Believe Me

A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens

By: Eddie Izzard

Narrated by: Eddie Izzard

Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Critically acclaimed, award-winning British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard details his childhood, his first performances on the streets of London, his ascent to worldwide success on stage and screen, and his comedy shows, which have won over audiences around the world.

Over the course of a 30-year career, Eddie Izzard has proven himself to be a creative chameleon, inhabiting the stage and film and television screens with an unbelievable fervor. Born in Yemen and raised in Ireland, Wales, and postwar England, he lost his mother at the age of six. In his teens he dropped out of university and took to the streets of London as part of a two-man escape act; when his partner went on vacation, Izzard kept busy by inventing a one-man act, and thus a career was ignited. As a stand-up comedian, Izzard has captivated audiences with his surreal, stream-of-consciousness comedy - lines such as "cake or death?" "Death Star canteen", and "do you have a flag?" have the status of great rock lyrics. As a self-proclaimed "executive transvestite", Izzard broke the mold performing in full makeup and heels and has become as famous for his advocacy for LGBT rights as he has for his art. In Believe Me, he recounts the dizzying rise he made from street busking to London's West End to Wembley Stadium and New York's Madison Square Garden.

Still performing more than 100 shows a year - thus far in a record-breaking 28 countries worldwide - Izzard is arguably one of today's top kings of comedy. With his brand of keenly intelligent humor that ranges from world history to pop culture, politics, and philosophy, he has built an extraordinary fan base that transcends age, gender, and race. Writing with the same candor and razor-sharp insight evident in his comedy, he reflects on a childhood marked by unutterable loss, sexuality and coming out, as well as a life in show business, politics, and philanthropy. Honest and generous, Izzard's Believe Me is an inspired account of a very singular life thus far.

©2017 Eddie Izzard (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Beloved comedian, actor, and writer Izzard...shares intimate details about his life and is emotionally transparent throughout this splendid memoir.... The book is both funny and painful, and ultimately uplifting.” (Publishers Weekly)

“If you are a fan of Eddie Izzard, then you will love this book. If you are not a fan of Eddie Izzard, then there is a good chance that this book will make you one. The experience is akin to him sitting down and having a chat with you, which, we can all agree, sounds delightful.” (Thomas Burns Scully, Popdust.com)

“Beloved British comedian Eddie Izzard [writes] with the same wit and candor that characterizes his stand-up [and] tackles his sexuality, his troubled childhood, and the tumultuous early days of his career, even as he recounts his many excellent roles, albums, and tours.” (Maris Kreizman, Vulture)

“This book is a raw, honest exploration of what it means to live your truth, to be unapologetically ambitious, and to walk through fear over and over again. It’s about being brave. And hilarious. It reminded me that walking through fear almost always leads to happiness.” (Chelsea Handler)

Extra extra footnote.

I know more about him now, but the real-time footnotes made this a standout performance.

Amazing book!

Amazing, I have always loved his stand up and films. Getting a deeper look inside his mind and past was so insightful.

Love it!

I was so happy getting to hear his own narration on this one, it made it more personal, almost like it was a very intimate conversation with one of my favorite people on this planet.

wonderful book

and narrated by Izzard himself made it even better with all his foot notes and very long foot notes

Wonderful and inspiring

I absolutely loved this book and the performance. I was a fan before, but I finished this book being more in awe of his work ethic, creativity, and humanity.
A book for everyone.

Great listen

I love any and all things Eddie Izzard.
And this doesn't disappoint. A fun rambling listen.

Mr. Izzard has an amazing take on life.

I hope is with us for a very long time to share his unique perspective.

More stars needed. 1st audiobook that outranks

1st time an audio book outranks the printed page. Only on chapter 4 and I want to nothing but finish and start over. Brilliant bonus footnotes. A fan MUST HAVE.

Excellent Izzard

I thought this book was excellent. Izzard is not only funny, smart and interesting, but when you listen to this book, you get the added bonus of endless spontaneous footnotes where we get even more insight and signature Izzard musings.

I'd say for fans, this is a very entertaining read/listen.

I've found myself listening to a lot of celebrity memoirs lately, and I feel like Eddie put a lot more of himself into this one than many of them do. Despite his position that he's not that interesting, he's led a very unusual life, and fought tooth and nail to get to where he is today.

This is probably the most fun book I've downloaded in the last year.

The best reason for audiobooks

All of Eddies footnotes; flights of thought are the BEST part of listening this book (vs reading it). The way to get to know him and his life and ways of looking at life. Just like sitting with him and listening to him tell stories of his life.
If your a fan of Eddie; his sense of humor and his intelligent look at life ENJOY!!,
I can’t imagine what the book would be without his flights of thought