By Marco Pierre White - Devil in the kitchen Paperback – 7 Aug 2007

Marco Pierre White what an amazing story. Ever wanted to know what you can achieve by hard work and passion? How about the youngest ever 3 Michelin Star holder and First Ever British 3 Michelin Star Chef. The almost rock star status he had achieved by his late twenties is all the more amazing when you consider. He grew up on a council estate in Leeds, his mother died when he was 6 and his father worked all hours to keep the family together.This is the story of how he did it, warts and all. After all Marco was also famous as the foul mouthed bully of the kitchen. It seems to work though as many of his young chefs went onto make big names for themselves. Including the mighty Gordon Ramsey. At the time this book was written, they had fallen out big time.I hope that many years later they have reconciled, but given Marco's past record I doubt it.Anyway, a fantastic book that should make 99.9% of people run away from the thought of being a chef and should make 99% of chefs realise that really they may never be more than glorified cooks. Such were the standards he set.

I've always liked Marco as a character and a cook and suspected his Autobiography would be interesting, I wasn't disappointed. A very interesting story, learning about some of his celeb friends and his crazy life. Although not a cookery book it also taught me that we we stuff birds because they need to cook from the outside in and not the other way around (stops heat getting into the cavity) - not a lot of people know that (one of his friends was Michael Cain)☺

What I love about this autobiography is that it is written by a man who either has nothing to prove or just feels that way. There is no self aggrandizement here or cherry picking only the events / deeds that make him look good. His unceremonious departure from the Box Tree restaurant is one example of a self inflicted disaster due to rash naïve decision making. His matter of fact delivery makes the successes all the more amazing when they come. In fact, when someone writes in this style, (avoiding flowery unnecessarily verbose language), the impact can be quite powerful. When he describes his last ever glimpse of his mother being put into the back of an ambulance it is a hammer blow. I can't say I particularly felt like I was enjoying this book, but I couldn't put it down - I needed to find out what happened, (although we have a sneaking feeling that it is not an unhappy ending). I have always felt that there is far more substance to this man than the slightly noisier and frothier Gordon Ramsay and the manufactured plastic of Jamie Oliver, and this book supports that fills in the reasons why. The story is dramatic and packs in more ups and downs and twists and turns than many works of fiction manage to. Loved it.

I have been a fan of this great man for years and finally got to read his bio a few weeks ago and what a read it was!Ever since I saw a documentary years ago I have been fascinated by what makes this man tick. I have never believed what the press said about him as I like to make my own mind up about people. The papers have always seemed to have it in for Marco and have given him some really unfair names over the years. Yes, he bollocked guys if they did not pull there weight...But it was never personal, just part of working in a VERY BUSY professional kitchen and he did fall out with one or two good friends, but don't we all? If you buy this book you will see in to the Real life of, yes, the greatest British chef who has ever lived bar none! The main artery that runs through this book is story of Marco loosing his mum at the age of six and it just shows him as a real person with real feelings and he really does have a very kind heart as you will find out if you read this fine book...The final page really made me weep, and as a full blooded male I am not ashamed at all!.If we had grown up on the same street we could have been best mates as we both liked fishing , shooting and...POACHING! good on yer Marco and God bless you great man!

After reading G. Ramsay's Humble pie, I *had* to read this book.A must read for anyone looking to start a career in a kitchen. (Please do not run away after reading this or Humble Pie)And a good reminder for culinary professionals of what life, is can be and could be in professional kitchens.

By the end of this book, Marco is neither a devil nor in the kitchen, but you do understand why he once was both. Undeniably a difficult character, the autobiography goes some way to explaining the drive and motivations behind the man and I did wonder if a couple of therapy sessions had added to some of the more reflective and self-analytical passages. On the other hand, selective amnesia is often also in evidence especially when concerning business or personal relationships, although he does resist having a malicious swipe at those involved, perhaps an acknowledgment of his part in the downfalls. There is no doubt he inspired and changed a generation of chefs and drove himself to the edge of physical and mental breakdown in trying to achieve a perfection that would bring some sense of inner satisfaction, but you are left in no doubt that the person he wanted to please most of all died when he was too young to impress her. The ghost of Marco's mother is a constant presence in his life, and as he recounts the ups and downs of his career you feel that inner peace is something that he's always struggled and is still struggling to find. As an autobiography, this is quite a revealing and straightforward book but also entertaining and especially evocative of Eighties London. Recommended.

Beautifully written by a man who has seen it all, from adolescence to stardom.The first half of the book explores how Marco came to be the man he is today, and how his journey to the top began in the kitchens of North and West Yorkshire.The second half of the book exploring his time at the top, as he earns each michelin star and the rock and roll lifestyle he lead, and the rockstars that frequented his establishments.It's funny, it's seductive, it's rock and roll and romance all in one. It is written by the Le Enfant Terrible of the cooking world, who's romantic approach to cooking shines through in his writing.