Pierce Brosnan: A Biography [Hardcover]

York Membery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

Pierce Brosnan was first offered the part of Bond in 1986, only to be prevented from taking it by contractual obligations to the television series "Remington Steele". It wasn't until 1995 that he burst onto the big screen as the legendary James Bond in "Goldeneye". To many, it was a part he was born to play. Brosnan decided to become an actor after seeing "Goldfinger" when he was ten, he married an ex-Bond girl and seems to have just the right combination of good looks, charm and single-mindedness for which James Bond was famed. This book tells the story of Brosnan's rags-to-riches life. Born in Ireland, his parents divorced when he was very young. He spent his childhood living with various relatives, before eventually "settling" with his mother in London. It tells of his shy and lonely childhood and nascent passion for acting which has taken him to the heady heights of Bond, and on the back of that success, his own production company, Irish Dream Time. Though driven by his work, Brosnan is also very much a family man, and this biography also explores Brosnan's personal life. His beautiful Australian wife, Cassandra, tragically died of cancer, but after some time as a single parent, he has found happiness with his second wife, Kelly Shaye-Smith and their new family. He is also involved in a number of cancer, environmental and children's charities, the Prince's Trust and Irish UNICEF.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A frank but affectionate portrait of the actor-cum-superstar" -- Total Film

"Revealing" -- Daily Mail

About the Author

Journalist York Membery has written for the Daily Mirror. Sunday Times, GQ, Mail on Sunday, OK!, Readers Digest and the Express.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Publishing; 2nd edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852279672
• ISBN-13: 978-1852279677
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,829,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wait for an Offical Bio!, August 3, 2003

By 

Irishgal (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pierce Brosnan: A Biography (Hardcover)

Let me start off by saying that I am a huge Pierce Brosnan fan. I loved him in "Remington Steele". I loved him in "Evelyn". I love him as Bond. I've seen and read every interview I've come across, and was looking forward to reading his biography.

York Membery's statement that the biography is unofficial and was conducted without the direct support of the actor is probaby the biggest understatement I've seen in a long time. After reading the book for a few pages, I flipped to the acknowledgements, where the National Enquirer, Sun, and many other tabloids were listed as helpful sources of information.

Though some parts seem to be true, compared with what Brosnan has said in recent interviews, the majority of it reads like an over-dramatized soap opera. It's not that Pierce's story is bad. His biography, I'm sure, would be immensely interesting to read. However, this book feels like nothing more than a rumor mill of over a hundred pages. Some things that supposedly happened Brosnan has blatantly denied in recent interviews, and this makes me want to take most of what's in it with a grain of salt. Certain suggestions that the book makes seem unreal compared with what has been printed and screened by credible sources, such as Entertainment Tonight.

Honestly, I would have loved to have read a biography about my favorite actor. This, however, is not that. The sleazy suggestions the book makes belong more on the cover of a tabloid than in the biography section of a bookstore. The writing is atrocious, and the sources seem only somewhat credible at best. If you're a Brosnan fan, as I am, I would wait for an official bio to come out - or watch something like E!s "Pierce Brosnan Revealed", which condcted actual interviews with Pierce and his family. Pass on this one. You'll be glad you did.