Going to Sea in a Sieve: The Autobiography

Love him or hate him, Mr. Baker is a brilliant raconteur and this first volume of memoirs is a rattling good read.

Baker has lived a life that, if you made it up, would have been thrown out for being just too unbelievable. From a tough, yet happy childhood in Rotherhithe (no tortured childhood here, this is most definitely not a misery memoir), Baker left school at 16 and fell into a series of jobs that only the greatest of good fortune could provide.

Working in a record shop in the early 70's where regular customers included Marc Bolan and Elton John; starting the quintessential punk fanzine, Sniffin' Glue, with Mark Perry of ATV; landing a job as receptionist at the NME and then joining the staff as a writer; going on tour with Ian Dury and the Blockheads; interviewing Michael Jackson just at the point where he went from star to superstar; landing work on television with apparently no real effort.

Yet Baker comes across as a man who takes all this in his stride and never takes anything for granted. He certainly doesn't have an inflated ego. The friends and contacts he made in each job ended up opening doors for him because, under it all, he's basically a Nice Bloke.

The most touching part of the book is where he finally gets it together with the love of his life, Wendy, who he's now been married to for over 30 years.

A chancer indeed, but its a harsh critic who would not raise a smile at some of the antics that Baker and his family and friends got up to.

Immensely readable, laugh out loud funny in places, and very entertaining. I can't wait for volume two!