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At My Mother's Knee ... | 
 enlarge | Author: Paul O'Grady
Publisher: Bantam Press
Category: Book
List Price: £18.99
Buy Used: £1.91
You Save: £17.08 (90%)
New (46) Used (42) Collectible (1) from £1.91
Rating:  55 reviews
Sales Rank: 2451
Media: Hardcover
Edition: illustrated edition
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.5
ISBN: 0593059255
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.45092
EAN: 9780593059258
ASIN: 0593059255
Publication Date: September 24, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Paul O'Grady, apart from being one of Britain's best loved entertainers, is a classic example of reinvention, as At My Mother’s Knee demonstrates. The young Liverpool entertainer, an altar boy from Irish Catholic Birkenhead, becomes the acid-tongued and outrageous drag queen Lily Savage, and moves from gay pubs to national television, creating something of a British comic institution en route (O'Grady's caustic drag character was a world away from safer predecessors such as Danny La Rue). But O'Grady (like other comic performers such as John Cleese) realised that comic creations can have a limited shelf life, and reinvented himself as âPaul O'Grady’, coming out from behind the false breasts and towering wigs as a toned-down (but still camp), more audience-friendly TV presenter (wisely, he retained the abrasive voice and a Scouse accent that could be cut with a knife).At My Mother's Knee and Other Low Joints is an entertaining autobiography from someone who really does have a life that is worth writing about. Gossipy, sharp and colourful, the cast of characters in Paul O'Grady's life includes rogues and rascals galore, all of whom are evoked here with great comic skill. O'Grady was variously a boxer, a civil servant, a conman and even a cat burglar - all of these failed careers are on display here, as is a surprisingly pungent picture of the Liverpool nightclub scene. When so many showbiz autobiographies these days are written by people who have a barely had a life outside of their fame, it's refreshing to encounter one by somebody whose story would be interesting even if he were not a major TV star. --Barry Forshaw
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 55
 Good read but be warned.... June 10, 2009
S. Halbert (Glasgow)
This book is really well written and had me laughing out loud in parts but, not meaning to be contemptuous, and, perhaps this is a little shallow, but with most autobiographies I read the part about their childhood out of politeness before it takes me to the juicy bits regarding their celebrity lifestyle. I was dying to read about Lily Savage and the early days of playing small venues where people heckled him. That will be the next book. You see, this book ends when Paul is 18. EIGHTEEN!!! He has literally written about his childhood and nothing else. I was LIVID when I was halfway through the book and he was only about 12. I kept thinking "he's not left much room to write about his celebrity career". How wrong I was. He's left plenty of room - in a brand new book that we'll have to shell out more money for. If it weren't for his fabulous mother then this book wouldn't have been worth the pages it was written on. I know it's called At My Mother's Knee but I honestly didn't think he meant it literally!!! So... quite a funny book but be warned!!
 Can't Wait For The Next One!! May 30, 2009
Mrs. C. Fearon (England)
The first days of the harsh drag queen on television were nervously awaited, yet now the man beneath the make-up is a house hold name. Comedian, teatime talk show host and all-round entertainer, multi-award winning Paul O'Grady is one of the most popular figures on British television.But his real-life journey has been more dramatic than any of his on-stage stories.Born into a noisy Irish Catholic household in Birkenhead, Paul was always determined to live a colourful life. He was a boxing champion as a boy. He became a dad as a teenager. He has been a barman in a brothel and spent his first years in London working as a carer to some of the capital's most at-risk kids.In this, the first major biography of the star, Neil Simpson reveals the extraordinary highs and the terrible lows of Paul's life. He explains: how Lily Savage was born as a way to make more money - and help Paul take his mind off the horrors he saw every day as a social worker; how tough it was for the 'blonde bomb site from Birkenhead' to break into the entertainment mainstream; and, why Paul decided to risk everything by throwing off Lily's wig and carving out a new career as himself.The depression, the private grief and the near fatal heart attacks that struck as Paul re-invented himself as the funniest and most successful chat show host in the country.
If you enjoy bio`s this is great, if you like reading Liverpool authors in general, try `42 Years with the same Bird, by Brian Reade, anything by Graham Johnson, and the 18th Brigade, Blister and the Soft Target thrillers by Conrad Jones are electrifying.I have enjoyed this trip into the world of our favourite drag artiste....it is frequently hilarious and sometimes heart-wrenchingly sad, Paul O'Grady has always lived his life on a roller-coaster of emotions. Today he is a proud grandfather, a multimillionaire and a man loved by millions of devoted fans. This is his incredible story.
 Laugh out Loud May 3, 2009
LA WILLIAMSON (Halifax, UK)
I bought my mum this for Xmas and then had to listen to her laugh herself silly for 4 days while she read it - often crying with Laughter. She took so long to read it as she kept having to reread bits because she lost her place with laughing.
She says it is the best book she has read for years and she reads a lot. I cant borrow it yet as my dad read it and now mum is reading it again
6thsense May 1, 2009
Roseanne (Milton Keynes UK)
I enjoyed every page of this book and can't wait for the follow up. It is well written with honesty, humility and plenty of humour.
Paul O'Grady April 26, 2009
A. J. Savage (Cornwall UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Good interesting read, very commendable but felt that it could have been more about his life than history. Looking forward to the follow up.
Read Julie Waters afterwards and that was brilliant, and example of how a biography should be written. Would give that 5 stars plus !
Showing reviews 1-5 of 55
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