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Creating my own Nemesis: The autobiography of the man who designed Alton Towers big rides, and brought the Theme Park to Britain
The autobiography of the man who brought the theme park concept to Britain, and created some of the world's most thrilling rides and attractions. He talks about his early beginnings in the theatre, circus and magical cabaret, his time working on some of the most incredible special effects in the James Bond films (including the famous bus crash scene in Live and Let Die), and how he became associated with Madame Tussauds, the world's most famous wax museum. This led to the development of Chessington World of Adventures, then Alton Towers. The book answers many questions about how enormous theme park rides are conceived and developed, and the fascinating stories behind them, including his most famous ride "NEMESIS" at Alton Towers.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 20, 2018
I'm gonna split this into 2 so if you want the long-winded slightly more emotionally driven part skip over the next paragraph:
If you're buying this for the roller coasters then the first half won't really appeal to you, until the second half I would have given this book 3/4 stars however somehow once theme parks come into play the writing style relaxes somewhat and the passion comes through much more making it a solidly entertaining read. It's still well worth reading that first half for the context though.
Okay so now with some emotion:
I'd been to Alton Towers three times before I was finally able to ride Nemesis last year. It was an icon of excitement and joy to me that twice I was too short to ride and then it was too busy for me to get on... Then I finally rode it, and rode it again, and again, and again.
They say don't meet your heroes but I'd love to meet Mr. Wardley because that ride lived up to 15+ years of build up... 15 years!
Not only that but I have a running joke with my friends (started by me) that if Wardley wasn't involved it's not worth it, since all rides but one that I've ridden and hold a special place in my heart involved him... This book made me discover that Dragon Khan (the first big-big coaster I got to ride and so one that holds a special place in my heart) had this man's hand involved... So the fact behind the joke must be that while Wardley isn't a necessity to make a ride worth it, he's a guarantee it'll be fantastic! (I love a lot of other rides but somehow Wardley's just seem to have something special about them)
Anyway into the book, magic and illusions don't really bother me which may be why the first half didn't do much for me, however as you go on you see all these previously 'random' bits fall into place in such a fantastic fashion. And I definitely got emotional readying Mr. Wardley talk about "call me Jack"... It's just a moment that really makes you appreciate the man.
Not only that but I feel the second half really shows Wardley as a person, the first half is very focused on what he did and how he learnt. Those who helped are described and thanked but they aren't the focus; where as in the second half, time and time again Wardley tries to claim the influences of others were greater than his own and he genuinely seems to see himself as a poster boy rather than the main event. It's nice and humble and made me smile when he's the one getting called out of retirement repeatedly to help with those projects!
Speaking of out of retirement I'd love for there to be another chapter added now, with Alton Towers having finally received the wooden coaster he wanted for so long (and that he was called on to consult from what I read!). I feel it would be great to read his thoughts and feelings on it along with the emotion of him not being the leader on the project he'd wanted for such a long time...
But hey, it's fantastic to see how these spectacular forces of mass entertainment came to be and see just how much influence Wardley has had on British entertainment (honestly I feel bad for having only learnt of him 2 years ago).
I'm back to Alton Towers this July and absolutely cannot wait, The Wicker Man is open and my old friend Nemesis is due for another (and another and another) go around
If you're buying this for the roller coasters then the first half won't really appeal to you, until the second half I would have given this book 3/4 stars however somehow once theme parks come into play the writing style relaxes somewhat and the passion comes through much more making it a solidly entertaining read. It's still well worth reading that first half for the context though.
Okay so now with some emotion:
I'd been to Alton Towers three times before I was finally able to ride Nemesis last year. It was an icon of excitement and joy to me that twice I was too short to ride and then it was too busy for me to get on... Then I finally rode it, and rode it again, and again, and again.
They say don't meet your heroes but I'd love to meet Mr. Wardley because that ride lived up to 15+ years of build up... 15 years!
Not only that but I have a running joke with my friends (started by me) that if Wardley wasn't involved it's not worth it, since all rides but one that I've ridden and hold a special place in my heart involved him... This book made me discover that Dragon Khan (the first big-big coaster I got to ride and so one that holds a special place in my heart) had this man's hand involved... So the fact behind the joke must be that while Wardley isn't a necessity to make a ride worth it, he's a guarantee it'll be fantastic! (I love a lot of other rides but somehow Wardley's just seem to have something special about them)
Anyway into the book, magic and illusions don't really bother me which may be why the first half didn't do much for me, however as you go on you see all these previously 'random' bits fall into place in such a fantastic fashion. And I definitely got emotional readying Mr. Wardley talk about "call me Jack"... It's just a moment that really makes you appreciate the man.
Not only that but I feel the second half really shows Wardley as a person, the first half is very focused on what he did and how he learnt. Those who helped are described and thanked but they aren't the focus; where as in the second half, time and time again Wardley tries to claim the influences of others were greater than his own and he genuinely seems to see himself as a poster boy rather than the main event. It's nice and humble and made me smile when he's the one getting called out of retirement repeatedly to help with those projects!
Speaking of out of retirement I'd love for there to be another chapter added now, with Alton Towers having finally received the wooden coaster he wanted for so long (and that he was called on to consult from what I read!). I feel it would be great to read his thoughts and feelings on it along with the emotion of him not being the leader on the project he'd wanted for such a long time...
But hey, it's fantastic to see how these spectacular forces of mass entertainment came to be and see just how much influence Wardley has had on British entertainment (honestly I feel bad for having only learnt of him 2 years ago).
I'm back to Alton Towers this July and absolutely cannot wait, The Wicker Man is open and my old friend Nemesis is due for another (and another and another) go around
September 2, 2025
I really wasn't sure what to expect with this, especially considering I never hear about it, I just wanted to find out more about the iconic Alton Towers rides, but this was so much more!
The way this was written was super accessible, especially surrounding all the technical stuff surrounding the logistics of rollercoaster design, but also all the events of John's life leading up to his work Alton Towers was so interesting and I had no idea that he was involved in so many things that I love, like rocky horror and rides at chessington such as the bubble works and vampire :')
I'm going to start the sequel to this immediately and seek out as many documentaries as possible, I wish my life was as crazy as John's
The way this was written was super accessible, especially surrounding all the technical stuff surrounding the logistics of rollercoaster design, but also all the events of John's life leading up to his work Alton Towers was so interesting and I had no idea that he was involved in so many things that I love, like rocky horror and rides at chessington such as the bubble works and vampire :')
I'm going to start the sequel to this immediately and seek out as many documentaries as possible, I wish my life was as crazy as John's
May 23, 2021
A really charming book. Interesting hearing about his life and some nice stories. The only thing is he glances over a lot of the actual building of the rides and focusses on the people but I'd rather hear about the engineering, design challenges etc.
April 23, 2025
I don’t usually write reviews for the books I have read however I feel compelled to do so with this charmer.
Giving this anything less than 5 stars feels inadequate, what a life John Wardley has lead!
A great short read, takes a while to get to the rollercoaster aspect (if you’re into that as I am).
Take a bow, Mr. Wardley.
Giving this anything less than 5 stars feels inadequate, what a life John Wardley has lead!
A great short read, takes a while to get to the rollercoaster aspect (if you’re into that as I am).
Take a bow, Mr. Wardley.
January 6, 2022
Interesting read
It was so interesting to read about Wardley’s journey! I don’t know why it blew my mind that the beginning of Wardley’s creations were exceptional for their time. The book really opened my eyes to how fast the whole industry has grown and how unregulated it was when Wardley started out. It was a joy to read about the amount of projects he has done outside of Alton and Chessington and his creativity throughout the book, especially his diy contraptions. What a wonderful life. I hope he's enjoying his retirement.
It was so interesting to read about Wardley’s journey! I don’t know why it blew my mind that the beginning of Wardley’s creations were exceptional for their time. The book really opened my eyes to how fast the whole industry has grown and how unregulated it was when Wardley started out. It was a joy to read about the amount of projects he has done outside of Alton and Chessington and his creativity throughout the book, especially his diy contraptions. What a wonderful life. I hope he's enjoying his retirement.
July 6, 2025
Be still my beating heart! Where do I begin with this review? I'll start by trying to explain how much I deeply love the rollercoaster, Nemesis which can be found in the Forbidden Valley at Alton Towers (for anyone from outside of the UK who might happen to read this, Alton Towers is, quite simply, the best theme park in the UK, hands down. I will happily debate this with anyone. But I am completely correct).
I was lucky enough to grow up in a town close to the park (which I happily noted gets a mention in the book) and I will quite willingly bore anyone with stories of a lifetime of visits there. I was even fortunate enough to do my school work experience there - in the Nemesis gift shop, no less, which was one of the happiest weeks of my life. Nemesis (or Nemesis Reborn as it is now called after a brilliant facelift which was completed last year) is a wonderful, beautiful, clever, joyous rollercoaster which still makes me cry happy tears after every ride, even after 30 years. Don't get me started on the emotions I felt when I rode it with my daughter last year on her first go at exactly the same age I was when I first rode it. I maintain that if every town in the world had a municipal Nemesis which people could just hop on once or twice a day, crime rates would plummet because everyone would be so happy all the time. Sorry, therapists and counsellors, you'd all be out of a job in this utopia of mine.
Anyway, I'm supposed to be reviewing this book (which I bought on a trip to Alton Towers earlier in the week - I now live in Scotland so I only get to go once or twice a year). Of course my love of Nemesis does make me a little biased but this was such a fun read - the great Mr. Wardley has truly led an incredible life by developing a fascinating career so you definitely don't need to be an Alton Towers nut to appreciate this book. The stuff about Nemesis actually only took up about 3 or 4 pages of the book but that didn't matter at all - every step of John's career has been filled with interesting people and an amazing array of designing magic acts, animatronics, film stunts, theme park rides and much more. I especially loved the bit about Keith Sparkes (how much I wish I could've shook that man's hand and told him how much Doom & Sons had meant to me as a little kid) - he sounded like an absolute legend.
In summary, I am so glad I splurged on this £15 book (most of my books are 3 for £1 from charity shops so this was a real treat!). It was worth every penny. All I can say is, Thank you, John - my life would've been a little less magical without your creations.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a town close to the park (which I happily noted gets a mention in the book) and I will quite willingly bore anyone with stories of a lifetime of visits there. I was even fortunate enough to do my school work experience there - in the Nemesis gift shop, no less, which was one of the happiest weeks of my life. Nemesis (or Nemesis Reborn as it is now called after a brilliant facelift which was completed last year) is a wonderful, beautiful, clever, joyous rollercoaster which still makes me cry happy tears after every ride, even after 30 years. Don't get me started on the emotions I felt when I rode it with my daughter last year on her first go at exactly the same age I was when I first rode it. I maintain that if every town in the world had a municipal Nemesis which people could just hop on once or twice a day, crime rates would plummet because everyone would be so happy all the time. Sorry, therapists and counsellors, you'd all be out of a job in this utopia of mine.
Anyway, I'm supposed to be reviewing this book (which I bought on a trip to Alton Towers earlier in the week - I now live in Scotland so I only get to go once or twice a year). Of course my love of Nemesis does make me a little biased but this was such a fun read - the great Mr. Wardley has truly led an incredible life by developing a fascinating career so you definitely don't need to be an Alton Towers nut to appreciate this book. The stuff about Nemesis actually only took up about 3 or 4 pages of the book but that didn't matter at all - every step of John's career has been filled with interesting people and an amazing array of designing magic acts, animatronics, film stunts, theme park rides and much more. I especially loved the bit about Keith Sparkes (how much I wish I could've shook that man's hand and told him how much Doom & Sons had meant to me as a little kid) - he sounded like an absolute legend.
In summary, I am so glad I splurged on this £15 book (most of my books are 3 for £1 from charity shops so this was a real treat!). It was worth every penny. All I can say is, Thank you, John - my life would've been a little less magical without your creations.
June 4, 2024
In my 2024 goal of reading as many memoirs as possible, this is, without doubt, my number one read of the year.
John is an incredibly engaging storyteller, which comes at no surprise considering his extensive career in creating themed experiences with the purpose of entertaining audiences.
From theatre to theme parks, I’m honestly in awe at the career John has had and I am BEGGING someone to pick this memoir up as mini series. It is just so entertaining.
I also did not expect this to be as funny as it was - there are a few anecdotes that have genuinely made me laugh for days.
All I will say is - the cover *shudders* It’s giving 2-minute Word Art job and John honestly deserves better.
However, I cannot wait to start his newly-released follow-up!
John is an incredibly engaging storyteller, which comes at no surprise considering his extensive career in creating themed experiences with the purpose of entertaining audiences.
From theatre to theme parks, I’m honestly in awe at the career John has had and I am BEGGING someone to pick this memoir up as mini series. It is just so entertaining.
I also did not expect this to be as funny as it was - there are a few anecdotes that have genuinely made me laugh for days.
All I will say is - the cover *shudders* It’s giving 2-minute Word Art job and John honestly deserves better.
However, I cannot wait to start his newly-released follow-up!
October 23, 2024
Had high expectations for this book as a huge Wardley fan but unfortunately it fell flat for me. Some bits were fun to read, and learning about how the entertainment industry has developed through first hand experience was great. But the author has a tendency to waffle and to switch between subjects with no proper flow. A lot of the stories felt like one big brag, like 60% of the book was “look at me, look at how amazing I am, everything I do is perfect first time!”. There was so struggle or nuance. Chapters lure you in with the promise of an interesting topic before switching up after the first page to discuss something completely unrelated. Overall I found it messy, but got through it fairly easily as I have such a huge interest in theme parks and attractions.
January 2, 2023
Certainly one of, if not the most engaging and interesting biography I have ever read.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting John on a few occasions and what a lovely, genuine, down to earth person. I very much enjoyed discussing some aspects of his life mentioned in the book and it was great to talk about these things with the man himself.
Whether you have a keen interest in theme parks, attractions, stage management, special effects, theatre (or indeed, any of the many other adventures of Mr. Wardley) or not, I think for anyone this is well worth a read.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting John on a few occasions and what a lovely, genuine, down to earth person. I very much enjoyed discussing some aspects of his life mentioned in the book and it was great to talk about these things with the man himself.
Whether you have a keen interest in theme parks, attractions, stage management, special effects, theatre (or indeed, any of the many other adventures of Mr. Wardley) or not, I think for anyone this is well worth a read.
February 5, 2025
FLEW through this!! nemesis is far and away my fave ride at alton towers (& one of my fave rides ever in general) so i loved reading the story of the man responsible for it. it was a good insight into how his career developed from working in theatre to designing theme park rides & i loved hearing about the people he met along the way who helped get him to where he ended up. super fun read, excited to get into ‘life after nemesis’ cause i’ve heard that’s more towers focused <3
July 18, 2020
A fascinating insight into the remarkable career of John Wardley who was involved in the design of many of the iconic rides at Theme Parks around the UK, from Nemesis to Oblivion.
To think, he could have ended up in the printing business.
To think, he could have ended up in the printing business.
May 1, 2023
This is the first autobiography I’ve ever read and it was quite a pleasant read! Never did I consider how big John Wardley’s reach was throughout the English theme park industry beyond… this have given me great respect for the man!
December 28, 2023
Read this a year ago and forgot to add it.
Absolutely essential read for theme park enthusiasts but I suspect would also be a very entertaining read for general public - a humorous read about an incredibly fascinating life and mind.
Absolutely essential read for theme park enthusiasts but I suspect would also be a very entertaining read for general public - a humorous read about an incredibly fascinating life and mind.
April 13, 2023
Amazing, I couldn’t put it down. It’s such an informative and enjoyable book.
September 14, 2024
Skipped to chapter 8 because I wasn't as interested in his teenage years (even though that part was well-written). But still a really good book.
March 24, 2025
did i cry in a coffee shop at the end of this book? Well yes!
March 12, 2024
John Wardley is my idol. I look up to him, and this is great for my collection
October 20, 2023
A brilliant insight into the creation of some of the UKs best themeparks and visitor attractions.
August 13, 2014
This isn't so much about the Nemesis roller coaster, more about how its designer, John Wardley got started and ended up making one of the UK's finest attractions. If you're a bit of a coaster nut, or enjoy the inside workings of the attractions industry then give it a read.
March 4, 2016
Amazing book if you like rollercoasters its a must read
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews