And Away…
£5.70£9.50 (-40%)
‘The most life-affirming, joyful read of the year’ – Sunday Times
‘Winningly heartfelt’ – The Guardian
‘A triumph’ – Daily Mail
Bob Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The episode unnerved him, but forced him to reflect on his life so far. This is the framework for his hilarious and moving memoir, And Away…
Although his childhood in Middlesbrough was normal on the surface, it was tinged by the loss of his dad, and his own various misadventures (now infamous from his appearances on Would I Lie to You?), from burning down the family home to starting a short-lived punk band called Dog Dirt. As an adult, he trained as a solicitor and moved to London. Though he was doing pretty well (the South London Press once crowned him ‘The Cockroach King’ after a successful verdict), a chance encounter in a pub in the 1980s with a young comedian going by the name Vic Reeves set his life on a different track. And now, six years on, the heart condition that once threatened his career has instead led to new success on BBC2’s Gone Fishing.
Warm, profound, and irrepressibly funny, And Away… is Bob’s full life story (with a few lies thrown in for good measure.)
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Additional information
| Publisher | Gallery UK (26 May 2022) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 352 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1398505323 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1398505322 |
| Dimensions | 13 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm |
by Teresa
A very enjoyable account of Bob’s eventful life. Who would guess he was a lawyer….from a shy individual to a successful tv career ,by way of many ups and downs. His heart surgery unnerved him and rightly so ,what a trauma
His gone fishing show with Paul Whitehouse is an absolute triumph. One of the most peaceful funny and enjoyable things on tv for years. Keep well Bob and write more books …
by JarPro40
Great book from one of my comedy heroes and fellow pie lover! Bravo Robert a literary triumph aimed more at the heart than the head.
by mp
Lovely condition
by simon berrisford
Having a real soft spot for Bob, I was really looking forward to reading this autobiography on my recent summer holiday. The book didn’t disappoint for the most part and was packed with humorous anecdotes as you would expect. Bob is extremely open and honest and not at all afraid to reveal his vulnerability and insecurities. This is one of the things I think that endears him to so many. I thought it was a book of two halves- the first being the life of young Robert Mortimer growing up in Middlesbrough before he became famous. The second half is mainly about celebrity Bob after he ran into Vic Reeves who of course eventually became his longstanding comedy partner. I actually found the first half a lot more interesting and moving than the second. I thought it might be the other way round. A book I would definitely recommend though if you’re a fan of Bob and his surreal humour.
by Pat McDonald
I never read biographies, this must be a first for me. The reason being I love watching Bob Mortimer in whatever he does, particularly his fishing series which is remarkable given I have a life long dislike of anything related to fishing, as it always struck me as quite a boring thing to do! Or maybe the very first bloke who asked me out on a date invited me to go fishing with him! (No I didn’t and never went out with him). I recently read The Satsuma Complex which I loved especially because it is written in Bob Mortimer’s inimitable style which is so funny and I’m hooked on. He is the first person I ever wanted to find out about, hence this biography which tells some of what I already learnt from WILTY appearances and his life story which I found fascinating and endearing. One thing that endorses my own writing, especially when I have a confidence wobble that maybe I should try to be more like the editors and rule makers tell us writers we should be, is plain to read in his writing – being true to yourself sets you apart from other writers. Bob Mortimer is different, unique and a breath of fresh air – yes just like his fishing series!
by Mary
enjoyed this book very much, a good insight to his life and his likes and dislikes, laugh out loud funny. I laughed alot all the way through.
by Longlowdog
Unlike most autobiographies this book isn’t a collection of self applauding stories. It is a mostly (by Bob’s own admission) true account of a kid touched by loneliness and hurt growing and developing into the talent that we recognise today. Gripping from the outset and with lots of chuckles and a few saddening moments it always entertains. I’m sure mostof us will identify with lots of his thoughts of growing up and then getting on with life. I’m glad I bought this and can’t wait to move on to the fishing book and Tangerine. It’s cheap, buy it.
by Tulip mania
Bought this on Kindle for a short holiday. I very much enjoyed reading Bob Mortimer’s autobiography. I have been aware of his and Vic Reeves work over the years but was never obsessed by it but if I saw their programs were on, I watched. Bob M is incredibly entertaining on “Would I Lie to You”.
This is quite a serious book and is revealing about a young man’s journey growing up. I enjoyed reading about his friendships and how he met Vic Reeves (real name Jim Moir) and how they started to work together. He talks about his extreme shyness when he was young and how he found it difficult to make friends.
Also his work as a solicitor tells you more about Bob Mortimer as a person. It is an honest and informative book about human nature. He comes across as very smart, very likeable and a kind person. But we all knew that already.