Son of a Silverback: Growing Up in the Shadow of an Alpha Male

· Random House
3 reviews
Ebook
304
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

'Brilliantly written. Very funny and heartbreaking.' Davina McCall

From one of Britain's most popular and prolific comedians comes a hilarious and deeply moving memoir of life lived under the rule of a Silverback dad.

The Silverback is considered the undisputed king, a creature whose authority is never challenged and who does not yield to compromise. He walks proudly, feeds greedily, grafts tirelessly, mates voraciously, swears constantly and is threatened all too easily. The Silverback is known to nestle in the misty peaks of central Africa but can also be found in Barking, Essex. Meet Dave Kane, the disappointed, steroid-ingesting, metal-wielding, bouncer father of slight, effete Gamma Male, Russell Kane.

SON OF A SILVERBACK is a story about fathers and sons, class and education and how one scrawny, sensitive, fake-tan-applying 'ponce' stepped out of his father's shadow and became a man - whatever that means.

What readers are saying:
***** 'This is so much more than a comedian's life story.'
***** 'I read this book in about two days. It was gripping, funny, sad, and it felt deeply honest.'
***** 'An exposing and candid exploration of Russell's family and foundations and all the better for its frankness . . . Full of laughs, poignancy and appropriate introspection.'

'Brilliantly written. Very funny and heartbreaking.' Davina McCall From one of Britain's most popular and prolific comedians comes a hilarious and deeply moving memoir of life lived under the rule of a Silverback dad. The Silverback is considered the undisputed king, a creature whose authority i...

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Ratings and reviews

3 reviews
Nathan Matthew
May 31, 2025
loved it, I got to know my favourite comedian a bit more!
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Marina Armstrong
December 23, 2021
Hilarious! Laugh out loud funny.
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About the author

Multi-award-winning comedian, presenter, actor, author and scriptwriter RUSSELL KANE is best known for the BBC Sounds podcast, Evil Genius which has become a flagship show and was the best performing original podcast on the platform. Russell’s other podcast, Boys Don’t Cry, also features regularly on the iTunes podcast chart.

Recent TV appearances include The Apprentice You’re Fired, Antiques Roadtrip, Stupid Man, Smart Phone and the host of three series of Live At The Electric. Other TV appearances include Live at The Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Love Island Aftersun, Comedians Giving Lectures, 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Crystal Maze and Celebrity Juice.

Winner of Best Show in 2010 at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Russell went on to make history as the first comedian to win both the Edinburgh Award and Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Barry Award in one year.

Russell is currently touring his sell-out show The Fast and The Curious throughout UK, Ireland and Scandanavia as well as continuing his ever-popular topical online rants ‘Kaneings’.

Multi-award-winning comedian, presenter, actor, author and scriptwriter RUSSELL KANE is best known for the BBC Sounds podcast, Evil Genius which has become a flagship show and was the best performing original podcast on the platform. Russell’s other podcast, Boys Don’t Cry, also features regularl...

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