Biography

A Del of a Life: The hilarious #1 bestseller from the national treasure

A Del of a Life: The hilarious #1 bestseller from the national treasure

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-09-21 00:52:03
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：David Jason
  • ISBN：1787465365
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Summary

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THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER: a hilarious and heartfelt new autobiography from the national treasure Sir David Jason
''So lithe，' they say。 'So spry and sparkling。 So uncannily youthful。 How on earth do you do it？'

Well， what can I tell you？ An hour of tai chi first thing in the morning， an HIIT work-out with my personal trainer， a bowl of steamed kale and a handful of almonds for lunch， and then two hours of yoga in the afternoon followed by an ice bath - this is a routine which I'm sure would work miracles for anyone of any age， although I can't be entirely sure because I haven't myself adopted any aspect of it at any point。

Fortunately， during my life and career I have been given all sorts of advice and learned huge amounts from some great and enormously talented people。 I've been blessed to play characters such as Derek Trotter， Granville， Pop Larkin and Frost， who have changed my life in all sorts of ways， and taught me lessons that go far beyond the television set。 And I've worked a few things out for myself as well， about friendship， ambition， rejection， success， failure， adversity and fortune。

With any luck， some of these thoughts and observations will chime with episodes and challenges you have faced， or are facing， in your own life。 And if they don't。。。 well， hopefully， at the very least you'll get to have a good old laugh at my expense。

So lean back， pour yourself a glass， and try not to fall through the bar flap 。 。 。'
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'There are British telly icons and then there is [。。。] Sir David Jason。 This book is such gold 。。。 an absolute delight' ZOE BALL

'An absolute delight 。。。 a romp with so much detail。 Offers wisdom in difficult times 。。。 like being invited into his living room' BBC BREAKFAST

'It's beautifully written 。。。 so conversational and chatty 。。。 it's so lovely and warm' CHRIS MOYLES

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Reviews

Sue Pritchard ，

Thoroughly enjoyed the memoirs， funny insights and sound advice， but for me， the mistake I made was listening via audiobook and persisting without David Jason narrating。 I’ve listened to many autobiographies told by the author and for me it lifts the book from the page。 Lesson learned…read the book if not narrated by the author。

Saul Warren-Howles ，

A great book from a very funny man。

David Highton ，

Written from the vantage point of his eightieth birthday， David Jason look back over his life through anecdotes and humourous stories。 I read his earlier autobiography in 2017 but this was written ina different style and was not too repetitive。

Christine Sewell ，

Not very funnyVery egostistical。 Certainly not hilarious。 Rather disappointing as have always enjoyed watching David Jason。 Rather a lot of sour grapes

Nick Sanders ，

This could have been a wonderful autobiography about the great actor that David Jason undeniably is。 One thing he is not， is a good autobiographer。 Yes， the bits where he actually really writes about his career， and the craft that acting is， are both interesting and personal。 And actually pleasant to read。But unfortunately there are areas where he seems to lose the plot， and writes in some semi humorous meandering style， that appears to be intended to be funny， but actually is boring the teeth o This could have been a wonderful autobiography about the great actor that David Jason undeniably is。 One thing he is not， is a good autobiographer。 Yes， the bits where he actually really writes about his career， and the craft that acting is， are both interesting and personal。 And actually pleasant to read。But unfortunately there are areas where he seems to lose the plot， and writes in some semi humorous meandering style， that appears to be intended to be funny， but actually is boring the teeth out of my skull。 With some careful editing the book could have been reduced by a third， and turned into a small but interesting look behind the screens where the actor David Jason resides。 Now it is not， and teetering on the brink of irritating。 。。。more

Sarah ，

Loved this book， listening to it was like having a chat with an old friend。

Patsy ，

I love David Jason 😍 this was a trip down memory lane。 He takes you behind the scenes of his shows and adds his own funny anecdotes。 Wished I'd listened to it now 🤦🏼‍♀️ I love David Jason 😍 this was a trip down memory lane。 He takes you behind the scenes of his shows and adds his own funny anecdotes。 Wished I'd listened to it now 🤦🏼‍♀️ 。。。more

Godowd ，

A few Ancedotes but not much else。 This is not an autobiography - it's just a few memories but not in any depth。 Very light read 。。 a bit repetitive。 I was hoping for much more。 A few Ancedotes but not much else。 This is not an autobiography - it's just a few memories but not in any depth。 Very light read 。。 a bit repetitive。 I was hoping for much more。 。。。more

Hayley ，

I love Sir David Jason。 That is all。

Paul Morris ，

Interesting points sharing different aspects and stages of his life and specifically his acting life obviously。 Adds to his previous books and gives thoughtful insights into the acting profession although not in big headed fashion

Bob Hurley ，

An insight into some of the decisions David Jason made during his career。 Not a full autobiography but more a key review on the major times in his life， how he got there and the lessons he learnt at each of those key moments。

Lyndsay Rafferty ，

Great book about his life and career。 Tell you about his time on TV and Fools and Horses episode of batman and robin。

Russell Taylor ，

As he reaches the grand age of 80， we take a gentle stroll through the life and times of David Jason， all loosely tied together under the umbrella of 'lessons I have learned'。 As he reaches the grand age of 80， we take a gentle stroll through the life and times of David Jason， all loosely tied together under the umbrella of 'lessons I have learned'。 。。。more

Sharon ，

I’ve had this book on my shelf for a few months now， and it’s one which is easy to keep picking up and dipping in and out of。 David Jason holds a fond place in my heart， being a particular favourite of my dear old dad who used to love rewatching episodes of Only Fools。 Of course， we all did as well， I mean find me someone who doesn’t laugh at some of Del-Boy’s antics！ This book， whilst not technically an autobiography， sees Sir David recount tales of his life and the lessons learnt from them。 Wr I’ve had this book on my shelf for a few months now， and it’s one which is easy to keep picking up and dipping in and out of。 David Jason holds a fond place in my heart， being a particular favourite of my dear old dad who used to love rewatching episodes of Only Fools。 Of course， we all did as well， I mean find me someone who doesn’t laugh at some of Del-Boy’s antics！ This book， whilst not technically an autobiography， sees Sir David recount tales of his life and the lessons learnt from them。 Written during the first Covid lockdown （and his 80th year）， we hear about his rise to fame to where he is now。 I loved hearing of his long-standing friendship and working relationship with Ronnie Barker， another particular favourite of mine！As I was reading， I found myself searching online for video clips of programmes and events mentioned， laughing along with both the book and these clips as I went！ Some moved me to tears with the fond memories they evoked， and I loved hearing of his Bafta awarded by Ronnie Barker， and then watching their obvious great friendship on the clip afterwards。 Sir David Jason is without a doubt high up there with， not just the comedy greats， but the acting greats of our time。 I consider myself lucky to have been around to watch many of his programmes the first time around， and then lucky enough again to be able to keep revisiting them over the years。 This book is a funny and warm-hearted recollection of his life by the great man himself！ Would definitely recommend。 。。。more

Helen Marsden ，

Bit too much on only fools and horses and early life not much on darling buds of may and so forth。

Rory Nelson ，

A funny， warm book， by one of the nicest men in showbusiness （I imagine）Reading this book is like sitting down for a long chat with your Grandpa， and letting him reminisce。。。

Gareth ，

If you are looking for a book filled with cover to cover tales of Del boy this is not the book for you。 If however like me you have grown up idolising the talents of this amazing man and want to get a better understanding of the legend himself then this is the book for you。 Don't get my wrong he does talk about his time playing the iconic comedy character but a great deal of the book is about Mr Jason himself from a budding actor in an amateur dramatics society all the way up to the recent lockd If you are looking for a book filled with cover to cover tales of Del boy this is not the book for you。 If however like me you have grown up idolising the talents of this amazing man and want to get a better understanding of the legend himself then this is the book for you。 Don't get my wrong he does talk about his time playing the iconic comedy character but a great deal of the book is about Mr Jason himself from a budding actor in an amateur dramatics society all the way up to the recent lockdown。 A must read for a fan of his work or even someone looking for an insight into becoming a stage or TV actor。 。。。more

Claire Davies ，

I’m not a huge biography fan or come to that a David Jason fan ordinarily but my husband had this book for Christmas and I decided to give it a go。 How glad I am that I did！ The book flows so well with Jason’s easy style and I really believe that this was written by him not a ghost writer。 His reflections all come with positive outcomes even when on the surface life was not going his way。 A lesson for us all me thinks？！I love his attitude to his career and acting in general and the fact that he I’m not a huge biography fan or come to that a David Jason fan ordinarily but my husband had this book for Christmas and I decided to give it a go。 How glad I am that I did！ The book flows so well with Jason’s easy style and I really believe that this was written by him not a ghost writer。 His reflections all come with positive outcomes even when on the surface life was not going his way。 A lesson for us all me thinks？！I love his attitude to his career and acting in general and the fact that he is not in anyway up himself！ In fact the book conveys that he is truly a gentle man and a perfect Gentleman。 Of course Only Fools and Horses is etched into everyone’s hearts as a National Treasure but the book has inspired me to take a look at Jason’s back catalogue of performances， in particular Porterhouse Blue and Darling Buds of May。 This book has been uplifting and a real tonic from the gloom of COVID- Thank you David。 。。。more

Lara ，

I adore David Jason， a British institution， and his role for me as Del Boy， is pure comedy gold。 He is a great story teller， and there are some great anecdotes in this book。

Darren Jowsey ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 An inspirational read， a man of 8 decided， who still loves and continues to do his job， and still flys。 I hope I have is enthusiasm and passion to continue at his age。

Peesa ，

Interesting and I enjoyed reading this and learning more about David Jason

Jason Cotton ，

I have read several books by David Jason either writing as himself or as Delboy， and while this is not the best of the bunch it does make for an entertaining read。 Its basically a book of mantras and lessons that have helped David Jason to become one of the most recognised actors still alive today。 Its full of funny anecdotes and heart warming stories。 It also is a good guide book for anyone wanting to have a career in entertainment， as it informs you of the up's and down's， the high's and low's I have read several books by David Jason either writing as himself or as Delboy， and while this is not the best of the bunch it does make for an entertaining read。 Its basically a book of mantras and lessons that have helped David Jason to become one of the most recognised actors still alive today。 Its full of funny anecdotes and heart warming stories。 It also is a good guide book for anyone wanting to have a career in entertainment， as it informs you of the up's and down's， the high's and low's of making it to the top。 Well worth a read and definitely an insightful book。 。。。more

Wynford Beavan ，

What a plesureWhat a brilliant book so full of interesting facts。Just needs part 2。It keep me waiting for the next episode。

Andrew ，

Interesting insight and views of Sir David's life Interesting insight and views of Sir David's life 。。。more

Libby ，

It’s strange when you think about the threads of continuity in your life。 Sometimes these threads are obvious: family members， places， traditions。 Others are less conspicuous。 David Jason is a thread of continuity in my life I’ve not recognised before， but he has been there in the background - in various guises - the whole time: Danger Mouse， Count Duckula， Open All Hours， Only Fools， Darling Buds， Frost。 His work has woven bonds of connection to my brothers， my mother， my husband， my children， It’s strange when you think about the threads of continuity in your life。 Sometimes these threads are obvious: family members， places， traditions。 Others are less conspicuous。 David Jason is a thread of continuity in my life I’ve not recognised before， but he has been there in the background - in various guises - the whole time: Danger Mouse， Count Duckula， Open All Hours， Only Fools， Darling Buds， Frost。 His work has woven bonds of connection to my brothers， my mother， my husband， my children， and I am sure this is true for many British people。 This book is a funny and warm walkthrough of Jason’s life and career and what really resonates with me is his positivity。 As someone who is more pessimist than optimist， I found his resilience and humour infectious。 He rolls with the punches， rides the twists and turns and is grateful for both the losses and gains in life。 Throughout the book Jason refers to various lessons， but I think this lesson is the biggest overall。This is the perfect read for life in lockdown。 。。。more

Carol W ，

An interesting trip down memory laneAn interesting trip down memory lane with David and his characters。 David Jason takes you backstage and tells you the bits we didn't see。 Fascinating read。 The photos at the end are fabulous。 An interesting trip down memory laneAn interesting trip down memory lane with David and his characters。 David Jason takes you backstage and tells you the bits we didn't see。 Fascinating read。 The photos at the end are fabulous。 。。。more

Sue Gibson ，

Loved this book。 David is one of my favourite actors and， as an author， this doesn't disappoint at all。 I feel the humble part of him in his writing。。。almost an "how did I get here？" type of writing。 An excellent read Sir David。 Thank you！ Loved this book。 David is one of my favourite actors and， as an author， this doesn't disappoint at all。 I feel the humble part of him in his writing。。。almost an "how did I get here？" type of writing。 An excellent read Sir David。 Thank you！ 。。。more

Gary Diamond ，

I have just finished this autobiography from David Jason and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 As it is not a fictional novel， I was able to read it alongside my current kindle book which I am also enjoying。 I particularly liked the way David Jason wrote this， not describing everything in chronological order and to add an air of comedy to his real life challenges and successes。 The book has honesty and you come away with a sense of feeling that anything is possible。 A really good book， if you like this t I have just finished this autobiography from David Jason and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 As it is not a fictional novel， I was able to read it alongside my current kindle book which I am also enjoying。 I particularly liked the way David Jason wrote this， not describing everything in chronological order and to add an air of comedy to his real life challenges and successes。 The book has honesty and you come away with a sense of feeling that anything is possible。 A really good book， if you like this type of thing。 。。。more

Graham Eaton ，

A lovely well written book giving to story to date of one of the country's best loved actors。 We revisit some legendry story's with Only fools and horses， Pop Larkin and Frost。With insights into many story's and many that could have been included， but needs another book We look forward to the next chapter of his great career。 A lovely well written book giving to story to date of one of the country's best loved actors。 We revisit some legendry story's with Only fools and horses， Pop Larkin and Frost。With insights into many story's and many that could have been included， but needs another book We look forward to the next chapter of his great career。 。。。more

Cath ，

A delight。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Del of a Life: The hilarious #1 bestseller from the national treasure

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Del of a Life: The hilarious #1 bestseller from the national treasure&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Del of a Life: The hilarious #1 bestseller from the national treasure&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0