Customer Reviews
Better than Blake - By: ashford, 16 Dec 2007 
This is a fun book & I must say that I enjoyed reading it very much.I think the author must have written it without very much help from an editor. It could do with some "tidying up". Talking of his parents he writes "Val married Gwenin August 1939. In September, Hitler invaded Poland".
No connection, I hope.
This book is published by Big Finish, a company that seems to specialisein fan fiction (and audiovisuals) for cult TV programmes. Unsuprisingly, a lot of the book is devoted to Blake'sin which Mr Darrow gave such a memorable performance as Avon. Watching some of the DVDs recently I'd forgotton what a great characterisation it is. Even when he is not delivering his waspy lines, his eyes flash & he will look unsmilingly at the other actors or fail completely to deliver the little social graces & acknowledgements that allow us all to rub along. He is pathologically controlled & controlling & it is all therein the performance, for examplein the way his arms are often held tightly to his sides,in his quick movements, &in his habit of sometimes smiling unexpectedly, more usually to himself than other people. I wanted to know more about this actor; why haven't we seen more of him since?
To that though, there is no answer. Acting is a fickle business it seems. A few familiar faces keep poping upin all sort of work while others, often it seems no less talented, languish or get stuckin interminable touring productions or provincial rep.
If you can put up with the horrible type setting of this book (tiny, crowded print, no proper gutters) you will find a very lively (and I'm sorry but the stereotype about actors is true, so at times slightly bitchy) account of actingin the strata below the Judi Dench's & Ian McKellan's of this world & of making Science Fiction TVin the 1970s.
Never less than entertaining - By: Lizzie Boleyn, 19 Sep 2007 Parts of this book had me howling with laughter; most of it kept a smile on my face, not least the Blakes 7 quotations which head every chapter. Mr Darrow is unfailingly generous about the many well-known names he delightsin dropping throughout the book. He has obviously enjoyed his career! I must mention one chapter above all: The Plain Man's Guide To Alien Invasion is without doubt the funniest & most penetrating episode guide to B7 ever written. A gem
"You know you're safe with me !" - By: J. Rawstron, 12 Aug 2007 For those who only know Paul Darrow as Avon, his cold & calculating Blake character, this book will be pleasant surprise. It is well written & the humour is of a far warmer sort than Avon's bleak wit. Blake's 7 does take up a lot of space (that's the sort of Darrow-esque pun found throughout this tome) but as Avon is by far the author's most famous role, & most of the readers will be fans of the show, then this is understandable. There is however plenty of non-Blake material here too; from his childhood through to his early acting career, & then his life since that most famous of Butch Cassidy style endings that has to be one of the best television finales ever whether you like science fiction or not. Whether or not you are a fan of Blake's 7 this book will surely keep your attention throughout, it's easy to read & even hints at a second volume. I thoroughly recommend it to all.
A SLIGHTLY RAMBLING TALE OF AN ACTORS LIFE. - By: NEO, 22 Jan 2007 
I have admired Paul Darrow since he played & is best know for Kerr Avonin Blakes 7. This book charts Pauls life from childhood to time at a Public School & then on to a military college during the 1950's. Then when he decides to take up acting full time much to the surprise of his Father. His big break came when he was accepted for the part of Avonin B7 & he has never looked back since. I do get the feeling that as he has never let the part go , neither has the general acting world. And he can't get past that time of the huge success as Avon which has limited his further career. This is a very funny book & Paul pulls no punches as he describes his life but as ever focuses to much on B7. We still learn next to nothing about his wife Janet Lees Price & his later work. And worst of all he seems to ramble with the narrative which makes it very hard to follow. There are some nice press photo's & some of Paul during his childhood to round it all off. This book does fail on some levels but overall it's a very good buy indeed.
Avon's Still Calling - By: J. M. Galloway, 18 Jul 2006 This book is a must for anyone who remembers the BBC's sci-fi series "Blake's 7" & spent the late '70s & early '80s wanting to a) be Kerr Avon or b) sleep with Kerr Avon. Paul Darrow's latest book not only offers a retrospective look at his career to date, but provides fans with an insider's view of what it was like to be part of B7. Some readers might find the often wandering narrative frustrating, others - particularly those who have met Paul & have enjoyed listening to his anecdotes - are more likely to find it endearing. If you have even a passing interestin B7, this book is worth a read... amongst other gems it contains what may be the funniest plot synopsis of "The Keeper" EVER.
