Author Kushins has fly-on-the-wall access to the key events and personalities surrounding Warren Zevon, and the result is a thoroughly candid profile of Zevon. You get it all - the bravado, the insecurity beneath it all, the contending with his never quite attaining the standing (at least from the public) that his talent merited.

What I would have appreciated a little more would have been a more critical eye towards Zevon's albums. It seems like all his work is assessed lovingly; that's not to say Zevon isn't deserving of the praise, but certainly some of his work is less impressive (I count myself as a big fan and there are many songs I'd be happy never hearing again).

It's an unflinching book when it comes to the views of the parties interviewed, perhaps less clear-eyed when the author's views come into play.

Ultimately, Zevon is humanized, not idolized, which makes this a worthwhile read for even a casual fan of his music.

If you've read Crystal Zevon's 2007 oral history, 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon,' there's not much new to unearth here. Kushins capably covers Zevon's turbulent career through all its valleys and peaks, with detailed backstories on the creations of his landmark [and a few pedestrian] discs. Recommended for zealots; a good browse for the merely curious.