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Ricky: The Autobiography
Famous as the lovable couch potato Jim Royle of The Royle Family, Ricky Tomlinson has entertained millions without ever leaving his armchair. Now, in his long-awaited autobiography, he surprises yet again with a remarkable story of love, hardship, humor, injustice, and triumph. His mother used to tell him that he had lived three lives, but even she miscounted. He has been a plasterer, banjo player, stand-up comic, union agitator, political activist, film extra, award-winning actor, and unwilling guest of Her Majesty's prison service. Renowned and respected for his honesty, wit, and integrity, Ricky brings all of these qualities to his extraordinary and inspiring story.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 14, 2020
This book will either have you crying with laughter or crying with sadness, such an eye opening story of 1 of my favourite comedy actors. Just by reading this book he has made me want to watch the Royle Family from the beginning. My Arse!
November 5, 2015
For those of you reading this who aren't British, first I'm surprised you are, and secondly, you probably won't know who Ricky Tomlinson is.
Ricky Tomlinson is a quintessentially British actor, born & bred. By that, I certainly do not mean he's in the Roger Moore, Alec Guinness or Daniel Craig career actor mould. Acting is certainly something which Ricky almost fell into but with which he has made himself best known to his many fans.
Without delving too far into the book, what a lot of people like most about Ricky is that he holds no airs & graces, he's very much a working class lad done good and pulls no punches about where he's come from, warts and all.
This is one of those gloriously down to earth autobiographies where you not only get a feel for the man himself but what he's been through in his life, his urge to set the record straight and the fact that he is open about the fact he is not perfect, which in fact only endears you to him more.
Even if you have no idea who he is, due to his activism in the days more or less before his acting 'career', it also serves as an interesting perspective on modern British history too and the era of strikes and powerful trade unions.
It's pretty obvious I like Ricky, not just as as an actor, but as a man, so feel free to write this off as bias, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it to anyone. You get a real feel that he is speaking from the heart, there's flourishes of his distinct sense of humour and generally the feeling that you are finding out about Ricky Tomlinson the man, not 'Ricky Tomlinson, the celebrity' if you appreciate the difference.
Ricky Tomlinson is a quintessentially British actor, born & bred. By that, I certainly do not mean he's in the Roger Moore, Alec Guinness or Daniel Craig career actor mould. Acting is certainly something which Ricky almost fell into but with which he has made himself best known to his many fans.
Without delving too far into the book, what a lot of people like most about Ricky is that he holds no airs & graces, he's very much a working class lad done good and pulls no punches about where he's come from, warts and all.
This is one of those gloriously down to earth autobiographies where you not only get a feel for the man himself but what he's been through in his life, his urge to set the record straight and the fact that he is open about the fact he is not perfect, which in fact only endears you to him more.
Even if you have no idea who he is, due to his activism in the days more or less before his acting 'career', it also serves as an interesting perspective on modern British history too and the era of strikes and powerful trade unions.
It's pretty obvious I like Ricky, not just as as an actor, but as a man, so feel free to write this off as bias, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it to anyone. You get a real feel that he is speaking from the heart, there's flourishes of his distinct sense of humour and generally the feeling that you are finding out about Ricky Tomlinson the man, not 'Ricky Tomlinson, the celebrity' if you appreciate the difference.
July 22, 2021
You've got to appreciate his honesty, but I just don't think he comes across as very likeable, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I probably should have.
I just thought it was really shitty to cheat on your wife, then go to prison and let her raise your kids single-handedly, and then cheat again with someone else!
The sections about the prison time were interesting and you felt sorry for him, but then as the book went on I started to wonder - how is it that trouble always finds you Ricky? If you meet one arsehole today then it's bad luck, but if you meet arseholes everywhere you go then maybe it's time for a look in the mirror.
Sometimes it also feels like he's laying it on a bit thick with the whole, "I'm still down to me workin' class roots, I am!" shtick.
I did enjoy the book though - he's definitely had an interesting life. I didn't realise that Royle Family was actually such a small part of his acting career.
Not terrible, but definitely more disappointing as it went on.
I just thought it was really shitty to cheat on your wife, then go to prison and let her raise your kids single-handedly, and then cheat again with someone else!
The sections about the prison time were interesting and you felt sorry for him, but then as the book went on I started to wonder - how is it that trouble always finds you Ricky? If you meet one arsehole today then it's bad luck, but if you meet arseholes everywhere you go then maybe it's time for a look in the mirror.
Sometimes it also feels like he's laying it on a bit thick with the whole, "I'm still down to me workin' class roots, I am!" shtick.
I did enjoy the book though - he's definitely had an interesting life. I didn't realise that Royle Family was actually such a small part of his acting career.
Not terrible, but definitely more disappointing as it went on.
July 31, 2013
I love Ricky Tomlinson. I was never a Brookside fan. I watched it a few times and it always seemed so violent and was a just people arguing. I got enough of that at home. But The Royle Family is pure genius. I just love it, it's warm, its endearing. It's funny, its sad. It's perfect and every line is just wonderful. From the very first page, you can tell instantly how different a book this is to the other celebrity books I’ve read. Why shouldn't it be? you ask. Well, because I took this one on at this particular point because theoretically Freddie Starr and Ricky are very similar. They both come from the same place and around the same age and are in the same field of entertainment.
But this is where I was wrong. Wanting to compare these two men in their attitudes and arrogance, was very blind of me to suggest or even consider because Ricky is what you completely expect, wonderfully humble and entertaining. Where Freddie tried to be sincere and hopelessly failed, Ricky is considerably more genuine and warm. Where Freddie opined and swaggered with arrogance and annoying humour through his anecdotes, Ricky is instantly more heartwarming and funny, without even trying, despite dropping this initial and seemingly templated plea,
"A lot of lies have been written about me in the newspapers and it hurts..."
...and not forgetting that old chesnut,
"I have done things in my life that I'm not proud about..."
Nooooo, Ricky it was all going so well. I'm joking, I'm really loving this but I do think Ricky has read Freddie's book, his scouse contemporary and took a few pointers including stealing his initial Hitler reference for his own early life chapter and verse.
"Adolf Hitler did his best to overshadow my arrival. There I was snug and cosy, when he decided to invade Poland. It's amazing what some people do to compensate for having one ball."
Naughty Ricky.
‘Ricky Tomo’ is consistently a gem throughout this book, despite its many deep and dark parts, which is the majority of the chapters. The scenes and stories are hard and harsh and are laced with (some would say) revolutionary ideas. But then again, one man’s revolutionary is another man’s hero. Clearly in Ricky’s case its only points of view and attitude that differ and fuels the arguement for the working man against (in his case) his oppressive employers.
Oh, the irony.
Ricky hasn’t had ups and downs in his life like others. His has been one long just-hovering-above-down, scraping together from day to day whatever he can to survive whilst he continues to be on ‘the bones of his arse’, as he describes.
The brief dalliance he has with The National Front surprised me but only highlighted how when you are working class (many readers here will have never experienced it) and you feel that you have nothing to hope for or nobody to vote for, that certain things like drugs and right wing politics can seem to be a way out. Especially when those people you helped put into power and trusted them with your vote do something they initially said they wouldn’t but find that they have to or enter into some unjustifiable conflict overseas against your ever heart and belief.
Then there is the other side, the people who you never thought you would vote for, who look more appealing every day, that is until your own local MP makes a ridiculous racist comment or is found with his pants down on Clapham Common. Because when you are on the ‘bones of your arse’, morals and ethics and previous libertarianism, along with other common sense arguements fly on the window and you do what you have to because that very thing that might outrage the majority may in fact be the only thing in a persons world that momentarily makes them happy and stops them jumping off the Severn Bridge looking for Richey Manic.
Ricky soon learnt that too and nothing he admits to, even an affair with a 17 year old (a girl thirty years his junior) takes anything away from his pride. That is pure bravery and character. It may show us how wonderfully flawed he is but that is what we love about him, and aren’t we all?
Take it from me, if I was honest as he is in this book, you’d really hate me. And it’s not just because he is the cuddly father of Caroline Aherne in The Royle Family or the sympathetic, put upon hero of the Mike Bassett, England Manager film, it is because he is a warm hearted, genuine person. There is no front with Ricky, there is no bullshit with Ricky. He’s down the line passionate and true to himself. This has kept him back a lot of his life, the fact that he has principles in his life and many others haven’t and would sooner make a buck out of the misfortune of others and that is nothing but commendable. The fact that he still has that quality when he had nothing else, made him seem like he was the richest man in the world still.
There is a lot of politics in this book. Dock workers. Strikes. Scabs. Prison. Protest. Police. It’s got the lot. Ricky is very much the Che Guevara of the Mersey and made it his point of always sticking up for the common man. He references a lot of people that nobody has heard of and persistantly thanks random people through his life, which he does not need to do, but insists. That’s the type of guy he is.
Despite all this, the showbiz anecdotes are still aplenty. He has never really fallen for the whole star lifestyle, unlike my last subject and is a constant reminder how celebrities are just ordinary people and shit just the same. He is a blueprint of how all celebrities should be.
Like Freddie Starr, his relationships are fraught with pain and loss and circumstance. Like Freddie, the children suffer a tremendous amount and all have their own problems too, which Ricky tries to handle and never once escapes from. The seemingly never ending tie that binds you to the mother of any child you bear is certainly evident in this book and the relationship he has with his two sons is often heartbreaking and sad.
Ricky goes through his life with financially a bare barrel, often owing that barrel to someone and it makes you feel wonderful to get to the end of his journey and he has not only found happiness but also stability with his finances, because he is long overdue some time back on his feet.
But this is where I was wrong. Wanting to compare these two men in their attitudes and arrogance, was very blind of me to suggest or even consider because Ricky is what you completely expect, wonderfully humble and entertaining. Where Freddie tried to be sincere and hopelessly failed, Ricky is considerably more genuine and warm. Where Freddie opined and swaggered with arrogance and annoying humour through his anecdotes, Ricky is instantly more heartwarming and funny, without even trying, despite dropping this initial and seemingly templated plea,
"A lot of lies have been written about me in the newspapers and it hurts..."
...and not forgetting that old chesnut,
"I have done things in my life that I'm not proud about..."
Nooooo, Ricky it was all going so well. I'm joking, I'm really loving this but I do think Ricky has read Freddie's book, his scouse contemporary and took a few pointers including stealing his initial Hitler reference for his own early life chapter and verse.
"Adolf Hitler did his best to overshadow my arrival. There I was snug and cosy, when he decided to invade Poland. It's amazing what some people do to compensate for having one ball."
Naughty Ricky.
‘Ricky Tomo’ is consistently a gem throughout this book, despite its many deep and dark parts, which is the majority of the chapters. The scenes and stories are hard and harsh and are laced with (some would say) revolutionary ideas. But then again, one man’s revolutionary is another man’s hero. Clearly in Ricky’s case its only points of view and attitude that differ and fuels the arguement for the working man against (in his case) his oppressive employers.
Oh, the irony.
Ricky hasn’t had ups and downs in his life like others. His has been one long just-hovering-above-down, scraping together from day to day whatever he can to survive whilst he continues to be on ‘the bones of his arse’, as he describes.
The brief dalliance he has with The National Front surprised me but only highlighted how when you are working class (many readers here will have never experienced it) and you feel that you have nothing to hope for or nobody to vote for, that certain things like drugs and right wing politics can seem to be a way out. Especially when those people you helped put into power and trusted them with your vote do something they initially said they wouldn’t but find that they have to or enter into some unjustifiable conflict overseas against your ever heart and belief.
Then there is the other side, the people who you never thought you would vote for, who look more appealing every day, that is until your own local MP makes a ridiculous racist comment or is found with his pants down on Clapham Common. Because when you are on the ‘bones of your arse’, morals and ethics and previous libertarianism, along with other common sense arguements fly on the window and you do what you have to because that very thing that might outrage the majority may in fact be the only thing in a persons world that momentarily makes them happy and stops them jumping off the Severn Bridge looking for Richey Manic.
Ricky soon learnt that too and nothing he admits to, even an affair with a 17 year old (a girl thirty years his junior) takes anything away from his pride. That is pure bravery and character. It may show us how wonderfully flawed he is but that is what we love about him, and aren’t we all?
Take it from me, if I was honest as he is in this book, you’d really hate me. And it’s not just because he is the cuddly father of Caroline Aherne in The Royle Family or the sympathetic, put upon hero of the Mike Bassett, England Manager film, it is because he is a warm hearted, genuine person. There is no front with Ricky, there is no bullshit with Ricky. He’s down the line passionate and true to himself. This has kept him back a lot of his life, the fact that he has principles in his life and many others haven’t and would sooner make a buck out of the misfortune of others and that is nothing but commendable. The fact that he still has that quality when he had nothing else, made him seem like he was the richest man in the world still.
There is a lot of politics in this book. Dock workers. Strikes. Scabs. Prison. Protest. Police. It’s got the lot. Ricky is very much the Che Guevara of the Mersey and made it his point of always sticking up for the common man. He references a lot of people that nobody has heard of and persistantly thanks random people through his life, which he does not need to do, but insists. That’s the type of guy he is.
Despite all this, the showbiz anecdotes are still aplenty. He has never really fallen for the whole star lifestyle, unlike my last subject and is a constant reminder how celebrities are just ordinary people and shit just the same. He is a blueprint of how all celebrities should be.
Like Freddie Starr, his relationships are fraught with pain and loss and circumstance. Like Freddie, the children suffer a tremendous amount and all have their own problems too, which Ricky tries to handle and never once escapes from. The seemingly never ending tie that binds you to the mother of any child you bear is certainly evident in this book and the relationship he has with his two sons is often heartbreaking and sad.
Ricky goes through his life with financially a bare barrel, often owing that barrel to someone and it makes you feel wonderful to get to the end of his journey and he has not only found happiness but also stability with his finances, because he is long overdue some time back on his feet.
July 18, 2017
Really good read. A great insight into this man's life. Such a shame what happened to him when he was arrested, seemingly over nothing and a small insight into prison life. Amazing stroke of luck how he fell into acting and great to hear how he made a come back from him being really down on his luck. It's a few years old this book now and sad to read about people who are no longer with us like the lovely Caroline Aherne x
February 23, 2022
Love Ricky as an actor, Brookside was a fave until it dwindled after he left. Who can’t love The Royle Family, my arse! Also admired Ricky the man, true to his roots. He’s been a bit of a divil, but he’s never shied away from his beliefs or mistakes. Proper working class scouser & family man, and to top it from the best half of Liverpool (the red one) LFC!
March 28, 2023
Another audiobook, another autobiography.. this time Ricky written and read by Ricky himself.
I was hoping there would have been a lot more times of smiling to myself but sadly there wasn’t.. while it was an interesting listen, there was a lot I didn’t know so was quite surprised at this but just didn’t give me that smiling chuckling feeling I probably would have expected.
I was hoping there would have been a lot more times of smiling to myself but sadly there wasn’t.. while it was an interesting listen, there was a lot I didn’t know so was quite surprised at this but just didn’t give me that smiling chuckling feeling I probably would have expected.
May 21, 2019
I have read this book twice , once several years ago and again now , one of the best I’ve read , Ricky is so down to earth and honest ,would highly recommend anyone looking for a book they don’t want to put down
September 30, 2019
I surprised myself with liking this book even though I do not enjoy the programmes I have occasionally seen him perform in. Honest almost to brutal it tells it like it was, as an autobiography should be.
January 19, 2024
A celeb that tells it as it is
Ricky is the story of Ricky Tomlinson a proper Scouser that many of us think we know. In his autobiography Rick tells it as it is the good, the bad and the ugly and I enjoyed every minute of it
Ricky is the story of Ricky Tomlinson a proper Scouser that many of us think we know. In his autobiography Rick tells it as it is the good, the bad and the ugly and I enjoyed every minute of it
February 11, 2021
I loved this book. Such an honest truthful account of a very hard life. Some amazing facts in it
July 14, 2021
A good autobiography. Ricky Tomlinson has not had an easy life but he carried on surrounded by a supportive family.
February 1, 2022
Really interesting autobiography of a underrated actor. Painfully honest and humorous.
October 9, 2023
BBC Sounds app Podcast. Read by Ricki himself over 5 episodes.
May 22, 2024
A fantastic read is very insightful, written with honesty and humour.
August 11, 2025
Very honest autobiography about Rick's struggles in his professional and personal life. recommended
September 11, 2025
Excellent
First autobiography I've ever read and it did not disappoint. Really great read. Once I'd started I couldn't put it down
First autobiography I've ever read and it did not disappoint. Really great read. Once I'd started I couldn't put it down
October 9, 2023
Audio version read by Ricky Tomlinson. Very good. I thought he covered his personal history with a lot of responsibility.
January 9, 2011
There are very few characters in the world like Ricky Tomlinson. A larger than life comedic actor, who has also breached the music charts, he has come from humble beginnings and retains his working class values, even now, when he could quite easily have turned his back on his working class upbringing as so many other stars have done.
If you live in America then odds are you have never even heard of Ricky Tomlinson whereas across the pond in the UK he is a household name who is probably most famous for his roles in the soap opera 'Brookside' and the deadpan sitcom 'The Royle Family'. He has also starred alongside Samuel L Jackson in the movie '51st State', as well as many other roles in non-Hollywood movies, and had a top 40 hit with the song 'Christmas My Arse'.
So what about the book? Well, it's a no holds barred account of his life where he airs his dirty laundry and leaves the reader to draw his/her own conclusion. What I liked about this approach was that I never felt like I was reading propaganda or a book intended to make me like Tomlinson. Instead he told his life stories as he viewed them whether it be his association with the NF (National Front - a far right, whites only political group that he regrets being a part of), his time spent in jail for picketing building sites or his affairs outside of his long term relationships. Whether or not one agrees with his logic and reasons (his excuse for cheating on his partners amounts to him falling in love easily with other women) you have to admire his ballsy approach to the subjects he recounts. The style of the writing portrays his personality very well and the book reads as he himself speaks.
Coming from a working class background myself I found I was able to relate to a lot of his stories such as Tomlinson only having an outside toilet when growing up and often having to tear off strips from a discarded newspaper to wipe his arse with. Yes TMI but that's how it was back then. It's amazing he actually became wealthy at all as throughout the book are numerous recollections of incidents that show he's terrible at handling money.
Even though I often didn't agree with his reasoning for his affairs, or how he handled certain situations, I ended up with an admiration for him as a person for beyond all the faults he appears to be a man with a good heart. Actually, it wasn't that good as he had a quadruple heart bypass performed in 2007! To this day he partakes in a lot of charity work and donated a million pounds to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in 2008.
The most harrowing part of the book details his accounts of spending two years in prison beginning in 1972 for the "crime" of conspiring to intimidate workers who crossed the picket lines. Today, in 2011 he is still campaigning to have his name cleared of all wrong doing as he was set-up by the then Conservative government due to Tomlinson being too active in trying to get workers rights, safety and pay at an acceptable level in the building industry.
Overall this autobiography gives insights into the life of a working class man and his journey through to fame and wealth and yet, throughout the journey, he stays true to who he his and where he has come from.
If you live in America then odds are you have never even heard of Ricky Tomlinson whereas across the pond in the UK he is a household name who is probably most famous for his roles in the soap opera 'Brookside' and the deadpan sitcom 'The Royle Family'. He has also starred alongside Samuel L Jackson in the movie '51st State', as well as many other roles in non-Hollywood movies, and had a top 40 hit with the song 'Christmas My Arse'.
So what about the book? Well, it's a no holds barred account of his life where he airs his dirty laundry and leaves the reader to draw his/her own conclusion. What I liked about this approach was that I never felt like I was reading propaganda or a book intended to make me like Tomlinson. Instead he told his life stories as he viewed them whether it be his association with the NF (National Front - a far right, whites only political group that he regrets being a part of), his time spent in jail for picketing building sites or his affairs outside of his long term relationships. Whether or not one agrees with his logic and reasons (his excuse for cheating on his partners amounts to him falling in love easily with other women) you have to admire his ballsy approach to the subjects he recounts. The style of the writing portrays his personality very well and the book reads as he himself speaks.
Coming from a working class background myself I found I was able to relate to a lot of his stories such as Tomlinson only having an outside toilet when growing up and often having to tear off strips from a discarded newspaper to wipe his arse with. Yes TMI but that's how it was back then. It's amazing he actually became wealthy at all as throughout the book are numerous recollections of incidents that show he's terrible at handling money.
Even though I often didn't agree with his reasoning for his affairs, or how he handled certain situations, I ended up with an admiration for him as a person for beyond all the faults he appears to be a man with a good heart. Actually, it wasn't that good as he had a quadruple heart bypass performed in 2007! To this day he partakes in a lot of charity work and donated a million pounds to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in 2008.
The most harrowing part of the book details his accounts of spending two years in prison beginning in 1972 for the "crime" of conspiring to intimidate workers who crossed the picket lines. Today, in 2011 he is still campaigning to have his name cleared of all wrong doing as he was set-up by the then Conservative government due to Tomlinson being too active in trying to get workers rights, safety and pay at an acceptable level in the building industry.
Overall this autobiography gives insights into the life of a working class man and his journey through to fame and wealth and yet, throughout the journey, he stays true to who he his and where he has come from.
July 21, 2020
What a rascal! No angel our Ricky but he never said he was! Never forgot his Scouse roots. Very funny and really entertaining. Highly recommended.
August 11, 2011
It was such a refreshing change to read someone being brutally honest rather than the sugar coating that so many peoples memoirs have. I picked this book up ages ago and having just re-watched all 3 series of the Royale Family I thought I'd give this a go. I expected it to be filled with humour (like Peter Kays autobiographies) but instead Ricky was completely open and honest about the hard life he's had both before and after he found fame. He must have an enormously strong character to be as funny as he is on TV after everything that has happened to him in the past. I particularly liked reading the chapters of his time in prison and am outraged at his totally unjust incaceration and really felt for him. There were parts of the book that I disagreed with though. At his lowest times Ricky relied on his friends (I'm not critisizing him there) But he later goes on to say what a proud man he is and would never rely on handouts from family - sorry but what's the difference between getting aid from friends or family. Also when he later had fallings out with these friends who had been there for him in his times of need it was always their fault - never Ricky's. Also the way Ricky treated his first wife was quite disgusting (no-mater how far apart they'd grown) and he only has himself to blame for the divorce - though to be fair Ricky does openly admit this in the book. But at the same time the way his wife treated him after their seperation was far from amicable (but I suppose hell hath no fury). Despite his many shortcomings it was nice to read about someone who hasn't forgotten their roots and most definately does not consider his upbringing beneath him like so many people do once they taste fame and fortune. Despite being somewhat biased (but hey It's his book i suppose) it was nice to read someone tell the story how it really is. Being an avid Liverpool fan and a frequent visitor to the city I especially liked hearing about the city throuighout the years of Ricky's life and it was nice to learn that he only lives a mile from where he grew up opposed to seeing the grass as greener on the otherside like so many people do. Despite his many faults that this book highlights Ricky is honest, down to earth and has obviously never forgotten where he's come from and what he's had to do to get to where he is today
December 19, 2011
I expected this to be boring, however I don't think I have ever been this wrong in all my life. Ricky actually writes a quite exquisite autobiography filled with honesty. His account of his time in prison is especially an amazing and emotional read- I couldn't put the chapters about that down.
Of course just like all autobiographies it is slightly biased, but no one is going to admit everything is their fault, are they? Besides, the tale of his trip to where he is now is inspiring and definitely one of the best books I have read in ages.
Of course just like all autobiographies it is slightly biased, but no one is going to admit everything is their fault, are they? Besides, the tale of his trip to where he is now is inspiring and definitely one of the best books I have read in ages.
February 18, 2008
Really enjoyed this book. He's lead a pretty interesting (and varied!) life, and this makes great reading... His usually humour is in there, making me laugh out loud at times. He comes across as being really down to earth, whilst having the conviction to fight for what he believes in. Some of the stories are priceless, and he's very honest about his affairs among other things. This really is a warts and all autobiography...
December 22, 2013
Loved this book from start to finish!
Ricky is so humble and has never forgotten where he came from! Fame has not altered him!
This is a warts and all book which is brutally honest even down to admitting his affairs and mistakes! He has done so much for so many and is also a natural comedian!
This is a must read for any fan or for those that want to know the truth about the pickets he was jailed for! You will truly get to know him in parts you may dislike him but he always wins you round!
Ricky is so humble and has never forgotten where he came from! Fame has not altered him!
This is a warts and all book which is brutally honest even down to admitting his affairs and mistakes! He has done so much for so many and is also a natural comedian!
This is a must read for any fan or for those that want to know the truth about the pickets he was jailed for! You will truly get to know him in parts you may dislike him but he always wins you round!
April 21, 2013
I am sometimes wary of reading autobiographies of people I admire as they do not always come out well. Norman Wisdom and Lee Evans is a case in point (although the Lee Evans one was more due to an appaling writing style). Ricky is honest (up to a point one suspects) but doesn't try to paint himself as a genius and while the reading was light it was entertaining. Good luck to him.
October 30, 2010
Seems a very honest, open account of his life story. Has certainly lived a varied, eventful life with many downs as well as ups. I don't read many autobiographies, however I'm glad to have read this one.
March 20, 2011
I received this as a Christmas present. I was already aware of RT's involvement with trade unions, and this was probably the most interesting part of the book (for me). It's an easy read and an enjoyable account of RT's life.
April 4, 2011
Great read, I wasn't very interested in reading this, but got it given to me as a xmas present so gave it a go. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it. Ricky has a very interesting life.
June 13, 2023
I thought him a rather nasty individual after reading this and particularly vile towards his wife !!!
Definitely an honest autobiography, not disputing that . Put me off the guy after though .
Trade union bits were very interesting .
Definitely an honest autobiography, not disputing that . Put me off the guy after though .
Trade union bits were very interesting .
March 6, 2014
Read by the big lump himself. I would not like to meet him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews