His amazing and riveting life story reminds us that there is, when all is said and done, a bit of savage in all of us. Paul, of course, went on to further success presenting his chat shows on Channel 4 and ITV, For the Love of Dogs and Animal Orphans on ITV, and his weekly show on BBC Radio 2, inter alia. Now I release his autobiographies are four books, so far, a good money earning business, his first 18 years took 352 pages, yes agreed a busy young life, but I was let down after this first autobiography. For those of a somewhat nervous disposition, like myself, I can safely say that reading these books will be an education in themselves and make anyones problems look smaller in comparison.

I enjoyed this first instalment of his life story, it's written in an almost conversational, rambling style with the author going off at lots of interesting tangents. Now, in his own unique voice, Paul O'Grady tells story of his "early" life in Irish Catholic Birkenhead that started him on the long and winding road from mischievous altar boy to national treasure.Personally I do not want to read four books to catch up with his life story, too many books to read. Paul O'Grady first came to fame in the guise of Lily Savage, and was nominated for a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1991. Paul's remarkable childhood and early life is littered with a dizzying cast-list of rogues, rascals, lovers, fighters, saints, and sinners. It's a book which really does have something for everyone and which reminds us that, when all's said and done, there's a bit of savage in all of us.

In parts laugh-out-loud funny but also at times very poignant, this is a marvellous evocation of a Catholic working class upbringing in the 1950s through to the mid-70s. I am from Liverpool so recognised the places he was talking about from my side of the water, but not the places he wrote about from his side. At My Mother's Knee features an unforgettable cast of rogues, rascals, lovers, fighters, saints and sinners - and one iconic bus conductress.It was fantastic reading about Paul's life growing up and what he got up to as a child and then a teenager, he certainly had an eventful life up until he was 18. Told with pathos, love, empathy, and naturally, biting humor, the story of Paul O'Grady is that of everyman, everywoman, and inevitably, every drag act ever. What I received was an interesting and not surprising amusing tale of Paul's early life growing up in Birkenhead that was certainly light entertainment. Now, in his own unique voice, Paul O'Grady tells story of his early life in Irish Catholic Birkenhead that started him on the long and winding road from mischievous altar boy to national treasure.