Des Lynam: The Biography |
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Steve Purcell
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Pages: 256 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0233996613
Pub: Andre Deutsch Ltd
Pub date: 1999-10-12
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1577485
Reader Reviews:
A penetrating portrait of a fascinating personality. (0/1 people found this helpful)
Desmond Lynam is a TV presenter who has become the face of British sport. First at the BBC, now with ITV (he made the headline-grabbing switch for £5 million during the summer), his avuncular appearance and twinkling, slightly laddish style, has made him a top TV personality. Until this book was published, little was known about Des Lynam. He has always been at pains to keep his private life out of the public eye. But biographer Steve Purcell has skilfully unravelled the man behind the trademark grey moustache, giving him the extra human dimension that the TV screen always obscures. This book is a fascinating account of his early days around Brighton (Des started off selling insurance!), through his first faltering steps in local radio and onto big time TV. Along the way a few hearts have been broken, and Purcell's writing, always sensitive, never intrusive, paints a portrait of a determined and ambitious man who has always needed a soft bosom on which to rest his head away from the politics of TV and sport. Apparently Des was so insistent on maintaining his privacy that he was reluctant to co-operate with the author. No matter - Steve Purcell's skills as an investigative reporter have helped to create a compelling and penetrating study that is all the better for being compiled at a distance, so to speak. Anyone who is intrigued by Des Lynam - and that's most of us, judging by his fan following, which is of course heavily weighted by women! - will find everything they didn't know about him in this book. It's a pacy, fast-moving read that uncovers the real Des, warts and all, without once trashing our national hero.
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Books -> Subjects -> Biography -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Biography -> Sport
Books -> Subjects -> Music, Stage & Screen -> Television
Books -> Subjects -> Music, Stage & Screen -> Music -> Composers & Musicians -> Classical Music -> Purcell
Books -> Subjects -> Sports, Hobbies & Games -> General
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
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Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Hardcover
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