Billy Paperback – November 27, 2012

I was surprised, but somewhat mollified, to find that this book had so many negative reviews as I sit down to write mine. I had an overwhelming desire to be kind and appreciative of the subject matter - Billy, his life, families, children and uphill battle with the booze. I have tremendous empathy for this kind of scenario since I saw it occur in many Glasgow working-class homes, and because I saw it happen in mine. My Mother was an ugly alcoholic.Glasgow is not such a big town: every Scot I know seemed to know Billy directly or indirectly. Apocryphal stories abounded. But this is the standard hard work, harder play, bottomless boozing, machine-gun foul language 24/7, and being abused-material that I've heard so much of from the city on the Clyde. I grew up in Glasgow until I was 10: I saw all this, and was constantly terrified by the fact my drunken mother threatened to kill me when I was about six, and almost did so - if it were not for my father's rapid, aggressive response. I identify with Billy's constant state of 'fight or flight' because it felt like the Sword of Damocles was perennially hanging over my head for much of my life. So; in short I have immense empathy for the guy, and really enjoyed the reading about things I did not know about him. The problem is, there is so much material on DVD and CD where the anecdotes Stephenson uses have already been used by Billy in concert, or during his famous 'World Tour Of ...' television gig/travelogue shows. I found myself skipping ahead, then jumping back to see if Stephenson was going to put a new slant on material I already knew, but it read like she was simply copying Billy's material into print. It feels like she's padding the book out, but in explaining Billy's Glaswegian history, there's much to be told, because his and my home town is a world onto itself. Things need to be explained, or you'll loose the plotAnd she does do new material in a satisfactory manner, but it FELT like she was slapping 'Billyquotes' everywhere in an attempt to do comedy the way he does. Connolly is simply funny because he is so. He's not a comedian; he's a story teller who weaves fabulous tales (some nights totally off the top of his head), and on others he'll repeat himself. I've seen him a few times, and I thought two shows one night after the other were too similar. He was, howeveer, being mercilessly heckled. He put the loudmouth of of his misery by shouting back "Why don't you f*** off home and go tighten the bolts in your neck!!". The timing was impeccable,Pamela Stephenson is a smart woman - and a great-looking one at that! She's also awfully funny in her own right. I think she could have used her idiosyncratic humor to write about her husband - and it would make for a far better read. Like any other therapist, or analyst (I suppose) the desire for authenticity/objectivity may have conquered what could have been a livelier biography.I did not dislike this book. It's nobody's fault that I knew a lot about the material that others may not have known. Strangely enough, when my children were young, we walked past Billy and Pam with his brood of kids and ours whilst we were shopping in a Sydney, Australia, Plaza. My wife and I just smiled and nodded, and they did much the same. I'd hate to be famous, and I hope I did something good by not interrupting his family time. Just a whimsical thought: the movie 'Six Degrees of Seperation' comes to mind, and so the urge to buy this book was partly motivated by the one encounter I'd had with the entire Connolly Clan. I often wonder what would have happened if we simply said hello....Connolly's humor? I think it can be crass, offensive, foul and confrontative - but then again, there are degrees of satire. What makes Billy such a fabulous entertainer is that he can run the whole gamut from one end to the other - like a finely-tuned instrument. Robin Williams is the only contemporary comedian I feel is in Billy's league, and are both crazy for different reasons, I suppose! I mention this because the first review of the book complains that Stephenson name drops all the time - and I think they've missed the point. Sure, they know many famous people, but I guarantee anyone who has had a serious dose of fame who will tell you that it's not so wonderful after a few years. So what if they have famous friends? Methinks that reviewer complaineth too muchly - envy is horrid, especially when you find out famous people are just like us.Read this book if you don't know too much about Billy or Pamela's lives, and don't expect a deep read because she's a Clinical Psychologist. Buy this one if you have a flight or train ride ahead of you. I think you'll arrive with a smile on your face!

I'm usually not keen on biographies because they're usually written by someone who never even met the person, which tends to make them a bit dry. But I've always loved Billy so I thought I'd pick this book up. Not knowing much about his personal life,I had no idea that Pamela is his wife! Additionally, she is a wonderful writer. This is probably the most enjoyable biography I've ever read; I laughed, I cried, I understood. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Fun, intimate, touching, and a real gift to be able to share in what makes this screamingly funny man who he is. The depth of his insight into being human, and his ability to appreciate life when he's seen the worst is an inspiration. One would never suspect this depth of sensitivity he holds when falling out of your chair screaming laughing at the how absurdly he can describe our all too common experiences. It's not what you have, it's what you do with it that matters. This man proves it. Thanks to his wife for brilliantly and bravely sharing this story with so much love.

The story of Billy is both heart-warming and pragmatic... Many people have had a rough start in life & bad beginnings and easily overcome them to be happy & successful, but Billy does so with humour and dry intellect born of good common sense. He doesn't hate anyone, or feel disadvanted in any way. To the contrary he feels very fortunate to have a beautiful & talented wife, and happy well-adjusted children but always says so wi'out bein' maudlin... Billy knows no one is perfect and that's a reality check that keeps him on top of life, and helps us as well, thanks! Its one of those books that you're sorry to reach the end, and you want to know more! Watch his personal journeys around the world on DVD, I love them!

I have always loved Billy Connolly for both his comedy and his movies (I wish all of his comedy dvd’s were available for region 1!). I was very sorry to learn he had a terrible childhood and youth. But rather than merely divulging a chronological life history, his wife Pamela, a psychologist, has poignantly written his biography interwoven with insight and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I highly recommend it, and I’m currently reading her sequel “Bravemouth”.

The saying "never let your struggle be your identity" does not identify with Billy Connolly. His early life of hardship has made him the person he is is today, as Eric Idle sang in The Life of Brian, "Always look on the bright side of life". Billy verbalises the inner thoughts of people from everyday life, and turns them into laughter being the best medicine. A must read if you love Billy Connolly's work, a look into the private window of a person who is much loved throughout the world today. And what a great wife he has in Pamela, behind every great man, is an even greater woman.

Billy Connelly has had the most diverse life. From poor Irish beginnings in the slums of Glasgow to wealth, fame and contentment with his wife and kids in country Scotland. This has been a most satisfying read and to follow the track of Billy's life is at once both saddening and exhiliarating! life in their house must be chaos and contentment combined! This man has made it! He's been making me laugh for many years as well as educating me with his travelogues and entertaining me with his movies. Well written and rollicking, a great book!

Who better to write your biography than a husband or wife? In this case, Billy hit the mother load. His wife is every bit as funny and smart as he. I wish I could spend a week with these two. Thank you, Pamela, from another Pamela. I've always hated my name until I heard your husband say it, then it became music to my ears. This is a fun book, with a little angst thrown in for good measure.

I was looking for a book about Billy and this seemed the best from reviews. Everything you need to know about his life up to 2001. His wife, Pamela has done lots of research and has penned a good sketch of his upbringing, background and transitions and development. There’s nothing deeply personal and moving - I get that Billy’s a genius with a unique way of thinking and would love to read something more personal, where I could relate to emotional struggles, arguments, personal breakthroughs... maybe there will be an autobiography some time.

I've read most of Billy's other books and to be honest I felt short changed with them.... This book is written by his wife Pamela and to me it is a far better account of his life , warts and all . There are a few jokes and sketches in the book and they come across quite funny . Well worth the money .

This was the most brilliant read. I have read previous autobiography’s on Billy Connelly but this had the added twist of being written by someone who knows him the best, his wife Pamela. Her insight into her husband’s past was very interesting and the anecdotes that Billy must have told her over the years were so funny. This is a laugh out loud book and emotional too, hearing stories from his childhood.If you have seen Billy in concert and on TV, as I have done over the years, some of his sketches will be familiar to you but this only added to bringing back to your memory how hysterical he was performing these comedy classics. These memories will definitely stay with me. He is truly a master comedian and this book lived up to and beyond my expectations.

I thought I had read all about Billy in his own book but this book by his wife "Pamsy" completes the circle of his turbulent, tempestuous life. Not all glad reading, some really harrowing, but his inimitable personality shines through all the rubbish which happened to him in his younger life, absolutely amazing that he could rise above all that abuse and "make it" on his own. They make them tough in Glasgow!!

It struck me. In a Flash. Half way through these CD's. Can you name any other wife or partner who has written a book about her husband/ boyfriend?There are possibly some, though I'd suspect they were mostly poetry or books like  The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw  (by Sheila Hancock) written as a eulogy.Couple this with Dr Stephenson-Connolly's PhD in Psychology & you have something utterly unique, which must have been hellishly difficult to write without at least one argument with the man himself.But it is this uniqueness that gets to the heart of what makes Billy tick. A man so complex requires many years of study & is very likely a degree subject in his own right, with a unique gift for making life funny & yet underlying quirks & tensions which would send lesser men crazy.The thing I enjoyed most about this CD is it didn't over-bake its premise. Yes, it is very analytical, but not in a cruel, Freudian way or a doting schmaltzy way either. Primarily, it is a biography of Billy, with a lot of detail about his abusive childhood, coupled with excerpts from his modern life offering explanation for why he behaves in certain ways.It moves through his meteoric rise from welder, to folk singer to plain stand-up comic & then goes through all the relationship difficulties & addictions he was facing at the time when he met Pamela Stephenson.Happily, I didn't detect any self-righteousness, condescension or bitterness throughout the whole book. From appearances, Billy & the author were a good match & I suppose any cracks in the relationship would have made a book such as this impossible.All this said, I do find myself agreeing with tinsoldier100550's review in criticizing the author's writing (or rather reading) style & her Pam-ism's. This book is hardly heavy-weight & is not really a very objective study of its subject, shying away from really thorough analysis.Putting that aside, I think a balance is achieved between wanton Poetic fan-letter & dry psychological analysis & the book mostly steers a course down the middle, making for easy listening. It's always fascinating to learn about someone's rise from poverty to fame & this Biography achieves most of its aims.Overall? Thoroughly recommended as something unusual to think about while commuting. The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw