Product Description

Frank Skinner is undoubtedly of one of the funniest and most successful comedians appearing on British screens. Born Chris Collins in 1957 he grew up in the West Midlands where he inherited his father's passion for football, a West Bromich Albion supporter, along with a liking for alcohol. Expelled from school at 16 Frank held various jobs later going on to gain an MA in English Literature. Nurturing a serious drink problem from the age of fourteen, Frank eventually turned to Catholicism in 1987 and hasn't had a drink since. He performed his first stand up gig in December 1987. His first television appearance in 1988 met with fits of laughter from the audience and 131 complaints, including one from cabinet minister Edwina Currie. He met fellow comedian David Baddiel in 1990 and the two went on to share a flat throughout the early 90's and to create the hit TV series Fantasy Football League. Winner of the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival, Skinner's is a unique mixture of laddish and philosophical humour which has won him the prime time ITV show - The Frank Skinner Show. Here, for the first time, Frank candidly tells us of the highs and lows of his fascinating life and career.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19309 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 394 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Frank Skinner is well known for his quick wit and biting humour. Both appear in spades in his eponymous autobiography. It is hardly a traditional, chronological work. Instead Frank, (or to give him his childhood name, Chris Collins) takes an offbeat approach to the life story genre. It is an approach which, on the whole, works well. Here, the writer takes an intimately personal tack. Like the man in the pub with tales to tell, the story jumps from childhood to middle age, failed romances to huge successes, with little or no pause to explain or sign post. In the opening chapters this organisation can be confusing. From a lesser writer, it would have been a mistake. For Frank Skinner, whose ability to relate to an audience is everything, it is a clever device to draw the reader in. In fact, this on the hoof, deadline-looming, almost stand-up style of thinking on the feet (or indeed, the page) makes the reader a confidante. Frank chats and asks questions. Pages fly past amid a string of intriguing hook lines, such as "Johnny Cash made me an alcoholic"; "English literature changed my life"; "Zola Budd was my saviour and spiritual guide"; and "My first ever professional show was as Julian Clary¹s straight man (leave it)".

In reality, Frank Skinner's factual life isn't that remarkable, but the quality of the writing lifts it way above its competitors. Besides the history told comes the most interesting, insightful stuff, wrapped up in stylish telling; reasons and justifications, irrelevant asides and rhetorical questions, insecurities and studied nonchalance, plus a grey area where there are a of loads of swear words, darker thoughts, deep hatred of journalists from The Sun and of course the blackest of humour. --Helen Lamont

Mirror
‘Hilarious…often shocking'

Guardian
‘...it's his poignant portrait of his working-class youth that makes it a classic of its kind'

Customer Reviews

The colourful life of Frank skinner!
As a stand-up commedian, Frank Skinner has appealed to me for a few years. Stories from his passion with WBA football club to his problems associated with drinking - I was quite keen to "get to know him better". From the start, it felt as though Frank was standing up on stage narrating the story in his usual funny way. There are no chapters as such, but stories flip from present day (such as splitting up with current girlfriend) to his younger days (loosing his virginity -well worth a few laughs and maybe a "yuk" thrown in too!

After reading this book, I felt as though I knew the Real Frank. It is an honest approach to his very colourful and emotional life. I respect him immensely by how much feeling he has expressed throughout.

This was the first biography I have ever read and I certainly wasn't disappointed. I think you need to find Frank Skinner's type of stand-up amusing, otherwise the book may annoy you. I loved it, and I think all Frank Skinner fans will too!

Congratulations Frank!
From start to finish, this book is a success. The style is completely different to any other autobiography I've read, which makes a very refreshing change. I found myself laughing out loud on the tube many times this week! I've seen one of Frank's shows in person before, and reading the book is like an extension to one of his shows, but on a more personal level, its like a one-on-one show, and it works.

Certainly recommended to any Skinner fan, and anyone else who wants a truly personal account of a colourful life! (I write this just as WBA have scored the winner against Palace - I can just imagine Frank's face!!)

Outstanding, one of the funniest books that I have read.
I must confess I was not a fan of Frank Skinner, I just heard he was funny, the book was on a discount offer, and so I brought it, just to take my total above £25 to gain free delivery in the UK.

It's one of the funniest books I've ever read, I am now a fan of Frank Skinner. Yes, it's a rags to riches story, which is uplifting, but the best bits are the humour. You don't even need to be a Fantasy Football Fan to appreciate the book, I am not. So go on, buy it, you won't regret it.