Try free for 30 days
-
Maggie Smith
- Narrated by: Sian Thomas
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also picked
-
That's Another Story
- The Autobiography
- By: Julie Walters
- Narrated by: Julie Walters
- Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Julie Walters has been described as the nation's most popular actress and comedienne. She has been delighting us on screen and on stage for over 25 years and - thanks to her undoubted talent, infectious spirit and self-deprecating humour - we have taken her to our hearts. Now she tells us her own story, in her own words. She was born in 50s Birmingham, daughter of an austere Irish Catholic mother.
-
-
Absolutely wonderful
- By Anonymous User on 13-06-2023
-
Parky
- My Autobiography
- By: Michael Parkinson
- Narrated by: Michael Parkinson
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Britain's national icon, Michael Parkinson reads his long-awaited autobiography. From prize-winning journalist to chat show king on a show voted one of the top ten British TV programmes of all time, Michael Parkinson's starry career spans over four decades. Now an international celebrity himself, the man from a humble but colourful Yorkshire mining family who can tease out the secrets of even the most reticent star guest, at last reveals his own story.
-
-
What a wonderful personality.
- By Anonymous User on 31-01-2024
-
Oh Miriam!
- Stories from an Extraordinary Life
- By: Miriam Margolyes
- Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From being escorted off the Today programme (for saying what we were all thinking) to declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave; from Tales of the Unexpected to Graham Norton's sofa, she is our most loved and most outspoken national treasure. Oh Miriam! takes you inside both her head and her heart. Buckle up for the most irrepressible, hilarious and moving listen of 2023.
-
-
Grandmother to the neglected
- By evan w on 24-09-2023
-
The Life and Loves of a He Devil
- By: Graham Norton
- Narrated by: Graham Norton
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Graham Norton has been entertaining audiences and having fun with some of the world's biggest stars for nearly 20 years. He is loved across the nation for his delight in the peculiar and for his ability to find humour and a common ground in all that life brings.
-
-
Truely entertaining and memorable
- By HarperSeed on 02-04-2015
-
Absolutely
- By: Joanna Lumley
- Narrated by: Joanna Lumley
- Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joanna Lumley is one of Britain's undisputed national treasures. A single mum, iconic actress, voiceover artist and author, best known for her roles in ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS and THE NEW AVENGERS, she is a former model and Bond girl, a human rights activist for Survival International and the Gurkha Justice Campaign, and is now considered a 'national treasure' of Nepal as well as the UK.
-
Dear Fatty
- By: Dawn French
- Narrated by: Liza Tarbuck
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a sharp eye for comic detail and a wicked ear for the absurdities of life, Dawn French shows just how an RAF girl from the west country with dreams of becoming a ballerina/bridesmaid/thief rose to become one of the best-loved comedy actresses of our time.
-
-
Dawn's love
- By Gracious on 06-02-2015
-
That's Another Story
- The Autobiography
- By: Julie Walters
- Narrated by: Julie Walters
- Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Julie Walters has been described as the nation's most popular actress and comedienne. She has been delighting us on screen and on stage for over 25 years and - thanks to her undoubted talent, infectious spirit and self-deprecating humour - we have taken her to our hearts. Now she tells us her own story, in her own words. She was born in 50s Birmingham, daughter of an austere Irish Catholic mother.
-
-
Absolutely wonderful
- By Anonymous User on 13-06-2023
-
Parky
- My Autobiography
- By: Michael Parkinson
- Narrated by: Michael Parkinson
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Britain's national icon, Michael Parkinson reads his long-awaited autobiography. From prize-winning journalist to chat show king on a show voted one of the top ten British TV programmes of all time, Michael Parkinson's starry career spans over four decades. Now an international celebrity himself, the man from a humble but colourful Yorkshire mining family who can tease out the secrets of even the most reticent star guest, at last reveals his own story.
-
-
What a wonderful personality.
- By Anonymous User on 31-01-2024
-
Oh Miriam!
- Stories from an Extraordinary Life
- By: Miriam Margolyes
- Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From being escorted off the Today programme (for saying what we were all thinking) to declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave; from Tales of the Unexpected to Graham Norton's sofa, she is our most loved and most outspoken national treasure. Oh Miriam! takes you inside both her head and her heart. Buckle up for the most irrepressible, hilarious and moving listen of 2023.
-
-
Grandmother to the neglected
- By evan w on 24-09-2023
-
The Life and Loves of a He Devil
- By: Graham Norton
- Narrated by: Graham Norton
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Graham Norton has been entertaining audiences and having fun with some of the world's biggest stars for nearly 20 years. He is loved across the nation for his delight in the peculiar and for his ability to find humour and a common ground in all that life brings.
-
-
Truely entertaining and memorable
- By HarperSeed on 02-04-2015
-
Absolutely
- By: Joanna Lumley
- Narrated by: Joanna Lumley
- Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joanna Lumley is one of Britain's undisputed national treasures. A single mum, iconic actress, voiceover artist and author, best known for her roles in ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS and THE NEW AVENGERS, she is a former model and Bond girl, a human rights activist for Survival International and the Gurkha Justice Campaign, and is now considered a 'national treasure' of Nepal as well as the UK.
-
Dear Fatty
- By: Dawn French
- Narrated by: Liza Tarbuck
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a sharp eye for comic detail and a wicked ear for the absurdities of life, Dawn French shows just how an RAF girl from the west country with dreams of becoming a ballerina/bridesmaid/thief rose to become one of the best-loved comedy actresses of our time.
-
-
Dawn's love
- By Gracious on 06-02-2015
-
Rambling Man
- My Life on the Road
- By: Billy Connolly
- Narrated by: Billy Connolly
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his joyful book, Billy explores this philosophy and how it has shaped him, and he shares hilarious new stories from his lifetime on the road. From riding his trike down America's famous Route 66, building an igloo on an iceberg in the Arctic, playing elephant polo (badly) in Nepal and crashing his motorbike (more than once), to eating witchetty grubs in Australia, being serenaded by a penguin in New Zealand, and swapping secrets in a traditional Sweat Lodge ritual in Canada, Rambling Man is a truly global adventure with the greatest possible travel companion.
-
-
He’s a classic
- By Great on 01-12-2023
-
Love, Lucy
- By: Lucille Ball
- Narrated by: Lucie Arnaz
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Love, Lucy is the valentine Lucille Ball left for her fans—a warm, wise, and witty memoir written by Lucy herself. The legendary star of the classic sitcom I Love Lucy was at the pinnacle of her success when she sat down to record the story of her life. No comedienne had made America laugh so hard, no television actress had made the leap from radio and B movies to become one of the world’s best-loved performers. This is her story—in her own words.
-
-
I Love Love Love Love, Lucy
- By Carol M Cameron on 10-11-2023
-
Robin Williams
- By: Emily Herbert
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through roles in cherished films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Aladdin and Hook, he became the genial face of family comedy. His childlike enthusiasm was infectious, sweeping viewers away. Allied to his lightning-quick improvisation and ability to riff lewdly off any cue thrown at him, Robin was that rare thing - a true comic genius who appealed to adults and children equally. He could also play it straight, and empathetic depth came to him naturally.
-
-
Beautifully done
- By brendan lee on 29-08-2018
-
How to be Champion
- An Autobiography
- By: Sarah Millican
- Narrated by: Sarah Millican
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Part autobiography, part self-help, part confession, part celebration of being a common-or-garden woman, part collection of synonyms for nunny, Sarah Millican's debut audiobook delves into her super normal life with daft stories, funny tales and proper advice on how to get past life's blips - like being good at school but not good at friends, the excitement of IBS and how to blossom postdivorce.
-
-
Brilliantly Millican
- By Harriet on 09-10-2017
-
Past Imperfect
- The Autobiography
- By: Joan Collins
- Narrated by: Joan Collins
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Her role as Alexis Carrington Colby in Dynasty brought her to peak stardom, a role which might have been created for the tempestuous, strong-willed, and passionate woman that she is. As might be expected, in this memoir, she tells the truth; from her romantic adventures - sometimes desirable, sometimes disastrous - with some of the most famous and interesting men in the world, to the inside story of her fascinating and erratic acting career. Joan Collins candidly divulges her past imperfect in a book that is, like herself, outspoken, witty, daring, and full of life.
-
-
What an extraordinary life
- By Carolynne Wilson on 15-07-2023
-
The Sun Rose in Paris
- Portraits in Blue, Book 1
- By: Penny Fields-Schneider
- Narrated by: Dorje Swallow
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this epic and haunting series a young man's life is forever changed as, enveloped in the bohemian art world of the 1930s, he embarks on a journey of love, loss, and restoration. Jack has been praised all his life for his extraordinary artistic talent and is rarely seen without his sketchpad. However, in Jack's world art is considered a hobby - men are expected to have jobs that offer security and advancement. When tragedy threatens, Jack is torn: Should he follow the well-laid plans for his future or pursue a path set to disappoint his family and which offers only uncertainty?
-
-
Bookclub read.
- By Anonymous User on 29-05-2023
-
Between the Stops
- The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus
- By: Sandi Toksvig
- Narrated by: Sandi Toksvig
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
'Between the Stops is a sort of a memoir, my sort. It's about a bus trip really, because it's my view from the Number 12 bus (mostly top deck, the seat at the front on the right), a double-decker that plies its way from Dulwich, in South East London, where I was living, to where I sometimes work - at the BBC, in the heart of the capital. It's not a sensible way to write a memoir at all, probably, but it's the way things pop into your head as you travel, so it's my way'.
-
-
Best book in years
- By Anonymous User on 26-10-2020
-
The Wah-Wah Diaries
- The Making of a Film
- By: Richard E. Grant
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here are the very personal diaries of Richard E. Grant's debut behind the camera, as writer and director of his autobiographical movie of the same name.
It is both a fascinating insight into the intrigues and agonies he encounters along the way, and also a deeply moving portrait of his childhood and his love affair with Swaziland, where he was born and brought up during the last throes of the British Empire.
-
-
I only hope Richard E Grant continues to write
- By lindsay holliday on 17-11-2022
-
Oscar Wars
- A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears
- By: Michael Schulman
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 21 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Oscar Wars, Michael Schulman chronicles the remarkable, sprawling history of the Academy Awards and the personal dramas—some iconic, others never-before-revealed—that have played out on the stage and off camera. Unlike other books on the subject, each chapter takes a deep dive into a particular year, conflict, or even category that tells a larger story of cultural change, from Louis B. Mayer to Moonlight. Schulman examines how the red carpet runs through contested turf, and the victors aren't always as clear as the names drawn from envelopes.
-
-
A Great Listen for any Hollywood Fan
- By David Emery on 25-03-2024
-
How to Make Gravy
- By: Paul Kelly
- Narrated by: Paul Kelly
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Kelly is a uniquely gifted storyteller, and here, using his lyrics as starting points, he reads stories of his life and his songs, including "Before Too Long", "To Her Door", "Leaps And Bounds", "Don't Start Me Talking", "Dumb Things", "From Little Things Big Things Grow" and "How to Make Gravy". Mirroring the structure of his legendary A to Z shows - where he performs around a hundred of his songs alphabetically over four nights - Kelly describes the highs and lows of performing, the art of songwriting, being on the road with the band, tales of his childhood, family, friends and fellow musicians.
-
-
Raw. Real. Loved It.
- By Anonymous User on 08-06-2022
-
No Cunning Plan
- By: Sir Tony Robinson
- Narrated by: Tony Robinson
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sir Tony Robinson is a much-loved actor, presenter and author with a stellar career lasting over 50 years. Now, in his long-awaited autobiography, he reveals how the boy from South Woodford went from child stardom in the first stage production of Oliver!, a pint-size pickpocket desperately bleaching his incipient moustache, to comedy icon Baldrick, the loyal servant and turnip aficionado in Blackadder.
-
-
Tony's life story no cunning plan!
- By Robin P Pereira on 03-04-2017
-
Big Blue Sky
- A Memoir
- By: Peter Garrett
- Narrated by: Peter Garrett
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Peter Garrett's life so far has been deeply felt and fully and passionately lived. A man of boundless energy, compassion, fierce intelligence and a questing and creative spirit, he has already achieved enough to fill several lives. From his idyllic childhood growing up in the northern suburbs of Sydney to the devastating early loss of his parents; from the height of 1960s culture shock at ANU to fronting iconic Australian band Midnight Oil.....
-
-
Great story....
- By Anonymous User on 29-04-2023
Publisher's Summary
No one does glamour, severity, girlish charm or tight-lipped witticism better than Dame Maggie Smith, one of Britain's best-loved actors. This new biography shines the stage lights on the life and career of a truly remarkable performer, one whose stage and screen career spans six decades.
From her days as a West End star of comedy and revue, Dame Maggie's path would cross with those of the greatest actors, playwrights and directors of the era. Whether stealing scenes from Richard Burton (by his own admission), answering back to Laurence Olivier, or impressing Ingmar Bergman, her career can be seen as a 'Who's Who' of British theatre in the 20th century.
This book also covers the little-known period in Canada, a prolific five-season run of leading roles that took place during the height of her success in Hollywood, soon after she won her first Oscar for her signature film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Recently Dame Maggie has been prominent on our screens as ever, with high-profile roles as Violet Crawley, the formidable Dowager Countess of Grantham, in the phenomenally successful television series Downton Abbey, and as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film franchise: what she herself describes as 'Miss Jean Brodie in a wizard's hat'. Yet paradoxically she remains an enigmatic figure, rarely appearing in public and carefully guarding her considerable talent.
Michael Coveney's absorbing biography, written with the actress' blessing and drawing on personal archives as well as interviews with immediate family and close friends, is therefore as close as it gets to seeing the real Maggie Smith.
Read by Sian Thomas.
More from the same
Narrator
What listeners say about Maggie Smith
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Motco
- 07-05-2016
A flawed biography
What is there not to like about Maggie Smith? A consummate actress with a remarkable range and yet the biography by Michael Coveney provides little insights about Maggie Smith as a person. This may be because she is reported to be a private person - one of the few revealing facts made by the author. In the end I felt I knew little more about Maggie Smith than I did at the start. Perhaps she would be pleased by this but the thinness of the biography for the listener is disappointing. The most irritating feature of the book is the author's fondness for ascribing witty, pithy or waspish one-liners spoken by Maggie Smith in film or on stage as though she was their author whereas they come from the pen of the scriptwriter or playwright. In doing so, Coveney makes the cardinal mistake of conflating fiction with real life. It's all a little too hagiographic for comfort. While the biography may be weak, Sian Thomas as ever is excellent as the narrator and helps makes the book a little less mundane.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hayley
- 29-07-2020
A hard slog
I adore Maggie Smith. She is smart, phenomenal, and an extraordinary artist. This biography is essentially a list of every piece of work she has ever done. It is not personal though, she clearly was not involved in its conception. One could save themselves 17 hours by simply googling the information instead.
Loads of big impressive words read well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jacimac
- 09-09-2019
A list of name dropping
I’ve sat through 5 chapters of this book as I admire Maggie Smith so much. However it’s nothing more than a list of name dropping. Unless you are a real acting buff and know all the actors/ directors it’s really boring. Such a shame . I would love to know more about her but I just can’t stand the style.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rosie Bonham
- 26-06-2019
Utter disappointment
This book does the magnificent Dame Maggie Smith absolutely no favours and would be more successful at losing her the support and adoration of her followers and fans than shedding any light or insight to the marvellous journey that has been her career. Complete waste of money in my opinion.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful