Product Description

From his days as a club face alongside Philip Sallon, Marilyn and Steve Strange, through the years of global pop superstardom with Culture Club, his rebirth as a world-class DJ, as a leading light of musical theatre with the award-winning Taboo, a cutting edge photographer and a confrontational and acclaimed fashion designer, one of the many things you can say about George is: he's never stood still. It's been one hell of a trip. A decade and a half ago, George was coming to terms with the fall-out from serious drug addiction, the failure of his relationship with Jon Moss and the collapse of Culture Club. For lesser men this would have been the end but for George it became the start of a period of remarkable reinvention. Told with George's trademark biting wit, brutal honesty and sparkling insight, this book reveals the whole story, reappraising his rise to stardom and all the madness that followed. He talks about his solo singing career, his initiation into the dance music scene, and his role as the driving force behind theatrical sensation Taboo. George also discusses the achievement of the apparently impossible task of reuniting the famously fractious Culture Club. It is only now, many years on from the glittering, glossy Eighties, that George makes an insightful and often hilarious assessment of the impact of that extraordinary era.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89614 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From the Publisher
The bestselling autobiography of one of the UK's most flamboyant and charismatic stars. Guaranteed to shock, amuse and tantalise.

From the Back Cover
Boy George: singer, songwriter, theatre star, DJ, photographer, fashion designer, cultural icon.
Told with George's trademark biting wit, brutal honesty and sparkling insight, this book reveals the whole story, reappraising his rise to stardom and all the madness that followed. He talks about his solo singing career, his initiation in the dance music scene, and his role as the driving force behind theatrical sensation Taboo. George also discusses the achievement of the apparently factious Culture Club.
it is only now, many years on from the glittering, glossy eighties, that George makes an insightful and often hilarious assessment of the impact of that extraordinary era.
Boy George has gone far from those days of excess and addiction.
This is his story.
'communicates and expresses the energy of an intelligent anarchist holding an anti-bullshit device...' Guardian
'painfully tender ... I loved it' Daily Telegraph
''The best book I've read in a long while... it made me howl with laughter and burst into tears' Paul O'Grady
'Bitchy, opinionated and fabulously indiscreet' Q

About the Author
Since the break up of Culture Club, Boy George has become one of the leading figures in the dance music revolution, DJIng around the world and setting up the independent record label, More Protein. He was also the co-writer and occasional star of the hit West End and Broadway show Taboo. Boy George continues to make music as a solo artist and is a photographer of note. He is also the design vision behind the fashion label B-RUDE. Boy George currently lives in New York.

Customer Reviews

A mature book worth reading.
I found this book a pleasure to read, it is a mature and well written autobiography. Although I'm not a huge fan of Boy George OR Culture Club I found both Take It Like A Man and Straight extremely fascinating and engrossing. I think with his second book he has proved himself to be a talented writer with strong views on spirituality and life, although sometimes it is a bit repetitive, mentioning Madonna one too many times, I think he's right when he says "Thou doth protest too much."

It's a good book, worth a read if you've got nothing else to do.

George can write!
Thank god Straight is not part 2 of the first book Take it like a man. Straight is something completely different. With this book George has proved that he can write an put his complex views and believes about life, sexuality and music in words. Straight is not just a descriptive story about encounters with other celebrities, fights within the band and taking tons of drugs like it was in the first book. George has really developed a complex and intelligent writing style which obviously makes Straight not as plain and simple to read like "news" in the Sun. Georges sharp tongue an wit however makes Straight fun to read and I couldn't put it down. The first book was good, this one is better! The CD that comes with the book has 5 very personal songs on it which George wrote about relationships he had. You will love the song Panic!

Take It Like A Gran

Admittedly, I am not THE biggest Boy George fan - though I follow his progress with interest and raised eyebrows. He has the ability when being creative to entertain and delight. Take It Like A Man was un-put-down-able - as one wanted to hear about the actual events and incidents that took place in his meteoric rise to stardom in the 80's. It was a roller-coaster ride of crazy characters and life changing dramas. A gripping read.

This book, however, seems to be more focused on catty comments and unwarranted opinions, than of actual 'happenings'. Yes, we know you are gay. Yes we know you can't stand Madonna. Yes, we know you are 'controversial'. Nothing new is really covered or ascertained here - except the fact that Boy George comes across as a Queen who has lost her crown and is quite resentful about it too. Even fabulous achievements such as stage show 'Taboo' are marred with a negativity that leaves a nasty taste in ones mouth.

Not half as entertaining or thought-provoking as Take It...... sorry.