Windswept & Interesting: My Autobiography
Product ID: 454148247
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In his first full-length autobiography, comedy legend and national treasure Billy Connolly reveals the truth behind his windswept and interesting life. Born in a tenement flat in Glasgow in 1942, orphaned by the age of 4, and a survivor of appalling abuse at the hands of his own family, Billy's life is a remarkable story of success against all the odds. Billy found his escape first as an apprentice welder in the shipyards of the River Clyde. Later he became a folk musician - a 'rambling man' - with a genuine talent for playing the banjo. But it was his ability to spin stories, tell jokes and hold an audience in the palm of his hand that truly set him apart. As a young comedian Billy broke all the rules. He was fearless and outspoken - willing to call out hypocrisy wherever he saw it. But his stand-up was full of warmth, humility and silliness too. His startling, hairy 'glam-rock' stage appearance - wearing leotards, scissor suits and banana boots - only added to his appeal. It was an appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show in 1975 - and one outrageous story in particular - that catapulted Billy from cult hero to national star. TV shows, documentaries, international fame and award-winning Hollywood movies followed. Billy's pitch-perfect stand-up comedy kept coming too - for over 50 years, in fact - until a double diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson's Disease brought his remarkable live performances to an end. Since then he has continued making TV shows, creating extraordinary drawings... and writing. Windswept and Interesting is Billy ' s story in his own words. It is joyfully funny - stuffed full of hard-earned wisdom as well as countless digressions on fishing, farting and the joys of dancing naked. It is an unforgettable, life-affirming story of a true comedy legend. ' I didn't know I was Windswept and Interesting until somebody told me. It was a friend who was startlingly exotic himself. He ' d just come back from Kashmir and was all billowy shirt and Indian beads. I had long hair and a beard and was swishing around in electric blue flairs. He said: " Look at you - all windswept and interesting!" I just said: " Exactly!" After that, I simply had to maintain my reputation...' Review: Smart, witty, sarcastic, honest, yet still with a positive message and full of love. - My rating: 5 Stars Genre: Autobiography – Celebrity 📖 Billy Connolly reflects on his career, his life, his family and the many remarkable people he has had the opportunity to meet. Unlike other celeb books, this book doesn’t come across as a vanity project although it is indeed Billy’s story, but he intercepts it with jokes and anecdotes, much the way he does on stage. Each story is broken down into separate chapters with a little humour featured even in the darker aspects of his life. He includes a lovely collection of images too. ✍️ This book had it all for me, several pages were just heart-breaking, some were really uplifting and some inspired you to take a walk down memory lane. Some stories I already felt connected to as I remembered watching him do it on various shows and others were a fresh revelation, but both were equally captivating. So many of the stories stay with you long after you have stopped reading the pages. 👓 One of my favourite things about this book was the fact that it genuinely made me laugh out loud. I even found myself copying some of the excerpts and sending them to friends who I knew would find it hilarious too. I read this book in just two days (and could have possibly completed it in one), it was so enjoyable and engrossing I didn’t want to put it down. It was quite strange that you could almost hear Billy’s voice as you read it, which added to the humour. 🗣 I often think it’s useful to see an extract from a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself: … these days bean-bag chairs are the least of my worries – ANY chair is a big challenge. I get trapped and can’t get up. My physiotherapist taught me to rock back and forth to build momentum, but that’s dangerous, because I fart more than when I was younger. I don’t know why. I just do. And the most acute farting risk is when I’m getting up out of a chair. Bbbbbbbbbrrrrrrggggghhhhhh!!! The rocking just accentuates it. I got myself a leather chair because I thought it would squeak by itself and cover the farting … but nothing covers these thunderclaps. BBBBBRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!! 💭 Overall View: Smart, witty, sarcastic, honest, yet still with a positive message and full of love. Review: Read and listened to Billy's story. Fabulous autobiography - Billy Connolly is a voice I have known of since childhood when Mum and Dad listened to his vinyl LPs, a voice I have known but at the time I didn't really understand, probably just as well really. Over the years Billy has been on TV chatshows, radio, Top of the Pops, in film and to be fair in most of the entertainment genres. I have read one of his previous books, it was years ago and it was one that I lent to someone who never returned it! I decided to listen to the audiobook of this autobiography and I have to say, compared to when I heard his voice as a child, I can understand every word. I mentioned listening to this book to my mum, and the first thing she said was "could you understand him", yes she still remembers trying to decode the LPs. This is a man who has had an interesting life, he has travelled the world and met so many people. He is an observer of people and has taken risks and chances. Some worked some didn't. But he is a unique man. Listening to this book had me laughing to a point where I had to pause the book so I could compose myself. He sees life slightly differently and this is what makes his improvised stand-up routines so unique. If you want to listen to an autobiography that gets under the skin of what makes a person tick, then this one is fabulous. Billy doesn't hide his past, he is open about his mistakes and how he has done things as well as what has affected him over the years. This is entertaining and funny but it is also honest and a bit of an eye-opener at times. I did also get the hardback of this and read some sections as well as listened. And yes, as I read it I could hear Billy's voice. Excellent listening, honest and very addictive. I would absolutely recommend it.
| Best Sellers Rank | 6,782 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 4 in Individual Directors 16 in Theatre & Performance Artist Biographies 25 in Actors & Entertainers Biographies |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 12,951 Reviews |
K**Y
Smart, witty, sarcastic, honest, yet still with a positive message and full of love.
My rating: 5 Stars Genre: Autobiography – Celebrity 📖 Billy Connolly reflects on his career, his life, his family and the many remarkable people he has had the opportunity to meet. Unlike other celeb books, this book doesn’t come across as a vanity project although it is indeed Billy’s story, but he intercepts it with jokes and anecdotes, much the way he does on stage. Each story is broken down into separate chapters with a little humour featured even in the darker aspects of his life. He includes a lovely collection of images too. ✍️ This book had it all for me, several pages were just heart-breaking, some were really uplifting and some inspired you to take a walk down memory lane. Some stories I already felt connected to as I remembered watching him do it on various shows and others were a fresh revelation, but both were equally captivating. So many of the stories stay with you long after you have stopped reading the pages. 👓 One of my favourite things about this book was the fact that it genuinely made me laugh out loud. I even found myself copying some of the excerpts and sending them to friends who I knew would find it hilarious too. I read this book in just two days (and could have possibly completed it in one), it was so enjoyable and engrossing I didn’t want to put it down. It was quite strange that you could almost hear Billy’s voice as you read it, which added to the humour. 🗣 I often think it’s useful to see an extract from a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself: … these days bean-bag chairs are the least of my worries – ANY chair is a big challenge. I get trapped and can’t get up. My physiotherapist taught me to rock back and forth to build momentum, but that’s dangerous, because I fart more than when I was younger. I don’t know why. I just do. And the most acute farting risk is when I’m getting up out of a chair. Bbbbbbbbbrrrrrrggggghhhhhh!!! The rocking just accentuates it. I got myself a leather chair because I thought it would squeak by itself and cover the farting … but nothing covers these thunderclaps. BBBBBRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!! 💭 Overall View: Smart, witty, sarcastic, honest, yet still with a positive message and full of love.
Y**B
Read and listened to Billy's story. Fabulous autobiography
Billy Connolly is a voice I have known of since childhood when Mum and Dad listened to his vinyl LPs, a voice I have known but at the time I didn't really understand, probably just as well really. Over the years Billy has been on TV chatshows, radio, Top of the Pops, in film and to be fair in most of the entertainment genres. I have read one of his previous books, it was years ago and it was one that I lent to someone who never returned it! I decided to listen to the audiobook of this autobiography and I have to say, compared to when I heard his voice as a child, I can understand every word. I mentioned listening to this book to my mum, and the first thing she said was "could you understand him", yes she still remembers trying to decode the LPs. This is a man who has had an interesting life, he has travelled the world and met so many people. He is an observer of people and has taken risks and chances. Some worked some didn't. But he is a unique man. Listening to this book had me laughing to a point where I had to pause the book so I could compose myself. He sees life slightly differently and this is what makes his improvised stand-up routines so unique. If you want to listen to an autobiography that gets under the skin of what makes a person tick, then this one is fabulous. Billy doesn't hide his past, he is open about his mistakes and how he has done things as well as what has affected him over the years. This is entertaining and funny but it is also honest and a bit of an eye-opener at times. I did also get the hardback of this and read some sections as well as listened. And yes, as I read it I could hear Billy's voice. Excellent listening, honest and very addictive. I would absolutely recommend it.
F**Y
Wonderful autobiography... With one caveat
I have been a fan of the 'big yin' for as long as I can remember and can strictly identify with him culturally as well as with his personal struggles. He has always been to of my list of people I'd have loved to meet - highly unlikely now unfortunately. I massively looked forward to his own personal autobiography, as whilst in had lapped up previous writings on the man, I wanted to hear directly from him. I thoroughly recommend this book for its candour, its brutal honesty about that which he has enjoyed of his career, and the baggage he carries with him personally. He not just narrates his experiences, but makes as much sense as he can of them, and it is this accumulated wisdom that makes him such a fascinating character. So, why for stars instead of five? Well, oddly enough - given that he is a world class comedian - I thought the funnies to be a bit laboured and perfunctory, as well as over familiar. It seemed that he wanted to write a serious book about his life and his reflections of 'what it all means', and in that territory it is excellent and hugely thought-provoking for anyone to read. However, I suspect someone - perhaps even himself - has suggested that a Billy Connolly book needs witty anecdotes at certain points, and so he plopped in a few familiar ones to satisfy that need. I think he should have gone with fresh ones if they occurred, or left out those that everyone has heard before. ... Anyway, that said, a brilliant book overall. Very much recommend it for all who have traveled a complicated path in life.
S**N
Absolutely cracking autobiography!
Windswept & Interesting is an absolutely cracking autobiography by the talented comedian, actor, artist and now author, Sir Billy Connolly. This is the first book that has been 'written' by Sir Billy himself, although he does admit that the Otter dictating app he used struggled to understand his Glaswegian accent and his family ended up having to correct all the mistakes! I loved the book and had difficulty putting it down. It is very well written, interesting, educational, funny, and despite Sir Billy's concerns, flows as smoothly as the River Clyde. I did not know very much at all about Sir Billy's life previously, the hardships, challenges and delights that he has experienced and continues to experience to this day. His book certainly makes one think about what is important in life and I found it inspirational. I highly recommend this book.
L**T
A great read !
Thankyou Billy, the book is a fantastic holiday read , and I feel I know you , warts and all !
T**M
Brilliant
Good read and very funny just like the man himself.
E**B
Highly recommend and great price
Highly recommend and great price
M**3
The Big Yin
I have to admit I am Billy's number 1 fan. I adore this man , he is a personal friend of one of my uncles who sadly passed so I never got the opportunity to meet him , maybe one day . This book is beautiful and signed too ❤️ I haven't read it yet but I know it will be both informative and funny , I love his life story , he hasn't had it easy yet he turned out to be an amazing guy ❤️ A*****
J**L
This is why we love Billy!
You can almost hear his Glasgow accent as you read. A reminder of the laughter and joy he brought to so many. A true comic legend!
H**S
Uses a few 4 letter words.
Funny and serious at the same time.
J**O
El buen estado del libro
Libro dificil de conseguir, pero encontrado en la opción "de segunda mano" y en muy buen estado.
A**R
Great present
Bought as a gift
G**N
Great Book
Love this book sad parts but also funny. If you love Billy you will love this book. I wish I would of known of it sooner.
Trustpilot
2 weeks ago
5 days ago