People of the Day 4: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham
| People of the Day 4: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham | |
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| Category: Biography | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: Honest profiles and striking caricatures of the rich and famous make this a perfect book for yourself or for a gift. What are you waiting for - buy several NOW! | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? No |
| Pages: 116 | Date: July 2009 |
| Publisher: People of the Day Ltd | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0954811037 | |
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Have you ever been asked to buy a book in aid of a charity and wished that you'd given a donation and not taken the book? Well, if you have I'm hoping to persuade you that there are exceptions to every rule and this book in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust is definitely worth the cover price.
It's a book you can read straight through, as I did, or dip into on a whim as various visitors to the house have done. You'll find yourself saying Well, I never knew that… on any number of occasions and if it wasn't for the fact that the People of the Day are so special you would be in danger of becoming something of a bore. And why are they special? Well the book's sub-title will give you a hint. They're all rich and famous and they've demonstrated resilience and determination in the way they've achieved their fame.
The format is the same as last year – take fifty two of said rich and famous and produce a caricature and a profile in no more than six hundred and fifty words. Group neatly into the world of sport, the arts, musicians, televisions and radio, royalty, politicians, entrepreneurs, authors and religious figures. Open and enjoy!
The first point to strike you is that this is a quality book. The caricatures are all in full colour and the printing is clear. It's the sort of book which you are not going to be embarrassed to give as a gift, so it's worth remembering for birthdays, Christmas and all those other events when you need a thoughtful gift. If you can't think of an event – make one up.
You'll also realise that this is not a bound version of the cruel and malicious caricatures which you find in the tabloids. Unfortunate backgrounds are not glossed over but neither are they blown up out of all proportion. The profiles are honest and there's none of the gossip and untruths on which the tabloids thrive. The caricatures capture the likeness well without being cruel. It's an uplifting book.
So, who are the people of 2009, then? Well, obviously Barack Obama is there and despite the fact that he's now public property it was interesting to read of his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia. The Prince of Wales' childhood could not have been more different but it's good to note that they're both looking to put pride back into their countries.
I've little time for religion but there's one man for whom I make an exception and that's Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York. He was born in Uganda and initially studied law. When he became an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda he took the decision to jail some innocent people to save them from summary execution under Idi Amin's tyrannical regime.
If I told you of all the wonderful people in this book we'd be here all day. It's an excellent selection and up-to-date. Joanna Lumley is there, as is Kate Hoey MP. James Caan left the Dragons' Den for a few moments and Sir Ranulph Fiennes paused his explorations for our benefit. There will be people in the book you're not keen on, but there are going to be an awful lot you think better of at the end of it.
Cystic Fibrosis is a dreadful disease but it does seem that it's only a matter of time and money before a cure can be found, so you could help by buying a copy of this book. Normally, we like to encourage people to pop across to Amazon to buy their reading matter, but why not go to the People of the Day website and buy your book there? You can even see some of the caricatures which appear in the book. Please don't buy a second hand copy – money for this wonderful book really should go where it's intended.
We'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to The Bookbag.
People of the Day 4: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham is in the Bookbag's Christmas Gift Recommendations 2009.
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You can read more book reviews or buy People of the Day 4: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy People of the Day 4: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham at Amazon.com.
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