The absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley opens her private albums for this illustrated memoir. Joanna Lumley is one of Britain's undisputed national treasures, an English actress, voiceover artist and author, best known for her roles in the British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers and Sapphire & Steel.

Synopsis

A former model and Bond girl, her distinctive voice has been supplied for animated characters, film narration and AOL's You've got mail notification in the UK. She has spoken out as a human rights activist for Survival International and the recent Gurkha Justice Campaign, and is now considered a 'national treasure' of Nepal as well as the UK because of her support. She is also an advocate for a huge number of charities. She has won two BAFTA awards, but it is the sheer diversity of her life that has made her so compelling a personality - early years in Kashmir and Malaya, growing up in Kent, then a photographic model before becoming an actress, appearing in a huge range of roles, whether it is the Nimble bread TV ad, movies like ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, dramas like SENSITIVE SKIN and documentaries on the Northern Lights, Bhutan and the Nile, and of course as the unforgettable Patsy in ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS or as Purdy in THE NEW AVENGERS, where her plummy vowels and upper-class demeanour has made her one of our most recognisable actors.

Reviews

'There is a Joanna Lumley for everyone: there's beautiful angelic Joanna, hot sexy Joanna, Kick-ass Purdey Joanna, heroic single mum Joanna, comic genius Joanna and crusading Gurkha-saver Joanna. And thanks to her habit of insanely hoarding everything from bales of cloth to old wrapping paper, she has pictures of every incarnation, which are lushly reproduced in her immensely fun scrapbook-memoir, Absolutely.'
EVENING STANDARD

'Her beauty does not fade and her unquenchable spirit for adventure seems more apparent than ever. Joanna Lumley is, for many, something of a national treasure. In this new illustrated memoir, we trot through her childhood in Kashmir...to her days of modelling in the Swinging Sixties and her move into acting. Luckily for fans, Lumley is a committed hoarder so there is a wealth of fantastic photographs and press cuttings to feast upon.'
DAILY EXPRESS

'Mischievous and measured, Joanna Lumley gives us a remarkable portrait of a groovy life...Lots of facts, little hyperbole and a pervasive sense of self effacement, a very British talent for understatement and self-deprecation and (and this, in an age of vomit-into-the-void celebrity culture is perhaps what stands out and pleases the most) restraint...that makes this such a refreshing read...she gives us the facts - and photographs - from a life astonishingly rich in experience.'
Sarah Vine THE TIMES

'A full-page photograph at the begining of Joanna Lumley's glossy memoir shows the nation's darling in full evening dress, wearing a glittering tiara...crimson sash and gold star...The portrait captures perfectly the mixture of poshness and larkiness that has captivated Joanna Lumley's audiences...Tempting as it is to concentrate on the wealth of photographs, it would be a pity to ignore the linking text. Joanna writes beautifully, managing to be both thoughtful and amusing.'
Jane Shilling DAILY MAIL

'Lumley has done it all, from sex kitten and TV star to activist for the Gurkhas. Read about it here.' - No.2 of The Independent's 'Ten Best New Memoirs'
THE INDEPENDENT

'An actress with an extraordinarily varied life that has taken her from Kashmir to kent, from Bond girl to Ab Fab. It's all here in this gloriously illustrated, entertaining memoir, that's packed with personal photos and reminiscences.'
WOMAN & HOME

About the Author

Joanna Lumley was an army daughter, born in post-war Kashmir before growing up in the south of England. Most recently she has appeared on the West End stage in La Bete. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation