Friends and Enemies: A Memoir

by Barbara Amiel

624 pages, Paperback

Published July 14, 2022

Reviews

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just dreadful. Are we meant to know who these people are that she talks about without any info for the reader? It’s just utter tosh. This is one of those memoirs where the author writes about themselves in such negative ways but i guess you are just meant to ‘forgive’ their appalling behaviour and attitudes.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised by this, I liked it. Amiel writes with sincerity, honesty and from the heart. She also writes with an no holes barred attitude and says it like she thinks and feels it. You don’t have to believe her, judge her or even agree with her, just take it for what it is a personal story with personal biases.

I was interested in the look at the life style of the rich and famous, made more interesting by the differences between UK, US and Canadian hierarchy culture.
Yet, at the same time, there similarities between the three, very was similar high school cliquish.

There are also insights into cutthroat corporate culture, legal i.e lawyer culture, prison culture, and journalism. At no time did Amiel attempt to get woe is me and seemed honest about her failings and strengths. She wrote it all as she saw it.

Interesting woman, interesting life and a good read.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this is a commitment - but a fascinating one. Not sure yet whether I think it gets into the weeds too much with the legal minutiae of Conrad Black’s court battles but then again, that’s part of the story. Worth it for the end - and a firsthand account of a strong, resilient and resourceful woman.

[Sienna Frangieh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Women in power FOR SURE, however, after reading about 80% of her life in the first 250 pages, I felt it cruelly unnecessary for us to have to endure a further 320 on Conrad’s in-depth legal case. I got viciously bored.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me

[Sharon Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. It reads like a journal! She expresses her feelings and reactions in detail! Her matter affect way of telling her story was refreshing!