The music of David Bowie is something I've held in mild regard over the decades. I had an 8-track of "Young Americans" back in the seventies and who doesn't love Space Oddity?!! I also remember enjoying the strains of "Modern Love" and "Let's Dance" in the 80's. I own a "Greatest Hits" CD of Bowie and that is the extent of his importance in my life (I'm primarily a major Beatles fan). However, this biography of David Bowie in its oral history format has affected me so much that I am prompted to read his other biographies as well as delve into the treasure trove of his music library.

I was skeptical about whether I would like the oral history format of this offering, but this actually connected with me far more than I think the standard biography would. This was a mammoth book of over 500 pages (no pictures) comprised of Bowie memories served up by friends, band members, business colleagues, wives, lovers, etc...to tell the life story of Bowie. Nothing is more genuine than the direct words of the people who knew and loved Bowie. These are just a handful of some of the people who added their recollections to this oral history:

Tony Visconti (producer of many of Bowie's albums)
Angela Bowie (first wife)
Iman (second wife)
Bono (U2 singer)
Kate Moss (model)
Paul McCartney (former Beatle and music legend)
Peter Frampton (childhood classmate and fellow musician)

I feel like I have been reading and enjoying this for a very long time as because of its oral history format, I felt comfortable bouncing in an out of this book to read other books when needed or desired. It begins with his youth in Bromley, England and transitions to his marriage to Angie and the birth of their son as he cannily transforms into his alter ego of Ziggy Stardust. There were many lovers along the way, but as the book nears its close, he finds perfect love and happiness with his second wife Iman. It was very poignant reading the passages in reaction to Bowie's death, and how he strove to complete his final album "Blackstar" as a parting gift.

I came away from this book in awe of Bowie's high intellect, capacity for friendship/kindness, fearless sense of adventure, and strength. He was certainly a multifaceted talent and extraordinary human being. Although I still have all those other Bowie biographies to read, something tells me that I may just have already read the best one!

Very well researched. I learned a lot about David Bowie that I didn't know.

A wonderful and compassionate look at a flawed, but brilliant man

David Bowie was a man for all time. Dylan Jones has written a biography off Bowie that is based on extensive research from sources not previously available. He captures the plethora of different influences and adventures in Bowie's life and on him music.

Jones shares the good, bad and ugly stories of Bowie - allowing us to get a holistic view of this spectacular man and his career. It is a portrait of a man with his strengths and weaknesses - as we all have.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A top-notch biography.

Exhaustive book on the life and times of David Bowie. Well written and researched, but too much information isn't necessarily a good thing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“David loved oddities, loved people who were somehow different.”

Dylan Jones has written a biography overflowing with insight and stories about David Bowie as told by his friends, lovers, rivals and so on. There was so much I had never known, and I think many of his fans grew up with a different Bowie. Growing up an 80’s kid, he will always be my Goblin King, Jareth. The only problem with writing about a person through collective thoughts and memories is you can lose the person. It steals the romance and the mystery of a celebrity. On the other hand, you sort of feel like you’re in a room with a bunch of people gossiping behind his back, or gushing about him, it is all very dizzying. I’d known nothing about his family, his upbringing and this book delves deep into all of that- and particularly David’s interest in his brother Terry, who had schizophrenia. David, I think, was someone who was always something ‘other’, beyond charm, beyond individuality- and it’s evident through every story on these pages. The rivalry between Jagger and Bowie was a bit fun to read, particularly why David Jones decided to become David Bowie, maybe this healthy competition helped keep their stars shinning for their fans.

From an early age, it seems everything influenced Bowie- from the books he read to fashion, american culture, jazz, and the beats, it all comes together and explains what nurtured such an amazing artist. His brother’s ‘madness’ seems to have been channeled through David, in his work. One wonders how much his brother had an effect the Bowie transformations through the ages. But you can’t think you understand that aspect of a person’s life, simply from stories or interviews. I felt protective of Terry and David reading what happened.

In all honesty, I most enjoyed reading all of David’s words, not everyone else’s. I can imagine he lit up a room, was his ‘most beautiful’ just around people, not just bursting with brilliance on stage. What you come away with is his genius, but also that he controlled what you are allowed to see and it should be kept that way. There is a lot of insight from people very close to Bowie and those on the periphery, the reader treks through so much information, as so many of the people who crossed paths with David get their say. I think David Bowie, even with his humor and charm, was a lot more serious than fans realized. No one says it better than Iman, his wife “I fell in love with David Jones, I did not fall in love with David Bowie.” I think the world needs to keep Bowie and let his loved ones keep David Jones. Bowie was a beautiful creation by a hell of an intelligently talented man. I don’t think you can understand a person through everyone surrounding him, it’s too distorted because just when you think you have a grasp of who he was, another story contradicts it. Bowie remains a mist you just can’t hold. This book will feed his fans, because it covers many decades and you can get the feel that you were along for a bit of the wild ride. It’s Bowie in other’s eyes. I cringe a bit, wondering how mangled I would be if people I brushed shoulders with, alongside those who knew me best painted a picture of who I was when I am gone. What sort of Frankenstein’s monster would be created? In itself, it would just be another ‘creation’ not capturing the reality. This novel comes close to the real David with intimacy but then pushes you away, but isn’t that the celebrity way?

There are many facts, it’s a hell of a collection but I hunger for Bowie in his own words. He lived in his own world, the rest of us were just visiting.

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Crown Publishing

Dylan Jones writes this book about David Bowie in an interesting way. He starts from David's youth and has people that knew David write excerpts on what they remember about David during that time. It's very interesting to read what agents, fellow musicians, school pals and other acquaintances had to say about him.
I find this method of writing, helps you know the more about person you are reading about. I enjoyed this book immensely and feel I know David Howie more as a person and not just an iconic idol.
5 Stars

I've read a few David Bowie biographies over the past couple of years and this is by far the best. I like that the author (editor, really) addressed the subject as an oral biography, usually only stepping in to set up the narrative and bridge the gaps in the chronology when needed. You really get a sense of who Bowie was as a person - at least as much as he revealed to others.

Repetitive and boring. One of the worst-written biographies I've had the displeasure to read.