Product Description

Though born into privilege and inheriting a fortune, Willie Donaldson ended up dying alone in a seedy rented flat, his computer still logged on to a lesbian porn site. To some, he had been one of the great, under-rated comic writers of our time, and to others, a dangerous force of corruption and decadence. His achievements were significant - he published "Sylvia Plath" while still at Cambridge, as a producer in the Sixties he staged "Beyond the Fringe", and he was later to write the celebrated "Henry Root Letters" - but not as impressive as his reckless talent for self-destruction.The impresario became a serial bankrupt. The man about town, who had lived with Sarah Miles and been engaged to Carly Simon, ended up as a ponce in a Chelsea brothel. Success as a writer quickly led him into a dark underworld of crack addiction, fraud and sexual obsession. Now friend and collaborator, Terence Blacker unravels the intimate truth of Willie Donaldson's strange story in all its glamour, hilarity and pain. 'What a young fool I was. But how I adored him' - Carly Simon. 'A slimy crook' - "Private Eye". 'For the skill and wit of his writing he deserves to be hailed as the English Nabokov' - Auberon Waugh. 'I am someone who always answers the phone at 1.00 am, because I know it isn't going to be my bank manager or the Inland Revenue, but probably a crack dealer or a prostitute' - Willie Donaldson.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #128688 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
Terence Blacker read English at Cambridge and worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer during the 1980s. He has written four novels, including the acclaimed Kill Your Darlings, and is a successful writer of children's fiction. He currently writes a twice-weekly column for the Independent and is a regular broadcaster. He lives in Norfolk, where he plays the guitar and grows trees.

Customer Reviews

Crazy guy
I read this in two days so I suppose that makes it an "easy" read. Donaldson seems to have been one of those dissolute souls who had trouble coping with the realities of the world. Initially divorced from such reality through extreme wealth he later escaped through drugs and debauched living. Undoubtedly a witty and engaging man, he appears to have had little loyalty for his friends which makes it quite strange to find how much loyalty they had to him.

This is an engaging biography of someone who could have been much more famous than he was, and anyone who obviously upset the incalculably smug editors of Private Eye has to have had something going for him

If you don't know of Willie Donaldson already then steer clear
This proved a lesson for me: don't judge a book by its title. I'd never heard of Willie Donaldson, but was lured and intrigued by the wonderful title.

Terence Blacker, friend, collaborator and rare admirer moves the life story along briskly with plenty candid insights to ward off any allegation of favouritism. Ultimately, though, my not knowing the subject at all meant it was a biography of only limited enjoyment.

A boring book about an interesting man
William Donaldson was undoubtedly an interesting figure - dissolute posho, theatrical impresario, friend to the stars, lover of Carly Simon, successful humourous writer, pimp, crackhead... and there is undoubtedly a great book to be written about him. This, though, isn't it, being a dull, name-dropping trawl through Donaldson's life which tells you what he did, but never offers any real opinion or insight into why he did it. Disappointing.