David Bowie: A Life Jones, Dylan

Product Description An oral biography by the longtime editor of British GQ, tracing the life of superstar David Bowie through the words of those who knew him, loved him, worked alongside and made unforgettable music with him. The nonstop outpouring of tributes after David Bowie's death in January 2016 revealed a powerful connection to an artist and art that few realized was so engaging and widespread. Most of all, his death brought forth an outpouring of stories about the man himself--and yet even these were just the tip of the iceberg, a brief, private glimpse at a star who seemed to take pride in casting off identities as soon as they'd served their purpose. Now, finally, in Dylan Jones's magisterial, engrossing oral biography, the door has been fully opened. Drawn from nearly 200 new interviews with Bowie's producers, bandmates, managers, lovers and more, this book will mix private and public to tell Bowie's story as it's never been told before, offering something new for die-hard and casual fans alike. Stretching from Bowie's English childhood to the first blush of stardom, to early 70s New York and London through the wild hedonism of mid-decade Los Angeles, to Berlin and beyond, Jones's biography creates an intimate, cocktail-party tour of an incredible life and mind, using deep narration of key moments in Bowie's career to explore his unique ability to make millions feel as if he were speaking to them individually. In the unprecedented accumulation of voices here is perhaps the best, most intimate look we'll have at one of our most gnomic, if not groundbreaking, artists. Review A Guardian (UK) Best Music Book of 2017 "A welcome surprise of David Bowie: A Life is its strength on the essential subject of music making. There are multiple accounts of the speed and professionalism of Bowie's work in the recording studio, and an illuminating explanation of his cut-and-paste method of writing lyrics—a system for sustaining the elusiveness at the heart of Bowie's songs that has something in common with the way this fragmentary, disjointed oral history is constructed. . . . [David Bowie: A Life] suits its subject perfectly." —New York Times Book Review "The least self-indulgent and most informative of the many books published since [Bowie's] death last year. Via interviews with 180 friends, colleagues, lovers and others, Jones constructs an oral-history mosaic that will engage even those whose lives were not changed by the appearance of Ziggy Stardust on Top of the Pops in 1972." —The Guardian (UK) "Of all the volumes to appear since Bowie's death last year, this is perhaps the most useful: an oral history that brings together the most incisive reminiscences and memorials. The fragmentary nature of the narrative means you can collaborate on creating your own Bowie from the pieces—and that seems entirely fitting." —Evening Standard (UK) "There have been many books about David Bowie, both before and after his death, but GQ editor Dylan Jones's is among the best, as well as the most revelatory. . . . [Jones] skilfully teases out hitherto unknown facts and details. . . . For any admirer of the great man, there is a smorgasbord of new information, mixed with well-judged analysis. But even for agnostics, there is no denying Jones's flair and dedication in giving his hero the most comprehensive of eulogies." —The Observer (UK) "David Bowie: A Life is, on the whole, a total blam-bam. Mostly it's the excitement of picturing Bowie's mind at work." —San Francisco Chronicle "A funny, enlightening, gossipy, sometimes tough read." —The Sunday Herald (UK) "A labour of love with many vivid voices and fresh insights." —Jon Savage, author of England's Dreaming and Teenage "What a story—no screenwriter could have made it up. Dylan Jones tells the epic tale of how David Bowie turned the world upside down, from his early scuffling London days to his rock-and-roll golden years—a starman who kept reimagining himself and his art in ways that