Stamp Album

Stamp Album #1

by Terence Stamp

In this autobiography the actor Terence Stamp tells of his early life, growing up in the East End of London. His mother's unswerving conviction that he was special, instilled in him a belief that his life would be different, as indeed it turned out to be.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography

Hardcover

First published June 25, 1987

About the author

Terence Henry Stamp was an English actor. Known for his sophisticated villain roles, he was named by Empire as one of the 100 Sexiest Film Stars of All Time in 1995. He received various accolades including a Golden Globe Award, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and a Silver Bear as well as nominations for an Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards.

In addition to his acting career, Stamp was an accomplished writer and author. He published three volumes of his memoirs including Stamp Album (written in tribute to his late mother), a novel entitled The Night, and a cookbook co-written with Elizabeth Buxton to provide alternative recipes for those who are wheat- and lactose-intolerant.

Abridged from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a big crush on Mr Stamp and actually went to see him talking about his life in Newcastle. I was able to ask him a question about this book as I was reading it and he turned his chair round to face me, leaned forward and stared into my eyes with his piercingly blue ones and gave me his total and undivided attention for about ten minutes. It was as if there were just the two of us in the room and I floated around in a daze for days.

[Mary Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after meeting Terence in a bookshop in Manchester 1987 at a book signing event. I remember being shy and excited to meet him and even had my photograph taken with him. He was warm and friendly and I couldn’t wait to read about his life and adventures. I wasn’t disappointed and bought the other two books when they became available.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how I found this book. It is carefully read by the author, which is a plus with listening to audio books. Stamp is an unassuming sort of fellow, and his stories are full of details of the time that he writes about, and also details about his family and how he feels about them, especially his mum.

[Kris Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great biography on a great actor

I like to learn more about how people became the way they are. This book explores the early life and upbringing of terence stamp and how he got involved in acting through drama school and up to his first starring role in billy budd. A great read and I will look forward to more from this author.

[Scooter Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Next to Peter O'Toole's "Loitering With Intent" auto bios, Terence Stamp's self penned volumes are the best I've ever read. Wonderful writer, great and wry sense of humour and perspective, fascinating life.

I highly recommend!

[Carla Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this on every level... So glad I got to hear it read by Stamp himself. I read it out of order, though, so I recommend reading this before reading Double Feature, which follows on roughly where this one ends.

[Judith Squires · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the great actor's account of his early life as a poor Cockney kid growing up in London. I just had the great pleasure of seeing him as the "silver-haired gentleman" in the fantastic "Last Night in Soho." Now I'll have to read the subsequent volumes.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

see DOUBLE FEATURE for review

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this three times and never tire of it

[Andrew Fisher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realize at first that this book is about Terrence's life up to about 20 years old, so it doesn't cover any of his film career or even his study of acting. It's mainly about his teenage social life in '50s London which was quite interesting I suppose. My interest comes from my knowledge of only two of his film roles, General Zod in Superman II, 1980 and Bernadette in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994, two rather different but impressive characters. Of course Terrence was well known before he played Zod and I wondered how his childhood nature led to his distinctive acting. So I suppose he admits to being a "mummy's boy", shy and nervous. To a point he was a good student, particularly art, but got so distracted that he failed all his exams before leaving school. He was interested in girls, but it seems his only "success" was with a rather predatory nurse about ten years older. He also outs a school teacher who sexually abused him and admits that that, along with his failures with girls his own age, caused him to question his sexuality. He talks of envying other boys for their good looks and their artistic and athletic ability. Terrence was not so successful in his few attempts at acting in his school years. He did well at table tennis, but not so much other sports. His biggest confession comes at the end, he admits how much he lied in order to find work, quite successfully.

[Gena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Terence Stamp, actor, recalls his upbringing in East End of London and how he got into acting. He talks about the struggling years of when he lived and struggled along with Michael Caine.

[Scott Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but I'm eager to continue on and read his other books since this one only covers his childhood and not his acting career.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terence Stamp