 Trade In this Item for up to £0.50
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Sid James: Cockney Rebel for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.50, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Everyone thinks they know the Sid James story – the wife-beating womaniser who seduced his ‘Carry On’ leading lady, Barbara Windsor, and drank himself to death after the affair ended. Sid was certainly a lover of the flesh – be it chorus girls or race horses – but the rumours that have enlivened hundreds of newspaper exposes fail to tell the whole story of this complex actor. At turns a quiet, even-tempered family man and the ultimate lad, this book reveals every facet of his character through never before published correspondence with his family, friends and agent Michael Sullivan, forgotten press interviews and exclusive tales from Sid’s inner circle including Joan Sims (Carry On co-star), Sally Gleeson (Bless This House co-star), and scriptwriter Vince Powell, who crafted three sitcoms for Sid and made him the star of Thames Television. Sid James: The Authorised Biography reveals the actor’s many sides: the war hero, the saviour of Diana Dors, the seducer of his agent’s wife, the reluctant broadcaster, shrewd investor, and addicted gambler. Sid, who counts Jonathan Ross, Paul Merton, Ben Elton and Frank Skinner as loyal and devoted fans, is as popular today as he ever was. And this revealing biography will captivate anyone interested in learning more about this national treasure of comic acting. Robert Ross has been writing about and researching British entertainment history for more than a decade, and he has written 15 books dedicated to the best of British comedy from Monty Python to Benny Hill. He has appeared in dozens of TV programmes including What’s A Carry On? and Legends: Hattie Jacques. (20091005)
About the Author
Robert Ross has been writing about and researching British entertainment history for more than a decade. He is the author of 15 books on British comedy, ranging from Monty Python to Benny Hill and the Carry On films. He regularly appears on TV and Radio and has hosted sell-out events at the National Film Theatre, interviewing The Goodies and the League of Gentlemen on stage, as well as attending the Edinburgh Festival and interviewing classic comedy stars like Terry Jones and Melvyn Hayes. He lives in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Given that Sid James has become something of a cultural icon, he deserves a better bio than Ross has created. This was an uninspiring, mish-mash effort with the spelling and grammar of a dim sixth-former. There's no doubt he's put a lot of work into the book but it's all over the place - lacks continuity - and consequently becomes hard work to get through.
Ross was presumably trying to give a balanced picture of Sid by mentioning both his better and his less appealing qualities, but his cack-handed treatment of the subject is largely a clumsy stumble through Sid's life.
The author's enthusiasm is apparent, but this amateur offering does little justice to Sid, whose life and career could and should have been portrayed more skilfully.
Ross was presumably trying to give a balanced picture of Sid by mentioning both his better and his less appealing qualities, but his cack-handed treatment of the subject is largely a clumsy stumble through Sid's life.
The author's enthusiasm is apparent, but this amateur offering does little justice to Sid, whose life and career could and should have been portrayed more skilfully.
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Biographies tend to be sychophantic but this one manages to avoid being so. Content is interesting and detailed, however, the book is spoilt by the standard of grammar which is truly dreadful. Sentences are often single words. Many other sentences begin with 'And' or 'But' to name just two examples. The author's text must have been a mass of red and green underscores, assuming a word processor was used. I found the style irritating to the extent that a feeling of relief was experienced once I had finished the book.
Despite these failings one is left with a rounded picture of Sid James that covers all aspects of his life in a sympathetic way.
I will not be seeking other works by this author.
Despite these failings one is left with a rounded picture of Sid James that covers all aspects of his life in a sympathetic way.
I will not be seeking other works by this author.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Robert Ross has nothing to prove in terms of his loyalty to the Carry On genre and its exponents. He has submerged himself completely in the oeuvre and few could claim to know more than him. His biography of Sid is as much a loving tribute from an acolyte as the definitive work on this topic. I felt that his frequent attempts to justify Sid's womanising did more to throw the spotlight on this aspect of his character - "methinks the biographer doth protest too much..." rather than the impression Ross was aiming for, I suspect. There was also a lot unsaid on the personal front - one of his two failed marriages left a child who wasn't even named and I have read other accounts which noted how he handled this relationship; it would have chimed well with Ross' general picture of Sid and put a bit more light and shade into this eulogy. I also felt that Ross was too close to some of the dramatis personae of Sid's life to be able to get that sense of academic detachment which could have been brought to bear - hence the pussyfooting about the Babs Windsor relationship which is told as messily as the affair undoubtedly was. I have to agree that his written style left something to be desired and it could have benefited from a firmer, more experienced editor to eliminate some of the infelicities of expression. Nevertheless, it was certainly a delight to dwell for some hours in Sid's world - not exactly the world of Sidney Cohen the actor but "Sid" the character. We'd all love to live in world where there is a honking horn sound whenever someone gets prodded in the buttocks, for example. It was refreshing to read of his professionalism as "One Take James" and his kind fostering of the talents of younger colleagues. Give it ten-fifteen years and I feel that there is more to be said about Sid James but it probably won't be as heartfelt as Robert Ross's book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Loving Sid's work
As a big comedy fan and Sid James follower, I enjoy reading all the books about his work. Although if I had to recommend one it would be Blimey! It's the Sid James Book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Blunden Boy
Frustrating And Irritating
I borrowed this book from my local library.A previous reader had gone through this book with a red ink pen correcting the numerous errors. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mb Davis
Rob Ross scores again!
One again, Robert Ross has shown his great affection for the much-loved Sid James in this brilliant book. Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2009 by Ms. Rj Moore
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
