For: The fan who wants to know every detail

This is the ultimate Doctor Who behind-the-scene guide, taking you inside the mind of Russell T. Davies as he wrote his final seasons. The book documents literally thousands of emails written between Davies and journalist Benjamin Cook, detailing both the writing process, and the transformation from script to screen. In his dual role as both screenwriter and executive producer he was privy to every detail about the show – and now you are too. Cook asks exactly the right questions at exactly the right time, fulfilling the role of the reader perfectly.

We can not recommend this book enough, it is certainly huge and looks pretty intimidating at first, but you can break it down and read it chapter-by-chapter. That said – once started you will have a hard time putting it down. Love him or hate him, Davies was the original cornerstone of the New Who revival and this book takes you into his world, and his mind. Just brilliant.

For: The ‘New Who’ enthusiast

Billie Piper may be remembered as favourite Doctor Who companion Rose Tyler, but this star has lived a very varied life. Piper discusses elements including her music career, marriage and struggles with the level of celebrity she achieved in early years. Yet Doctor Who was clearly a kind of turning point for Piper, and the focus she places on her years at the show highlight the importance they have to her. This book isn’t going to win any prizes for literary merit, it simply feels like Billie is sitting down and candidly retelling some stories about her life.

Doctor Who fans will recognize the prolouge, which is a script from ‘Doomsday’. The fifth section of the book deals primarily with Piper’s experience with Doctor Who, and fans will be interested to read her thoughts on the relationships she had with her co-stars. This autobiography can be quite demanding in terms of subject matter, so younger readers should be warned. This is a great book for fans who want to learn not only about Piper’s time at Doctor Who, but also about the rest of her career and personal life.

For: The Doctor Who stalwart

One of the series most beloved companions, Elisabeth Sladen transcended the Classic Who/New Who divide, appearing in both series as Sarah Jane Smith. Sladen took on the role of Sarah Jane at a young age, and her character had so many reprisals over the years that her life has been intrinsically connected with this stand-out companion. As such, the autobiography is an account, almost entirely, of her work on Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The book is made all the more poignant because it was completed shortly before her untimely death. You’ll read about the process of her first audition, and her thoughts on each of the episodes she appeared in. Fans will also appreciate the foreword by Doctor Who star David Tennant – as he hasn’t published an autobiography this is the closest you will get for now. Elisabeth Sladen was the real deal, and so is this book.

For: The fan who also loves musicals

Let’s preface this one by saying, John Barrowman has a pretty cheeky, and generally inappropriate, sense of humour – so younger readers beware. These are not books about Doctor Whoor Torchwood, they are books about John Barrowman. But sprinkled sporadically through the books, like tidbits rewarded to the dedicated reader, are Barrowman’s stories and thoughts of his time in the Doctor Who world.

Each book is set up as a separate collection of anecdotes that follows no clear timeline, which may frustrate some readers. Similarly, as the books primarily follow Barrowman’s career, you’re in for a lot of talk about musicals. But if that is your thing, you’ll devour these. And if not, they are light, funny, and thoroughly entertaining. Barrowman asks you to pretend you’re sitting in his house, listening to him tell you a story, or ten, and with these two books that is exactly what you get.

For: The fan who wants to know where it began

Although probably unknown to the more recent New Who fans, Barry Letts worked variously as a director, producer, executive producer and screenwriter on the series. To draw the obvious paralell, he was essentially the Russell T. Davies of Classic Who. He took over when Jon Pertwee became the Third Doctor and remained the producer through to the arrival of Tom Baker. He handled the change from black and white to colour programming during Pertwee’s era, and really anchored the show during its first few years.

His autobiography will reward any Classic Who fan, filled with stories of his time at the healm of this show. He discusses his relationship with the cast, as well as with other members of the production team. His high level of involvement in both the production and evolution of the series as a writer of Doctor Who novels and a promoter of Davies’ revival was evident in the dedication of New Who episode ‘The Waters of Mars’ to Letts’ memory. His book is a wonderful tribute to his work and life.

For: The fan who wants a laugh

The first book doesn’t cover Jon Pertwee’s time at Doctor Who, however it is still an interesting read if you want to know more about his life. ‘I am the Doctor!’ was published posthumously, with the manuscript finished just days before to his death. As the title implies, this is completely and totally about Pertwee’s experiences playing the Third Doctor. This is behind the scenes at its best, filled with anecdotes about every story he was involved in, and the many actors he worked with.

Pertwee isn’t often named as a fans favourite Doctor, skipped over for Tennant or Baker, but his autobiography shows that he loved what he did and wanted to share the rest of his experiences with the rest of the fans. You’ll need to seek these two out from your local library, because they are both so rare that they retail for over $100, but they are worth the hunt.

For: The dedicated ‘Classic Who’ fan

Courtney’s two books chronicle his time as fan favourite Doctor Whocompanion, Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge Stewart. Both books focus primarily on his time at Doctor Who, rather than his life in a strictly autobiographical sense. Courtney doesn’t dish dirt on his Doctor Who colleagues, but he does convey his genuine feelings about each of the Doctors he worked with and his fellow companions.

His second book benefits from the addition of a co-author structurally, but each book contains the same essence. Courtney comes across as a gentleman, one whos life has revolved around his role on Doctor Who. It is unfortunate that his second book was published in 2005, so we are unable to hear his thoughts on the Doctor Who revival, or about his later cameo appearance in The Sarah Jane Adventures.