CLOSE TO THE EDGE Jim Davidson, with Alec Lom, Ebury Press, London, 2001. Hardback, £16.99. ISBN 0-09-188104-8.

Jim Davidson’s book is not for the faint-hearted or the prudish. Of course, wth Jim Davidson, you know what you get: the book is very funny and unremittingly raw; it is well written, dramatically constructed and fast paced; I enjoyed it immensely. But it is also horrific: the title barely begins to describe his chaotic and frenetic life, "On the Edge" would be closer. I found myself reeling emotionally from the barrage of drunken breakdowns and relentlessly self-indulgent and self-interested forays into the night. And yet, I admired his courage to write about it and his insight to realise that he had to change.
    He devotes a large part of one chapter to Freemasonry. This story is peppered with expletives and reveals a highly personal, even heretical, take on Freemasonry and its history. Still, the fiery mixture of W Bro. Davidson with the historical uncertainty and traditional formality of Freemasonry is bound to emerge a little skewed. But at heart, his perspective on the Craft is deeply spiritual and committed to the meaning and truth gained through a deep study of its precepts: Freemasonry can ask no more of a Brother.
    There are too, enough one-liners and dramatically presented real-life comic situations to satisfy every Davidson fan. My favourite was his description of telling a story involving the Duke of Edinburgh before a hunt audience which included the Royal Princes, Charles, William and Harry. What also emerges is his strong passion for the United Kingdom and its military services. All through his career he has expended much time and effort to entertain the troops in far-flung parts of the world, some distinctly dangerous. Some of his finest anecdotes emerge from these charitable trips. We also learn a lot of interesting gossip to do with show business, the BBC and his show, The Generation Game. He comes across as a man with great heart but with a life which rather overshadows it. As he says, he is happiest living close to the edge.
    Michael Baigent