The Hollywood legend reveals the wisdom, stories, insights and skills that life has taught him in his rise from humble origins to the pinnacle of success.

I listened to Caine read this and it was easy and interesting to listen to. He talks a lot about the positive ideas he learned which helped him be successful. He gives lots of examples in his life of how he put those ideas into practice. An enjoyable memoir. ( )

Life advice from Michael Caine. Coming from his years as an actor, and although he often uses the phrase, “no matter what you do in life”, it’s directed at that profession. There are many Hollywood stories, but what makes the Audio Book version enjoyable is Michael Caine’s narration. One of the most recognizable voices. ( )

Blowing the Bloody Doors Off is lovely and honest life advice from the veteran actor Michael Caine. For those in creative industries, it may prove invaluable, with useful tips and hard-won lessons on how to conduct yourself and how to tackle particular problems that emerge in such a career. Caine's attempts to give his lessons a wider appeal – usually along the lines of 'this also works in your office or your personal life too' – often seem like an afterthought or a marketing decision, but this is a minor quibble. Caine has a good reputation and a family life that is clearly deeply rewarding for him, so even these attempts to diversify his message have some merit.

The book is never cynical, and Caine displays all the wit, compassion and honesty that has helped make him a cultural and national treasure. These traits emerge naturally in his writing, and Blowing the Bloody Doors Off can be seen as a companion piece to his excellent 1992 autobiography, What's it All About? I began to see the book as a sort of updated and abridged version of that earlier tome, and that's perfectly fine. Caine is great company. ( )

Actors' biographies or memoirs don't usually interest me, but Caine's memoir is unpretentious, self-effacing and light-hearted throughout, a pleasure to read. There is no resting on laurels or blowing his horn, he recognizes exactly what he is, a cockney lad who was lucky enough to find his passion. Now in his 85th year, he looks back on his life and shares the lessons he learned. Wise and funny at the same time, his voice is evident on every page.

The title comes from a bit of acting advice for stage actors on a film set. On stage they need to be big and loud, but screen actors must be more restrained: "Don't blow up the whole car. You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off." ( )