Is It Me? by Terry Wogan

Is It Me? by Terry Wogan is the first volume of Terry's autobiography. Published in 2000, it covers his life up to about 1985, starting with the story of his childhood and schooling in Ireland, and his first career in a bank. The bulk of the book discusses his radio and TV careers, starting in Ireland and then his subsequent move to the BBC including his first run on the Radio 2 breakfast show and the BBC1 Wogan talk show.

As I understand it, the second volume of autobiography, Mustn't Grumble, released in late 2006, recaps and expands on some of this story, and brings his life right up to date.

I found the book an enjoyable and funny read. At times it was laugh out loud funny, which is a rare thing for me when reading. Terry tells his life story with the same self deprecating charm that he has on both the TV and radio. It was often easy to hear his soft Irish tones speaking the words as I read them. There is clearly no ghost writer involved here, the phrasing and language is all Terry Wogan.

The story itself is an interesting one, from a happy childhood, heavily religious (and at times brutal) schooling, and then a career that has included plenty of risk. The other thing about his career that stands out is his loyalty to Auntie, when there were big money offers from other places - a loyalty that has probably not been rewarded as much as it could have been it seems.

Terry talks warmly and at length about friends and co-workers, which while really enjoyable when about well known people, it is maybe a little long winded at times when referring to people I did not know. It could be my age, in that most of this volume of Terry's story - and so the people - is before my time. It is only the very end of the story, with the Wogan show that I was old enough to know his work covered here.

My only other criticism of the book is that terry almost skips over some of the things that he is best known and loved for. The Eurovision Song Contest and Children in Need are discussed in a matter of a few pages, and the Wogan show does not get a lot more page space. The reviews I have read for Mustn't Grumble suggest that they are covered in much more detail in that book, so it is now a small niggle with that knowledge.

I would definitely recommend Is It Me? to any fan of Terry Wogan - a funny and interesting read.

Revolution Day: The Human Story of the Battle for Iraq by Rageh Omaar

Revolution Day: The Human Story of the Battle for Iraq by Rageh Omaar tells the story of Rageh Omaar's time reporting for the BBC from Baghdad during the 2003 "liberation" of Iraq by American and British forces.

Omaar reported from Iraq during the year leading up to the war, and then from Baghdad through the war to overthrow Saddam Hussein. He was in the Iraqi capital during the "shock and Awe" air strikes, the brief siege of the city, but left soon after American troops took "control" of the city, due to the heightened danger.

The story that he tells gives a completely different perspective on the whole conflict, and what Iraq was really like prior to the war - Omaar had spent a year in Iraq in the years prior to the buildup to the war when United Nations' sanctions were at their worst. He provides a damning analysis of not only the Saddam Hussein regime, but also of the action taken by the USA led coalition and the United Nations.

Omaar speaks with the same passion and conviction that he did in his news reports for the BBC during the war, and does now for Al Jazeera English. He clearly has a huge understanding of the Middle East and in particular Iraq, and has also has gained the respect and trust of many people to get a real insider picture of the country.

The only disappointment I feel in reading this book is that people like Rageh Omaar were not listened to before the ill-conceived invasion. With a better understanding of the mentality of the Iraqi people, and their feelings towards the West and the United Nations, things could have been so different.

The situation in Iraq may have moved on considerably in the 2-3 years since this book was written, but it remains a highly recommended and topical read. In some ways the power of what he writes is only strengthened by the fact that much of what he predicted for the future of Iraq has come to pass. A great read for anyone, and a must read for anyone interested in Middle East current affairs.

Heroes All: My Ryder Cup Story 2006 by Darren Clarke

Heroes All: My Ryder Cup Story 2006 by Darren Clarke reminds me a lot of Danica Patrick's Danica: Crossing the Line, in that at it's core is a great story, but there was not really enough material for a book of this size. As with Danica's book, I think it would have been far better as a coffee table photo book. The book tells the story of Darren Clarke's Ryder Cup, in which he played shortly after the loss of his wife to cancer.

The actual story of the Ryder cup runs to only 78 pages, with the remainder being profiles of the players and captains, a hole-by-hole guide to the K-Club, and a brief history of Ryder Cup. These are certainly interesting, but ultimately feel like page fillers to try to get the book up to reasonable length - which they just about do.

While watching every minute of the Ryder Cup, I was completely drawn into the story Darren Clarke, so to hear it from his perspective was fascinating. It is a lovely read, showing the passion with which he played the tournament, and also the emotion he was feeling throughout. Darren does not go into a detailed hole by hole analysis of his weekend, but focuses far more on the highlights of the tournaments from his perspective. He also talks a lot about how he was looked after and supported by all the other players and wives, both European and American, and how that got him through. It is wonderful to read.

You have to respect Darren immensely for both putting himself on the line in the tournament and then putting those feelings down on paper. It is a touching and moving read, and gives a wonderful personal inside view of the 2006 Ryder Cup, and the fantastic people who took part in it. Despite the short length, including the padding, I would certainly recommend Darren's book, although maybe wait for the paperback to get some better value for money.

Humble Pie by Gordon Ramsay

Humble Pie by Gordon Ramsay is a fascinating read, which really shows his passion and dedication for what he does.

Gordon's story is a fascinating one, from a financially poor, unstable childhood with a selfish, destructive father, a self-inflicted, punishing apprenticeship in Europe's best restaurants, all culminating in his current amazing success.

It is that apprenticeship period that makes some of the most fascinating reading. There were clearly many opportunities in Gordon's career when he could have taken an easier route, been successful and more financially stable. But he did not take this route, being merely successful was not an option, he was driven to achieve bigger things and went after that in a sometimes ruthless manner. But it is a drive that can only give you more respect for what he does and who he is.

Something that really stands out for me from the book is the love and care he has for his family and staff - who seem almost to be another family for him. His difficult childhood has clearly impacted his fatherhood; the way he talks about his family, and philosophy for parenting is wonderful to read. When he talks about his staff, two things are brutally clear - he expects honesty and incredibly hard work, but if you give those things he will stand by you 100% and do everything in his power to further your career and status. He is clearly an incredibly demanding boss to work for, but also equally rewarding.

As on his TV shows, the book Gordon pulls no punches. You finish the book in no doubt about who and what he likes and dislikes, who has respect for, and who he would not piss on if they were on fire.

Definitely a book I would recommend.

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

Despite Stephen King being my favourite author, someone who's annual book I can't wait to read, I foundLisey's Story disappointing. I am not saying it is a bad book, but for me it did not meet the page-turning brilliance I have come to expect.

The biggest problem for me was the time it took to get going, or for it even to make sense. I am well used to King carefully building the back story before the story really kicks off, but in this case, combined with the mystery of what the hell was going on, made it just too long in my opinion.

Having said that, once it did get going the story did become a really good page turner. As usual the characters were well developed, in a real world, and I genuinely felt that I knew and cared about them.

The story itself is clearly very personal to King, in that it deals with a widow dealing with the affairs of here writer husband two years after his death. Considering King's two near death experiences in recent years (Being hit by a truck while out walking and more recently Pneumonia), there is a real element of his reality in the story. The story is not about King and his wife Tabitha, but there are obvious touch-points where the fictional life mirrors the reality.

So, it is still a good read, but to my mind one of the weakest novels in King's portfolio. I think any King fan will still enjoy it, but would not recommend it as first King book, as it is not representative of his work.



Since reading Lisey's Story I have watched the BBC2 programme Mark Lawson Talks To Stephen King, an interview in which King discusses Lisey's Story, his motivation for it, and the influences of his life in the novel. I wish that I have seen the interview before reading the book - I have had it recorded but not watched as I was keen to read the book first! I think knowing the back story/motivation behind the book would certainly have increased my pleasure reading it, despite some small spoilers. It has certainly now left me with a more positive feel for the book.