Author:Mitchell Symons
Flotsam & Jetsam is the ultimate trivia book for fans of the popular BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, and a fascinating introduction for all those who have yet to discover its delights.
Taking the reader through seven decades of wonderful entertainment, here is an absorbing range of facts, figures and miscellany – including who chose what, and why. It also reveals much about the castaways' drives and motivations, their influences and, of course, their lives.
Spanning the early years with the original presenter, Roy Plomley, and the present day, the Desert Island Discs programme has brought its own unique surprises to listeners, some very personal, some humorous, such as Eric Morecambe's choice of a deckchair as his luxury and Ernie Wise's of a deckchair ticket machine.
From Beethoven to the Beatles, from chessboards and chocolate to Jane Austen and Zola, Flotsam & Jetsam is the perfect companion guide to the national treasure that is Desert Island Discs.
This ultimate trivia book for fans of BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs invites the reader to delve into a treasure trove of castaway anecdotes and amusing luxury items... Guaranteed to take readers on a magical journey through the last 70 years of music
—— Telegraph BooksThoroughly researched, lively and lighthearted... an artifact - the kind you would take to a desert island
—— Big IssueMitchell Symons is the doyen of trivialists, who has been truffling out absurd facts ever since he wrote all the questions in Trivial Pursuit that weren’t wrong. This book is exhaustive and slightly mad, and my life was appreciably poorer before I owned it. Outstanding
—— The SpectatorPacked with drama and extraordinary anecdotes ... essential reading
—— The Sunday TimesIt really is a rollercoaster ride...It’s a proper book. It’s not frothy. It’s not candy flossy...It is no holds barred. You wrote it yourself, it’s so obvious. It’s your voice all the way through
—— Chris Evans...the book is funny, vivid and even, at times, self-critical...
—— Daily TelegraphA rollicking rock'nroll story.
—— The ScotsmanRod Stewart's fascinating autobiography is a colourful account of an extraordinary life
—— Hello!He gives you, rather generously, a guided tour into not only his life but the life of a rock star
—— Different SceneWhat we loved about this book is the feeling that you are having a personal conversation with Rod Stewart … highly recommended!
—— Hot Brands Cool PlacesIt’s a brisk romp of a read
—— Lynn Barber , The Sunday TimesThe tone is droll, surprisingly self-deprecating for such an apparent narcissist, and full of deadpan humour. There are whole chapters here where every page made me laugh out loud, hilarious anecdotes as finely honed as anything in Keith Richards’ Life.
—— Uncut Magazinean eminently readable and richly entertaining journey through Rod’s life...with a real sense of fun pervading...a rollicking read
—— Beat Magazinewonderfully written...a page-turner
—— Pat KennyRidiculously funny and astonishingly candid, Rod Stewart's memoir is the rock autobiography of the decade
—— Daily MailOne of the most entertaining, revealing, captivating books of the year
—— IndependentIt’s impossible not to warm to him in this account of booze, drugs and blondes…The tales of on-the-road bad behavior…leave nothing to the imagination…his painful admission of how ex-wife Rachel Hunter broke his heart reveal a man happy to wear his heart on his sleeve….And he wears it well…
—— Daily MailIn Rod Stewart’s raucous, laddish autobiography….his attitude towards women in his life is frequently indefensible but otherwise it’s often laugh-out-load funny
—— HeraldRod Stewart reveals all in a hilarious and, at times, moving book…A brilliant read—you’ll be hooked.
—— Best[Rod] has warm good humour and a nice line in self-deprecation...He wears it well—and tells it even better.
—— Daily MailBy some distance the most entertaining of last year’s...rock star memoirs.
—— Uncut OnlineThis book takes readers on an adventure, that is at times deeply moving, through the life of one of the UK's greatest singers.
—— Hello! onlineRuthlessly entertaining
—— telegraph.co.uk