I recommend this book for a glimpse into Hollywood and the movie business from a respectable actor with a career spanning 50+ years. While this second autobiography gives a great deal of advice to aspiring actors, the stories of his encounters with so many legendary figures are fascinating.

In addition, Caine speaks with great wisdom about acting and all aspects of film making, which I found truly fascinating. Now in his 85th year, Hollywood legend Michael Caine shares wisdom and stories from his remarkable career in this “engrossing” memoir that “shines with positive energy” (Library Journal, starred review). It is at times a little flat, stilted, and there are odd inflections where he obviously thinks he's coming to the end of a sentence but isn't. Michael Caine is not only a great actor but also a very funny man with a load of stories to tell, so there is plenty to interest his fans in Blow the Bloody Doors Off.Overall Michael Caine's message was: give 100% effort in whatever you do, use difficulty and find something positive, focus on the good in any bad situation, don't live in the past, and strive to do what you love. Plus modern classics such as the Dark Knight trilogy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hannah and Her Sisters and Cider House Rules. He comes across as a lovely, accepting, and kind man and speaks with much grace about all the actors and directors he has encountered and sometimes developed deep friendships with over the years. From his boss as the butter factory who told him about the Stage newspaper, all the way to Hollywood John Wayne.

Learn what you can from what you get"; "Be lucky: be prepared"; "Use the difficulty"; "Just say yes", and "Whatever it is, give it 100 per cent". I especially enjoyed his stories of how he got his start acting and the life lessons he's learned along the way.

At the very end the book does devolve a little too much essentially into lists of actors he's met and friends that have passed away.

The original Italian Job will always be my favourite film - and I shall never forgive what was done to those ‘pretty cars’!

If you're looking for a straight-up celebrity memoir then Blowing the Bloody Doors Off isn't that book.

Hollywood legend and British national treasure Sir Michael Caine shares the wisdom, stories, insight and skills that life has taught him in his remarkable career - and now his 85th year. From left to right, Margaret Blye as Lorna, Benny Hill as Professor Peach, Michael Caine as Charlie Croker, Michael Standing as Arthur and Raf Vallone as Altabani in Paramount Pictures' 'The Italian Job', 1969.I came to Blowing the Bloody Doors Off with a prejudice; Michael Caine has been one of my heroes for years due to his onscreen versatility and interviews I've watched. I love his casual writing style, but couldn't imagine he'd have anything new to say that he hadn't already told in TV interviews or in his previous autobiographies. He is such a celebrated, successful actor that it would be easy for him to lose perspective, but he didn't.