Over the Top and Back: The remarkable autobiography from a national treasure

Description

The critically-acclaimed first full memoir from one of the world's most famous singers In a career that has spanned six decades, Sir Tom Jones has performed with almost every major recording artist, from Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and Sinatra, to Robbie Williams, Van Morrison and Jessie J, across every imaginable genre, from rock and pop to country, blues and soul. The one constant throughout has been his unique musical gift and unmistakable voice. In this, his first ever autobiography, Tom revisits his past, both personal and professional, exploring the twists of fate that took a boy from a poor Welsh coal-mining family to global celebrity status. He charts the stories behind the hits as well as the ups and downs of his professional life - from the heyday in Las Vegas and subsequent fallow years in the 1980s to his renaissance and comeback, thanks to the direction and management of his son, Mark - as well as shedding a light on the life he has led behind the cameras and the stage.

Sir Thomas Jones Woodward, OBE, known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. He became one of the most popular vocalists to emerge from the mid-1960s. Since then he has sung nearly every form of popular music - pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, soul and gospel - and sold over 100 million records. Sir Tom has had thirty-six top 40 hits in the UK and nineteen in the US, including It's Not Unusual, Delilah, Kiss and Sex Bomb.

A story brilliantly told ... Hold up your banners: "Sir Tom F****** Jones". Yeah! -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times * Packed with the kind of showbiz tales you don't get any more ... Jones is a charming, matey voice and the book is a terrific, star-studded journey through the world of entertainment. Even after meeting some of the greats, such as Elvis and Sinatra, Jones still retains an innocence and freshness that is rare * Daily Express * Over the Top and Back is a great read and funny. It charts his youth in the coal mining town of Pontypridd. It captures his Welshness * Sunday Telegraph * a book that gets to Jones's core * Daily Mirror * The book lays bare a career that has spanned 60 years, Tom revisits his past and tells tales from his journey from wartime Pontypridd to LA and beyond. He reveals the ups and downs of his remarkable life, from his early heyday to his subsequent fallow years to his later period of artistic renaissance * Wales on Sunday * You tell the story of an Electrolux vacuum cleaner with the same gusto as you talk about Elvis Presley, and that's why it's brilliant Tom * Chris Evans * Tom Jones really has had the most astonishing life, one which he recounts here with verve, energy and a vivid eye for detail - this is a hugely enjoyable read * The Daily Mail * This lively, thoughtful and entertaining account does justice to a remarkable life and career * Sunday Express * A story, brilliantly told... hold up your banners: "Sir Tom F****** Jones". Yeah! * Brian Appleyard, Sunday Times * A brilliant read full of charm and anecdote that captures the spirit of each decade as well as giving a great behind-the-scenes snapshot of the music world. -- Fanny Blake * Woman & Home *