See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

7 used & new from £4.72
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Sid James: A Biography
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Sid James: A Biography (Paperback)

by Cliff Goodwin (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


1 new from £49.99 6 used from £4.72
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (Large Print) 4 used & new from £4.77

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
Sid James Dirty Laugh £3
   www.BigChilli.co.uk    Get The Text Alert On Mobile Now No Subscriptions, No Cons! 
The Biography Channel UK
   www.TheBiographyChannel.co.uk    From movie stars to music stars. Programmes, competitions and games! 
Biographies
   Ask.com    Find the Best Results for Biographies! 
  
 

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Just Williams: An Autobiography

Just Williams: An Autobiography

by Kenneth Williams
4.6 out of 5 stars (5)  £6.69
Charles Hawtrey 1914-1988: The Man Who Was Private Widdle

Charles Hawtrey 1914-1988: The Man Who Was Private Widdle

by Roger Lewis
2.6 out of 5 stars (13)  £5.24
All of Me: My Extraordinary Life

All of Me: My Extraordinary Life

by Barbara Windsor
4.6 out of 5 stars (21)  £18.04
The Kenneth Williams Diaries

The Kenneth Williams Diaries

by Kenneth Williams
4.8 out of 5 stars (20) 
On The Buses/Mutiny On The Buses/Holiday On The Buses [DVD] [1971]

On The Buses/Mutiny On The Buses/Holiday On The Buses [DVD] [1971]

DVD ~ Reg Varney
4.8 out of 5 stars (11)  £7.98
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Virgin Books; 2nd Revised edition edition (7 Jun 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0753505541
  • ISBN-13: 978-0753505540
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 10.8 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 350,085 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #59 in  Books > History > Britain & Ireland > British Heads of State > James I

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review
"'fascinating reading and funny' Loaded; 'unpretentious and surprisingly seductive' Daily Telegraph"

Loaded
'fascinating reading and funny'

See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(6)
(4)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Sid James: A Biography
55% buy the item featured on this page:
Sid James: A Biography 3.5 out of 5 stars (8)
The Complete Sid James
16% buy
The Complete Sid James 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
The Kenneth Williams Diaries
12% buy
The Kenneth Williams Diaries 4.8 out of 5 stars (20)
Fifty Years of "Carry On"
10% buy
Fifty Years of "Carry On" 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£12.34
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars A BORING BIOGRAPHY OF AN EXCITING MAN, 3 May 2005
By A Customer
I thought this a largely uninspired, dull and rather dirty book on a man who was a comic legend. The book is concisely written but that's about all one can say in its favour. James' private life was obviously enormously complicated and the inner sadness behind the crabby, smiling features was a strong part of his nature - yet we learn almost nothing about the real man. James' journey from South Africa to Europe, his psychological journey from a pedestrian life in the suburbs to film stardom, make him an 18th century figure of myth and mystery. But there is no sense of that here. Goodwin propogates James' own inventions about himself, painting him as a fairly ordinary bloke-next-door. Indeed, in Goodwin's reductionism, James might as well have been a tailor or jeweller.

James' chameleon qualities merit a serious study - a work of colour and dimension, not just another "showbiz biog".

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars a poor effort, 24 Dec 2003
By A Customer
The biography is a feeble effort. Some of the sentences don't even make grammatical sense. I had no sense of the warmth and ebullience that was so obviously a part of Sid James' character; just a lot of muck-raking. Goodwin,according to the jacket, worked as a journalist and has tried to graduate to proper writing - and it shows. This is box-standard reporting with none of the insight or literary penetration of a genuine biographer.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing new to be read, 29 Mar 2002
By Roger King "rogerk95" (Birmingham, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Disappointing. A relatively straightforward account of the life of Sid James, a much admired comic. A formulatic biography of James but very poorly written and no new information is shed on the life of Sid. A shame really as he was a very talented funnyman and actor.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Super'
What a speedy delivery! The book was in quite good condition as the quoted by the seller and what a great read. Many thanks!
Published 4 months ago by Ms. Gina Marie Hallsor

5.0 out of 5 stars King Sid
I grew up in the era of Sid's Bless This House,which was a favourite in our house and he just seemed like the man next door,Honest Sid. Read more
Published on 18 Nov 2006 by Brian McKenna

4.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying, concise - recommended
Cliff Goodwin's a writer of unpretentious biographies uncluttered by the rhetorical posturing of other exponents of the genre. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2003 by grahamwphillips

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome return of the master of British comedy!
I tried so hard to get this book over the last two years and is was such a relief to see it listed with Amazon that i pre-ordered it months ago. Read more
Published on 25 Jun 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars superb story of a true genius
Sid's battered looking face was a good indication of his troubled life. This book gives a superb and sometimes shocking view into his world
Published on 25 April 2000 by C. Beck

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

  

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

›Shop now

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (72)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (460)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (162)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates