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David Mitchell: Back Story

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David Mitchell: Back Story

By: David Mitchell
Narrated by: David Mitchell
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About this listen

David Mitchell, who you may know for his inappropriate anger on every TV panel show except Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his look of permanent discomfort on C4 sex comedy Peep Show, his online commenter-baiting in The Observer or just for wearing a stick-on moustache in That Mitchell and Webb Look, has written a book about his life.

As well as giving a specific account of every single time he's scored some smack, this disgusting memoir also details:

  • the singular, pitbull-infested charm of the FRP (‘Flat Roofed Pub’)
  • the curious French habit of injecting everyone in the arse rather than the arm
  • why, by the time he got to Cambridge, he really, really needed a drink
  • the pain of being denied a childhood birthday party at McDonalds
  • the satisfaction of writing jokes about suicide
  • how doing quite a lot of walking around London helps with his sciatica
  • trying to pretend he isn’t a total **** at Robert Webb’s wedding
  • that he has fallen in love at LOT, but rarely done anything about it
  • why it would be worse to bump into Michael Palin than Hitler on holiday
  • that he’s not David Mitchell the novelist. Despite what David Miliband might think
©2012 David Mitchell (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV Performing Arts Comedy Celebrity Funny Biography

Critic Reviews

‘One of the best celebrity memoirs of last year…his outsider geek personality translates just as well on the page as it does on TV.’ Metro

‘It livened up about half way through with the appearance of me. But enough of David's life. The book is wonderful from beginning to end.’ Robert Webb

'David Mitchell is an extremely funny man on screen, in person, in print and very probably underwater.' Sam Bain, co-writer of Peep Show

‘He can write’ Evening Standard

‘Fluent, discursive, intelligent.’ Evening Standard

‘If you like Mitchell on television, you will like him in this book.’ Shortlist
All stars
Most relevant
Marvellous, charming and down to Earth whilst also revealing a great man's humanity. Additionally, you could not ask for a better narrator.

A story of perseverance

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A meander worth taking. Laughed out loud in the first 4 minutes and knew i would enjoy this one. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Totally enjoyed worth a listen

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I haven't seen much of David Mitchell's material, nor heard him on the radio. Oddly, considering his clarification in Back Story that he is not David Mitchell the author, I know him best from his writing. I purchased this book mainly due to some thoughtful and funny columns I have come across online, and an extract that cracked me up. I'm so glad I did. I look forward to working back through the material that should have been the basis for my fandom in the first place.

I loved it

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he's as good in this book as he is on TV. loved it. loved it

loved it, one of the best snobbish books ever

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I didn't really know David Mitchell aside from his QI and Would I lie to you? appearances so this was a real eye opener for me. Of course it's amusing but also informative and a great lesson in waiting for the right partner to come along. Well worth listening to!

More than QI

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