The Book Of Life - Hardcover

Claxton, Eve

3.79

19 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0091900336 ISBN 13: 9780091900335

Publisher: Ebury Press, 2005

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The Book of Life is an intensely captivating, diverse collection of the best-written memoir and autobiography through history. Organised into four parts this unusually enriching book begins in childhood and takes us on a thought-provoking journey through the length of a life. Good-sized extracts from some of the world's most extraordinary personalities and writers give unparalleled insight into humanity through the ages and across continents.

From Charlie Chaplin's dandily dressed walks through Victorian London and Alan Bennet's wartime childhood in Yorkshire; through the day Muhammed Ali discovered boxing and Gandhi experimented with cigarettes to Primo Levi's capture by Fascist Militia at 21 and Katherine Hepburn's first film job at the same age; then onto Nabokov on becoming a late father, Darwin on his lifelong love - his work - and Nelson Mandela on being released from prison at 71. Through contrast and exquisite and frequently funny writing The Book Of Life forms an unparalled anthology within a highly popular genre.

This is a uniquely enjoyable immersion in some of the world's best, and most personal, writing.

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Review:

In The Book of Life...the reader is very aware of the marvellous, pulsing veined and

passionate, unique-to-every-individual force...you dip into the pages and find treasure

upon treasure...we can enjoy an abundance of heart-felt outpourings...fascinating...like

the vast spectrum of human experience collected in this book, it excites us and affords

us a little shock of recognition

" (Daily Mail)

"Occasionally a book comes along that is so well conceived and artfully constructed it demands a permanent place on a book lover's shelf - The Book of Life is one. This is an enthralling collection of memoirs and anecdotes...Claxton has done a magnificent job in digging out fascinating works" (The Daily Record)

From the Publisher:

An engrossing anthology of the finest memoir writing through the centuries - from the world's greatest writers, artists, poets, scientists, showmen, statesmen, saints, swindlers and superstars

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