Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story: A Non-Memoir

by James Blunt

This book is inspired by true events but is not a biography.

The truth is My Truth is not The Truth, and that's as honest as I can be. It's partially true, rather than painfully true, and I have possibly been economical with the truth, Your Honour.

Basically, I made this sh*t up . . .

While James Blunt's crimes against music are well-documented, he also has some stories that are not. In Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story, James reveals his most riotous anecdotes to date for your amusement - and his parents' horror - in this highly anticipated non-memoir.

From his questionable Norfolk roots, eccentric family, boarding school antics, misjudged military service, rise to music stardom and tour escapades, James delves into his (surprisingly) fascinating life to date. What do you do when your mother writes irate emails to the future prime minister defending your honour? What does it take to run a male escort agency? And why exactly should you refrain from crowd-surfing? Find out here, folks . . .

Were the stories in this book grossly exaggerated in an attempt to impress? Maybe. But one thing is for you won't want to miss it.

Genres: Audiobook, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Music, Comedy

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2023

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really don't know anything about James Blunt except that he is one of the funniest people on Twitter - oops, I mean 'X'. It was on this basis that I preordered his book and here I am, apparently the first person in the world to have read it. Goodreads doesn't even care enough to upload a cover image and I suspect no one out there will even read this review!
I must admit, it took me quite a few chapters to 'get' Blunt's storytelling. I didn't know what to believe and some of the stories, if true, would be hilarious, but if made up, weren't so much. In the end I had to fact check some of the stuff - apparently he DID live with Carrie Fisher(!) - and so I relaxed into the wild tales and enjoyed it thoroughly.
I binged this in one day. It was well worth it.

[Liz Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit conflicted with this one. Started off very funny, but by the end the self-deprecation combined with real/faux arrogance left me somewhat confused. An interesting read regardless.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’re Beautiful! Bloody superb and funny read

[Ieva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reiz senos laikos laimēju meet-and-greet biļeti uz Džeimsa Blanta koncertu Rīgā (un ja nebūtu to biļeti laimējusi es tolaik to nebūtu pirkusi) un tikšanās mani nošarmēja tik ļoti, ka kopš tā laika esmu bijusi uz vēl 4 viņa koncertiem dažādās tūrēs, no tiem 2 - Rīgā, 2 - Viļņā. Iegādājos arī iepriekš grāmatā izdoto viņa tvītu apkopojumu, kam Goodreads ieliku 5 zvaigznes. Ļoti gaidīju šo grāmatu un audio izvēlējos tāpēc, ka to ierunājis Džeimss pats. Tāpēc ir skaidrs, ka 3 zvaigznes šajā gadījumā pavisam noteikti ir vilšanās. Zemāk nav, jo vispār man jau patiešām patīk viņa sausā humora izjūta, kuru pazīstu no koncertiem, tvītiem un intervijām un bija interesanti paminēt, kas no stāstīta vispār ir taisnība. Bet šis bija riktīgs Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll - un tas nav īsti tas, kas man subjektīvi patīk. Grāmatas sākumā viņš saka, ka visi narkotiku stāsti esot izdomāti, lai viņš liktos stilīgāks - un man ir vienalga, cik daudz vai maz no tā ir patiesība, bet tam, ka tie tiešām viņam liekas stilīgi, gan noticēju. Nezinu, kāpēc tas man lika vilties, jo vispār jau viņa populārākā (daudziem vienīgā zināmā) dziesma "You're Beautiful" ir tieši par to (jā, jā, radio draudzīgais "She could see from my face that I was flying high" nav īstais "f" vārds, ko viņš lieto), bet lika gan. Nu un kopumā es parasti arī dodu priekšroku stāstījuma līnijām, nevis atsevišķam anekdotēm iz dzīves (labi, ka vismaz hronoloģiski daudz maz atbilstoši sakārtotām).

[Daniel Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top lad, most entertaining book of the year

[Whisper19 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
You'll need a good stomach at times when reading this. Also - the audio book is the way to go, just to experience the non-memoir at its best. The poshness, the cuntness, the everything....
And if you decide not to read this, just remember that you are beautiful.

[Dominic · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I enjoyed most about this book must have been how brutally honest the phrasing is. I was honestly very interested to learn about his time in Kosovo. This guy has been my favourite artist since I was six years old and the reasons are quite simple: 1) he is and has remained normal and 2) he sings about meaningful things.
These two reasons come forward in this book as well. It really helped me understand the meaning of his lyrics in that clearly, music is his way of processing what he’s been through and regulating his emotions.

[Wendy Rollitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I want to say I love James Blunt and I’m definitely not afraid to say it lol

Whether you like him or not, and I know alot of people don’t, he has become the king of Twitter put downs and is never afraid to take the piss out of himself. And this book is no different. He’s very happy to admit that people hate him and says he understands why lol.

I just don’t understand why some people hate him though. He seems like a thoroughly nice bloke, yes he did one annoying song (his words lol) (although I love it lol) but there are a lot of artists that have done the same and don’t get the same vitriol

Anyway to the book. I’m still not sure if half the stories in it are true but I have sat on the bus and at work on my lunch hour quietly laughing to myself at some of the anecdotes. And I think that’s the point he tells stories so well and makes you laugh with him. He never takes himself too seriously even in the stories about his time in the army he was still self deprecating about what he achieved wherever he was posted.

I personally love the man and can’t wait to read more about it and listen to more music. There I said it lol

[Chris Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Blunters, also turns out he writes a pretty hilarious book. It's hard to know what's real and what's not but at least it's all entertaining and that's what I love from my favorite brit pop star. Wait... There's an audio book!?

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Entertaining! I wish I knew which bits are made up and which are true!

[Katrina Osborne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first time I've read a memoir of someone I like & actually ended up disliking them by the end!

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining 🤣

[Ella Christian-Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what, I'm not a James blunt fan but I saw him speaking about this at the Hay festival and gave it a read. It's just fun. He's genuinely a great writer. 8/10 would recommend.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because James Blunt’s Twitter account is one of the few that still makes me smile. This fun and silly book recounts some of the wild adventures James has experienced on his rise to fame, and what happened afterwards

The story begins with his school and army days, and you quickly realise he’s had some truly crazy adventures. These only escalate as his music career progresses. The book made me laugh out loud and brought me a little joy, so yes, I loved it.

By his own admission, this book is an exaggerated version of events, but honestly, I couldn’t help worrying about how much of it is actually true!

[Marjolijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the humor with which James Blunt has written this book. It kept me interested in his story until the last second. I listened to the audioversion and I always like it when the author performs the book himself. Highly recommended to anyone who is a fan of his music, but also for the haters. It's very entertaining!

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the nation's preeminent Leiaologist, I was curious to see what Mr. Blunt had to say about his BFF Carrie. The book could've used more stories about General Leia, but the short, hilarious chapters detailing his time with the armed forces and then the ups and downs of his hit single, this was an entertaining read. As Billie said, if you want to know about her mom, then she suggests reading the books that Carrie herself wrote. One further note, I think the articles I read prior to the release of this book contained all the best bits.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like James Blunt, I don't just enjoy his music but find him a hugely entertaining person with a drole, dry sense of humour. This isn't just a book of memoirs, but more of anecdotes and amusing stories, moving backwards and forwards through his life and career. The title of "Loosely based on a Made-Up Story" was very apt as I wasn't sure in some parts whether he was making it all up or not!!

The book was an interesting read, full of the author's well known wit, humour and ability to laugh at himself! I happily worked my way through the chapters, enjoying the photos provided along the way. It wasn't all fun and laughs though and I found his friendship with Carrie Fisher heart-warming and emotional. As a word of warning, the language in parts can be a little choice, but if you already follow the author on social media you'll be used to that!

A fun and amusing read. Would recommend!

[Sharon Platts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't care what the press say or how many drugs he's taken, I still think he's great.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Loads of laughs in here - Blunt is a funny man, as anyone who has followed his Twitter can attest. Touching insights especially into his relationship with that late, great eccentric Carrie Fisher, who famously let him live with her when he was writing and recording the album that rocketed him to fickle fame. Blunt somehow manages to be endearingly self-effacing and a tiny bit of an over-privileged (if genuinely talented, in an MOR kind of way) wanker at the same time. Many enjoyable, gossipy tales told with pithy economy (although as the title indicates, who can say how many and which parts of them are true) but after a while all the druggy stories and name dropping got a tad tiresome. First half fab…second half a little less charming.

[Jo Berry ☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't accuse James Blunt of not having lived his life. Plenty of good stories from his army days, his pop success and what came after. Although, I could have done with a few fewer drug-taking stories. I'm just not that interested in the times people got high. But, I suppose this is sex, drugs and rock & roll, and there's quite a bit of that lifestyle on show here. Sadly, no mention of his stint on Sesame Street - Carrie Fisher stories are all well and good, but I want muppets! Overall though, this is an interesting account of a life lived, with plenty of James's self-depreciating humour. Plus, I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by James himself, and he did a good job. I like it when autobiographies and memoirs are read by the author.

[Michelle Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t read many autobiographies and was inspired to read this one as I love JB’s music (well, some of it) his wit (he’s often hilarious in interviews and on X) and his crowd-surfing-in-a-dinghy antics at live performances. This book has many ‘OMG really?!’ moments but considering how articulate JB appears I was disappointed with the quality of the writing tbh. Early chapters particularly seemed thin and rushed and I still didn’t get a feel for JB as a person except for when he wrote about his army experiences. For me, that is when the book became most alive and real. Still, one hell of a rollercoaster of a life so far - if any it’s true that is…

[Ewan Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to audiobook

What a wonderfully written and read (non) memoir.

I don’t think a book has ever made me laugh so much! Some truly incredible stories which range from entirely unbelievable escapades to heartfelt, honest declarations of love. Blunt has clearly lived a life of excess which I was not aware of. In this (non) memoir, he unapologetically looks at his distant and not so distant past and shares his best stories.

This is a book I’d recommend to anyone, especially someone who would profess to dislike Blunt.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love James Blunt’s interactions and comebacks on Twitter, quite like his music so thought this would be a good listen.
Just bizarre! You think you’re listening to a memoir, but by his own admission you’re not, so is it a novel - no, so what’s the point! Only things I’m really confident happened are that he was in the British Army and is married to a Duke’s granddaughter, everything else…who knows where the truth sits. Comes across as overinflated and egotistical and I don’t think that’s really him.
Listened on Audible. Rounded up from 2.5* to 3.

[Sarah Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Blunt is funny and self deprecating. He tells stories well. Nothing that’s going to change your life but an easy enjoyable read

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just too annoying for words. He's obviously much better in smaller doses.

[Hollie Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an enjoyable read. It had me laughing in the first few minutes and I was hooked until the end. I listened to the audiobook and would highly recommend. I like the dry, sarcastic humour that James indulges in and this is conveyed well in his tone. I was happy to discover that it is indeed a memoir, but he’s made it more exciting and silly with his embellishments! With him adding and changing bits it also gets you thinking about what is and isn’t true with some of the stories which I thought was fun! I’m a big fan of James’s music and look forward to seeing him live next year, I knew a bit about his life but not much! I was surprised he lives in Ibiza and loves clubbing! The only bit I didn’t like was the end chapter of mean things the press have said about him, it made me uncomfortable but I’m not sure it bothers him in the slightest, so I should find it funny too, but I just find it needlessly cruel and unkind. Overall a very interesting and enjoyable book, I’d highly recommend.

[my.bookshelf.87 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My taste in music is eclectic, to say the least. I'm not ashamed to admit that I played the 2004 album (Back To Bedlam) on repeat on my mp3 player for WEEKS, back in the day! We like what we like, and I quite like James Blunt!

I listened to the audio book version of this. It was good to hear it narrated by James himself; I love his well-spoken accent! The bizarre (sometimes gross) anecdotes and dark sense of humour are what add to the appeal of this book. His self-deprecation clearly shows underlying insecurities, which makes him even more relatable.

[Filip Olšovský · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant on so many levels. Extremely funny, surprisingly and deeply emotional and precise in its storytelling. A complete package you would not normally expect from a fictional biography of a one-hit wonder.

[Chez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was OK. There were two funny bits. My parents forced me to read this book (because I am 43 and have no mind of my own), saying James blunt was the funniest and cleverest person ever, apart from maybe Stephen fry, who my dad worships. I didn't think James blunt was the funniest and cleverest person ever after reading this. But I hate that song he did and was always going to be a hard audience to please. I did feel a bit sorry for him though, he included a chapter of negative reviews at the end which were just nasty. I wouldn't give him a hug though. Cos of that song. I'd maybe pat his shoulder and say "there there."

[Koeneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

My normal cup of tea, regarding books, are either historical or political. But in between these two genres I wanted something completely different so I read the memoirs of one of my favorite artist.

The book has a lot of funny and bizarre stories. James Blunt is known for his humor and when reading his own memoirs this comes to light. The name implies the stories aren’t true (and some details aren’t) but most actually is. The reason why this book has this title is purely out of legal reasons.

It was a fun and good read overall.