Sir Alan Sugar: The Biography

From a humble background, growing up in an East London council flat, Sir Alan Sugar has become a multi-million business success story amassing a net worth of £830 million and a place in the Sunday Times Rich List. He has also become a massive television star, thanks to his popular BBC show The Apprentice, in which he growls at contestants the famous catchphrase: You're fired! This biography chases his rags-to-riches story from his East End childhood boiling beetroots for the local greengrocer, to his knighthood and seat at the table of power. Leaving school at 16, the tough-talking youngster sold car aerials and electrical products from the back of a van he had bought for just £100. Within five years he had formed Amstrad, which went public in 1980, setting him on the road to becoming a multi-millionaire, with a string of successful businesses. Shrewd businessman, inspirational figure and television star, Sir Alan Sugar's story is gripping stuff and testimony to the power of hard work and self belief.

Charlie Burden is the author of Arise Sir Michael Parkinson. He is also a journalist, and his work regularly appears in a wide range of newspapers and magazines including Time Out, The Times and GQ.