Faber & Faber

I Was Douglas Adams's Flatmate: Andrew McGibbon

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Synopsis:

Ernest Hemingway, Sam Peckinpah, Johnny Cash, Tina Turner, Douglas Adams, Morrissey - all legendary figures whose obsessions, addictions and drives have been well-documented through press interviews, biopics and biographies.

But what were these people really like?

In this collection of interviews, Andrew McGibbon talks to a close friend or collaborator of each of these often near-mythical figures. We hear the story of how Johnny Cash became the Man in the Black Suit from his tailor, Manuel; we hear about Les Dawson’s literary aspirations from his joke writer, David Nobbs; Jon Canter, flatmate, recounts the time he spent living with Douglas Adams as he turned from aspiring writer into international star; and in the final chapter, the author tells his own story of his brief spell as the drummer for Morrissey.

Brought sharply into focus through stories and recollections of incidents and day-to-day details, I Was Douglas Adams’s Flatmate offers intimate portraits, full of anecdote and detail, that show the subjects in a different light, close-up and often very personal. Because, while the legends encountered may be or have been extraordinary people whose public lives have been well documented, they still suffered ailments, drank to excess occasionally, bumped their heads and fell in love.

Further reading: 'I Was Therefore I Am'

Tags:

Categorised as:

Non-fiction

Sub-categories:

Biography & Memoir; Popular Culture

Genres & Themes:

Celebrity; Icons; Interviews; Revelations; Secrets