Straight from the Force's Mouth: The Dave Prowse Autobiography

From world-class weightlifter to Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" trilogy, Dave Prowse has had a remarkable career. Yet, it is his role as the Green Cross Code Man of which he is most proud. In this candid autobiography, Dave Prowse now shares his memories, both good and bad. His funny and fascinating story is "a joy from beginning to end". There are many people who would consider a career at the pinnacle of world-class sport enough. Similarly, there are many people who would consider a movie career working with some of the greatest performers and directors of the last 40 years as a full and privileged life. As a world class weightlifter, representing Britain at the Commonwealth Games (then known, ironically, as the Empire Games) and then donning the legendary costume of Darth Vader for the original "Star Wars" trilogy, Dave has had the distinct honour of doing both in his storied career. In his own words, Dave tells how he grew up in the city of Bristol and how the tragic loss of his father when he was young changed his world forever. Always good at sports, Dave turned to bodybuilding and then weightlifting, picking up national titles and representing Great Britain in the biggest competitions around the world. With no such profession as a full-time weightlifter and no such thing as lottery funding available to help him out, Dave eventually made the (at the time) unusual transition into modelling, TV and film work, with his size and physique providing him with roles in the "Hammer Horror" series, "A Clockwork Orange" and, of course, "Star Wars" to name but a few. Dave was also able to use his own experiences to become personal trainer to the stars. But it is his role as the Green Cross Code Man of which he is most proud. The campaign is credited with saving the lives of many youngsters during its run in the 1970s and 1980s and for which Dave ultimately received the MBE. This MP3 audio book has Dave speaking candidly and in his own words about some of his most famous roles, some of his less famous ones, and past experiences with both world-class sportsmen and world-class performers.

Review :
"I could have listened to much, much more. A joy from beginning to end...Everyone that has ever seen a Stars Wars movie should buy this. It will probably be the best GBP13 you've spent in a long time. 10 out of 10" Darren Rea, Sci-Fi Online Magazine I want to start this review by admitting that when I heard that Dave Prowse's autobiography was being released on MP3 CD, with a running time of 540 minutes, I was scratching my head to think how he was going to fill the time with anecdotes on his work on the Hammer Horror movies, Star Wars and being the Green Cross Code Man. The man is most famous for being the bloke inside the costume of arguably cinema's most memorable villain, Darth Vader, but surely his life story wasn't that interesting that he could waffle on about it for more than an hour? How wrong I was, thankfully. His work on Star Wars, while taking up quite a large section of the recording, represents only a small part of what is a varied and interesting career in body building, acting and employment as a personal fitness instructor. This frank and very honest release is a welcome breath of fresh air. How many times have you picked up an autobiography that just sucks up to the Hollywood system? You won't find that here. Prowse admits he speaks as he finds - no creeping - and that's exactly what we get. He even admits his own faults and is not afraid to poke fun at himself. An example of which is the fantastically funny retelling of the tale of the Saudi Prince who decided to play a joke on Prowse after he had been dropping hints that it was his birthday. Obviously, as this is being marketed to appeal to Star Wars fans, this recording starts off with Prowse's time on the original trilogy - how he got the role and what working on the set was like. He talks about his first meeting with George Lucas (who spent most of the audition asking what it was like working with Stanley Kubrick on A Clockwork Orange) and the reason he chose to be Vader over Chewbacca (it's always the villains that are remembered - although the other more important reason was that being zipped up in a hot, furry costume in the middle of summer didn't seem very appealing). There are also a lengthy series of chapters about his weightlifting career - which starts from his very first interest in body building. I have to admit that while I didn't think I'd really find this side of his career to be of much interest, I found his retelling of events to be quite entertaining - especially his romantic encounter while away at a competition and his retelling of a tale where he had to lift a dead body from a local lake where he worked. But it is Prowse's 14 year long portrayal of the Green Cross Code man that shines through as his proudest role. And so it should too, as he has saved thousands of children's lives with his numerous TV ads and poster campaigns. Despite my earlier reservations on the length of this release I could have listen to much, much more. A joy from beginning to end. After listening to this audio I have a new-found respect for the man who breathed life into the world's most memorable villain. Everyone that has ever seen a Star Wars movie should buy this. It will probably be the best GBP13 you've spent in a long time. 10 out of 10 Darren Rea, Sci-Fi Online Magazine