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All About My Mother

RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

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All About My Mother

By: Rachael Stirling
Narrated by: Rachael Stirling
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'Thrilling, chilling, uproarious and unputdownable' THE TIMES
'A feel-good tale and joyous love letter' GUARDIAN
'It is IMPOSSIBLE for a book to be more delightful than this' CAITLIN MORAN
'Incredibly moving... Diana Rigg is thrillingly, roaringly present' SUNDAY POST
'Deliciously readable and deeply touching' DAILY MAIL
'Funny and fascinating' OLDIE
'A zinger' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Glorious ... Two more volumes please. As soon as possible' RADIO TIMES
'After she'd kicked her fucking teeth in, her Ma would be incredibly proud' JOHN NIVEN
'Diana Rigg lives again ... incandescent ... unputdownable' DR MIRIAM STOPPARD

An icon at twenty-seven and voted sexiest woman of all time forty years later, Diana Rigg was Emma Peel, the catsuited Avenger and 007's only wife. She was equally unforgettable as Medea, Mother Courage, Mrs Danvers and Game of Thrones' Queen of Thorns.

Stephen Sondheim wrote a song for her; Ted Hughes translated a play; Laurence Olivier called her 'Tits Rigg'. She fearlessly fought for equal pay and took the Daily Mail to court for their campaign against her (winning both times). Always witty and direct, when asked what it meant to become a dame, she replied, 'I think it means I'm not supposed to say "fuck" anymore.'

Offstage, she was a gloriously naughty, deeply loving, take-no-prisoners mother to her only child, Rachael Stirling. Little surprise that Rachael became an actress - here she shows that she is a writer too. All About My Mother is both a showstopping mother-daughter memoir and the vivid life of a legend all rolled into one.

Diana Rigg never wrote her autobiography but in this raw, vibrant and tender book, written by the person who knew her best, she lives again on the page.©2026 Rachael Stirling (P)2026 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV Grief & Loss Personal Development Relationships Funny Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Witty
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Critic reviews

'A feel-good tale and a love letter... A funny, intimate, often joyous and beautifully written eulogy to a woman who didn't suffer fools yet remained blithely self-mocking and down to earth. Asked what it meant to be made a dame, Diana Rigg replied 'I think it means I'm not supposed to say fuck any more''
'Not many showbiz memoirs are like All About My Mother, a thrilling, chilling, uproarious and unputdownable account of Rigg by her only child and occasional co-star, Rachael Stirling ... The prose has the raw and bloody streak of Olivia Laing or Lara Feigel ... funny, moving and bracingly honest'
'Glorious ... in the pages of her daughter's book, Diana Rigg is thrillingly, roaringly present again ... Intimate and incredibly moving'
Diana Rigg lives again in this game-changing glitter-cannon of a book, that joins the pantheon of sheer joy alongside the Mitfords and the Durrells ... Imagine you, Rachael Stirling and Diana Rigg locked in a bar having the best night ever. This is that book!
'After she'd kicked [Rachael's] fucking teeth in, her Ma would be incredibly proud'
'A lovely, loving book ... a memoir, a eulogy, a thank you letter and an apology ... funny, fascinating and touching'
Rachael Stirling writes brilliantly. Her complete honesty ensures one eye-popping story after another. But is it written with love? You bet! ... Glorious ... Two more volumes please. As soon as possible
A zinger. All About My Mother is definitely not earnest. Instead, it's a deeply personal account of a devoted mother-daughter relationship
All stars
Most relevant
This is one of my absolute favourite books. I adored Diana Rigg and now I feel like I really knew a bit more of her. A triumph!

Funny. moving. filled with love.

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Such a wonderful telling of an incredible person. I am also a proud DOD.
Thank you for sharing your mum with us, what a life well lived, now told.

Thank you Rachael

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What a wonderful, heartfelt book.

Rachel Stirling’s All About My Mother made me laugh, cry and feel just about everything in between. It is warm, funny, moving and, above all, full of love. You come away feeling as though you have been allowed a glimpse not only of Diana Rigg the extraordinary actress, but Diana Rigg the woman, mother and force of nature.

And what a woman she was. Intelligent, fearless, witty, glamorous and gloriously individual. Her talent was immense, but it is the personality behind that talent that really stays with you.

Rachel writes about her mother with such affection and honesty that at times it is incredibly touching, but never sentimental for the sake of it. There is humour running through the sadness, which somehow makes the emotional moments hit even harder.

I loved it. A beautiful tribute to an extraordinary woman and one of our truly great actresses. Diana Rigg, what an actress, what a woman. Fantastic.

A Beautiful Tribute to an Extraordinary Woman

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I was moved throughout this book. A daughter’s memories told with honesty, humour and honour.
I loved and was ultimately moved to tears.

What a life she lived

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Rachael reads Diana’s story so beautifully and I encourage everyone to listen, it will put a warm glow around your heart.

A beautiful love story

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