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Odd Boy Out

By: Gyles Brandreth
Narrated by: Gyles Brandreth
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

The long-awaited autobiography from beloved star of Just a Minute, QI, Have I Got News For You and Celebrity Gogglebox.

There are few people Gyles Brandreth doesn't know or hasn't met - from the queen to the Sex Pistols, Mandela and Marlene Dietrich to T. S. Eliot, he's the celebrities' celebrity, as familiar and welcome to us on radio and screens as biscuits are to a cup of tea.

Now a grandparent, looking back on his remarkable life, he traces his steps back to being a three-year-old tearing around 1950s London on his tricycle, to boarding school where he had an appendix removed simply to get out of football, to Bedales, where he met Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (and became intimate with a matron), to balancing his growing love of theatre with his love for educating, the 'woolly jumper years', the stint as an MP, the years of close friendship with the queen, to becoming a septuagenarian Twitter star and stalwart fixture in British entertainment.

Throughout it all, there are lessons to be learned as Gyles derives wisdom and wit from his extraordinary encounters. Full of stories and full of heart, this is Gyles as you don't yet know him.

©2021 Gyles Brandreth (P)2021 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about Odd Boy Out

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Don't want to add to the ego but......

it was a brilliant listen. Enjoyed every bit of his story, the asides, the humour, the sentiment.

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Odd Boy Out

it's read by Gyles Brandreth, and is about his life thus far.
need I say more?

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Fabulous!

A wonderful listen, splendidly read by Giles telling the tale of his amazing life complete with all the name dropping one would expect! I feel richer for having listened!

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Excellent book

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. What a fascinating life and family Gyles has. He seems such a very nice, good man and great fun to be with I’m sure! He’s definitely on my fantasy dinner party list! Loved his voice too. Listened to a chapter each night before sleep and he was very soothing. Thank you Gyles

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Love love LOVED this book!

I am genuinely sad to come to the end of this Audio book! What an interesting, enjoyable journey I have been on listening to Giles! Cannot recommend this book enough!

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An entertaining and eventful life

I'm vaguely aware of Gyles' TV and radio fame but have read and enjoyed his novels imaging Oscar Wilde and Sherlock Holmes investigating crimes together. He certainly had a varied and eventful life meeting a remarkable number of famous and infamous people. The author writes with verve, honestly and self-deprecation and describes what a charmed life of opportunities he has had from a young age. I enjoyed his story but am left with a feeling that he benefited from a system whereby a small clique of public school, Oxbridge students help each other in later life to exclusion of the rest of us. An old boy (and now old girl) network of the 'right' people who scratch each others backs to get on in life. You just have to look at the present UK government to see the result.

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Excellent

Great book, great life and beautifully read- thank you for sharing for us all to enjoy.

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Hallelujah for the Odd Boy

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Gyles and his hilarious anecdotes. His boundless energy and enthusiasm like Tigger, propel him through life. He is not arrogant, but has a genuine way with him which at the end I found very moving.

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Fascinating audio

So if like me you grew up with Giles on breakfast tv you may only know him for his amazing jumpers and reporting on the royal family but this audio has told me so much more about the man himself and what a fascinating life he has led. It is full of warmth and humour read by the man himself and is well worth a listen.

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Enchanting, enthralling, evocative, engaging

Gyles Brandreth - a name dropper extraordinaire, certainly somewhat smug, but all the same appreciative of the life he’s lead. A master story teller. For sure. What a life. His never ending exuberance and zest for life come through in buckets in this book. His ability to keep one engaged by telling story upon story, tale upon tale, memory upon memory is extraordinary. I enjoyed every minute.

I bought the book first, and then the audible version - listening to GB read his own life story certainly added enormously to the experience, I’ve barely opened the book itself, but I will look at the pictures in the book!

Highly recommended.

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