Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Parky's People

The Lives, The Laughs, The Legend
Sir Michael Parkinson
Hodder & Stoughton - Hardback - NZ $59.99

Hollywood legends, showbiz icons and sporting greats – Sir Michael Parkinson has interviewed them all.

In nearly fifty years of broadcasting Michael Parkinson has interviewed more than 2,000 of the world’s most famous names. His legendary talk show Parkinson spanned four decades and became one of the nation’s favourite TV programmes of all time. Now, for the first time, Michael Parkinson records the highlights of his interviews, reflecting on 100 memorable guests and the moments that made TV history.

From Henry Kissinger to Tony Blair, Jack Lemmon to Will Smith, and Madonna to Elton John, Parky’s People provides an intimate insight into the private lives and personalities of public figures from around the world.

Parky’s People is a tribute not only to Michael Parkinson’s personal heroes, but also the greatest characters, moments, thoughts and entertainment trends of the 20th century. Remarkable interviews with W.H. Auden and John Betjeman demonstrate that Parkinson’s empathy with the old is as evident as his easy familiarity with sportsmen like Muhammad Ali and George Best. Interviews with great comics such as Ken Dodd, Joan Rivers and Morecambe and Wise prove as funny in print as in person.

Parky's People contains a fascinating collection of interviews from five decades of a remarkable career. From Edith Evans to Elton John and Billy Connolly to David Beckham, the interviews are as entertaining on the page as on screen. Witty, always perceptive and often wise, Parky's People is compulsive reading.

About the author:
Born in Cudworth, near Barnsley, Michael Parkinson is not only a legendary TV and radio presenter, both in the UK and Australia, but also an award-winning journalist with a career spanning over 40 years. In 2007 he announced his retirement from Parkinson, but continues his involvement with TV and radio. Michael Parkinson was awarded a knighthood for services to broadcasting in the 2008 New Year's Honours list.


And a reviewer in the Daily telegraph put it so well:

“Parky’s book is a joyous, breezy read, as much for the improbability of his early escapades as for his backstage anecdotes about the stars. It is also beautifully written”
I couldn't agree more. This book will solve a lot of Christmas gift problems.

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