People of the Day 3: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham

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People of the Day 3: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham

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Buy People of the Day 3: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Category: Biography
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Reviewed by Sue Magee
Summary: An affectionate look at the rich and famous in words and caricatures makes for a delightful read. Definitely recommended.
Buy? Yes Borrow? No: Buy it!
Pages: 116 Date: July 2008
Publisher: People of the Day Ltd.
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-0954811020

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I often find myself paying money for books where the profits go to charity and I'm usually left with the feeling that I'd much rather someone had simply asked me for a donation and not wasted the paper. Every once in a while a book comes along which proves me wrong and there's only one way to describe the People of the Day series. The books are a delight and it's all in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The format is deceptively simple. Take fifty two people, all of whom have achieved something in their lives, but they're not just any old celebs, famous for being famous. These are the people who've had to overcome life's setbacks, who have a determination to succeed and they come from all walks of life. Produce a brilliant caricature and on the opposite page supply a potted biography and you have a winner. Oh – and you'd better add to the list of plusses the fact that production values are high, with glossy paper and high-quality printing. It's a book to dip into as the whim takes you, but above all it's a book to treasure.

If you're tired of some of the vicious cartoons of the famous that you see then rest assured that these caricatures and the biographies are affectionate. They don't gloss over the difficulties that people have had, but neither is their dirty linen hung out for all to see, tabloid style. The biographies are informative and just the right length.

So, who's in the 2008 book then? Well, I'm not going to give you a list because that would spoil the surprises when you buy the book, but I don't mind giving you a few brief glimpses, just to whet your appetite. I guess that you might have expected Princess Anne in the 'Royalty' section but I was more intrigued by the piece on King Juan Carlos of Spain, which highlights his fight to restore democracy in the country. From his earliest days he was taught that it was his central purpose in life to restore his family to the Spanish throne and he became something of a pawn between his father and Franco.

Royalty is relatively uncommon (sorry!) but heads of state are less so. John Howard, the former Prime Minister of Australia inherited his work ethic from his parents who ran a petrol station. He's now lost his seat, but he hasn't stopped working – like Tony Blair he's joined the speaking circuit. Talking of petrol stations I thought the sub-heading BP man and boy for Lord Browne of Madingley was perhaps a little unfortunate, given how his Lordship departed from BP.

The caricature of General Sir Mike Jackson is one of the few in the book where the subject doesn't seem to have even the vestiges of a smile. Perhaps he's seen too much to remember what it feels like. Even Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, has the hint of a crinkle around the eyes. Mind you, he's a fan of Aston Villa, so he's probably used to having to smile when he doesn't feel like it.

There's a wonderful quote from the Most Reverend Dr. Desmond Tutu. When missionaries came to South Africa, we had the land, they had the Bible. Then they told us Let's close our eyes and pray. When we opened our eyes we saw that we have the Bible and they have the land. That man tells it the way it is and he has a wonderful way with words.

There are lots more people from the world of sport, the arts, musicians, television and radio. Some people you'll love and there are people that you, er, won't love. I'm sorry, but I've never been a fan of Nigella Lawson but it would be a pretty dull book if you liked everyone, wouldn't 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.

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Buy People of the Day 3: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy People of the Day 3: 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.
Buy People of the Day 3: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy People of the Day 3: The Rich and Famous Caricatured by Peter Wynter Bee and Lucy Clapham at Amazon.com.

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