Nigel Goodall - Ray Winstone: The Biography. The Story of the Ultimate Screen Hard Man.

KYLIE NAKED:

The book to be seen with this summer! Heat

WINONA RYDER THE BIOGRAPHY:

Early on Goodall admits his unabashed affection for his subject. Yet despite the warning, this remains a balanced and sprightly read that paints a rounded picture, yet it refrains from the usual muckracking in favour of a detailed appraisal of her film career and family life. A sustained and erudite piece.

Total Film

BEING DAVINA:

In this intriguing biography, Davinas life so far is told with painful honesty. It follows her from a difficult childhood, through her retreat into drugs, alcohol and destructive relationships and on to her huge television success as the host of Big Brother. The Story of a survivor.

The Sun

DEMI MOORE THE MOST POWERFUL WOMAN IN HOLLYWOOD:

This biography attempts to separate myth and fact in order to paint as clear a portrait of Demi Moore as possible. Clearing away the detritus of gossip and hype, the author conjures an objective a portrait as possible of the controversial star. The book isnt officially sanctioned, so fawning isnt on the agenda, so Ms Moores good and bad characteristics leap from the pages.

Ladies First

THE SECRET WORLD OF JOHNNY DEPP:

Goodall has done his homework. Its all here, from Depps early days as a troubled rock musician to various tempestuous romances (Juliette Lewis, Winona Ryder, Kate Moss and Vanessa Paradis, the mother of his two children with whom he still has a relationship) and his rebellious, antiestablishment tendencies. Its not so much dirt as a little grime thats been uncovered using trusted sources. An enjoyable read, it adds to the mystique of a talent we can only hope to grasp.

Heat

This book is dedicated to the memory of Nellie Mercer, my childhood mentor at the Essoldo Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, who instilled in me a keen love and appreciation for cinema and film.

The greatest dramas in the world are about sex, violence and death.

Ray Winstone

W hen Nigel Goodall told me he was writing this book, I have to admit that I was slightly green with envy, not because I didnt think Nigel could tell the story with his usual balanced approach, but, if there was one book I would have loved to have written myself, it is this one. So you can imagine that, when I was asked to pen a foreword for it, I was simply delighted and thrilled for two reasons. Firstly, I adore Nigels unique style of writing biography and, secondly, because of Rays growing cannon of work.

Before taking this on, however, I read some of Nigels previous volumes on such wonderful film talents as Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp and Demi Moore, and what I liked about each one of them was his sympathetic and affectionate style of writing. I immediately knew, if there was anyone who could do justice to Ray Winstones story, then it was Nigel. Secondly, there is simply no one in British film today that excites me more than Winstone, so the combination of writer and subject I feel will distinguish this book above any others that follow.

I have to say that nearly almost all of Rays performances on both the small and big screen have left me enthralled every time I watch them and, in doing so, he and his films have also made an indelible imprint on my memory. As one journalist correctly noted, he is the ultimate personification of rock-hardness, and probably one of films few tough guys to portray violence as it really is, to emphasise that violence of any kind is not pleasant.

One also cannot help but admire how Ray has attracted some of the finest film directors to add their seal of approval to his work by offering him roles in their films. People like Anthony Minghella, Martin Scorsese and, one of his own personal favourites, Gary Oldman. The way in which he succeeded in playing alongside some of his own childhood heroes, such as Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay and David Hemmings, is enough, I imagine, to fill any other actor from his generation with envy.

Ray Winstone: The Biography is soaked in nostalgia of places, people, crime, race, events and memoirs of a young boy who loved football, boxing and cinema. The love of cinema is something Nigel shares with Ray, which places him, I believe, in a unique position to write this book. Most of Nigels childhood was spent hanging out at the Essoldo Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, where he befriended management and staff and was given posters, stills, lobby cards and complimentary tickets each week. He grew up surrounded by film and cinema from an early age. He even lists the same favourite movies as Ray does from that period of time in the early to mid-sixties.

What I like so much about the book is how Nigel appears to place himself squarely in the midst of Rays life and career with an intriguing run of surprising behind-the-scene glimpses of Ray both on and off screen, and his portrayal of the Ray Winstone whom readers will certainly recognise from the celebrated public image. From his humble beginnings stalking the notorious streets of the East End of London to strolling down the red carpet at any number of award shows and celebrity party bashes, it is a nuanced portrait sharply drawn, and closely observed, from a wealth of sources and material, that are never presented with anything less than admiration for one of Nigels favourite actors and mine ever since we both watched Scum in 1979.

At the centre of it, of course, are the films and television, for which Ray so far has notched up more than a hundred appearances. Every one is as impressive as the last. Whether a bit part, a cameo, a supporting or lead role, or simply advertising a healthy breakfast cereal, it is an impressive count that any actor would be proud of.

Certainly, the way the book flits between the Moors Murders and the Krays (both illuminating in Rays childhood) is very rewarding. There are also tales of some of the sparkling things that happened to Ray in his early life, and so often with celebrity biographies this is not the case. It can be a bit of a tyranny when reading someones early years in a biography. This is a syndrome Frank Skinner summed up by commenting, Hurry up and get famous, you bastard! Crude, but true. The opening chapters in this tome, however, are an insight into the richness of Londons East End a part of Englands capital that is notoriously connected with the criminal underworld. A piece of turf you get the feeling Ray, in his early years, was very comfortable prowling. Throughout, Nigels narrative is drenched in Rays gritty cockney dialogue, both real and humorous. You can actually hear him saying the words. After reading this book, there can be no doubt that you will have what I believe is a truly accurate account of Rays life and career so far and, most intriguing of all, some illuminating insights to what his rise, fall and rise again must have looked like from his side of the screen.

Simon W. Golding

Novelist, scriptwriter and playwright

R ay Winstone is gutted. It was 1 July 2006, the day England blew their chance to win the World Cup, and, like every other supporter, he couldnt get over how on earth they had been knocked out of the most important football competition of all. Was it really possible that England, the favourite team to win in many peoples eyes, had just lost out to Portugal in the quarter-finals with a 31 defeat in a simple penalty shootout? It seemed it was.