STAND AND DELIVER Adam Ant (Sidgwick & Jackson, £18.99)

According to the catchy hook in Prince Charming, one of Adam Ant's many hit singles in the 1980s, "ridicule is nothing to be scared of". He must have taken the phrase to heart, for he doesn't hold much back in this intriguing autobiography, in which he reveals the more painful episodes in his life. These include his disturbed childhood, bouts of suicidal depression, and the imprisonment of his father. His ascent to the top of the charts, at a time when going straight in at number one still meant something in terms of sales, is told in colourful detail.

An early line-up of the band ran into Sex Pistols svengali Malcolm McLaren and incorporated tribal drums into their distinctive songs before rival act Bow Wow Wow could get in first. Adam, who left behind his real name Stuart Goddard in 1976, after his first nervous breakdown, was astute enough to leave the dying punk scene and move on to a more commercial sound.

But when the band finally made it, there seemed to be precious little time to enjoy their success, as various management teams pushed them out on tour, or on to the next album.

The baffling number of different girlfriends along the way, included Amanda Donahoe, Jamie Lee Curtis and Heather Graham - but sadly, the singer can never allow himself to settle down with any of them, partly because of his depressive nature.

In the final third of the book, Ant details his uphill struggle to remain a star. He takes roles in Hollywood B-movies, jetting between London and Los Angeles, not knowing where to call home.

Eventually, he marries fashion PR Lorraine Gibson, and they have a daughter called Lily. His struggle with stalkers and his depression continues, culminating in his arrest in 2002 for throwing part of a car engine through a pub window in Camden, and brandishing a gun, which he has brandished at a group of men.

He receives hospital treatment for his mental condition and in 2004 is given a conditional discharge by the court.

Adam Ant's songs were always so slick and sharp, with such amusing lyrics, that I hoped some of his wit and charm would be reflected in his writing, but unfortunately it is not. It's certainly a colourful life story, but there are few laughs along the way.