Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
My dog has no nose......, 21 Aug 2006
I am a big fan of the big man's writing, and decided to buy this book in the hope that it would be a reasonably amusing read. It wasn't. Gwen Russell manages to write about one of the country's most controversial and amusing celebrities, and manages to make it a very painful (and boring) read. She seems to have chosen him as a subject at random (who else has she written for!? Heat Magazine?!), then done some flimsy research, before sticking a huge picture of Jeremy Clarkson on the cover, and plastering her name on the book - including unashamadely on each of the pages inside! That should have been a warning, as well as the choice of photos - even they are awful! Talk about suckering in buyers and trying to make it on the back of someone else's success!
The only saving grace is that she collects various snippets about Clarkson together for the reader, but a couple of hours spent on the Internet would have generated just as much information. I learnt virtually nothing new about the subject from this book. Other reviewers can also testify to the mistakes, repetition, and amateurishly disjointed writing style of the author. The pages do thankfully pass by quickly due to the large 'John & Jane' font used to fill out the book!
I suggest you save your money, and wait for the paperback edition (or second hand one's - there should be plenty!) if you really MUST buy one of the worst biographies I have read. A great shame - and very disappointing. Better still, wait for Clarkson's next book - it will be a much better read than this twaddle! It has now been filed with my collection of Clarkson books as a curio - a swine amongst pearls! Mr Clarkson (if you're reading this), I suggest YOU write a biography about Gwen Russell in order to exact some revenge!
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
As the great man would say: if this book were a car, it would be a trabant., 28 Aug 2006
I too am a great fan of JC. His unwillingness to bow to the pressures of the PC lobby seems to increase as the years pass. Unfortunately, it would appear that he was rather too busy rubbishing Vectras when this appauling diatribe hit his desk. It is, without exception, the worst biography I have ever read. Not that it is inaccurate per se, that might even risk making it controversial, but that it is atrociously structured, badly written and just plain boring. A reader hoping to learn more about the man himself would be wise to consult Google or perhaps a copy of the Sunday Times rather than buy this book. What is also clear is that the relentless self-promotion of Clarkson himself is eclipsed only by that of his biographer who is at pains for us to know how jolly successful she has been.
I bought this book on a whim, but anyone considering it would be advised to wait until the man himself has committed pen to paper. After all, when directly quoted (on perhaps fifteen or so occasions throughout the entire book) he is side-splittingly hilarious.
Might I second the point made by a previous correspondent regarding the 'Janet and John' typography and suggest that if you do buy this book, you might pass it to the nearest 10 year old who could happily occupy an afternoon pointing out the outrageous errors including the 'Ford Sirocco' and unforgettable 'Hercules helicopter'. Ladies and Gentlemen, steer clear.
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27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Has Gwen Russell even met Jeremy Clarkson, 7 Aug 2006
I generally read a biography to find out interesting and unknown stories and information about the life of an individual in which I am interested.
I enjoy Jeremy Clarksons approach to life and looked forward to reading a biography of his life.
I was very dissapointed with this book, I could have written a similar book and probably achieved less typographical errors!
The sources appear to be purely public domain and the same information is constantly repeated in what I can only assume is an attempt to pad out the book.
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