Cliff Richard - 'The Dreamer: An Autobiography'

During the coronavirus pandemic, Cliff Richard set about writing his autobiography. He has had a magnificent career, and is the only artist to have had a top-five album in eight consecutive decades.

The book was one which I devoured, finishing it in less than two days. It was interesting - unputdownable, actually! It's a meaty book, not boring at any point. It is the story of the man who inspired The Beatles - John Lennon once said "before Cliff Richard and the Shadows, there had been nothing worth listening to in British music."

I have never been particularly interested in the music of Cliff Richard, born Harry Webb, however upon finding out that he lived three streets down from me in Cheshunt, I couldn't help myself. It was nice to read about his early career because I knew the venues and the roads that he was talking about.

I also really liked that the book was written in the last year - it's very current, and personal. Like all of us, Cliff fears the coronavirus pandemic but realises that it is something which will eventually come to an end despite it feeling like it goes on forever.

The book is also very personal, touching on the sexual misconduct allegations which were filed against Cliff Richard in 2014 (they were found to be false), and how they made him feel. It was heartbreaking to hear about how the false accusations made him ill; giving him sleepless nights and, at worst, shingles.

Cliff Richard's autobiography was personal and answers every question that I had about him - I didn't even know I had any.