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492nd out of 762 books
—
759 voters
Who On Earth Is Tom Baker? An Autobiography
by
Tom Baker
One of the great British television phenomena of the 60's and 70's, known to all who are now entering or firmly placed in mid-life, was the advent of Doctor Who. This original and most British of television series chronicled the travels and tribulations of the famous Doctor Who and his merry band of followers. Tom Baker, though not the first but probably the most unforgett...more
Hardcover, 268 pages
Published
1997
by HarperCollins
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I gave this autobiography 2 stars not because it was poorly written particularly or due to a lack of interesting content- but because it strikes me as a sad story of a wounded, hollow man.
Tom Baker is in the top ten of my all-time favorite actors due to his tenure as Doctor Who. I made a special effort to locate this book since most copies seem to be located across the Pond.
Tom's life can pretty accurately be divided into 6 sections:
1. Impoverished, rough childhood in Liverpool.
2. The years he s...more
Tom Baker is in the top ten of my all-time favorite actors due to his tenure as Doctor Who. I made a special effort to locate this book since most copies seem to be located across the Pond.
Tom's life can pretty accurately be divided into 6 sections:
1. Impoverished, rough childhood in Liverpool.
2. The years he s...more
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1742012...
Four years ago I listened to an abridged audio version of this book, read by the man himself; now I've finally read the whole thing, fourteen years after frenziedly speed-skimming a newly published copy in an Oxford bookshop without actually buying it. It is quite an extraordinary and painful book, by a man who doesn't much like himself and, to his continuing amazement, found in his early 40s that everyone suddenly liked him. Baker confesses many tales of...more
Four years ago I listened to an abridged audio version of this book, read by the man himself; now I've finally read the whole thing, fourteen years after frenziedly speed-skimming a newly published copy in an Oxford bookshop without actually buying it. It is quite an extraordinary and painful book, by a man who doesn't much like himself and, to his continuing amazement, found in his early 40s that everyone suddenly liked him. Baker confesses many tales of...more
Scripts notwithstanding, I've enjoyed every incarnation of The Doctor thus far, but I suspect the fourth will always be my favourite. With his booming voice, goggling eyes, shock of curling hair and enormous grin, he always seemed to be enjoying himself - a mostly benevolent, occasionally dangerous, wise and gleeful figure.
So, what would the actor behind this larger-than-life figure be like?
Frightened. Ashamed. Ignorant. Desperate. Obedient. Cowardly. Furious.
Tom Baker's young life, his poverty...more
So, what would the actor behind this larger-than-life figure be like?
Frightened. Ashamed. Ignorant. Desperate. Obedient. Cowardly. Furious.
Tom Baker's young life, his poverty...more
I've said before I'm not really one for autobiographies but this one was brilliant. It was both hilarious and tragic at the same time. It was so sad to read how Tom had so little connection with people, how he was unable to relate to anyone. His childhood seemed so sad, not because of the poverty, but rather cause of the great loneliness and self loathing that it produced. It was especially sad that someone who'd made so many childhoods so much fun didn't have that for himself. For me it was muc...more
Dec 07, 2011
Dave Lefevre
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biography,
doctor-who
This is a great autobiography, but just by his nature the reader doesn't always know which stories to believe. It is kind of like a list of pup crawl stories written down. Some of it is pretty sad and he obviously had some difficult times (like the episodes with his first wife and in laws) and he is extremely self-deprecating. Overall though he has had a pretty good life and he knows it. It's also important to note that since this book was written his star has risen again with parts like Donald...more
An intriguing read. You really can imagine Baker narrating it, not only because of his unmistakeable and captivating voice, but because the book reads like a series of anecdotes. Odd thoughts pop in and out of his mind throughout - it's like you're sat in a pub with him, listening to him reminisce.
Of course it helps that he's lived a very interesting life: from a devout Catholic upbringing in WW2 ravaged Liverpool, to 8 years in a monastery, followed by national service and many financially unst...more
Of course it helps that he's lived a very interesting life: from a devout Catholic upbringing in WW2 ravaged Liverpool, to 8 years in a monastery, followed by national service and many financially unst...more
I have been in love with the series Doctor Who forever and so when the opportunity to learn more about the 4th Doctor came along, I couldn't pass it up. For many who grew up watching the original series Tom Baker is the iconic Doctor with his huge beautiful eyes, curly hair and goofy smile. Imagine finding out that he suffers from depression and a terrible sense of infiriority along with a self loathing as he describes it. Growing up poor in the town of Liverpool, England and raised in a strict...more
...moreAll my life I have felt myself to be on the edge of things. All my life I have suffered from bad dreams. All my life I have had difficulty in knowing whether I am awake or in a nightmare. All my life I have had learning difficulties and been unable to grasp the point of what everybody else sees clearly. All my life I have entirely missed the point; and the turning, as I also have no sense of direction. This long period of uncertainty in the twilight land of the fuddled (it is now more than sixt
Oct 29, 2012
James
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biography,
i-own-a-copy,
doctor-who,
4-stars,
read-in-2012,
read-in-teenties,
reviewed,
non-fiction
I first started reading this book back in the late '90s, but for some reason I gave up. Somewhere around the beginning of his time in the monastery I think. So I returned to the book, some ten years later, with some trepidation – maybe I'd given up on it because it just wasn't that good.
In short, Tom Baker is nuts. He's bonkers, bats in the belfry, crazy. But he's also charming, funny and has both a genuinely interesting story to tell and an engaging and cheeky style with which to tell it. Who...more
In short, Tom Baker is nuts. He's bonkers, bats in the belfry, crazy. But he's also charming, funny and has both a genuinely interesting story to tell and an engaging and cheeky style with which to tell it. Who...more
2 likes · like · see review
I've been looking for this one for a while and, while it took a few pages to get into it, I ended up really enjoying it.
Surreal and laugh-out-loud funny, this autobiography doesn't follow the usual pattern. It's really like Tom is speaking to you and it reflects his personal idiosyncracies and patterns. Once your brain clicks into the way he writes, it's a very cozy read although he is very honest in his story telling and lays his heart on his sleeve quite openly.
As may be apparent from my other...more
Surreal and laugh-out-loud funny, this autobiography doesn't follow the usual pattern. It's really like Tom is speaking to you and it reflects his personal idiosyncracies and patterns. Once your brain clicks into the way he writes, it's a very cozy read although he is very honest in his story telling and lays his heart on his sleeve quite openly.
As may be apparent from my other...more
I remember the book being rather depressing, as he put his melancholic side very much on display. The audio abridgement has, I think, got a decent balance between humour and morbidity, to the point that I was laughing out loud, to the dismay of fellow passengers.[return][return]There's not a lot here about Baker's time playing Doctor Who. There is a huge amount about his childhood and early life, hilarious and moving: the Liverpool Catholic education, the years in a monastery, the unwise early m...more
I happen to know that Tom Baker was thrown out of The Rose Bruford School of Speech and Drama for getting a girl pregnant. I too was thrown out of that school, and I make no secret of it. The best Dr. Who actor, however, chooses not to reveal this particular truth. I wonder what else is missing from his autobiography? But a good read and, as a fellow Scouser, I appreciated reading how he was dragged up.
This was a biography I read a while ago and afterwards I was fortunate to meet the great man himself. Normally 'stars' can have a massive ego and be quite dismissive of us fans. However he was great and very nice. He made sure he spent time chatting to each of us and he also later treated me to drink when I bumped him into him again later. Fantastic bloke and the book's not too bad either!
I love a good biography or more particularly autobiography. This one is even more dear to me because of Tom Baker's link to my favourite television show. While some regard him as THE Doctor Who, this book shows he is much more. I enjoyed this book a lot.
This is the only audiobook I've ever managed to listen to for more than a few minutes without my mind wandering. Then again, Tom Baker could probably read a telephone directory and I'd enjoy it immensely and find it an uplifting experience.
Really tough to get through , I'm a big who fan, a big baker fan, and a fan of biographies in general, but I could not finish this book. Partially being American I feel a lot of the references were lost on me but also I think there might be an insurmountable generation gap where certain things are discussed that are taken for granted as understood or references made that were jokes that I am unclear as to why they were jokes or if there were jokes at all. Definitely some interesting stories and...more
An interesting look at Tom Baker, probably the most iconic of the Doctors from Doctor Who. Very amusing way of telling stories, very wry sense of humour. Worth a read.
My favourite Doctor but beside that a national treasure, A funny heart warming and sometimes slightly bizzare life..never boring and seemingly very honest.
Brilliant and incredibly revealing. As flawed a character as Tom Baker is (and he really is) I can't help but admire him more for it.
One of the best autobiographies I have ever read. Highly entertaining to read and occasionally shocking- notably the club.
An account of the life of the perfect Doctor Who. Warm, witty, and full of the sheer enjoyment of life.
Feb 24, 2010
Simon Curtis
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
doctor-who-non-fiction
A fascinating account of Tom's early years in Liverpool, in monasteries and on building sites. Bonkers.
Dec 20, 2008
Brian Steed
added it
Baker was able to transfer the surreal charm of his real-life persona onto the printed page.
Wonderful insights into my favourite Doctor, and most likely the U.S vote for best Doctor Who.
Candid autobiography of one of the most popular actors to play Dr Who.
Brilliant.
This has to be one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. I couldn't put it down.
It starts off with Tom describing his catholic upbringing and of his time spent as a monk in several monasterys. How he come to leave the religeon and start acting.
It is written in houmour all the way and had me laughing from start to finish.
It starts off with Tom describing his catholic upbringing and of his time spent as a monk in several monasterys. How he come to leave the religeon and start acting.
It is written in houmour all the way and had me laughing from start to finish.
Mar 15, 2012
Becky Walker
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favourites,
biography
Brilliant biography. Highlights were Liverpudlian anecdotes and tales of Jonathan Miller, but most of all his writings on Catholicism were the absolute peak.
Funny, Sad, Rude, Witty and highly interesting.
The amount of Dr Who content is minimal and to be honest not really needed.
The amount of Dr Who content is minimal and to be honest not really needed.
What an amazing book. I have a new respect for Tom and maybe even a bigger fan of him than I was before.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Hilarious! | 1 | 10 | Feb 22, 2008 02:57am |
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor from 1974 to 1981 in Doctor Who, and for narrating Little Britain. He was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for his role as Rasputin in the 1971 film Nicholas and Alexandra.
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Apr 13, 2012 07:41pm