Interesting - but flawed, 22 Nov 2008
This is a very interesting book, but rather flawed.

From the book front cover you may believe it is Richard Attenborough's life story, but look closely at the bottom of the front cover, and in small writing it says "and Diana Hawkins"

From that I assumed she had ghost written the book, as often happens with these life stories of the famous. But in fact it is both their life stories running side by side.

Diana Hawkins worked with Richard as publicity manager on many of his films such as Ghandi, Chorus Line and so on, so they shared many areas of their life.

I believe the book is flawed for two reasons:

Firstly, the text alternates between Richard and Diana. Text for Richard begins "RA" and he writes for a page or two, then we get "DH" and Diana writes for a page or two.

This itself is a bit disconcerting, just as you are getting used to what Richard is saying we switch to Diana, then back again.

This is not too bad when they are discussing the same topic, such as the making of Ghandi, or the publicity tour for Chorus Line, but can become annoying when they are discussing different phases of their lives.

The second "flaw" is that the book follow no logical sequence.

It starts with a detailed look at how Ghandi was made, but then Richard starts talking about his early life, and Diana starts talking about her early life (at which point one asks "do I care").

We then go back to Ghandi, then we get Richard talking about his life in the war and his early career, and Diana talking about her marital problems, then we go on to Chorus line, and so it goes on.

So it is bad enough we are jumping back and forth between Richard talking, then Diana talking, but we are also jumping back and forth between the background to making a particular film, and then some aspect of their personal lives.

At times I almost feel as though Richard wrote his sections in two page chunks, and Diana wrote her sections in two page chunks, then they threw all the pages up in the air and put them together in random order.

There is a good book in here waiting to get out (maybe two), and the behind the scenes stories about the making of his most famous films is fascinating, but I am afraid trying to tell two life stories side by side in same book just does not work for me.

A book by Richard and Diana JUST about making the films would have been good, or a book JUST about Richard's life would have been good, but a book combining everything is too much.

Having said all that, Richard comes across as an wonderful person (as do his parents and family) and it certainly made me feel very guilty when I saw how much work Richard and his family have done to ease the suffering in the world.

Sum up: Amazing man, flawed book.

No Surprise!, 30 Sep 2008
Entirely Up to You, Darling

Another amazing book for the great man .... a must for Christmas. Actually, buy one for yourself and one for somoene else!

Interesting - but flawed, 22 Nov 2008
This is a very interesting book, but rather flawed.

From the book front cover you may believe it is Richard Attenborough's life story, but look closely at the bottom of the front cover, and in small writing it says "and Diana Hawkins"

From that I assumed she had ghost written the book, as often happens with these life stories of the famous. But in fact it is both their life stories running side by side.

Diana Hawkins worked with Richard as publicity manager on many of his films such as Ghandi, Chorus Line and so on, so they shared many areas of their life.

I believe the book is flawed for two reasons:

Firstly, the text alternates between Richard and Diana. Text for Richard begins "RA" and he writes for a page or two, then we get "DH" and Diana writes for a page or two.

This itself is a bit disconcerting, just as you are getting used to what Richard is saying we switch to Diana, then back again.

This is not too bad when they are discussing the same topic, such as the making of Ghandi, or the publicity tour for Chorus Line, but can become annoying when they are discussing different phases of their lives.

The second "flaw" is that the book follow no logical sequence.

It starts with a detailed look at how Ghandi was made, but then Richard starts talking about his early life, and Diana starts talking about her early life (at which point one asks "do I care").

We then go back to Ghandi, then we get Richard talking about his life in the war and his early career, and Diana talking about her marital problems, then we go on to Chorus line, and so it goes on.

So it is bad enough we are jumping back and forth between Richard talking, then Diana talking, but we are also jumping back and forth between the background to making a particular film, and then some aspect of their personal lives.

At times I almost feel as though Richard wrote his sections in two page chunks, and Diana wrote her sections in two page chunks, then they threw all the pages up in the air and put them together in random order.

There is a good book in here waiting to get out (maybe two), and the behind the scenes stories about the making of his most famous films is fascinating, but I am afraid trying to tell two life stories side by side in same book just does not work for me.

A book by Richard and Diana JUST about making the films would have been good, or a book JUST about Richard's life would have been good, but a book combining everything is too much.

Having said all that, Richard comes across as an wonderful person (as do his parents and family) and it certainly made me feel very guilty when I saw how much work Richard and his family have done to ease the suffering in the world.

Sum up: Amazing man, flawed book.

No Surprise!, 30 Sep 2008
Entirely Up to You, Darling

Another amazing book for the great man .... a must for Christmas. Actually, buy one for yourself and one for somoene else!

Would recommend, 05 Sep 2008
I bought the 2001 version when I was a student and purchased this one because I wanted to get back into writing again. It has definately improved with age and still contains every contact an aspiring writing could ever need. There's a very in-depth article in this addition on the UK tax implications for the writer which I found interesting (perhaps, that says more about the reviewer than the book!).

Would highly recommend and best to read with a notepad, pen and highlighter handy.

Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better, 23 Oct 2007
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only really need one of them - but which one?

In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents and a more easily navigable structure.

What the TWH really lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed and informative articles written by publishers, agents and successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres and aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio and theatre, and e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart and makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in all, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information and advice it contains.

Interesting - but flawed, 22 Nov 2008
This is a very interesting book, but rather flawed.

From the book front cover you may believe it is Richard Attenborough's life story, but look closely at the bottom of the front cover, and in small writing it says "and Diana Hawkins"

From that I assumed she had ghost written the book, as often happens with these life stories of the famous. But in fact it is both their life stories running side by side.

Diana Hawkins worked with Richard as publicity manager on many of his films such as Ghandi, Chorus Line and so on, so they shared many areas of their life.

I believe the book is flawed for two reasons:

Firstly, the text alternates between Richard and Diana. Text for Richard begins "RA" and he writes for a page or two, then we get "DH" and Diana writes for a page or two.

This itself is a bit disconcerting, just as you are getting used to what Richard is saying we switch to Diana, then back again.

This is not too bad when they are discussing the same topic, such as the making of Ghandi, or the publicity tour for Chorus Line, but can become annoying when they are discussing different phases of their lives.

The second "flaw" is that the book follow no logical sequence.

It starts with a detailed look at how Ghandi was made, but then Richard starts talking about his early life, and Diana starts talking about her early life (at which point one asks "do I care").

We then go back to Ghandi, then we get Richard talking about his life in the war and his early career, and Diana talking about her marital problems, then we go on to Chorus line, and so it goes on.

So it is bad enough we are jumping back and forth between Richard talking, then Diana talking, but we are also jumping back and forth between the background to making a particular film, and then some aspect of their personal lives.

At times I almost feel as though Richard wrote his sections in two page chunks, and Diana wrote her sections in two page chunks, then they threw all the pages up in the air and put them together in random order.

There is a good book in here waiting to get out (maybe two), and the behind the scenes stories about the making of his most famous films is fascinating, but I am afraid trying to tell two life stories side by side in same book just does not work for me.

A book by Richard and Diana JUST about making the films would have been good, or a book JUST about Richard's life would have been good, but a book combining everything is too much.

Having said all that, Richard comes across as an wonderful person (as do his parents and family) and it certainly made me feel very guilty when I saw how much work Richard and his family have done to ease the suffering in the world.

Sum up: Amazing man, flawed book.

No Surprise!, 30 Sep 2008
Entirely Up to You, Darling

Another amazing book for the great man .... a must for Christmas. Actually, buy one for yourself and one for somoene else!

Would recommend, 05 Sep 2008
I bought the 2001 version when I was a student and purchased this one because I wanted to get back into writing again. It has definately improved with age and still contains every contact an aspiring writing could ever need. There's a very in-depth article in this addition on the UK tax implications for the writer which I found interesting (perhaps, that says more about the reviewer than the book!).

Would highly recommend and best to read with a notepad, pen and highlighter handy.

Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better, 23 Oct 2007
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only really need one of them - but which one?

In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents and a more easily navigable structure.

What the TWH really lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed and informative articles written by publishers, agents and successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres and aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio and theatre, and e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart and makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in all, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information and advice it contains.

WIKID, 23 Oct 2008
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

new format, 20 Aug 2008
This bigger issue with it's extra coverage on the dance world by Gavin Roebuck is excellent and makes it a valuable tool for all in arts and showbiz world.

very helpful for actors wanting to be famous!, 31 Dec 2002
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

A must for Actors, 06 Nov 2002
This is an absolutely essential book for anyone working in the industry. Published every October, this revised edition lists agents, casting directors, television and theatre production companies, and radio contacts. It is especially useful for actors, as it has details of all the drama schools, agents and even photographers and 'digs guide' for when working away in theatre. I cannot emphasise enough how crucial it is to own a copy of this book which will soon become your career bible.

i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbusiness..., 30 Apr 2002
for years, i have searched far and wide for a list of reputable agencies and schools, and one day casually I searched amazon, not looking for anything perticular. imagine my delight when this came up! its easy to use, and contains no end of agencies, schools, direstors and (you guessed it!) contacts! i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbuisness, and also to anyone wishing to join an agency that is a member of spotlight.

Interesting - but flawed, 22 Nov 2008
This is a very interesting book, but rather flawed.

From the book front cover you may believe it is Richard Attenborough's life story, but look closely at the bottom of the front cover, and in small writing it says "and Diana Hawkins"

From that I assumed she had ghost written the book, as often happens with these life stories of the famous. But in fact it is both their life stories running side by side.

Diana Hawkins worked with Richard as publicity manager on many of his films such as Ghandi, Chorus Line and so on, so they shared many areas of their life.

I believe the book is flawed for two reasons:

Firstly, the text alternates between Richard and Diana. Text for Richard begins "RA" and he writes for a page or two, then we get "DH" and Diana writes for a page or two.

This itself is a bit disconcerting, just as you are getting used to what Richard is saying we switch to Diana, then back again.

This is not too bad when they are discussing the same topic, such as the making of Ghandi, or the publicity tour for Chorus Line, but can become annoying when they are discussing different phases of their lives.

The second "flaw" is that the book follow no logical sequence.

It starts with a detailed look at how Ghandi was made, but then Richard starts talking about his early life, and Diana starts talking about her early life (at which point one asks "do I care").

We then go back to Ghandi, then we get Richard talking about his life in the war and his early career, and Diana talking about her marital problems, then we go on to Chorus line, and so it goes on.

So it is bad enough we are jumping back and forth between Richard talking, then Diana talking, but we are also jumping back and forth between the background to making a particular film, and then some aspect of their personal lives.

At times I almost feel as though Richard wrote his sections in two page chunks, and Diana wrote her sections in two page chunks, then they threw all the pages up in the air and put them together in random order.

There is a good book in here waiting to get out (maybe two), and the behind the scenes stories about the making of his most famous films is fascinating, but I am afraid trying to tell two life stories side by side in same book just does not work for me.

A book by Richard and Diana JUST about making the films would have been good, or a book JUST about Richard's life would have been good, but a book combining everything is too much.

Having said all that, Richard comes across as an wonderful person (as do his parents and family) and it certainly made me feel very guilty when I saw how much work Richard and his family have done to ease the suffering in the world.

Sum up: Amazing man, flawed book.

No Surprise!, 30 Sep 2008
Entirely Up to You, Darling

Another amazing book for the great man .... a must for Christmas. Actually, buy one for yourself and one for somoene else!

Would recommend, 05 Sep 2008
I bought the 2001 version when I was a student and purchased this one because I wanted to get back into writing again. It has definately improved with age and still contains every contact an aspiring writing could ever need. There's a very in-depth article in this addition on the UK tax implications for the writer which I found interesting (perhaps, that says more about the reviewer than the book!).

Would highly recommend and best to read with a notepad, pen and highlighter handy.

Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better, 23 Oct 2007
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only really need one of them - but which one?

In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents and a more easily navigable structure.

What the TWH really lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed and informative articles written by publishers, agents and successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres and aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio and theatre, and e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart and makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in all, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information and advice it contains.

WIKID, 23 Oct 2008
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

new format, 20 Aug 2008
This bigger issue with it's extra coverage on the dance world by Gavin Roebuck is excellent and makes it a valuable tool for all in arts and showbiz world.

very helpful for actors wanting to be famous!, 31 Dec 2002
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

A must for Actors, 06 Nov 2002
This is an absolutely essential book for anyone working in the industry. Published every October, this revised edition lists agents, casting directors, television and theatre production companies, and radio contacts. It is especially useful for actors, as it has details of all the drama schools, agents and even photographers and 'digs guide' for when working away in theatre. I cannot emphasise enough how crucial it is to own a copy of this book which will soon become your career bible.

i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbusiness..., 30 Apr 2002
for years, i have searched far and wide for a list of reputable agencies and schools, and one day casually I searched amazon, not looking for anything perticular. imagine my delight when this came up! its easy to use, and contains no end of agencies, schools, direstors and (you guessed it!) contacts! i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbuisness, and also to anyone wishing to join an agency that is a member of spotlight.

mixed feelings, 13 Jun 2008
Overlong, definitely, verbose, definitely, showing off, definitely, but within all that, a readable book (at least I found it so and I am very quick to give up on books!) and an honest appraisal of a wonderful man, who came to us to make us laugh, even through his ill health and problems with drink. His many problems with his agent were perhaps over detailed but the relationship was essential to Tommy's career. A few more anecdotes from other comics would have helped but overall I was glad I read it and I don't say that lightly, as anyone reading my reviews will know ... !

...Needs perseverance, 12 Jun 2008
I'm embarassed to tell you how long it took me to finish this book. Suffice to say that I had to frequently overcome a compelling urge to give up on the whole thing because I found that I was not interested in the self-indulgent conjecture of the author.

Towards the end the occasional fact was allowed to creep in, which was nice considering this was why I bought the book. Unfortunately you have to witness the author disappearing up his own hypotheticals before you arrive there.

Just like this?, 10 Apr 2008
Two of the above critiques are so close to my own thoughts it's a bit spooky. the Author is a total 'guess who I know in showbiz' type author, but his fact finding is thorough to say the least. If I was a Cooper I would be a bit creeped out by the person who describes watching your mother through the shop window...
That, is truly spooky. Stalked her just like that. Window mother mother window...hurr hurr hurr.
The book is verbose (can a book be verbose?) but well worth reading. Just don't read it in the bath...You'll fall a sleep and drown. Just like that. I'll stop now.

Words! Words! Words!, 11 Mar 2008
I have enjoyed John Fisher's books in the past but he has mainly dealt with his subjects in an incisive, almost surgical, manner getting to the heart of the subject very quickly and concisely. Boy, was this a long read! I felt as if I had spent every day of Tommy Cooper's life with him such was the immense detail. How much better this book could have been if it had been shortened by about 40% omitting a great amount of the interaction between TC and his agent. Most of that detail got in the way of the story and I found myself skimming through to get back to the meat. Enjoyable on the whole? Yes, to a point so long as you have the stamina.

Quite interesting, 29 Feb 2008
I recently read this book hoping to get an insight into what Tommy was really like and found that for the most part he was exactly the same off stage as on, there were a few things I never knew like his relationship with his agent Miff Ferrie, he is mostly depicted as a control freak who kept Tommy tied to a contract but if you read between the lines he was actually responsible for keeping Tommy in work for all those years and often had to smooth things over when Tommy let clients down at various venues because of his alcoholism and bad health, there are quite a few descriptive sections that relay his act which are quite good to read but when I finished the book I didn't feel like I knew Tommy any better than I did before I started, it was more like a trip down memory lane.

Interesting - but flawed, 22 Nov 2008
This is a very interesting book, but rather flawed.

From the book front cover you may believe it is Richard Attenborough's life story, but look closely at the bottom of the front cover, and in small writing it says "and Diana Hawkins"

From that I assumed she had ghost written the book, as often happens with these life stories of the famous. But in fact it is both their life stories running side by side.

Diana Hawkins worked with Richard as publicity manager on many of his films such as Ghandi, Chorus Line and so on, so they shared many areas of their life.

I believe the book is flawed for two reasons:

Firstly, the text alternates between Richard and Diana. Text for Richard begins "RA" and he writes for a page or two, then we get "DH" and Diana writes for a page or two.

This itself is a bit disconcerting, just as you are getting used to what Richard is saying we switch to Diana, then back again.

This is not too bad when they are discussing the same topic, such as the making of Ghandi, or the publicity tour for Chorus Line, but can become annoying when they are discussing different phases of their lives.

The second "flaw" is that the book follow no logical sequence.

It starts with a detailed look at how Ghandi was made, but then Richard starts talking about his early life, and Diana starts talking about her early life (at which point one asks "do I care").

We then go back to Ghandi, then we get Richard talking about his life in the war and his early career, and Diana talking about her marital problems, then we go on to Chorus line, and so it goes on.

So it is bad enough we are jumping back and forth between Richard talking, then Diana talking, but we are also jumping back and forth between the background to making a particular film, and then some aspect of their personal lives.

At times I almost feel as though Richard wrote his sections in two page chunks, and Diana wrote her sections in two page chunks, then they threw all the pages up in the air and put them together in random order.

There is a good book in here waiting to get out (maybe two), and the behind the scenes stories about the making of his most famous films is fascinating, but I am afraid trying to tell two life stories side by side in same book just does not work for me.

A book by Richard and Diana JUST about making the films would have been good, or a book JUST about Richard's life would have been good, but a book combining everything is too much.

Having said all that, Richard comes across as an wonderful person (as do his parents and family) and it certainly made me feel very guilty when I saw how much work Richard and his family have done to ease the suffering in the world.

Sum up: Amazing man, flawed book.

No Surprise!, 30 Sep 2008
Entirely Up to You, Darling

Another amazing book for the great man .... a must for Christmas. Actually, buy one for yourself and one for somoene else!

Would recommend, 05 Sep 2008
I bought the 2001 version when I was a student and purchased this one because I wanted to get back into writing again. It has definately improved with age and still contains every contact an aspiring writing could ever need. There's a very in-depth article in this addition on the UK tax implications for the writer which I found interesting (perhaps, that says more about the reviewer than the book!).

Would highly recommend and best to read with a notepad, pen and highlighter handy.

Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better, 23 Oct 2007
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only really need one of them - but which one?

In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents and a more easily navigable structure.

What the TWH really lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed and informative articles written by publishers, agents and successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres and aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio and theatre, and e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart and makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in all, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information and advice it contains.

WIKID, 23 Oct 2008
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

new format, 20 Aug 2008
This bigger issue with it's extra coverage on the dance world by Gavin Roebuck is excellent and makes it a valuable tool for all in arts and showbiz world.

very helpful for actors wanting to be famous!, 31 Dec 2002
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

A must for Actors, 06 Nov 2002
This is an absolutely essential book for anyone working in the industry. Published every October, this revised edition lists agents, casting directors, television and theatre production companies, and radio contacts. It is especially useful for actors, as it has details of all the drama schools, agents and even photographers and 'digs guide' for when working away in theatre. I cannot emphasise enough how crucial it is to own a copy of this book which will soon become your career bible.

i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbusiness..., 30 Apr 2002
for years, i have searched far and wide for a list of reputable agencies and schools, and one day casually I searched amazon, not looking for anything perticular. imagine my delight when this came up! its easy to use, and contains no end of agencies, schools, direstors and (you guessed it!) contacts! i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbuisness, and also to anyone wishing to join an agency that is a member of spotlight.

mixed feelings, 13 Jun 2008
Overlong, definitely, verbose, definitely, showing off, definitely, but within all that, a readable book (at least I found it so and I am very quick to give up on books!) and an honest appraisal of a wonderful man, who came to us to make us laugh, even through his ill health and problems with drink. His many problems with his agent were perhaps over detailed but the relationship was essential to Tommy's career. A few more anecdotes from other comics would have helped but overall I was glad I read it and I don't say that lightly, as anyone reading my reviews will know ... !

...Needs perseverance, 12 Jun 2008
I'm embarassed to tell you how long it took me to finish this book. Suffice to say that I had to frequently overcome a compelling urge to give up on the whole thing because I found that I was not interested in the self-indulgent conjecture of the author.

Towards the end the occasional fact was allowed to creep in, which was nice considering this was why I bought the book. Unfortunately you have to witness the author disappearing up his own hypotheticals before you arrive there.

Just like this?, 10 Apr 2008
Two of the above critiques are so close to my own thoughts it's a bit spooky. the Author is a total 'guess who I know in showbiz' type author, but his fact finding is thorough to say the least. If I was a Cooper I would be a bit creeped out by the person who describes watching your mother through the shop window...
That, is truly spooky. Stalked her just like that. Window mother mother window...hurr hurr hurr.
The book is verbose (can a book be verbose?) but well worth reading. Just don't read it in the bath...You'll fall a sleep and drown. Just like that. I'll stop now.

Words! Words! Words!, 11 Mar 2008
I have enjoyed John Fisher's books in the past but he has mainly dealt with his subjects in an incisive, almost surgical, manner getting to the heart of the subject very quickly and concisely. Boy, was this a long read! I felt as if I had spent every day of Tommy Cooper's life with him such was the immense detail. How much better this book could have been if it had been shortened by about 40% omitting a great amount of the interaction between TC and his agent. Most of that detail got in the way of the story and I found myself skimming through to get back to the meat. Enjoyable on the whole? Yes, to a point so long as you have the stamina.

Quite interesting, 29 Feb 2008
I recently read this book hoping to get an insight into what Tommy was really like and found that for the most part he was exactly the same off stage as on, there were a few things I never knew like his relationship with his agent Miff Ferrie, he is mostly depicted as a control freak who kept Tommy tied to a contract but if you read between the lines he was actually responsible for keeping Tommy in work for all those years and often had to smooth things over when Tommy let clients down at various venues because of his alcoholism and bad health, there are quite a few descriptive sections that relay his act which are quite good to read but when I finished the book I didn't feel like I knew Tommy any better than I did before I started, it was more like a trip down memory lane.

another good book from Matthew Field, 16 Oct 2008
This book was written with the help of Matthew Field who was also responsible for writing The making of the Italian Job.It was while researching for that book that the seeds for this book were planted.This book is a very well written biography from Michael Deeley and Matthew Field.It details the many problems that a producer can face trying to get projects he believes in up onto the screen.

the man behind the curtain, 07 Oct 2008
I thought i was a Blade Runner fan. After reading this book I have realized how little I knew about this great movie. How hard it was to make and yet how incredible it is.
It's interesting to see how money influence creative and possibly undermine it.
It makes me wonder how many good movies were never made because the people with the money didn't want to pay for it?
And yet, people like Michael Deeley are those that make film happen against all odds, are those that put together the ideas, the people, the money and make things work day by day. This is another great discovery of this book, I never realized how much a producer means for a film. Had Michael Deeley not been so dedicated to the project of The deer hunter, we would have never seen this movie (to me, a minor loss really, however it was a great movie too).
I have enjoyed this book a let, and i have read it cover to cover in a couple of day because it has a good pace, it's interesting. Totally recommended especially for film buffs.

Interesting - but flawed, 22 Nov 2008
This is a very interesting book, but rather flawed.

From the book front cover you may believe it is Richard Attenborough's life story, but look closely at the bottom of the front cover, and in small writing it says "and Diana Hawkins"

From that I assumed she had ghost written the book, as often happens with these life stories of the famous. But in fact it is both their life stories running side by side.

Diana Hawkins worked with Richard as publicity manager on many of his films such as Ghandi, Chorus Line and so on, so they shared many areas of their life.

I believe the book is flawed for two reasons:

Firstly, the text alternates between Richard and Diana. Text for Richard begins "RA" and he writes for a page or two, then we get "DH" and Diana writes for a page or two.

This itself is a bit disconcerting, just as you are getting used to what Richard is saying we switch to Diana, then back again.

This is not too bad when they are discussing the same topic, such as the making of Ghandi, or the publicity tour for Chorus Line, but can become annoying when they are discussing different phases of their lives.

The second "flaw" is that the book follow no logical sequence.

It starts with a detailed look at how Ghandi was made, but then Richard starts talking about his early life, and Diana starts talking about her early life (at which point one asks "do I care").

We then go back to Ghandi, then we get Richard talking about his life in the war and his early career, and Diana talking about her marital problems, then we go on to Chorus line, and so it goes on.

So it is bad enough we are jumping back and forth between Richard talking, then Diana talking, but we are also jumping back and forth between the background to making a particular film, and then some aspect of their personal lives.

At times I almost feel as though Richard wrote his sections in two page chunks, and Diana wrote her sections in two page chunks, then they threw all the pages up in the air and put them together in random order.

There is a good book in here waiting to get out (maybe two), and the behind the scenes stories about the making of his most famous films is fascinating, but I am afraid trying to tell two life stories side by side in same book just does not work for me.

A book by Richard and Diana JUST about making the films would have been good, or a book JUST about Richard's life would have been good, but a book combining everything is too much.

Having said all that, Richard comes across as an wonderful person (as do his parents and family) and it certainly made me feel very guilty when I saw how much work Richard and his family have done to ease the suffering in the world.

Sum up: Amazing man, flawed book.

No Surprise!, 30 Sep 2008
Entirely Up to You, Darling

Another amazing book for the great man .... a must for Christmas. Actually, buy one for yourself and one for somoene else!

Would recommend, 05 Sep 2008
I bought the 2001 version when I was a student and purchased this one because I wanted to get back into writing again. It has definately improved with age and still contains every contact an aspiring writing could ever need. There's a very in-depth article in this addition on the UK tax implications for the writer which I found interesting (perhaps, that says more about the reviewer than the book!).

Would highly recommend and best to read with a notepad, pen and highlighter handy.

Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better, 23 Oct 2007
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only really need one of them - but which one?

In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents and a more easily navigable structure.

What the TWH really lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed and informative articles written by publishers, agents and successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres and aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio and theatre, and e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart and makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in all, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information and advice it contains.

WIKID, 23 Oct 2008
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

new format, 20 Aug 2008
This bigger issue with it's extra coverage on the dance world by Gavin Roebuck is excellent and makes it a valuable tool for all in arts and showbiz world.

very helpful for actors wanting to be famous!, 31 Dec 2002
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

A must for Actors, 06 Nov 2002
This is an absolutely essential book for anyone working in the industry. Published every October, this revised edition lists agents, casting directors, television and theatre production companies, and radio contacts. It is especially useful for actors, as it has details of all the drama schools, agents and even photographers and 'digs guide' for when working away in theatre. I cannot emphasise enough how crucial it is to own a copy of this book which will soon become your career bible.

i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbusiness..., 30 Apr 2002
for years, i have searched far and wide for a list of reputable agencies and schools, and one day casually I searched amazon, not looking for anything perticular. imagine my delight when this came up! its easy to use, and contains no end of agencies, schools, direstors and (you guessed it!) contacts! i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbuisness, and also to anyone wishing to join an agency that is a member of spotlight.

mixed feelings, 13 Jun 2008
Overlong, definitely, verbose, definitely, showing off, definitely, but within all that, a readable book (at least I found it so and I am very quick to give up on books!) and an honest appraisal of a wonderful man, who came to us to make us laugh, even through his ill health and problems with drink. His many problems with his agent were perhaps over detailed but the relationship was essential to Tommy's career. A few more anecdotes from other comics would have helped but overall I was glad I read it and I don't say that lightly, as anyone reading my reviews will know ... !

...Needs perseverance, 12 Jun 2008
I'm embarassed to tell you how long it took me to finish this book. Suffice to say that I had to frequently overcome a compelling urge to give up on the whole thing because I found that I was not interested in the self-indulgent conjecture of the author.

Towards the end the occasional fact was allowed to creep in, which was nice considering this was why I bought the book. Unfortunately you have to witness the author disappearing up his own hypotheticals before you arrive there.

Just like this?, 10 Apr 2008
Two of the above critiques are so close to my own thoughts it's a bit spooky. the Author is a total 'guess who I know in showbiz' type author, but his fact finding is thorough to say the least. If I was a Cooper I would be a bit creeped out by the person who describes watching your mother through the shop window...
That, is truly spooky. Stalked her just like that. Window mother mother window...hurr hurr hurr.
The book is verbose (can a book be verbose?) but well worth reading. Just don't read it in the bath...You'll fall a sleep and drown. Just like that. I'll stop now.

Words! Words! Words!, 11 Mar 2008
I have enjoyed John Fisher's books in the past but he has mainly dealt with his subjects in an incisive, almost surgical, manner getting to the heart of the subject very quickly and concisely. Boy, was this a long read! I felt as if I had spent every day of Tommy Cooper's life with him such was the immense detail. How much better this book could have been if it had been shortened by about 40% omitting a great amount of the interaction between TC and his agent. Most of that detail got in the way of the story and I found myself skimming through to get back to the meat. Enjoyable on the whole? Yes, to a point so long as you have the stamina.

Quite interesting, 29 Feb 2008
I recently read this book hoping to get an insight into what Tommy was really like and found that for the most part he was exactly the same off stage as on, there were a few things I never knew like his relationship with his agent Miff Ferrie, he is mostly depicted as a control freak who kept Tommy tied to a contract but if you read between the lines he was actually responsible for keeping Tommy in work for all those years and often had to smooth things over when Tommy let clients down at various venues because of his alcoholism and bad health, there are quite a few descriptive sections that relay his act which are quite good to read but when I finished the book I didn't feel like I knew Tommy any better than I did before I started, it was more like a trip down memory lane.

another good book from Matthew Field, 16 Oct 2008
This book was written with the help of Matthew Field who was also responsible for writing The making of the Italian Job.It was while researching for that book that the seeds for this book were planted.This book is a very well written biography from Michael Deeley and Matthew Field.It details the many problems that a producer can face trying to get projects he believes in up onto the screen.

the man behind the curtain, 07 Oct 2008
I thought i was a Blade Runner fan. After reading this book I have realized how little I knew about this great movie. How hard it was to make and yet how incredible it is.
It's interesting to see how money influence creative and possibly undermine it.
It makes me wonder how many good movies were never made because the people with the money didn't want to pay for it?
And yet, people like Michael Deeley are those that make film happen against all odds, are those that put together the ideas, the people, the money and make things work day by day. This is another great discovery of this book, I never realized how much a producer means for a film. Had Michael Deeley not been so dedicated to the project of The deer hunter, we would have never seen this movie (to me, a minor loss really, however it was a great movie too).
I have enjoyed this book a let, and i have read it cover to cover in a couple of day because it has a good pace, it's interesting. Totally recommended especially for film buffs.

This book's a treasure, 12 Nov 2008
I was not disappointed at all. This book was even far more than i had expected. A step by step account by this fabulous artist, concerning all the great shows (known and unknown), that she has starred in. A lot of preparation and thought has also gone into the dialogue by the artist herself.
The photographs are stunning too. Old and new fans will love this book, and congratulations on forty years in show business, to such a wonderful artist.
Her voice is just so brilliant, and she is such a warm and sincere person.
W Edwards

Interesting - but flawed, 22 Nov 2008
This is a very interesting book, but rather flawed.

From the book front cover you may believe it is Richard Attenborough's life story, but look closely at the bottom of the front cover, and in small writing it says "and Diana Hawkins"

From that I assumed she had ghost written the book, as often happens with these life stories of the famous. But in fact it is both their life stories running side by side.

Diana Hawkins worked with Richard as publicity manager on many of his films such as Ghandi, Chorus Line and so on, so they shared many areas of their life.

I believe the book is flawed for two reasons:

Firstly, the text alternates between Richard and Diana. Text for Richard begins "RA" and he writes for a page or two, then we get "DH" and Diana writes for a page or two.

This itself is a bit disconcerting, just as you are getting used to what Richard is saying we switch to Diana, then back again.

This is not too bad when they are discussing the same topic, such as the making of Ghandi, or the publicity tour for Chorus Line, but can become annoying when they are discussing different phases of their lives.

The second "flaw" is that the book follow no logical sequence.

It starts with a detailed look at how Ghandi was made, but then Richard starts talking about his early life, and Diana starts talking about her early life (at which point one asks "do I care").

We then go back to Ghandi, then we get Richard talking about his life in the war and his early career, and Diana talking about her marital problems, then we go on to Chorus line, and so it goes on.

So it is bad enough we are jumping back and forth between Richard talking, then Diana talking, but we are also jumping back and forth between the background to making a particular film, and then some aspect of their personal lives.

At times I almost feel as though Richard wrote his sections in two page chunks, and Diana wrote her sections in two page chunks, then they threw all the pages up in the air and put them together in random order.

There is a good book in here waiting to get out (maybe two), and the behind the scenes stories about the making of his most famous films is fascinating, but I am afraid trying to tell two life stories side by side in same book just does not work for me.

A book by Richard and Diana JUST about making the films would have been good, or a book JUST about Richard's life would have been good, but a book combining everything is too much.

Having said all that, Richard comes across as an wonderful person (as do his parents and family) and it certainly made me feel very guilty when I saw how much work Richard and his family have done to ease the suffering in the world.

Sum up: Amazing man, flawed book.

No Surprise!, 30 Sep 2008
Entirely Up to You, Darling

Another amazing book for the great man .... a must for Christmas. Actually, buy one for yourself and one for somoene else!

Would recommend, 05 Sep 2008
I bought the 2001 version when I was a student and purchased this one because I wanted to get back into writing again. It has definately improved with age and still contains every contact an aspiring writing could ever need. There's a very in-depth article in this addition on the UK tax implications for the writer which I found interesting (perhaps, that says more about the reviewer than the book!).

Would highly recommend and best to read with a notepad, pen and highlighter handy.

Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better, 23 Oct 2007
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only really need one of them - but which one?

In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents and a more easily navigable structure.

What the TWH really lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed and informative articles written by publishers, agents and successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres and aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio and theatre, and e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart and makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in all, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information and advice it contains.

WIKID, 23 Oct 2008
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

new format, 20 Aug 2008
This bigger issue with it's extra coverage on the dance world by Gavin Roebuck is excellent and makes it a valuable tool for all in arts and showbiz world.

very helpful for actors wanting to be famous!, 31 Dec 2002
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

A must for Actors, 06 Nov 2002
This is an absolutely essential book for anyone working in the industry. Published every October, this revised edition lists agents, casting directors, television and theatre production companies, and radio contacts. It is especially useful for actors, as it has details of all the drama schools, agents and even photographers and 'digs guide' for when working away in theatre. I cannot emphasise enough how crucial it is to own a copy of this book which will soon become your career bible.

i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbusiness..., 30 Apr 2002
for years, i have searched far and wide for a list of reputable agencies and schools, and one day casually I searched amazon, not looking for anything perticular. imagine my delight when this came up! its easy to use, and contains no end of agencies, schools, direstors and (you guessed it!) contacts! i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbuisness, and also to anyone wishing to join an agency that is a member of spotlight.

mixed feelings, 13 Jun 2008
Overlong, definitely, verbose, definitely, showing off, definitely, but within all that, a readable book (at least I found it so and I am very quick to give up on books!) and an honest appraisal of a wonderful man, who came to us to make us laugh, even through his ill health and problems with drink. His many problems with his agent were perhaps over detailed but the relationship was essential to Tommy's career. A few more anecdotes from other comics would have helped but overall I was glad I read it and I don't say that lightly, as anyone reading my reviews will know ... !

...Needs perseverance, 12 Jun 2008
I'm embarassed to tell you how long it took me to finish this book. Suffice to say that I had to frequently overcome a compelling urge to give up on the whole thing because I found that I was not interested in the self-indulgent conjecture of the author.

Towards the end the occasional fact was allowed to creep in, which was nice considering this was why I bought the book. Unfortunately you have to witness the author disappearing up his own hypotheticals before you arrive there.

Just like this?, 10 Apr 2008
Two of the above critiques are so close to my own thoughts it's a bit spooky. the Author is a total 'guess who I know in showbiz' type author, but his fact finding is thorough to say the least. If I was a Cooper I would be a bit creeped out by the person who describes watching your mother through the shop window...
That, is truly spooky. Stalked her just like that. Window mother mother window...hurr hurr hurr.
The book is verbose (can a book be verbose?) but well worth reading. Just don't read it in the bath...You'll fall a sleep and drown. Just like that. I'll stop now.

Words! Words! Words!, 11 Mar 2008
I have enjoyed John Fisher's books in the past but he has mainly dealt with his subjects in an incisive, almost surgical, manner getting to the heart of the subject very quickly and concisely. Boy, was this a long read! I felt as if I had spent every day of Tommy Cooper's life with him such was the immense detail. How much better this book could have been if it had been shortened by about 40% omitting a great amount of the interaction between TC and his agent. Most of that detail got in the way of the story and I found myself skimming through to get back to the meat. Enjoyable on the whole? Yes, to a point so long as you have the stamina.

Quite interesting, 29 Feb 2008
I recently read this book hoping to get an insight into what Tommy was really like and found that for the most part he was exactly the same off stage as on, there were a few things I never knew like his relationship with his agent Miff Ferrie, he is mostly depicted as a control freak who kept Tommy tied to a contract but if you read between the lines he was actually responsible for keeping Tommy in work for all those years and often had to smooth things over when Tommy let clients down at various venues because of his alcoholism and bad health, there are quite a few descriptive sections that relay his act which are quite good to read but when I finished the book I didn't feel like I knew Tommy any better than I did before I started, it was more like a trip down memory lane.

another good book from Matthew Field, 16 Oct 2008
This book was written with the help of Matthew Field who was also responsible for writing The making of the Italian Job.It was while researching for that book that the seeds for this book were planted.This book is a very well written biography from Michael Deeley and Matthew Field.It details the many problems that a producer can face trying to get projects he believes in up onto the screen.

the man behind the curtain, 07 Oct 2008
I thought i was a Blade Runner fan. After reading this book I have realized how little I knew about this great movie. How hard it was to make and yet how incredible it is.
It's interesting to see how money influence creative and possibly undermine it.
It makes me wonder how many good movies were never made because the people with the money didn't want to pay for it?
And yet, people like Michael Deeley are those that make film happen against all odds, are those that put together the ideas, the people, the money and make things work day by day. This is another great discovery of this book, I never realized how much a producer means for a film. Had Michael Deeley not been so dedicated to the project of The deer hunter, we would have never seen this movie (to me, a minor loss really, however it was a great movie too).
I have enjoyed this book a let, and i have read it cover to cover in a couple of day because it has a good pace, it's interesting. Totally recommended especially for film buffs.

This book's a treasure, 12 Nov 2008
I was not disappointed at all. This book was even far more than i had expected. A step by step account by this fabulous artist, concerning all the great shows (known and unknown), that she has starred in. A lot of preparation and thought has also gone into the dialogue by the artist herself.
The photographs are stunning too. Old and new fans will love this book, and congratulations on forty years in show business, to such a wonderful artist.
Her voice is just so brilliant, and she is such a warm and sincere person.
W Edwards


The true craft - and graft - of writing, 08 Aug 2008
This book won't write your novel for you. It won't tell you how to get it published. But what it will do is guide new (and not so new) writers through the essentials.

If you have a great idea for a story and are basically literate, this book is a very good way to turn out an excellent book. It guides writers through the basics of plot and character, point of view and setting, and through to those final elements such as rewriting and editing many writers try to avoid. It is thorough and understandable, and, being written by a wide variety of accomplished professionals rather than just one know-it-all, it provides the best advice available from many sources.

It is often partnered with What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers, and for good reason. What If adds valuable exercises to this book, and is worth buying alongside it.

This is not a short-cut to getting published. It is a rigorous manual containing many exercises that while maybe not appealing on first glance, are well worth doing. It is a guide to the true craft - and graft - of the writing process. Ironically, it is increasingly apparent that publishers and their editors have little knowledge of these building blocks of good writing. This book can make sure what you present for publication is as good as it should be; whether editors actually recognise that fact is, unfortunately, beyond the scope of even this terrific book.

Beside the point, 20 May 2008
I think some reviews of this book are beside the point - it's more of a course-book for people who go to "Creative Writing" courses at uiversity, or ideas for teachers of same rather than a book about how to improve technique. Neither do I have any quibble with its not being a WRITE FOR PROFIT! piece of puff that hopes to fleece naive hopefuls. That said, it's just not a very good course-book. Most of the "ideas for writing" are flat, flaccid or just plain time-wasting stuff for teachers to use in a crisis ("imagine your bedroom or a pair of shoes" twaddle, while Ali Smith's comparative sentence-matching exercises take "pointless" to a new level). It's not a book about what writing might mean in a wider context either. The whole book is beside the point. The best way to get a serious handle on how to write is to read and read as deeply as you can - genre fiction will not teach you much, except what someone else has worked out as their "formula". Writing well is not success-based, and no book can be a 12-step programme. READ.

two thirds of this book is really useful, 08 Feb 2008
I bought this book quite a while ago and still dip into it now and again for inspiration. Different writers give their advice, and i have earmarked those chapters written by the writers i found the most inspiring/helpful. There are two or three 'advisers' whose advice is a little superior and somewhat irritating, but this is made up for by those whose advice i have gleaned plenty from. I have recommended this book to several writing friends, and was certainly glad to discover it myself. You WILL find this book useful and an ispiration when you are stuck for where to go next in your story. If you read this book with 'your story' in mind, you will end up writing down copious notes for ideas...my copy of this book is full of margin notes!! Certainly worth the money.

Not helpful at all, 11 Jan 2008
This book implies that is is a guide to creative writing. I found it irritating. It's more like a group of people discussing elements of writing from their own particular perspective, with little to no constructive advice.

Yes there are excercises suggested, but the instructions are often badly laid out. There is a certain element of literary 'snobbery' - commercial success appears to be frowned upon by the authors and contributors.

I would not recommend it to anyone who is looking for an introduction to creative writing, especially if their interest lies in popular fiction.

Not actually much use, 17 Dec 2007
Imagine you wanted to learn wood working. But imagine you bought a book full of sentences like, "Wood is as old as the world", or, "To be human is to need wooden furniture...".

You'd feel a little ripped off. You want actual instructions on how to work with wood, not thoughtful aphorisms, no matter how clever.

That's the problem with this book. Need advice on plotting? Well, in the "Plotting and shaping" section you'll read, "We write things in order to make sense of the world". That's true, I guess. Even profound. But not a great deal of use. Where's discussion of narrative arcs? Where are real examples of plots taken from real books, showing how it's been done in the past, complete with expert commentary? In short, where's the substance?

There's a lot more exactly like that. This isn't a book that teaches. It suggests and implies. It waves a hand in the direction of travel but doesn't give actual directions. Sadly, this is all-too common in creative writing literature. Authors can be as secretive as magicians in guarding their techniques and methods. There's a reluctance to closely analyse technique, perhaps for fear of breaking it.

Others reviewers have suggested that this book is "inspiring". That might be true but for that to be the case you'd need to have already learnt the skills this book purports to teach (it is, after all, a "coursebook"). Above all, I keep coming back to the thought that this book teaches its readers to suck eggs... To tread water when you want to learn how to swim.

The book can also be annoyingly patronising and has definite concepts of high and low literature. Of "Bestselling plots", one contributor writes sniffly that they belong to "books sold in dump bins at airports". Thanks for that opinion, but is it helpful? This rather cynical theme runs throughout the book. You're unlikely to find discussion of books by Harold Robbins, or Stephen King, or Frederick Forsyth, or Catherine Cookson (or any other popular author -- the books that people actually buy and enjoy). But you will find mention of Virginia Wolfe. I'd check for more examples like this but the book lacks an index -- another annoyance.

There is some good stuff in this book, and I've given it 3 out of 5 for being so readable and entertaining. But it's perilously close to being a useless frivolity. Reading it is a matter of sifting the silt to find the gold. Worse than that, there's a lot of iron pyrite sprinkled in there, in the form of aphorisms and vague advice that looks valuable, but is actually worthless.

Interesting - but flawed, 22 Nov 2008
This is a very interesting book, but rather flawed.

From the book front cover you may believe it is Richard Attenborough's life story, but look closely at the bottom of the front cover, and in small writing it says "and Diana Hawkins"

From that I assumed she had ghost written the book, as often happens with these life stories of the famous. But in fact it is both their life stories running side by side.

Diana Hawkins worked with Richard as publicity manager on many of his films such as Ghandi, Chorus Line and so on, so they shared many areas of their life.

I believe the book is flawed for two reasons:

Firstly, the text alternates between Richard and Diana. Text for Richard begins "RA" and he writes for a page or two, then we get "DH" and Diana writes for a page or two.

This itself is a bit disconcerting, just as you are getting used to what Richard is saying we switch to Diana, then back again.

This is not too bad when they are discussing the same topic, such as the making of Ghandi, or the publicity tour for Chorus Line, but can become annoying when they are discussing different phases of their lives.

The second "flaw" is that the book follow no logical sequence.

It starts with a detailed look at how Ghandi was made, but then Richard starts talking about his early life, and Diana starts talking about her early life (at which point one asks "do I care").

We then go back to Ghandi, then we get Richard talking about his life in the war and his early career, and Diana talking about her marital problems, then we go on to Chorus line, and so it goes on.

So it is bad enough we are jumping back and forth between Richard talking, then Diana talking, but we are also jumping back and forth between the background to making a particular film, and then some aspect of their personal lives.

At times I almost feel as though Richard wrote his sections in two page chunks, and Diana wrote her sections in two page chunks, then they threw all the pages up in the air and put them together in random order.

There is a good book in here waiting to get out (maybe two), and the behind the scenes stories about the making of his most famous films is fascinating, but I am afraid trying to tell two life stories side by side in same book just does not work for me.

A book by Richard and Diana JUST about making the films would have been good, or a book JUST about Richard's life would have been good, but a book combining everything is too much.

Having said all that, Richard comes across as an wonderful person (as do his parents and family) and it certainly made me feel very guilty when I saw how much work Richard and his family have done to ease the suffering in the world.

Sum up: Amazing man, flawed book.

No Surprise!, 30 Sep 2008
Entirely Up to You, Darling

Another amazing book for the great man .... a must for Christmas. Actually, buy one for yourself and one for somoene else!

Would recommend, 05 Sep 2008
I bought the 2001 version when I was a student and purchased this one because I wanted to get back into writing again. It has definately improved with age and still contains every contact an aspiring writing could ever need. There's a very in-depth article in this addition on the UK tax implications for the writer which I found interesting (perhaps, that says more about the reviewer than the book!).

Would highly recommend and best to read with a notepad, pen and highlighter handy.

Comprehensive listings guide - but the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better, 23 Oct 2007
There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, "The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), published by Macmillan. Its rival, the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), is published by A&C Black. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, TV/radio producers, festivals, writing courses etc. You only really need one of them - but which one?

In truth there's little to choose between them. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer table of contents and a more easily navigable structure.

What the TWH really lacks compared to the W&AY is the latter's many detailed and informative articles written by publishers, agents and successful writers (J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Joanna Trollope, to name a few). The W&AY has about 170 pages' worth of these in total (100 on books alone), discussing different genres and aspects of the writing process, as well as covering diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing, writing for TV, radio and theatre, and e-publishing. TWH, by comparison, has only about 30 pages of such articles. This in my opinion sets the W&AY apart and makes it far more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly wrong with TWH - it is perfectly adequate for what it is. To be certain, buyers interested mainly in the listings (perhaps those already looking for an agent or publisher) will not be disappointed. All in all, however, my recommendation has to go to the "Writer's & Artist's Yearbook", for the added value of the sheer wealth of information and advice it contains.

WIKID, 23 Oct 2008
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

new format, 20 Aug 2008
This bigger issue with it's extra coverage on the dance world by Gavin Roebuck is excellent and makes it a valuable tool for all in arts and showbiz world.

very helpful for actors wanting to be famous!, 31 Dec 2002
This book is brilliant, i'm 15 years old and wanting to get into film acting, and this book is great. It lists thousands of different agencies for stage, television, film and radio, and all aspects of them such as acting, modelling, costume design, make up, everything, is really is a must for people wanting to get into the entertainment business even if you're not sure which part of entertainment yet, this will help you immediately when you have chosen, it even gives you routes to get to the places and contact addresses, numbers and websites. ITS ESSENTIAL!

A must for Actors, 06 Nov 2002
This is an absolutely essential book for anyone working in the industry. Published every October, this revised edition lists agents, casting directors, television and theatre production companies, and radio contacts. It is especially useful for actors, as it has details of all the drama schools, agents and even photographers and 'digs guide' for when working away in theatre. I cannot emphasise enough how crucial it is to own a copy of this book which will soon become your career bible.

i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbusiness..., 30 Apr 2002
for years, i have searched far and wide for a list of reputable agencies and schools, and one day casually I searched amazon, not looking for anything perticular. imagine my delight when this came up! its easy to use, and contains no end of agencies, schools, direstors and (you guessed it!) contacts! i highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to enter showbuisness, and also to anyone wishing to join an agency that is a member of spotlight.

mixed feelings, 13 Jun 2008
Overlong, definitely, verbose, definitely, showing off, definitely, but within all that, a readable book (at least I found it so and I am very quick to give up on books!) and an honest appraisal of a wonderful man, who came to us to make us laugh, even through his ill health and problems with drink. His many problems with his agent were perhaps over detailed but the relationship was essential to Tommy's career. A few more anecdotes from other comics would have helped but overall I was glad I read it and I don't say that lightly, as anyone reading my reviews will know ... !

...Needs perseverance, 12 Jun 2008
I'm embarassed to tell you how long it took me to finish this book. Suffice to say that I had to frequently overcome a compelling urge to give up on the whole thing because I found that I was not interested in the self-indulgent conjecture of the author.

Towards the end the occasional fact was allowed to creep in, which was nice considering this was why I bought the book. Unfortunately you have to witness the author disappearing up his own hypotheticals before you arrive there.

Just like this?, 10 Apr 2008
Two of the above critiques are so close to my own thoughts it's a bit spooky. the Author is a total 'guess who I know in showbiz' type author, but his fact finding is thorough to say the least. If I was a Cooper I would be a bit creeped out by the person who describes watching your mother through the shop window...
That, is truly spooky. Stalked her just like that. Window mother mother window...hurr hurr hurr.
The book is verbose (can a book be verbose?) but well worth reading. Just don't read it in the bath...You'll fall a sleep and drown. Just like that. I'll stop now.

Words! Words! Words!, 11 Mar 2008
I have enjoyed John Fisher's books in the past but he has mainly dealt with his subjects in an incisive, almost surgical, manner getting to the heart of the subject very quickly and concisely. Boy, was this a long read! I felt as if I had spent every day of Tommy Cooper's life with him such was the immense detail. How much better this book could have been if it had been shortened by about 40% omitting a great amount of the interaction between TC and his agent. Most of that detail got in the way of the story and I found myself skimming through to get back to the meat. Enjoyable on the whole? Yes, to a point so long as you have the stamina.

Quite interesting, 29 Feb 2008
I recently read this book hoping to get an insight into what Tommy was really like and found that for the most part he was exactly the same off stage as on, there were a few things I never knew like his relationship with his agent Miff Ferrie, he is mostly depicted as a control freak who kept Tommy tied to a contract but if you read between the lines he was actually responsible for keeping Tommy in work for all those years and often had to smooth things over when Tommy let clients down at various venues because of his alcoholism and bad health, there are quite a few descriptive sections that relay his act which are quite good to read but when I finished the book I didn't feel like I knew Tommy any better than I did before I started, it was more like a trip down memory lane.

another good book from Matthew Field, 16 Oct 2008
This book was written with the help of Matthew Field who was also responsible for writing The making of the Italian Job.It was while researching for that book that the seeds for this book were planted.This book is a very well written biography from Michael Deeley and Matthew Field.It details the many problems that a producer can face trying to get projects he believes in up onto the screen.

the man behind the curtain, 07 Oct 2008
I thought i was a Blade Runner fan. After reading this book I have realized how little I knew about this great movie. How hard it was to make and yet how incredible it is.
It's interesting to see how money influence creative and possibly undermine it.
It makes me wonder how many good movies were never made because the people with the money didn't want to pay for it?
And yet, people like Michael Deeley are those that make film happen against all odds, are those that put together the ideas, the people, the money and make things work day by day. This is another great discovery of this book, I never realized how much a producer means for a film. Had Michael Deeley not been so dedicated to the project of The deer hunter, we would have never seen this movie (to me, a minor loss really, however it was a great movie too).
I have enjoyed this book a let, and i have read it cover to cover in a couple of day because it has a good pace, it's interesting. Totally recommended especially for film buffs.

This book's a treasure, 12 Nov 2008
I was not disappointed at all. This book was even far more than i had expected. A step by step account by this fabulous artist, concerning all the great shows (known and unknown), that she has starred in. A lot of preparation and thought has also gone into the dialogue by the artist herself.
The photographs are stunning too. Old and new fans will love this book, and congratulations on forty years in show business, to such a wonderful artist.
Her voice is just so brilliant, and she is such a warm and sincere person.
W Edwards


The true craft - and graft - of writing, 08 Aug 2008
This book won't write your novel for you. It won't tell you how to get it published. But what it will do is guide new (and not so new) writers through the essentials.

If you have a great idea for a story and are basically literate, this book is a very good way to turn out an excellent book. It guides writers through the basics of plot and character, point of view and setting, and through to those final elements such as rewriting and editing many writers try to avoid. It is thorough and understandable, and, being written by a wide variety of accomplished professionals rather than just one know-it-all, it provides the best advice available from many sources.

It is often partnered with What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers, and for good reason. What If adds valuable exercises to this book, and is worth buying alongside it.

This is not a short-cut to getting published. It is a rigorous manual containing many exercises that while maybe not appealing on first glance, are well worth doing. It is a guide to the true craft - and graft - of the writing process. Ironically, it is increasingly apparent that publishers and their editors have little knowledge of these building blocks of good writing. This book can make sure what you present for publication is as good as it should be; whether editors actually recognise that fact is, unfortunately, beyond the scope of even this terrific book.

Beside the point, 20 May 2008
I think some reviews of this book are beside the point - it's more of a course-book for people who go to "Creative Writing" courses at uiversity, or ideas for teachers of same rather than a book about how to improve technique. Neither do I have any quibble with its not being a WRITE FOR PROFIT! piece of puff that hopes to fleece naive hopefuls. That said, it's just not a very good course-book. Most of the "ideas for writing" are flat, flaccid or just plain time-wasting stuff for teachers to use in a crisis ("imagine your bedroom or a pair of shoes" twaddle, while Ali Smith's comparative sentence-matching exercises take "pointless" to a new level). It's not a book about what writing might mean in a wider context either. The whole book is beside the point. The best way to get a serious handle on how to write is to read and read as deeply as you can -