Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: insane behavior, New York, Los Angeles, Don Arden (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Having raised her profile from wife of shock-rocker Ozzy and mother of three creatively dysfunctional kids to a celebrity in her own right with the hit reality TV show The Osbournes, Sharon Osbourne lets fans in on her early tumultuous years during the British rock-and-roll scene in this raunchy, take-no-prisoners memoir. Born in Brixton, London, in 1952, the only daughter of a Jewish singer from Manchester, Don Arden, and his Irish dancer wife, Osbourne grew up among entertainers grasping to survive in the cutthroat business and with little time to nurture her childhood. Indeed, a strong theme in Osbourne's frank account is how her father, who became a formidable manager of early rock-and-rollers like Gene Vincent and the Animals, used her as a pawn in his get-rich schemes; by 15 she had quit school and started working at her father's office, repelling creditors and appeasing bailiffs. Arden's fortunes rose and fell, and Osbourne met and partied with hip rockers like ELO and Black Sabbath, originally fronted by Ozzy Osbourne. From London to L.A., the riot of parties didn't quit, and the drinking usually escalated to violence and destruction of hotel rooms, especially during the Osbournes' long, improbably durable marriage. Fond of luxury and her bed, Osbourne is rip-roaring chatty and never boring. (Oct.)
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Product Description

As the daughter of notorious rock manager Don Arden, Sharon Osbournes childhood was an unruly mix of glamour and violence. In her late 20s, Sharon finally made the painful decision to break with her family. Always irrepressible, Sharon flourished, creating a loving family of her own while becoming a legendary manager and rockband promoter. In rock star Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon found her soul mate, yet Ozzys drug and drink-fuelled excesseswhich culminated in his attempt to strangle hermade their marriage a whiteknuckle ride from the start; only her devotion to their three children gave her the will to survive. From the tremendous highs of the hit show The Osbournes to the lows of Ozzys near-fatal quad-bike accident and her own bout with colon cancer, Sharons tenacity, honesty, and humour have triumphed again and again.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 365 pages
• Publisher: Springboard Press (October 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821280147
• ISBN-13: 978-0821280140
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #191,170 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, October 3, 2006

By	Dumb Blonde Reviewing "I'm A Lonely Angel Stu... (In my bed) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: SHARON OSBOURNE EXTREME: MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY (Paperback)

I didn't really know much Sharon or her family before they came into the limelight, the ultimate dysfunctional family. This book chronicles her life, from her own troublesome family (she consistently refers to her dad throughout as "Don Arden" - never Dad), and how her brother & mother shunned her. She was the little fat girl (a tugboat as she calls herself), who you didn't want to sit next to on the plane. She recalls meeting Ozzy, having children (and some miscarriages, even one that her mother indirectly caused) and plastic surgery.

I looked for some sign of having a ghost writer work with her on this book, but what exactly do you look for? There was nothing in the copyright section that's at the front of every book, no indication. It was also very personal, very crude, which is exactly Sharon. It also alternates between the past & present, with an almost diary entry of the present day at the end of each chapter. It's very interestingly written, but what was missing, I thought, was Kelly & Jack's troubles. Aimee is mentioned (she had a lump removed from her breast), but neither Jack or Kelly get mentioned much, despite both of them having troubles with drink & drugs. (Although I did notice in my local book shop today that Jack has his own biography out - but not sure whether's it's official or not.)

Sharon's book is very crude, so I will warn you now, she talks about every part of herself - in detail. It's not pretty. It's an amazing book & definitely a keeper.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, October 17, 2006

By	Marty J. Miller - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really enjoyed this book. Sharon has a fascinating life with both the sweets and sours of success. While some people might not be as open about their misfortunes, Sharon doesn't sugar coat anything. She tells it all. The book was well written and very personal. The reality show just doesn't paint a real picture of who Sharon is as a person, nor does it really do justice to what she went through with cancer.

I've read Ordinary People (excellent as well), and the stories of Ozzy's drug induced behavior never cease to amaze me. I'm glad to have read this book because it shows that people are people no matter how much fame and fortune they have. It's easy to forget that when you see them on television.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, at the same time disturbing, November 13, 2006

By	Sherri Caldwell "RebelHousewife.com" (Atlanta, GA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography (Audio CD)

While I realize it may not be a universal sentiment, I love Sharon Osbourne. I have since she first appeared on reality TV (MTV), reigning over home, children, pets, and her aging, somewhat-befuddled, rock star husband, Ozzy. She is a role model of a strong, smart, outspoken, funny, unconventional, feisty redhead -- all that, with a great haircut and a snappy English accent, too.

The audio version of EXTREME is entertaining, compelling and controversial; fascinating, at the same time, disturbing. This is a woman who has really come into her own, beyond the success and privilege of her husband's fame. She is a woman deserving of good fortune and peace in her life, after suffering and surviving years of abuse by her father and her husband. However, she is no angel, maybe not even a completely sympathetic victim: This is a woman, when she gets angry, who tends to seek revenge and lash out. She cheerfully admits to urinating in someone's drink on more than one occasion, and expressing her dissatisfaction, on numerous occasions, with human excrement.

She is unapologetic, but forgiving, of herself and those around her, including her father and her husband. Her story is fascinating, from her hard scrabble childhood in England, through the ups and downs (always to the extreme) as the daughter of a very controlling, powerful man in the music industry and later as the wife of an abusive, self-destructive rock legend. This is the story behind the stories played out on reality TV and in the tabloids.

The truth according to Sharon Osbourne.
I still love her -- I certainly would never want to piss her off!!

-- Sherri Caldwell, Humor Columnist & Reviewer at [...]
Co-Author, The Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss!