Rating: 5/5
Review:
Interesting and entertaining
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don't read many autobiographies or memoirs
because, frankly, so many of them are so dreadful, but I found this very
readable, absorbing, witty and insightful.
The opening is OK, if not hugely inspiring, being a well
written but fairly standard recitation of Paxman's early life and
education. Things begin to get really
good as he almost falls into journalism, and especially his time in Northern
Ireland during the
"Troubles." He is incisive and
fair-minded – and scathing about some of the political cynicism and
incompetence, but also generous to others whom he saw attempting to do their
best in tough times. This is true
throughout the book; Paxman dishes very little dirt in the way of revelation
about individuals but he leaves the reader in no doubt about his opinion of
some people and groups of people, nor of his contempt for management bull-excreta.
The book is peppered with pithy phrases
like "…[they] talked about a 'mission to explain,' which was apparently
something far more important than telling people what had happened that
day," or "those shuffling oxymorons, media academics." But he isn't waspish for the sake of it and
is almost equally often generous about people, too, describing Min Campbell as
"the nicest man in politics," for example. It is plain that, at bottom, he likes most
people who behave acceptably, which gives the book an engaging underpinning of
humanity.
It's beautifully written, and I found it a pleasure to
read. Part of this is the overriding
sense that, while Paxman takes many of the things he talks about very seriously
indeed, he has a healthy scepticism about journalists taking them selves too
seriously and an excellent line in self deprecation and mockery. Very unusually, it is worth reading the bit
on the dustjacket headed Praise For Jeremy Paxman, for example, which includes
"Stay well away from me, you sanctimonious, spineless little toad" –
Piers Morgan.
I found this as entertaining, interesting and absorbing as a
good novel. I enjoyed it far more than I
expected to and I can recommend it very warmly.
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