Going solo, 17 Jul 2008
I read it at school and struggled to put it down. I found it extremely interesting; the best bit was when he returned home.

Jessie,age 9

A great read - for parents too!, 13 Jul 2008
As stated elsewhere, this is a stunning book. I am about to buy it (instead of borrowing it) so that my 18 year old and I can read it again.

Going Solo, 13 Jan 2008
"Going Solo" is a the book which picks up where "Boy" left off with Roald on his way to East Africa to take up a job with the Shell Oil Company in Dar es Salaam. Roald Dahl is in Africa when World War II breaks out and he leaves Shell to join up with the RAF. This book details Dahl's wartime exploits, which include having a luger (a pistol) pointed at his head by the leader of a German convoy, crash-landing in no-man's land (and sustaining injuries that entailed having his nose pulled out and shaped!) and even surviving a direct hit during the Battle of Athens, when he was sufficiently recovered to fly again - this time in Hurricanes. The book features black-and-white photos, as well as maps, telegrams and other memorabilia. It is a fabulous book which is also one of my favourites. I would rate it 100000000000000/ 10. Anyone would love this stunning success.

Gripping biography for young readers, 15 Apr 2004
I didn’t expect Roald Dahl’s account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It’s a real page-turner; I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both ‘Boy’ and ‘Going Solo’ are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike … the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Exciting tale, modestly read, 10 Dec 2002
The talent of Roald Dahl - As good a RAF flyer as an author it seems!

Going Solo is excellently written, first and foremost. Most of the narrative is on his exploits during WW2 when he was one of only a handful of pilots stationed in Greece/Middle East facing a German Air Force many, many times more in number.

Quite how he successfully fought through it is incredible. Yet he writes with charm and with no hint of egotism, as could be his right under such circumstances. Or maybe it was the standard for the time (if so I wish society was sincere like back then).

Ian Holm is the perfect reader for this book. As with "My Year" and "Boy" he reads clearly, & without patronising the younger audience by speaking in 'childlike' tones.

The book is universally accessable to all generations. I know a copy of the text has been in the family since publication, and now pubescent insomnia can be eased with this recording.

An absorbing listen - 153 mins never seemed so short.

Going solo, 17 Jul 2008
I read it at school and struggled to put it down. I found it extremely interesting; the best bit was when he returned home.

Jessie,age 9

A great read - for parents too!, 13 Jul 2008
As stated elsewhere, this is a stunning book. I am about to buy it (instead of borrowing it) so that my 18 year old and I can read it again.

Going Solo, 13 Jan 2008
"Going Solo" is a the book which picks up where "Boy" left off with Roald on his way to East Africa to take up a job with the Shell Oil Company in Dar es Salaam. Roald Dahl is in Africa when World War II breaks out and he leaves Shell to join up with the RAF. This book details Dahl's wartime exploits, which include having a luger (a pistol) pointed at his head by the leader of a German convoy, crash-landing in no-man's land (and sustaining injuries that entailed having his nose pulled out and shaped!) and even surviving a direct hit during the Battle of Athens, when he was sufficiently recovered to fly again - this time in Hurricanes. The book features black-and-white photos, as well as maps, telegrams and other memorabilia. It is a fabulous book which is also one of my favourites. I would rate it 100000000000000/ 10. Anyone would love this stunning success.

Gripping biography for young readers, 15 Apr 2004
I didn’t expect Roald Dahl’s account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It’s a real page-turner; I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both ‘Boy’ and ‘Going Solo’ are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike … the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Exciting tale, modestly read, 10 Dec 2002
The talent of Roald Dahl - As good a RAF flyer as an author it seems!

Going Solo is excellently written, first and foremost. Most of the narrative is on his exploits during WW2 when he was one of only a handful of pilots stationed in Greece/Middle East facing a German Air Force many, many times more in number.

Quite how he successfully fought through it is incredible. Yet he writes with charm and with no hint of egotism, as could be his right under such circumstances. Or maybe it was the standard for the time (if so I wish society was sincere like back then).

Ian Holm is the perfect reader for this book. As with "My Year" and "Boy" he reads clearly, & without patronising the younger audience by speaking in 'childlike' tones.

The book is universally accessable to all generations. I know a copy of the text has been in the family since publication, and now pubescent insomnia can be eased with this recording.

An absorbing listen - 153 mins never seemed so short.

Not what I expected!, 09 Aug 2007
I expected a dull plod through the life of a writer - but no! this book is a wonderful, engaging, lively trip through the highlights and lowlights of a man who led an extraordinary life. He has a lovely style of phrase which is warm and engaging enabling the reader to clearly see and feel the events unfolding across the pages.
There are many memorable moments, but the one that has stayed with me long after I finished the book was his account of being a fighter pilot. None of the heroics that are usually found in war stories, but observations and comments that were very moving due to their honesty.

Brill for child and adult alike, 23 Jul 2003
I first read this book when I was about 10 years old. I had always been a fan of Roald Dahl and his stories and this was no exception.

I can honestly say I lost count of the amount of times I have re-read this book (I think last time was only last year and I am now 19!). It was an easy to read book that a child could manage, but it made me aware of some very adult issues - caning children, the birth of the motor car, the wonders of Africa and the shocks of War. At ten years old I knew nothing of these things apart from those which I read in this book. But these issues wern't boring to me, they were entertaining and funny and enjoyable to read.

The idea of Africa was the one which stayed with me. When I finished 6th form I decided to visit the Africa that was written about in Going Solo.

Although it wasn't the only factor, I think this book was the spark which set me on this idea and so I shall never forget it. Thankyou Roald Dahl!

A peek into the life of our children's favourite author, 03 Oct 2001
A funny, sometimes moving account of the childhood and later life of Roald Dahl.

For those of you who are huge fans of all those great characters such as Charlie, Matilda and the BFG, take a closer look at the heart and mind of their creator Roald Dahl.

Roald's biography unfolds in a intimate down to earth style which almost gives you the impression he is telling his story, off the record, just to you.

Boy/Going Solo is a book which will have you holding your breath, laughing out loud and reaching for the tissues before the last page is turned and will definitely leave you wanting to read more.

This is a must read book, 07 Apr 2001
As it says on the book - "Roald Dahl's life was as funny, bizarre, fightening and exciting as the stories he wrote" This is 100% true. From being 6 at school to 10 at boarding school in Boy he goes onto being a Hawker Hurricane pilot flying in Greece and the Western desert in 1942. This is an amazing read and it is a book that you will read again and again.

compellingly gruesome!, 20 Nov 2000
Having read this book it is easy to see where Dahl got the more macabre ideas for his childrens books. Intensely readable and totally fascinating. His real life makes for a better story than any of the made up things he wrote. Although it is written for children it is never patronising and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone of any age.

Going solo, 17 Jul 2008
I read it at school and struggled to put it down. I found it extremely interesting; the best bit was when he returned home.

Jessie,age 9

A great read - for parents too!, 13 Jul 2008
As stated elsewhere, this is a stunning book. I am about to buy it (instead of borrowing it) so that my 18 year old and I can read it again.

Going Solo, 13 Jan 2008
"Going Solo" is a the book which picks up where "Boy" left off with Roald on his way to East Africa to take up a job with the Shell Oil Company in Dar es Salaam. Roald Dahl is in Africa when World War II breaks out and he leaves Shell to join up with the RAF. This book details Dahl's wartime exploits, which include having a luger (a pistol) pointed at his head by the leader of a German convoy, crash-landing in no-man's land (and sustaining injuries that entailed having his nose pulled out and shaped!) and even surviving a direct hit during the Battle of Athens, when he was sufficiently recovered to fly again - this time in Hurricanes. The book features black-and-white photos, as well as maps, telegrams and other memorabilia. It is a fabulous book which is also one of my favourites. I would rate it 100000000000000/ 10. Anyone would love this stunning success.

Gripping biography for young readers, 15 Apr 2004
I didn’t expect Roald Dahl’s account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It’s a real page-turner; I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both ‘Boy’ and ‘Going Solo’ are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike … the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Exciting tale, modestly read, 10 Dec 2002
The talent of Roald Dahl - As good a RAF flyer as an author it seems!

Going Solo is excellently written, first and foremost. Most of the narrative is on his exploits during WW2 when he was one of only a handful of pilots stationed in Greece/Middle East facing a German Air Force many, many times more in number.

Quite how he successfully fought through it is incredible. Yet he writes with charm and with no hint of egotism, as could be his right under such circumstances. Or maybe it was the standard for the time (if so I wish society was sincere like back then).

Ian Holm is the perfect reader for this book. As with "My Year" and "Boy" he reads clearly, & without patronising the younger audience by speaking in 'childlike' tones.

The book is universally accessable to all generations. I know a copy of the text has been in the family since publication, and now pubescent insomnia can be eased with this recording.

An absorbing listen - 153 mins never seemed so short.

Not what I expected!, 09 Aug 2007
I expected a dull plod through the life of a writer - but no! this book is a wonderful, engaging, lively trip through the highlights and lowlights of a man who led an extraordinary life. He has a lovely style of phrase which is warm and engaging enabling the reader to clearly see and feel the events unfolding across the pages.
There are many memorable moments, but the one that has stayed with me long after I finished the book was his account of being a fighter pilot. None of the heroics that are usually found in war stories, but observations and comments that were very moving due to their honesty.

Brill for child and adult alike, 23 Jul 2003
I first read this book when I was about 10 years old. I had always been a fan of Roald Dahl and his stories and this was no exception.

I can honestly say I lost count of the amount of times I have re-read this book (I think last time was only last year and I am now 19!). It was an easy to read book that a child could manage, but it made me aware of some very adult issues - caning children, the birth of the motor car, the wonders of Africa and the shocks of War. At ten years old I knew nothing of these things apart from those which I read in this book. But these issues wern't boring to me, they were entertaining and funny and enjoyable to read.

The idea of Africa was the one which stayed with me. When I finished 6th form I decided to visit the Africa that was written about in Going Solo.

Although it wasn't the only factor, I think this book was the spark which set me on this idea and so I shall never forget it. Thankyou Roald Dahl!

A peek into the life of our children's favourite author, 03 Oct 2001
A funny, sometimes moving account of the childhood and later life of Roald Dahl.

For those of you who are huge fans of all those great characters such as Charlie, Matilda and the BFG, take a closer look at the heart and mind of their creator Roald Dahl.

Roald's biography unfolds in a intimate down to earth style which almost gives you the impression he is telling his story, off the record, just to you.

Boy/Going Solo is a book which will have you holding your breath, laughing out loud and reaching for the tissues before the last page is turned and will definitely leave you wanting to read more.

This is a must read book, 07 Apr 2001
As it says on the book - "Roald Dahl's life was as funny, bizarre, fightening and exciting as the stories he wrote" This is 100% true. From being 6 at school to 10 at boarding school in Boy he goes onto being a Hawker Hurricane pilot flying in Greece and the Western desert in 1942. This is an amazing read and it is a book that you will read again and again.

compellingly gruesome!, 20 Nov 2000
Having read this book it is easy to see where Dahl got the more macabre ideas for his childrens books. Intensely readable and totally fascinating. His real life makes for a better story than any of the made up things he wrote. Although it is written for children it is never patronising and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone of any age.

important, but is it really a diary of a fifteen year old, 10 Jul 2008
This evil epidemic has been sweeping across our world for many decades. In South Africa alone ninety percent of the populas has it and in England and other prosperous countries it is rapidly getting out of control. Even in these countries we still are not aware of how this disease actually takes control of the body and how we can catch it.
This book tells the viewer in a friendly easy way all the ways in which you can catch, prevent, and look after HIV and AIDS.
This is all very good. Unfortunatly like a few other reviews on here i too do not buy into the whole diary based book. I believe there may well have been a "Nancy" but nothing like the one we see on the pages, the story is just to fanciful for my liking, a girl of fifteen would not talk in such a way as it is portrayed in the book.
However it is an extremely sad story about one girl's stuggle to deal with being raped by a paedophile, then finding out that you have aids. Dont know why the writer needed to do it in this way, maybe to focus the books contents to teenagers to may it easier to understand. At any rate this is a good book, not one ill be reading again. If you like this kind of book try Tory Hayden she writes in a more passionate and heart felt way

A must read for every parent and their teenage daughters, 05 Oct 2007
I could not put this book down - I read it in two days and now my 14 year old daughter is reading it. I felt as though I knew Nancy and was proud to read her diary. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I sobbed. I cannot imagine this happening to my children and my heart goes out to Nancy's parents and friends. It is a frightening story and I was deeply shocked at how quickly Nancy became so ill, how some people kept their distance and others embraced her when they found out she had aids. I cannot recommend this read enough it is a book I will never forget.

Compulsory Reading, 08 Dec 2006
I just finished reading this and have kept it for my daughter. She is 8 but I will give it to her to read in a few years. I think this should be compulsory reading for ALL teenagers. Honest, sometimes funny but mostly heart wrenching, this is an honest account of feelings and AIDS. How easy it happens, how teenagers think they know best but don't, how it affects your life, others and other peoples perceptions of you. Could NOT put it down, BRILLIANT.

A remarkable story, 09 Aug 2006
This book was delivered to me just 24 hours ago and i have just finished it.
What an amazing account of a young girls short life. It makes you fully aware of how easy it is to become infected with HIV and AIDS and i think all teenages and there parents should read it.
Also it highlights how other people react to the virus. Some people run and others just take it in there stride.
I like the way that the book was written in a diary form which made it easy to read and easy to stop, not that i did that only to sleep !!!
I think anybody with teenages or anyone who knows someone that may be involved anyway with HIV or AIDS should read this book.

True?, 01 Sep 2005
I really looked forward to reading this book but i couldn't help thinking that it wasn't a real diary the wording just didnt convince me that Nancy was really writing a true account. It did bring home just how easy it is to get involved in something which is out of your depth and how careful as young women we have to be. But i have read other books by this author and they all use the same language when how many teenagers do you know who talk like children?

Going solo, 17 Jul 2008
I read it at school and struggled to put it down. I found it extremely interesting; the best bit was when he returned home.

Jessie,age 9

A great read - for parents too!, 13 Jul 2008
As stated elsewhere, this is a stunning book. I am about to buy it (instead of borrowing it) so that my 18 year old and I can read it again.

Going Solo, 13 Jan 2008
"Going Solo" is a the book which picks up where "Boy" left off with Roald on his way to East Africa to take up a job with the Shell Oil Company in Dar es Salaam. Roald Dahl is in Africa when World War II breaks out and he leaves Shell to join up with the RAF. This book details Dahl's wartime exploits, which include having a luger (a pistol) pointed at his head by the leader of a German convoy, crash-landing in no-man's land (and sustaining injuries that entailed having his nose pulled out and shaped!) and even surviving a direct hit during the Battle of Athens, when he was sufficiently recovered to fly again - this time in Hurricanes. The book features black-and-white photos, as well as maps, telegrams and other memorabilia. It is a fabulous book which is also one of my favourites. I would rate it 100000000000000/ 10. Anyone would love this stunning success.

Gripping biography for young readers, 15 Apr 2004
I didn’t expect Roald Dahl’s account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It’s a real page-turner; I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both ‘Boy’ and ‘Going Solo’ are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike … the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Exciting tale, modestly read, 10 Dec 2002
The talent of Roald Dahl - As good a RAF flyer as an author it seems!

Going Solo is excellently written, first and foremost. Most of the narrative is on his exploits during WW2 when he was one of only a handful of pilots stationed in Greece/Middle East facing a German Air Force many, many times more in number.

Quite how he successfully fought through it is incredible. Yet he writes with charm and with no hint of egotism, as could be his right under such circumstances. Or maybe it was the standard for the time (if so I wish society was sincere like back then).

Ian Holm is the perfect reader for this book. As with "My Year" and "Boy" he reads clearly, & without patronising the younger audience by speaking in 'childlike' tones.

The book is universally accessable to all generations. I know a copy of the text has been in the family since publication, and now pubescent insomnia can be eased with this recording.

An absorbing listen - 153 mins never seemed so short.

Not what I expected!, 09 Aug 2007
I expected a dull plod through the life of a writer - but no! this book is a wonderful, engaging, lively trip through the highlights and lowlights of a man who led an extraordinary life. He has a lovely style of phrase which is warm and engaging enabling the reader to clearly see and feel the events unfolding across the pages.
There are many memorable moments, but the one that has stayed with me long after I finished the book was his account of being a fighter pilot. None of the heroics that are usually found in war stories, but observations and comments that were very moving due to their honesty.

Brill for child and adult alike, 23 Jul 2003
I first read this book when I was about 10 years old. I had always been a fan of Roald Dahl and his stories and this was no exception.

I can honestly say I lost count of the amount of times I have re-read this book (I think last time was only last year and I am now 19!). It was an easy to read book that a child could manage, but it made me aware of some very adult issues - caning children, the birth of the motor car, the wonders of Africa and the shocks of War. At ten years old I knew nothing of these things apart from those which I read in this book. But these issues wern't boring to me, they were entertaining and funny and enjoyable to read.

The idea of Africa was the one which stayed with me. When I finished 6th form I decided to visit the Africa that was written about in Going Solo.

Although it wasn't the only factor, I think this book was the spark which set me on this idea and so I shall never forget it. Thankyou Roald Dahl!

A peek into the life of our children's favourite author, 03 Oct 2001
A funny, sometimes moving account of the childhood and later life of Roald Dahl.

For those of you who are huge fans of all those great characters such as Charlie, Matilda and the BFG, take a closer look at the heart and mind of their creator Roald Dahl.

Roald's biography unfolds in a intimate down to earth style which almost gives you the impression he is telling his story, off the record, just to you.

Boy/Going Solo is a book which will have you holding your breath, laughing out loud and reaching for the tissues before the last page is turned and will definitely leave you wanting to read more.

This is a must read book, 07 Apr 2001
As it says on the book - "Roald Dahl's life was as funny, bizarre, fightening and exciting as the stories he wrote" This is 100% true. From being 6 at school to 10 at boarding school in Boy he goes onto being a Hawker Hurricane pilot flying in Greece and the Western desert in 1942. This is an amazing read and it is a book that you will read again and again.

compellingly gruesome!, 20 Nov 2000
Having read this book it is easy to see where Dahl got the more macabre ideas for his childrens books. Intensely readable and totally fascinating. His real life makes for a better story than any of the made up things he wrote. Although it is written for children it is never patronising and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone of any age.

important, but is it really a diary of a fifteen year old, 10 Jul 2008
This evil epidemic has been sweeping across our world for many decades. In South Africa alone ninety percent of the populas has it and in England and other prosperous countries it is rapidly getting out of control. Even in these countries we still are not aware of how this disease actually takes control of the body and how we can catch it.
This book tells the viewer in a friendly easy way all the ways in which you can catch, prevent, and look after HIV and AIDS.
This is all very good. Unfortunatly like a few other reviews on here i too do not buy into the whole diary based book. I believe there may well have been a "Nancy" but nothing like the one we see on the pages, the story is just to fanciful for my liking, a girl of fifteen would not talk in such a way as it is portrayed in the book.
However it is an extremely sad story about one girl's stuggle to deal with being raped by a paedophile, then finding out that you have aids. Dont know why the writer needed to do it in this way, maybe to focus the books contents to teenagers to may it easier to understand. At any rate this is a good book, not one ill be reading again. If you like this kind of book try Tory Hayden she writes in a more passionate and heart felt way

A must read for every parent and their teenage daughters, 05 Oct 2007
I could not put this book down - I read it in two days and now my 14 year old daughter is reading it. I felt as though I knew Nancy and was proud to read her diary. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I sobbed. I cannot imagine this happening to my children and my heart goes out to Nancy's parents and friends. It is a frightening story and I was deeply shocked at how quickly Nancy became so ill, how some people kept their distance and others embraced her when they found out she had aids. I cannot recommend this read enough it is a book I will never forget.

Compulsory Reading, 08 Dec 2006
I just finished reading this and have kept it for my daughter. She is 8 but I will give it to her to read in a few years. I think this should be compulsory reading for ALL teenagers. Honest, sometimes funny but mostly heart wrenching, this is an honest account of feelings and AIDS. How easy it happens, how teenagers think they know best but don't, how it affects your life, others and other peoples perceptions of you. Could NOT put it down, BRILLIANT.

A remarkable story, 09 Aug 2006
This book was delivered to me just 24 hours ago and i have just finished it.
What an amazing account of a young girls short life. It makes you fully aware of how easy it is to become infected with HIV and AIDS and i think all teenages and there parents should read it.
Also it highlights how other people react to the virus. Some people run and others just take it in there stride.
I like the way that the book was written in a diary form which made it easy to read and easy to stop, not that i did that only to sleep !!!
I think anybody with teenages or anyone who knows someone that may be involved anyway with HIV or AIDS should read this book.

True?, 01 Sep 2005
I really looked forward to reading this book but i couldn't help thinking that it wasn't a real diary the wording just didnt convince me that Nancy was really writing a true account. It did bring home just how easy it is to get involved in something which is out of your depth and how careful as young women we have to be. But i have read other books by this author and they all use the same language when how many teenagers do you know who talk like children?

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 11 Jul 2007
In Nadia Shivack's heartbreaking true story, she tells the world about her life-long problem with eating disorders. Told with a mixture of text and pictures drawn by Ms. Shivack, her preoccupation with food began when her mother told her that not only did she not dress like a girl, but that she was also getting chunky. Her parents had their own problems - her father was overly critical and her mother, a Holocaust survivor, refused to let her three children leave the table until they had cleaned their plates, even though she herself only ate one small meal a day to survive.

When Nadia began swimming competitively in school, her swim coach would praise the girls who were slender and berate those who, in his opinion, needed to lose weight. She began to feel huge and unattractive, and started the cycle of abuse with restricting her diet and then binging on foods that were not allowed. It wasn't long before she met "Ed," her eating disorder - the evil alien being who took over her life.

Nadia's trouble with food was not restricted to her youth. Through high school, through college, through study programs and medication, she struggled with it her entire life. Even knowing the side effects - being unable to sleep, rotting gums from purging, being incapable of having effective relationships - it wasn't until Nadia was about to turn forty that she decided to try another treatment program.

Thankfully, Ms. Shivack did eventually overcome the horror of her eating disorder. Like many other diseases, however, she knows that this will be a lifelong struggle, something that she will always have to work at. By telling her story inside the pages of INSIDE OUT, she hopes that other people struggling with an eating disorder will realize just how serious it is, and that reaching out for help isn't a sign of weakness, but of strength.

Although I've never had an eating disorder, I truly felt empowered by reading INSIDE OUT. Nadia's story could be that of any number of young people in the world today, and I hope that they all are able to come to the same realization that she was - that letting food rule your life is never a good thing.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Going solo, 17 Jul 2008
I read it at school and struggled to put it down. I found it extremely interesting; the best bit was when he returned home.

Jessie,age 9

A great read - for parents too!, 13 Jul 2008
As stated elsewhere, this is a stunning book. I am about to buy it (instead of borrowing it) so that my 18 year old and I can read it again.

Going Solo, 13 Jan 2008
"Going Solo" is a the book which picks up where "Boy" left off with Roald on his way to East Africa to take up a job with the Shell Oil Company in Dar es Salaam. Roald Dahl is in Africa when World War II breaks out and he leaves Shell to join up with the RAF. This book details Dahl's wartime exploits, which include having a luger (a pistol) pointed at his head by the leader of a German convoy, crash-landing in no-man's land (and sustaining injuries that entailed having his nose pulled out and shaped!) and even surviving a direct hit during the Battle of Athens, when he was sufficiently recovered to fly again - this time in Hurricanes. The book features black-and-white photos, as well as maps, telegrams and other memorabilia. It is a fabulous book which is also one of my favourites. I would rate it 100000000000000/ 10. Anyone would love this stunning success.

Gripping biography for young readers, 15 Apr 2004
I didn’t expect Roald Dahl’s account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It’s a real page-turner; I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both ‘Boy’ and ‘Going Solo’ are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike … the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Exciting tale, modestly read, 10 Dec 2002
The talent of Roald Dahl - As good a RAF flyer as an author it seems!

Going Solo is excellently written, first and foremost. Most of the narrative is on his exploits during WW2 when he was one of only a handful of pilots stationed in Greece/Middle East facing a German Air Force many, many times more in number.

Quite how he successfully fought through it is incredible. Yet he writes with charm and with no hint of egotism, as could be his right under such circumstances. Or maybe it was the standard for the time (if so I wish society was sincere like back then).

Ian Holm is the perfect reader for this book. As with "My Year" and "Boy" he reads clearly, & without patronising the younger audience by speaking in 'childlike' tones.

The book is universally accessable to all generations. I know a copy of the text has been in the family since publication, and now pubescent insomnia can be eased with this recording.

An absorbing listen - 153 mins never seemed so short.

Not what I expected!, 09 Aug 2007
I expected a dull plod through the life of a writer - but no! this book is a wonderful, engaging, lively trip through the highlights and lowlights of a man who led an extraordinary life. He has a lovely style of phrase which is warm and engaging enabling the reader to clearly see and feel the events unfolding across the pages.
There are many memorable moments, but the one that has stayed with me long after I finished the book was his account of being a fighter pilot. None of the heroics that are usually found in war stories, but observations and comments that were very moving due to their honesty.

Brill for child and adult alike, 23 Jul 2003
I first read this book when I was about 10 years old. I had always been a fan of Roald Dahl and his stories and this was no exception.

I can honestly say I lost count of the amount of times I have re-read this book (I think last time was only last year and I am now 19!). It was an easy to read book that a child could manage, but it made me aware of some very adult issues - caning children, the birth of the motor car, the wonders of Africa and the shocks of War. At ten years old I knew nothing of these things apart from those which I read in this book. But these issues wern't boring to me, they were entertaining and funny and enjoyable to read.

The idea of Africa was the one which stayed with me. When I finished 6th form I decided to visit the Africa that was written about in Going Solo.

Although it wasn't the only factor, I think this book was the spark which set me on this idea and so I shall never forget it. Thankyou Roald Dahl!

A peek into the life of our children's favourite author, 03 Oct 2001
A funny, sometimes moving account of the childhood and later life of Roald Dahl.

For those of you who are huge fans of all those great characters such as Charlie, Matilda and the BFG, take a closer look at the heart and mind of their creator Roald Dahl.

Roald's biography unfolds in a intimate down to earth style which almost gives you the impression he is telling his story, off the record, just to you.

Boy/Going Solo is a book which will have you holding your breath, laughing out loud and reaching for the tissues before the last page is turned and will definitely leave you wanting to read more.

This is a must read book, 07 Apr 2001
As it says on the book - "Roald Dahl's life was as funny, bizarre, fightening and exciting as the stories he wrote" This is 100% true. From being 6 at school to 10 at boarding school in Boy he goes onto being a Hawker Hurricane pilot flying in Greece and the Western desert in 1942. This is an amazing read and it is a book that you will read again and again.

compellingly gruesome!, 20 Nov 2000
Having read this book it is easy to see where Dahl got the more macabre ideas for his childrens books. Intensely readable and totally fascinating. His real life makes for a better story than any of the made up things he wrote. Although it is written for children it is never patronising and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone of any age.

important, but is it really a diary of a fifteen year old, 10 Jul 2008
This evil epidemic has been sweeping across our world for many decades. In South Africa alone ninety percent of the populas has it and in England and other prosperous countries it is rapidly getting out of control. Even in these countries we still are not aware of how this disease actually takes control of the body and how we can catch it.
This book tells the viewer in a friendly easy way all the ways in which you can catch, prevent, and look after HIV and AIDS.
This is all very good. Unfortunatly like a few other reviews on here i too do not buy into the whole diary based book. I believe there may well have been a "Nancy" but nothing like the one we see on the pages, the story is just to fanciful for my liking, a girl of fifteen would not talk in such a way as it is portrayed in the book.
However it is an extremely sad story about one girl's stuggle to deal with being raped by a paedophile, then finding out that you have aids. Dont know why the writer needed to do it in this way, maybe to focus the books contents to teenagers to may it easier to understand. At any rate this is a good book, not one ill be reading again. If you like this kind of book try Tory Hayden she writes in a more passionate and heart felt way

A must read for every parent and their teenage daughters, 05 Oct 2007
I could not put this book down - I read it in two days and now my 14 year old daughter is reading it. I felt as though I knew Nancy and was proud to read her diary. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I sobbed. I cannot imagine this happening to my children and my heart goes out to Nancy's parents and friends. It is a frightening story and I was deeply shocked at how quickly Nancy became so ill, how some people kept their distance and others embraced her when they found out she had aids. I cannot recommend this read enough it is a book I will never forget.

Compulsory Reading, 08 Dec 2006
I just finished reading this and have kept it for my daughter. She is 8 but I will give it to her to read in a few years. I think this should be compulsory reading for ALL teenagers. Honest, sometimes funny but mostly heart wrenching, this is an honest account of feelings and AIDS. How easy it happens, how teenagers think they know best but don't, how it affects your life, others and other peoples perceptions of you. Could NOT put it down, BRILLIANT.

A remarkable story, 09 Aug 2006
This book was delivered to me just 24 hours ago and i have just finished it.
What an amazing account of a young girls short life. It makes you fully aware of how easy it is to become infected with HIV and AIDS and i think all teenages and there parents should read it.
Also it highlights how other people react to the virus. Some people run and others just take it in there stride.
I like the way that the book was written in a diary form which made it easy to read and easy to stop, not that i did that only to sleep !!!
I think anybody with teenages or anyone who knows someone that may be involved anyway with HIV or AIDS should read this book.

True?, 01 Sep 2005
I really looked forward to reading this book but i couldn't help thinking that it wasn't a real diary the wording just didnt convince me that Nancy was really writing a true account. It did bring home just how easy it is to get involved in something which is out of your depth and how careful as young women we have to be. But i have read other books by this author and they all use the same language when how many teenagers do you know who talk like children?

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 11 Jul 2007
In Nadia Shivack's heartbreaking true story, she tells the world about her life-long problem with eating disorders. Told with a mixture of text and pictures drawn by Ms. Shivack, her preoccupation with food began when her mother told her that not only did she not dress like a girl, but that she was also getting chunky. Her parents had their own problems - her father was overly critical and her mother, a Holocaust survivor, refused to let her three children leave the table until they had cleaned their plates, even though she herself only ate one small meal a day to survive.

When Nadia began swimming competitively in school, her swim coach would praise the girls who were slender and berate those who, in his opinion, needed to lose weight. She began to feel huge and unattractive, and started the cycle of abuse with restricting her diet and then binging on foods that were not allowed. It wasn't long before she met "Ed," her eating disorder - the evil alien being who took over her life.

Nadia's trouble with food was not restricted to her youth. Through high school, through college, through study programs and medication, she struggled with it her entire life. Even knowing the side effects - being unable to sleep, rotting gums from purging, being incapable of having effective relationships - it wasn't until Nadia was about to turn forty that she decided to try another treatment program.

Thankfully, Ms. Shivack did eventually overcome the horror of her eating disorder. Like many other diseases, however, she knows that this will be a lifelong struggle, something that she will always have to work at. By telling her story inside the pages of INSIDE OUT, she hopes that other people struggling with an eating disorder will realize just how serious it is, and that reaching out for help isn't a sign of weakness, but of strength.

Although I've never had an eating disorder, I truly felt empowered by reading INSIDE OUT. Nadia's story could be that of any number of young people in the world today, and I hope that they all are able to come to the same realization that she was - that letting food rule your life is never a good thing.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

A very good but different way of looking at Anne Frank's life , 02 Aug 2006
I thought that this was a v. original and creative way of looking at Anne Frank's life. It was well set out and was always interesting.

Basically, it is pictures of Anne Frank and things to do with her. It was very good.

moving, 16 Oct 2005
I read this book largely because I wanted more insight. Yet I found myselfmoved to tears. it is a cleverly constructed, beautiful colection which certainly fulfills its pupuse of celebrating Anne's life way before the war or any other horror touched her.
It is hard to reflect on Anne Frank without contemplating the impact of the Nazis and yet this book manages to touch on her life pre-war and during her hiding that she becomes a person who exists seperately - as she deserves.
It moved me to tears as did the diary yet also filled me with hope .

A very great book., 02 Feb 1999
This book has pictures of Anne Frank and her family. She also writes in her diary about how she feels going in to hiding and wearing a yellow star to show she is Jewish. This is a really fabulous book because it talks about how she feels and what it is like when her and her family go into hiding. They went into hiding because Adolf Hitler started preparing Germany for war. They were sending all Jewish people to camps so that they'd starve and freeze to death. I like this book because sometimes I imagine I'm in hiding and that I get lonely and am not able to have boyfriends or have any friends that I could tell secrets or talk to or trust. When Anne Frank talks about how it feels when you are in hiding you could actually feel how she feels.

Going solo, 17 Jul 2008
I read it at school and struggled to put it down. I found it extremely interesting; the best bit was when he returned home.

Jessie,age 9

A great read - for parents too!, 13 Jul 2008
As stated elsewhere, this is a stunning book. I am about to buy it (instead of borrowing it) so that my 18 year old and I can read it again.

Going Solo, 13 Jan 2008
"Going Solo" is a the book which picks up where "Boy" left off with Roald on his way to East Africa to take up a job with the Shell Oil Company in Dar es Salaam. Roald Dahl is in Africa when World War II breaks out and he leaves Shell to join up with the RAF. This book details Dahl's wartime exploits, which include having a luger (a pistol) pointed at his head by the leader of a German convoy, crash-landing in no-man's land (and sustaining injuries that entailed having his nose pulled out and shaped!) and even surviving a direct hit during the Battle of Athens, when he was sufficiently recovered to fly again - this time in Hurricanes. The book features black-and-white photos, as well as maps, telegrams and other memorabilia. It is a fabulous book which is also one of my favourites. I would rate it 100000000000000/ 10. Anyone would love this stunning success.

Gripping biography for young readers, 15 Apr 2004
I didn’t expect Roald Dahl’s account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It’s a real page-turner; I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both ‘Boy’ and ‘Going Solo’ are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike … the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Exciting tale, modestly read, 10 Dec 2002
The talent of Roald Dahl - As good a RAF flyer as an author it seems!

Going Solo is excellently written, first and foremost. Most of the narrative is on his exploits during WW2 when he was one of only a handful of pilots stationed in Greece/Middle East facing a German Air Force many, many times more in number.

Quite how he successfully fought through it is incredible. Yet he writes with charm and with no hint of egotism, as could be his right under such circumstances. Or maybe it was the standard for the time (if so I wish society was sincere like back then).

Ian Holm is the perfect reader for this book. As with "My Year" and "Boy" he reads clearly, & without patronising the younger audience by speaking in 'childlike' tones.

The book is universally accessable to all generations. I know a copy of the text has been in the family since publication, and now pubescent insomnia can be eased with this recording.

An absorbing listen - 153 mins never seemed so short.

Not what I expected!, 09 Aug 2007
I expected a dull plod through the life of a writer - but no! this book is a wonderful, engaging, lively trip through the highlights and lowlights of a man who led an extraordinary life. He has a lovely style of phrase which is warm and engaging enabling the reader to clearly see and feel the events unfolding across the pages.
There are many memorable moments, but the one that has stayed with me long after I finished the book was his account of being a fighter pilot. None of the heroics that are usually found in war stories, but observations and comments that were very moving due to their honesty.

Brill for child and adult alike, 23 Jul 2003
I first read this book when I was about 10 years old. I had always been a fan of Roald Dahl and his stories and this was no exception.

I can honestly say I lost count of the amount of times I have re-read this book (I think last time was only last year and I am now 19!). It was an easy to read book that a child could manage, but it made me aware of some very adult issues - caning children, the birth of the motor car, the wonders of Africa and the shocks of War. At ten years old I knew nothing of these things apart from those which I read in this book. But these issues wern't boring to me, they were entertaining and funny and enjoyable to read.

The idea of Africa was the one which stayed with me. When I finished 6th form I decided to visit the Africa that was written about in Going Solo.

Although it wasn't the only factor, I think this book was the spark which set me on this idea and so I shall never forget it. Thankyou Roald Dahl!

A peek into the life of our children's favourite author, 03 Oct 2001
A funny, sometimes moving account of the childhood and later life of Roald Dahl.

For those of you who are huge fans of all those great characters such as Charlie, Matilda and the BFG, take a closer look at the heart and mind of their creator Roald Dahl.

Roald's biography unfolds in a intimate down to earth style which almost gives you the impression he is telling his story, off the record, just to you.

Boy/Going Solo is a book which will have you holding your breath, laughing out loud and reaching for the tissues before the last page is turned and will definitely leave you wanting to read more.

This is a must read book, 07 Apr 2001
As it says on the book - "Roald Dahl's life was as funny, bizarre, fightening and exciting as the stories he wrote" This is 100% true. From being 6 at school to 10 at boarding school in Boy he goes onto being a Hawker Hurricane pilot flying in Greece and the Western desert in 1942. This is an amazing read and it is a book that you will read again and again.

compellingly gruesome!, 20 Nov 2000
Having read this book it is easy to see where Dahl got the more macabre ideas for his childrens books. Intensely readable and totally fascinating. His real life makes for a better story than any of the made up things he wrote. Although it is written for children it is never patronising and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone of any age.

important, but is it really a diary of a fifteen year old, 10 Jul 2008
This evil epidemic has been sweeping across our world for many decades. In South Africa alone ninety percent of the populas has it and in England and other prosperous countries it is rapidly getting out of control. Even in these countries we still are not aware of how this disease actually takes control of the body and how we can catch it.
This book tells the viewer in a friendly easy way all the ways in which you can catch, prevent, and look after HIV and AIDS.
This is all very good. Unfortunatly like a few other reviews on here i too do not buy into the whole diary based book. I believe there may well have been a "Nancy" but nothing like the one we see on the pages, the story is just to fanciful for my liking, a girl of fifteen would not talk in such a way as it is portrayed in the book.
However it is an extremely sad story about one girl's stuggle to deal with being raped by a paedophile, then finding out that you have aids. Dont know why the writer needed to do it in this way, maybe to focus the books contents to teenagers to may it easier to understand. At any rate this is a good book, not one ill be reading again. If you like this kind of book try Tory Hayden she writes in a more passionate and heart felt way

A must read for every parent and their teenage daughters, 05 Oct 2007
I could not put this book down - I read it in two days and now my 14 year old daughter is reading it. I felt as though I knew Nancy and was proud to read her diary. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I sobbed. I cannot imagine this happening to my children and my heart goes out to Nancy's parents and friends. It is a frightening story and I was deeply shocked at how quickly Nancy became so ill, how some people kept their distance and others embraced her when they found out she had aids. I cannot recommend this read enough it is a book I will never forget.

Compulsory Reading, 08 Dec 2006
I just finished reading this and have kept it for my daughter. She is 8 but I will give it to her to read in a few years. I think this should be compulsory reading for ALL teenagers. Honest, sometimes funny but mostly heart wrenching, this is an honest account of feelings and AIDS. How easy it happens, how teenagers think they know best but don't, how it affects your life, others and other peoples perceptions of you. Could NOT put it down, BRILLIANT.

A remarkable story, 09 Aug 2006
This book was delivered to me just 24 hours ago and i have just finished it.
What an amazing account of a young girls short life. It makes you fully aware of how easy it is to become infected with HIV and AIDS and i think all teenages and there parents should read it.
Also it highlights how other people react to the virus. Some people run and others just take it in there stride.
I like the way that the book was written in a diary form which made it easy to read and easy to stop, not that i did that only to sleep !!!
I think anybody with teenages or anyone who knows someone that may be involved anyway with HIV or AIDS should read this book.

True?, 01 Sep 2005
I really looked forward to reading this book but i couldn't help thinking that it wasn't a real diary the wording just didnt convince me that Nancy was really writing a true account. It did bring home just how easy it is to get involved in something which is out of your depth and how careful as young women we have to be. But i have read other books by this author and they all use the same language when how many teenagers do you know who talk like children?

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 11 Jul 2007
In Nadia Shivack's heartbreaking true story, she tells the world about her life-long problem with eating disorders. Told with a mixture of text and pictures drawn by Ms. Shivack, her preoccupation with food began when her mother told her that not only did she not dress like a girl, but that she was also getting chunky. Her parents had their own problems - her father was overly critical and her mother, a Holocaust survivor, refused to let her three children leave the table until they had cleaned their plates, even though she herself only ate one small meal a day to survive.

When Nadia began swimming competitively in school, her swim coach would praise the girls who were slender and berate those who, in his opinion, needed to lose weight. She began to feel huge and unattractive, and started the cycle of abuse with restricting her diet and then binging on foods that were not allowed. It wasn't long before she met "Ed," her eating disorder - the evil alien being who took over her life.

Nadia's trouble with food was not restricted to her youth. Through high school, through college, through study programs and medication, she struggled with it her entire life. Even knowing the side effects - being unable to sleep, rotting gums from purging, being incapable of having effective relationships - it wasn't until Nadia was about to turn forty that she decided to try another treatment program.

Thankfully, Ms. Shivack did eventually overcome the horror of her eating disorder. Like many other diseases, however, she knows that this will be a lifelong struggle, something that she will always have to work at. By telling her story inside the pages of INSIDE OUT, she hopes that other people struggling with an eating disorder will realize just how serious it is, and that reaching out for help isn't a sign of weakness, but of strength.

Although I've never had an eating disorder, I truly felt empowered by reading INSIDE OUT. Nadia's story could be that of any number of young people in the world today, and I hope that they all are able to come to the same realization that she was - that letting food rule your life is never a good thing.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

A very good but different way of looking at Anne Frank's life , 02 Aug 2006
I thought that this was a v. original and creative way of looking at Anne Frank's life. It was well set out and was always interesting.

Basically, it is pictures of Anne Frank and things to do with her. It was very good.

moving, 16 Oct 2005
I read this book largely because I wanted more insight. Yet I found myselfmoved to tears. it is a cleverly constructed, beautiful colection which certainly fulfills its pupuse of celebrating Anne's life way before the war or any other horror touched her.
It is hard to reflect on Anne Frank without contemplating the impact of the Nazis and yet this book manages to touch on her life pre-war and during her hiding that she becomes a person who exists seperately - as she deserves.
It moved me to tears as did the diary yet also filled me with hope .

A very great book., 02 Feb 1999
This book has pictures of Anne Frank and her family. She also writes in her diary about how she feels going in to hiding and wearing a yellow star to show she is Jewish. This is a really fabulous book because it talks about how she feels and what it is like when her and her family go into hiding. They went into hiding because Adolf Hitler started preparing Germany for war. They were sending all Jewish people to camps so that they'd starve and freeze to death. I like this book because sometimes I imagine I'm in hiding and that I get lonely and am not able to have boyfriends or have any friends that I could tell secrets or talk to or trust. When Anne Frank talks about how it feels when you are in hiding you could actually feel how she feels.

MONKEY BUSINESS!, 19 Feb 2004
Bought this for my 8 year old son and pinched it to read myself. Jane reflects on her years and experiences in Gombe over 30 odd years, on the survival problems facing our closest cousins, on how she has helped them and lastly on what we can do about it.
As you journey along with her there are some stories that nearly made me cry and had a sobering effect on others I have recounted them to.
An enjoyable, exciting read for children - packed with great stories and adventures with an added environmental message. Buy it for your kids but also enjoy it yourself!

A terrific true-life adventure story, 09 Feb 1999
I liked the book because it was an adventure story. In one part, the plane crashed. Jane Goodall, Grub (her son), and Derreck (the pilot) didn't get hurt, but they had to cross a river full of crocodiles! I also like the book because it is about Africa, a continent I only know a little about. Besides the amazing animals, I learned that there are important fossil beds in Africa.

Chimps are a central part of the story. The author does a good job of describing the chimps' habits and behavior. The chimps challenge each other for the alpha position (highest ranked position in the group).

I found Jane Goodall likeable because she has interest in saving an endangered species. She reported that chimps can make tools and use them as well as we can. No one knew that before Jane discovered it. Dr. Goodall is also the leader of a special club dedicated to saving chimpanzess.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the fascinating behavior of animals.

Very good book for kids who like animals, 15 Oct 1998
This book would be a good gift book for kids who like animals.

OK, Not the Greatest Though, 13 Jun 1998
I have much respect for Jane Goodall, but her writing is not my type. Her personal stories are interesting; yet, the numerous names of the chimps begins to get confussing. I would not read the book again.

This is a one-of-a-kind book., 19 Jan 1998
This book tells all about Jane Goodalls hardships in becoming a great studier of Chimpanzees. It is great and everyone should read it!!

Going solo, 17 Jul 2008
I read it at school and struggled to put it down. I found it extremely interesting; the best bit was when he returned home.

Jessie,age 9

A great read - for parents too!, 13 Jul 2008
As stated elsewhere, this is a stunning book. I am about to buy it (instead of borrowing it) so that my 18 year old and I can read it again.

Going Solo, 13 Jan 2008
"Going Solo" is a the book which picks up where "Boy" left off with Roald on his way to East Africa to take up a job with the Shell Oil Company in Dar es Salaam. Roald Dahl is in Africa when World War II breaks out and he leaves Shell to join up with the RAF. This book details Dahl's wartime exploits, which include having a luger (a pistol) pointed at his head by the leader of a German convoy, crash-landing in no-man's land (and sustaining injuries that entailed having his nose pulled out and shaped!) and even surviving a direct hit during the Battle of Athens, when he was sufficiently recovered to fly again - this time in Hurricanes. The book features black-and-white photos, as well as maps, telegrams and other memorabilia. It is a fabulous book which is also one of my favourites. I would rate it 100000000000000/ 10. Anyone would love this stunning success.

Gripping biography for young readers, 15 Apr 2004
I didn’t expect Roald Dahl’s account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It’s a real page-turner; I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both ‘Boy’ and ‘Going Solo’ are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike … the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Exciting tale, modestly read, 10 Dec 2002
The talent of Roald Dahl - As good a RAF flyer as an author it seems!

Going Solo is excellently written, first and foremost. Most of the narrative is on his exploits during WW2 when he was one of only a handful of pilots stationed in Greece/Middle East facing a German Air Force many, many times more in number.

Quite how he successfully fought through it is incredible. Yet he writes with charm and with no hint of egotism, as could be his right under such circumstances. Or maybe it was the standard for the time (if so I wish society was sincere like back then).

Ian Holm is the perfect reader for this book. As with "My Year" and "Boy" he reads clearly, & without patronising the younger audience by speaking in 'childlike' tones.

The book is universally accessable to all generations. I know a copy of the text has been in the family since publication, and now pubescent insomnia can be eased with this recording.

An absorbing listen - 153 mins never seemed so short.

Not what I expected!, 09 Aug 2007
I expected a dull plod through the life of a writer - but no! this book is a wonderful, engaging, lively trip through the highlights and lowlights of a man who led an extraordinary life. He has a lovely style of phrase which is warm and engaging enabling the reader to clearly see and feel the events unfolding across the pages.
There are many memorable moments, but the one that has stayed with me long after I finished the book was his account of being a fighter pilot. None of the heroics that are usually found in war stories, but observations and comments that were very moving due to their honesty.

Brill for child and adult alike, 23 Jul 2003
I first read this book when I was about 10 years old. I had always been a fan of Roald Dahl and his stories and this was no exception.

I can honestly say I lost count of the amount of times I have re-read this book (I think last time was only last year and I am now 19!). It was an easy to read book that a child could manage, but it made me aware of some very adult issues - caning children, the birth of the motor car, the wonders of Africa and the shocks of War. At ten years old I knew nothing of these things apart from those which I read in this book. But these issues wern't boring to me, they were entertaining and funny and enjoyable to read.

The idea of Africa was the one which stayed with me. When I finished 6th form I decided to visit the Africa that was written about in Going Solo.

Although it wasn't the only factor, I think this book was the spark which set me on this idea and so I shall never forget it. Thankyou Roald Dahl!

A peek into the life of our children's favourite author, 03 Oct 2001
A funny, sometimes moving account of the childhood and later life of Roald Dahl.

For those of you who are huge fans of all those great characters such as Charlie, Matilda and the BFG, take a closer look at the heart and mind of their creator Roald Dahl.

Roald's biography unfolds in a intimate down to earth style which almost gives you the impression he is telling his story, off the record, just to you.

Boy/Going Solo is a book which will have you holding your breath, laughing out loud and reaching for the tissues before the last page is turned and will definitely leave you wanting to read more.

This is a must read book, 07 Apr 2001
As it says on the book - "Roald Dahl's life was as funny, bizarre, fightening and exciting as the stories he wrote" This is 100% true. From being 6 at school to 10 at boarding school in Boy he goes onto being a Hawker Hurricane pilot flying in Greece and the Western desert in 1942. This is an amazing read and it is a book that you will read again and again.

compellingly gruesome!, 20 Nov 2000
Having read this book it is easy to see where Dahl got the more macabre ideas for his childrens books. Intensely readable and totally fascinating. His real life makes for a better story than any of the made up things he wrote. Although it is written for children it is never patronising and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone of any age.

important, but is it really a diary of a fifteen year old, 10 Jul 2008
This evil epidemic has been sweeping across our world for many decades. In South Africa alone ninety percent of the populas has it and in England and other prosperous countries it is rapidly getting out of control. Even in these countries we still are not aware of how this disease actually takes control of the body and how we can catch it.
This book tells the viewer in a friendly easy way all the ways in which you can catch, prevent, and look after HIV and AIDS.
This is all very good. Unfortunatly like a few other reviews on here i too do not buy into the whole diary based book. I believe there may well have been a "Nancy" but nothing like the one we see on the pages, the story is just to fanciful for my liking, a girl of fifteen would not talk in such a way as it is portrayed in the book.
However it is an extremely sad story about one girl's stuggle to deal with being raped by a paedophile, then finding out that you have aids. Dont know why the writer needed to do it in this way, maybe to focus the books contents to teenagers to may it easier to understand. At any rate this is a good book, not one ill be reading again. If you like this kind of book try Tory Hayden she writes in a more passionate and heart felt way

A must read for every parent and their teenage daughters, 05 Oct 2007
I could not put this book down - I read it in two days and now my 14 year old daughter is reading it. I felt as though I knew Nancy and was proud to read her diary. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I sobbed. I cannot imagine this happening to my children and my heart goes out to Nancy's parents and friends. It is a frightening story and I was deeply shocked at how quickly Nancy became so ill, how some people kept their distance and others embraced her when they found out she had aids. I cannot recommend this read enough it is a book I will never forget.

Compulsory Reading, 08 Dec 2006
I just finished reading this and have kept it for my daughter. She is 8 but I will give it to her to read in a few years. I think this should be compulsory reading for ALL teenagers. Honest, sometimes funny but mostly heart wrenching, this is an honest account of feelings and AIDS. How easy it happens, how teenagers think they know best but don't, how it affects your life, others and other peoples perceptions of you. Could NOT put it down, BRILLIANT.

A remarkable story, 09 Aug 2006
This book was delivered to me just 24 hours ago and i have just finished it.
What an amazing account of a young girls short life. It makes you fully aware of how easy it is to become infected with HIV and AIDS and i think all teenages and there parents should read it.
Also it highlights how other people react to the virus. Some people run and others just take it in there stride.
I like the way that the book was written in a diary form which made it easy to read and easy to stop, not that i did that only to sleep !!!
I think anybody with teenages or anyone who knows someone that may be involved anyway with HIV or AIDS should read this book.

True?, 01 Sep 2005
I really looked forward to reading this book but i couldn't help thinking that it wasn't a real diary the wording just didnt convince me that Nancy was really writing a true account. It did bring home just how easy it is to get involved in something which is out of your depth and how careful as young women we have to be. But i have read other books by this author and they all use the same language when how many teenagers do you know who talk like children?

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 11 Jul 2007
In Nadia Shivack's heartbreaking true story, she tells the world about her life-long problem with eating disorders. Told with a mixture of text and pictures drawn by Ms. Shivack, her preoccupation with food began when her mother told her that not only did she not dress like a girl, but that she was also getting chunky. Her parents had their own problems - her father was overly critical and her mother, a Holocaust survivor, refused to let her three children leave the table until they had cleaned their plates, even though she herself only ate one small meal a day to survive.

When Nadia began swimming competitively in school, her swim coach would praise the girls who were slender and berate those who, in his opinion, needed to lose weight. She began to feel huge and unattractive, and started the cycle of abuse with restricting her diet and then binging on foods that were not allowed. It wasn't long before she met "Ed," her eating disorder - the evil alien being who took over her life.

Nadia's trouble with food was not restricted to her youth. Through high school, through college, through study programs and medication, she struggled with it her entire life. Even knowing the side effects - being unable to sleep, rotting gums from purging, being incapable of having effective relationships - it wasn't until Nadia was about to turn forty that she decided to try another treatment program.

Thankfully, Ms. Shivack did eventually overcome the horror of her eating disorder. Like many other diseases, however, she knows that this will be a lifelong struggle, something that she will always have to work at. By telling her story inside the pages of INSIDE OUT, she hopes that other people struggling with an eating disorder will realize just how serious it is, and that reaching out for help isn't a sign of weakness, but of strength.

Although I've never had an eating disorder, I truly felt empowered by reading INSIDE OUT. Nadia's story could be that of any number of young people in the world today, and I hope that they all are able to come to the same realization that she was - that letting food rule your life is never a good thing.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

A very good but different way of looking at Anne Frank's life , 02 Aug 2006
I thought that this was a v. original and creative way of looking at Anne Frank's life. It was well set out and was always interesting.

Basically, it is pictures of Anne Frank and things to do with her. It was very good.

moving, 16 Oct 2005
I read this book largely because I wanted more insight. Yet I found myselfmoved to tears. it is a cleverly constructed, beautiful colection which certainly fulfills its pupuse of celebrating Anne's life way before the war or any other horror touched her.
It is hard to reflect on Anne Frank without contemplating the impact of the Nazis and yet this book manages to touch on her life pre-war and during her hiding that she becomes a person who exists seperately - as she deserves.
It moved me to tears as did the diary yet also filled me with hope .

A very great book., 02 Feb 1999
This book has pictures of Anne Frank and her family. She also writes in her diary about how she feels going in to hiding and wearing a yellow star to show she is Jewish. This is a really fabulous book because it talks about how she feels and what it is like when her and her family go into hiding. They went into hiding because Adolf Hitler started preparing Germany for war. They were sending all Jewish people to camps so that they'd starve and freeze to death. I like this book because sometimes I imagine I'm in hiding and that I get lonely and am not able to have boyfriends or have any friends that I could tell secrets or talk to or trust. When Anne Frank talks about how it feels when you are in hiding you could actually feel how she feels.

MONKEY BUSINESS!, 19 Feb 2004
Bought this for my 8 year old son and pinched it to read myself. Jane reflects on her years and experiences in Gombe over 30 odd years, on the survival problems facing our closest cousins, on how she has helped them and lastly on what we can do about it.
As you journey along with her there are some stories that nearly made me cry and had a sobering effect on others I have recounted them to.
An enjoyable, exciting read for children - packed with great stories and adventures with an added environmental message. Buy it for your kids but also enjoy it yourself!

A terrific true-life adventure story, 09 Feb 1999
I liked the book because it was an adventure story. In one part, the plane crashed. Jane Goodall, Grub (her son), and Derreck (the pilot) didn't get hurt, but they had to cross a river full of crocodiles! I also like the book because it is about Africa, a continent I only know a little about. Besides the amazing animals, I learned that there are important fossil beds in Africa.

Chimps are a central part of the story. The author does a good job of describing the chimps' habits and behavior. The chimps challenge each other for the alpha position (highest ranked position in the group).

I found Jane Goodall likeable because she has interest in saving an endangered species. She reported that chimps can make tools and use them as well as we can. No one knew that before Jane discovered it. Dr. Goodall is also the leader of a special club dedicated to saving chimpanzess.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the fascinating behavior of animals.

Very good book for kids who like animals, 15 Oct 1998
This book would be a good gift book for kids who like animals.

OK, Not the Greatest Though, 13 Jun 1998
I have much respect for Jane Goodall, but her writing is not my type. Her personal stories are interesting; yet, the numerous names of the chimps begins to get confussing. I would not read the book again.

This is a one-of-a-kind book., 19 Jan 1998
This book tells all about Jane Goodalls hardships in becoming a great studier of Chimpanzees. It is great and everyone should read it!!

Just enough detail..........for the younger child., 13 Nov 2006
From the popular Famous People/Famous Lives series of books: No. 21 - ROALD DAHL.

'Roald Dahl has many exciting adventures as he is growing up. He lives in Africa, flies planes and finally settles down in England to raise a family. Then, in a hut at the end of his garden, he begins to write the most magical stories.'

48 high quality pages in a clear, easy-to-read text and appealing black and white illustrations, finishing with a useful timeline, details just enough information to keep the attention of the younger child and make a lasting impression.

Going solo, 17 Jul 2008
I read it at school and struggled to put it down. I found it extremely interesting; the best bit was when he returned home.

Jessie,age 9

A great read - for parents too!, 13 Jul 2008
As stated elsewhere, this is a stunning book. I am about to buy it (instead of borrowing it) so that my 18 year old and I can read it again.

Going Solo, 13 Jan 2008
"Going Solo" is a the book which picks up where "Boy" left off with Roald on his way to East Africa to take up a job with the Shell Oil Company in Dar es Salaam. Roald Dahl is in Africa when World War II breaks out and he leaves Shell to join up with the RAF. This book details Dahl's wartime exploits, which include having a luger (a pistol) pointed at his head by the leader of a German convoy, crash-landing in no-man's land (and sustaining injuries that entailed having his nose pulled out and shaped!) and even surviving a direct hit during the Battle of Athens, when he was sufficiently recovered to fly again - this time in Hurricanes. The book features black-and-white photos, as well as maps, telegrams and other memorabilia. It is a fabulous book which is also one of my favourites. I would rate it 100000000000000/ 10. Anyone would love this stunning success.

Gripping biography for young readers, 15 Apr 2004
I didn’t expect Roald Dahl’s account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It’s a real page-turner; I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both ‘Boy’ and ‘Going Solo’ are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike … the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Exciting tale, modestly read, 10 Dec 2002
The talent of Roald Dahl - As good a RAF flyer as an author it seems!

Going Solo is excellently written, first and foremost. Most of the narrative is on his exploits during WW2 when he was one of only a handful of pilots stationed in Greece/Middle East facing a German Air Force many, many times more in number.

Quite how he successfully fought through it is incredible. Yet he writes with charm and with no hint of egotism, as could be his right under such circumstances. Or maybe it was the standard for the time (if so I wish society was sincere like back then).

Ian Holm is the perfect reader for this book. As with "My Year" and "Boy" he reads clearly, & without patronising the younger audience by speaking in 'childlike' tones.

The book is universally accessable to all generations. I know a copy of the text has been in the family since publication, and now pubescent insomnia can be eased with this recording.

An absorbing listen - 153 mins never seemed so short.

Not what I expected!, 09 Aug 2007
I expected a dull plod through the life of a writer - but no! this book is a wonderful, engaging, lively trip through the highlights and lowlights of a man who led an extraordinary life. He has a lovely style of phrase which is warm and engaging enabling the reader to clearly see and feel the events unfolding across the pages.
There are many memorable moments, but the one that has stayed with me long after I finished the book was his account of being a fighter pilot. None of the heroics that are usually found in war stories, but observations and comments that were very moving due to their honesty.

Brill for child and adult alike, 23 Jul 2003
I first read this book when I was about 10 years old. I had always been a fan of Roald Dahl and his stories and this was no exception.

I can honestly say I lost count of the amount of times I have re-read this book (I think last time was only last year and I am now 19!). It was an easy to read book that a child could manage, but it made me aware of some very adult issues - caning children, the birth of the motor car, the wonders of Africa and the shocks of War. At ten years old I knew nothing of these things apart from those which I read in this book. But these issues wern't boring to me, they were entertaining and funny and enjoyable to read.

The idea of Africa was the one which stayed with me. When I finished 6th form I decided to visit the Africa that was written about in Going Solo.

Although it wasn't the only factor, I think this book was the spark which set me on this idea and so I shall never forget it. Thankyou Roald Dahl!

A peek into the life of our children's favourite author, 03 Oct 2001
A funny, sometimes moving account of the childhood and later life of Roald Dahl.

For those of you who are huge fans of all those great characters such as Charlie, Matilda and the BFG, take a closer look at the heart and mind of their creator Roald Dahl.

Roald's biography unfolds in a intimate down to earth style which almost gives you the impression he is telling his story, off the record, just to you.

Boy/Going Solo is a book which will have you holding your breath, laughing out loud and reaching for the tissues before the last page is turned and will definitely leave you wanting to read more.

This is a must read book, 07 Apr 2001
As it says on the book - "Roald Dahl's life was as funny, bizarre, fightening and exciting as the stories he wrote" This is 100% true. From being 6 at school to 10 at boarding school in Boy he goes onto being a Hawker Hurricane pilot flying in Greece and the Western desert in 1942. This is an amazing read and it is a book that you will read again and again.

compellingly gruesome!, 20 Nov 2000
Having read this book it is easy to see where Dahl got the more macabre ideas for his childrens books. Intensely readable and totally fascinating. His real life makes for a better story than any of the made up things he wrote. Although it is written for children it is never patronising and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone of any age.

important, but is it really a diary of a fifteen year old, 10 Jul 2008
This evil epidemic has been sweeping across our world for many decades. In South Africa alone ninety percent of the populas has it and in England and other prosperous countries it is rapidly getting out of control. Even in these countries we still are not aware of how this disease actually takes control of the body and how we can catch it.
This book tells the viewer in a friendly easy way all the ways in which you can catch, prevent, and look after HIV and AIDS.
This is all very good. Unfortunatly like a few other reviews on here i too do not buy into the whole diary based book. I believe there may well have been a "Nancy" but nothing like the one w