Gordon Ramsey's turbulent childhood was spent in some of the poorest areas of Scotland and England. His father, an abusive alcoholic with dreams of becoming a famous musician, never had a good word for his eldest son, and berated him at every turn. Instead of becoming bitter, Ramsey became driven, .
Poverty, Soccer, and the Drive to Succeed
Ramsay's drive to succeed and to become respectable shows in his life from an early age. Despite constantly moving around, abject poverty, and physical and mental abuse, Ramsay's strong-willed nature kept him going, finding his sanity first in soccer and then in cooking.
Here is the story of his first experiences with restaurants; his early years in hash-houses, the beginning of his turbulent relationship with fellow chef Marco Pierre White, the successes and failures as he begins his rise in the culinary world. Ramsay clears all the skeletons out of his closet and holds them out for the reader to examine. He makes no apologies for his behaviors, even when recognizing times that he should have acted differently.
The book is written in Ramsay’s trademark, no-nonsense style, and those offended by the “f” word (and unlike Ramsay’s British Cooking show, "The F Word," in this case the “f” does not stand for “food”) would do well to steer clear.
Ramsay and Family
Throughout the book Ramsay's love and sense of responsibility for his family shines. He speaks of his adoration of his wife, Tana; his determination that his relationship with his children, especially his son, Jack, will be different from the way he and his father turned out; his respect for and loyalty to his father-in-law, who believed in him and guided him in his career.
Above all one senses his deep love and admiration for his mother, who emerged from being a battered wife into a strong woman. And it is clear that he still feels a tremendous sense of responsibility and guilt towards his younger brother, Ronnie, who has suffered for years from an addiction to heroin.
Exorcising the Demons of the Past
In parts, the narrative concentrates on telling a complete story at once and then backing up to begin a new one. It can be difficult to follow, and the lack of dates occasionally makes it difficult to anchor the story in time.
There is a feel that this book was written less for his fans and more as an attempt to exorcise some of his memories, a sort of therapy for a man who refuses to stop working long enough to take the time to confront his own demons.
And despite his gut-wrenching honesty, there are a few times when the reader may sense that Ramsay is still holding back, perhaps still fearing that if he reveals too much someone might use it against him.
What ultimately emerges from these pages is the story of a survivor, a man driven to succeed and protect his family at all costs, a passionate man whose talent in the kitchen has brought him a sense of redemption.
Roasting in Hell’s Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words, and the Pursuit of Perfection, Harper Entertainment, 2006, ISBN 978-0-06-119198-5. The author, Gordon Ramsey, is the owner of Gordon Ramsay Holdings, a series of high-end restaurants and gastro-pubs worldwide. He is also the star of TV shows "Hell's Kitchen," "Kitchen Nightmares, " and "The F Word." He has written over twenty books and authors a weekly food column for The Times of London.
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