Bestsellers Biographies Books : At My Mother s Knee ...

At My Mother s Knee ...

£8.49


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 ‘Paul 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

Brilliant and hilarious - What can I say?...brilliant!. I havent laughed so hard for years and really couldnt put this book down, in fact I finished it 12 hours after I began reading.In many ways I could relate to Pauls early years .I was , however, rather upset to find out that the book only goes up to his 18th year!. Come on Paul, we want more!!!!.

Excellent! - This was a fantastic read and one I managed to complete very quickly. I loved the early years of Paul s life in which he describes his mother and aunts. It reminded me so much of my long missed grandmother and the things that those women of a post war era got up to.Absolutely loved the way the book was set out, it was coherent unlike some autobiographies and gave a great insight into Paul s life that is honest and forthright. The later years were interesting and again very honest. This man has certainly lead a very interesting life (and the book ends when he is eighteen)and I can t wait to read the next installment and find out how LIly Savage came to be and what other (mis)adventures Paul got up to in the proceeding years.Highly recommended.

Paul O Grady at his mothers knee. - Have just finished reading this,what a fantastic read!! Very funny don t read this last thing at night as you won t be able to sleep for laughing! Buy it you won t regret it!

Wonderful book - Best book I ve read this year. Very well written. Full of life and also very funny indeed. Don t like using cliches, but this is definitely an instant classic .

Tears and laughter - You can actually hear Paul dictating the words. There are heart tugging moments but there are also laugh out loud moments from a giggle to a hearty belly laugh. The characters who populated Paul s world are larger than life and twice as funny. This is a book that is, to coin a word, unputdownable and one I shall keep. I can t wait for the next one.




At My Mother s Knee ...