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  • Published: 18 July 2016
  • ISBN: 9781405920483
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 560
  • RRP: $30.00

Over the Top and Back

The remarkable autobiography from a national treasure




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.

  • Published: 18 July 2016
  • ISBN: 9781405920483
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 560
  • RRP: $30.00

About the author

Tom Jones

Date: 2013-08-06
Tom Jones is a writer and bestselling author of Tired of London, Tired of Life and Mad Dogs & Englishmen. He is happiest when discovering new things to do and believes it is important to make the most of where you live. Born near Stroud in the Cotswolds, he is the son of two shopkeepers and studied in York before moving to London. Tom's favourite pub is the Woolpack at Slad in Gloucestershire, and his favourite place in London is 19 Princelet Street. London, The Weekends Start Here is Tom's third book.

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.

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Praise for Over the Top and Back

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

Discover more

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Six sixties hits

Snapshots of the Tom Jones songs that started it all.