Tom Baker’s autobiography ‘Who on Earth is Tom Baker?’ was published in 1997 so it’s fair to say that this isn’t exactly a topical review. However, having sat down to read it again recently I felt the need to champion the book for anyone yet to discover it’s magic.
The first thing to say about the book is that anyone reading it simply looking for a memoir of Baker’s time on Doctor Who may be disappointed. My well-thumbed paperback copy clocks in, thanks to some remarkably small print, at 262 pages. Baker is offered the part of the Doctor in chapter sixteen beginning on page 181, so the role that made him famous takes up only just over a quarter of the book. Who fans shouldn’t let this put them off. Through childhood, his attempt to make it in the church, national service, family life and his acting career Baker’s life has been fascinating and he is quite simply a wonderful story teller. The cast of characters he introduces us to is quite remarkable and gives credence to his suggestion that no writer has ever been able to come up with characters as interesting as those he has met in real life. He is witty, clever and brutally honest, allowing the book to veer seamlessly between being laugh out loud funny and terribly sad. Often seeming to be at odds with the world, you are left with the belief that while we got arguably the best Doctor in the show’s long run, Baker found the part that possibly saved him.
Ultimately I would recommend this book to anyone, whether you have an interest in Doctor Who or not (but if you’re reading this you probably do). Tom Baker is one of the classic British eccentrics and it is no surprise that he is still held in such great esteem. For Who fans I’d say it’s a must. The book is unlikely to reveal anything new about the show to fans, particularly so long after it’s original publication, but it is a wonderful insight into the man who was the Doctor for longer than anyone else. A genuine five star read.
sportswhofan 