So Far, So Good: The Autobiography of a Wandering Minstrel

Caroline M. Hallsworth is a librarian at Cambrian College in Sudbury.

The popular Kenyan-born entertainer, Roger Whittaker, and his wife Natalie, have written what he calls, “the autobiography of a wandering minstrel.”

Born in 1939, Whittaker’s formative years and his music were much influenced by the African environment in which he was raised. A few years after completing his military service, Whittaker emigrated to Britain where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree, which his parents had hoped would lead him to a career in medicine. Whittaker, encouraged by some early musical successes, opted instead for the life of an entertainer. Supported by his wife, whom he met at a record company, and by his agent Irene Collins, Whittaker gradually worked his way from the gruelling club circuit to the concert halls and recording studios of the world.

The stories of Whittaker’s successes are, no doubt, well known by his fans, for whom the book is obviously intended. However, fans may be disappointed with So Far, So Good, for itfails to convey any sense of what the Whittakers are really like.

Instead, the book relies heavily on anecdotes, which leave the narrative disjointed and without substance.

So Far, So Good is the story of the public man, not the private individual, and as such, its appeal may be limited.