Who on Earth Is Tom Baker?

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1742012.html

Four years ago I listened to an abridged audio version of this book, read by the man himself; now I've finally read the whole thing, fourteen years after frenziedly speed-skimming a newly published copy in an Oxford bookshop without actually buying it. It is quite an extraordinary and painful book, by a man who doesn't much like himself and, to his continuing amazement, found in his early 40s that everyone suddenly liked him. Baker confesses many tales of personal betrayal, of lovers, colleagues, relatives, and himself; he is rather fascinated by his own awfulness as a human being, and he achieves the difficult task of communicating his fascination to the reader, because he is also very funny. show more The book (deliberately, I think) doesn't do justice to himself; I was struck, having read this just after listening to Big Finish's April podcasts, which feature a long interview with him divided into several sections, by the fact that most of the anecdotes he shared this year with Nicholas Briggs were very different from the stories spun for his readers in 1997. I also take a wild guess, judging from hints dropped in interviews, that he has actually had some serious and effective psychotherapy; no mention of that in the book, which itself may have been a cathartic experience to write, but also perhaps writing about healing and acceptance might have spoiled the story.

If you are looking for insider information on Doctor Who, this book doesn't give you much - perhaps 30 pages out of 270, and the show's history has been better chronicled elsewhere (including in the DVD commentaries to which Tom Baker has contributed). But if you are interested in reading a peculiar personality study, written by its own subject, this is one of the more memorable ones out there. show less

I remember the book being rather depressing, as he put his melancholic side very much on display. The audio abridgement has, I think, got a decent balance between humour and morbidity, to the point that I was laughing out loud, to the dismay of fellow passengers.

There's not a lot here about Baker's time playing Doctor Who. There is a huge amount about his childhood and early life, hilarious and moving: the Liverpool Catholic education, the years in a monastery, the unwise early marriage, nursing his awful father-in-law through a final illness, the efforts to find work in London; also teenage masturbation, and a failed erotic scene in his first film appearance (playing the husband of the Wife of Bath). And towards the end, reflections on show more age, celebrity, and the confusions that sometimes arise therefrom.

Anyway, definitely worth picking up if you can find it. show less

I happen to know that Tom Baker was thrown out of The Rose Bruford School of Speech and Drama for getting a girl pregnant. I too was thrown out of that school, and I make no secret of it. The best Dr. Who actor, however, chooses not to reveal this particular truth. I wonder what else is missing from his autobiography? But a good read and, as a fellow Scouser, I appreciated reading how he was dragged up.

First off, I downloaded this accidentally and listened to it because I was desperate for an audio book. Second, Tom Baker is a fantastic reader. It doesn't matter what he's reading, because he just pours himself into it -- not unlike his acting. Now, about the book. Part of me is glad I read it and part of me is kind of weirded out, because it's way more than I every though I'd know about the man who played my favorite Doctor on Doctor Who. He's a very odd man, very self-deprecating, but completely fascinating. His autobiography completely caught me and really captured my attention, I was sad when it was over. He touches briefly on Doctor Who, but it's really about his life and the way he sees himself. The book was both hilarious and show more heartbreaking and I quite enjoyed it. I doubt I would have liked it as much if I'd read it instead of listening to him tell it. I highly recommend the audio book. show less

In Who On Earth Is Tom Baker?, Tom Baker recounts his life, beginning with a description of growing up in a poor Catholic neighborhood in Liverpool. He discusses the role religion played in his life and how he almost joined the church, it having drilled into him from a young age that he was worthless unless he served god in the organization. When he left, he felt listless for awhile before doing his national service, where the military separated the Catholics into their own regiment. He then moves on to his first marriage, further struggles with social class and his acting career, before discussing the fortuitous series of events that led to has casting on Doctor Who. He chronicles his tenure as the longest-serving Doctor, both the show more highs and lows as well as the way he contributed to the development of the fandom. From there, Baker discusses the struggle to redefine himself apart from Doctor Who and his relationship struggles, concluding on a note of self-effacement similar to his description of his youth in the church. Fans of Doctor Who will find some good background information here, but the book also serves as Baker’s effort to shape his legacy since he discusses his worry over an impending death both at the beginning and end. Fortunately, though Baker wrote this in 1997, he just celebrated his eighty-fourth birthday shortly prior to my finishing the book. show less

An interesting look at Tom Baker, probably the most iconic of the Doctors from Doctor Who. Very amusing way of telling stories, very wry sense of humour. Worth a read.

He is a little hard to follow at times and I think I learned more about him then I ever wanted to know but I loved it. He is a fantastic actor and he should really give himself more credit.