Customer Reviews

David Jason: My Life (Unabridged)

I couldn't wait to read this book as I have been such a big fan of David Jason for many years. His longevity in the business is testament to the fact that this man gives everything to his various roles and this also comes across in the book. It is a very enjoyable and satisfying read and I found out things that no interview has ever covered. It is such a warm and good humoured book. He comes across as a really humble and "ordinary" guy but has so many interesting and funny stories to tell. Could highly recommend this fantastic auto-biography.

The long awaited autobiography of probably the most successful comic actor in the history of television, becoming The Guvnor' after Ronnie Barker's retirement, certainly lives up to expectations. Sir David is a modest man who worked hard first as an amateur then professional actor before become a major star in the 1980s. After an early success with the role of Captain Fantastic in Do Not Adjust Your Set, he had to wait over a decade before starring in the short-lived hit comedy A Sharp Intake of Breath. In his forties he hit the big time with the supporting role of Granville in Open All Hours before major stardom followed with lead roles in such diverse series as Only Fools and Horses, A Bit of A Do, The Darling Buds of May and A Touch of Frost, as well as winning a BAFTA for the portrayal of Scullion in Porterhouse Blue.

The book is generally upbeat despite a surprising number of near death experiences and visits to hospital casualty departments. Fans of the Monty Python team and Terry Scott will be disappointed by the way they treated the writer.

Sir David appears content with his late entry into marriage and fatherhood, after the tragic death of long-time girlfiend, the Welsh actress Myfanwy Talog. He seems to have been a victim of phone hacking when Miss Talog was terminally ill. The book contains a factual error. The comedy duo Myfanwy worked with were Ryan and Ronnie not Rees and Ronnie.

Sir David tells several stories about Only Fools and Horse but does not mention that he planned to leave the series before changing his mind. It would have been interesting to know why he made the original decision and what caused him to think again.. The story ends with his marriage and being knighted by the Queen. the events happening on consecutive days. Later series like Diamond Geezer and The Royal Bodyguard are not part of the narrative

A very entertaining book by an unassuming star. My Life deserves to be a best seller.

David Jason's writing is wonderful. So funny and evocative. I Admire him even more than I did now. He came from a very ordinary London family and battled his way into show biz.. Interesting to read about the early careers of people who seem to have been always familiar names too. A wonderful Christmas present.

Being a fan of David Jason's for a long time I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I bought the audio book to listen to on my journey driving to work and back. This book made me laugh out loud and listening to Davids account of his beloved partners death also brought me to tears. His humble beginnings and his journey through his career right up until he was deservedly knighted has eased my journey to work and back and I felt quite sad when the book came to the end. In the words of Del Boy this book is lovely jubbly.

Very interesting how he started and also his compliments about his peers. Never gave anyone a slating and also some very funny stories. DJ - seems a very genuine and nice bloke. Ronnie Barker handed "The Guvner" title to him and well deserved to.

A fabulous book. It felt as though Sir David was in the room with me narrating the tales from his fascinating life. It fills in many gaps and has quite a few revelations about people he's worked with. The Little Feed, as Ronnie Barker called him, serves up a real feast. I laughed a lot throughout the book but had tears in my eyes at the finish. Wonderful.

How refreshing in these times, to be able to read a book, which is kind and caring of others,written by a much loved and modest man,who has come through difficult times and has found happiness, this book should be on every ones book list. Thank You DJ.

As a huge fan of 'Only Fools and Horses', 'Open All Hours' and 'A Touch of Frost', this was a must read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed his story and it was great to hear about his early years - I didn't realise he had done to much theatre and TV work. An easy read with great humour. Highly recommended.

It was a good story as he told you could achieve anything fro any background. He didnt iron over the truth and it was lovely jubbly

I have always been a great fan of David and a huge fan of Only Fools and Horses and this book is a great inside into David's life. Great and touching stories and David's personality really comes through the book, you can tell he is pure character/entertainer. I remember having some tough days, and Only Fools and Horses could bring you laughter and make you smile again and I felt the same with this book. I had a tough weekend, but this book was like a great escape and put a smile back on my face. 100% recommend it to anybody!!