The veteran presenter's personal memoirs, Life on Air, won him the autobiography of the year award at the London ceremony.

The book accompanying his popular wildlife series The Life of Mammals was named favourite in the general knowledge category.

The WH Smith Awards, dubbed The People's Awards, prides itself on being the only literary prize to be voted for the general public.

Comedian and author Ben Elton was rewarded with the fiction award for High Society, a satire in which all drugs are legal.

He beat competition from Iain Banks and Ruth Rendell.

Donna Tartt's long-awaited second novel The Little Friend missed out on the fiction award but it was given the literary award - the only category to be chosen by a panel of judges.

Jamie's Kitchen, which accompanied the series charting Jamie Oliver's tricky venture in the restaurant trade, won in the home and leisure category.

And TV finance expert Alvin Hall, best known for his no-holds-barred advice to overspenders, won the best business book.

Bestselling children's author Jacqueline Wilson's latest release, Girls in Tears, was regarded as the book which most fired young imaginations.

Broadcaster and writer Pete McCarthy's expedition to discover Irish communities around the world, The Road to McCarthy, won the best travel writing award.

An author to look out for in the future is Zane Radcliffe, whose London Irish novel saw him crowned best new talent.

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Full list of winners:

General knowledge: The Life Of Mammals - Sir David Attenborough

Autobiography: Life On Air, Sir David Attenborough

Fiction: High Society, Ben Elton

Travel: The Road To McCarthy, Pete McCarthy

Home & leisure: Jamie's Kitchen, Jamie Oliver

New talent: London Irish, Zane Radcliffe

Business: Your Money Or Your Life, Alvin Hall

Children's: Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson

Literary: The Little Friend, Donna Tartt