality and film star. Those who have seen Izzard perform will immediately recognise the digressive meandering of his stream-of-consciousness anecdotes and monologues. Using this to great effect while discussing such topics as comedy, popular culture, sexuality and hairy mammals, he generally succeeds in firing the imagination. However, as anyone who has seen his shows and is later asked to "repeat one of his jokes" will discover, delivery of his material is of the essence. Confessing at the end of the book that he doesn't write his act down, we discover why, as occasionally it fails to transfer to the written page.

Although not as incisive as the bold claim on the inlay, Dress to Kill reveals the world of and according to Eddie Izzard, a world fascinating and humorous enough to be enjoyed by a much wider audience than his current fan base. --Robert Brookes

'Dress to Kill would make an excellent present for fans of this consistently outstanding and original comic: a sort of semi-ghosted autobiography with riffs about life, the universe and everything and a lot of photos, ranging from hilarious ones from the great man's childhood, and slightly embarrassing ones showing the grown-up Eddie being all dangerous and ambiguous in high heels and nail polish.' (Evening Standard) REVIEW 'From stealing lipstick at 15 to his first painful outing in high heels, comedian Eddie Izzard describes how he came to terms with being a transvestite.'

'Part surrealist comic invention, part poignant autobiography this bestseller is a telling journey through one of the most original minds in British comedy who has won huge acclaim for his unique brand of fractured humour.'

'Step into the mind- and the high heeled shoes- of Eddie Izzard in this part autobiography, part philosophical rant, part comedy routine...'

'With tons of photos and 100% chat, this collection of personal opinions sheds light on his quest to be a global stand up and it's fascinating to read him talk about the significance of his early days of street entertaining... a well packaged look at a genuine comedy enigma.'

'Izzard provides telling glimpses of his itinerant childhood, death of his mother, love of football, route to stand-up or encyclopaedic knowledge of films... Double's photography is beautifully shot and fashion conscious...'

Eddie Izzard - action transvestite, boy racer and male tomboy - spent the 1990s conquering Britain. As the decade ended, he looked further afield. "Dressed To Kill", his stand-up tour, saw him transport his high heels and off-the-shoulder numbers to New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, taking a natural comedian's delight in the differences separating the two sides of the Pond. In this book, he reflects on his birth in Yemen and his childhood in Northern Ireland, Wales and London, and muses on animals, male tomboys, street theatre, sex, crime, God, "The Great Escape", Bible stories starring Sean Connery and James Mason, and cats who dig for oil. He also reflects on the trials and tribulations of being an cross-dressing, surrealist comedian intent on making it in America.