- Hardcover: 543 pages
- Publisher: Virgin Books; First Edition edition (23 Sep 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 185227784X
- ISBN-13: 978-1852277840
- Product Dimensions: 23.8 x 16 x 5.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
131,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Music > Styles > Rock & Pop > Singers & Groups > David Bowie
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
As pop culture spirals into a banal, self-replicating, self-referencing morass, we seem increasingly to look back to the days when it meant something--when a new LP (ask your parents) might not only mean 30-odd minutes of music, but a whole new way of looking at the world and at yourself. Those were the days of David Bowie, whose near five-decade career is now the subject of David Buckley's new "definitive story".
Strange Fascination started life as a PhD, but it happily lacks the professionalised jargon that might bring with it. Where its critical credentials show is in Buckley's careful attempt to separate out the media "fictive" version of David Bowie--a version which, as he rightly claims, has been wilfully conflated with what Bowie's "really like" by past biographers. Mind you, that's hardly the biographers' fault: Bowie was, and remains, one of the most adept of self-inventors, whose legacy of fully formed personae reveals Madonna's much-vaunted image changes for what they are--"looks", superficial fashion tweakings that never aspired to the wholesale self-fashioning Bowie went in for. (Buckley is strangely unfascinated by recent rumours that Bowie's latest remodelling is more than skin-deep).
Buckley's passion for the man is undeniable, and perhaps misleads him on occasion. While there's no doubting Bowie's past popularity and influence, Buckley might not find many takers for his pronouncements that "Bowie is once again one of the most revered artists in contemporary music" and "nothing short of the first anti-hero of the 21st century". In fact, what comes across most strongly from Buckley's own account is the sheer length of Bowie's career, which means that his most marked influence was on a generation of artists who are themselves now approaching middle-age.
Nicely illustrated, and with some useful "documents" to encourage further study, Buckley's book won't please all Bowie fans, but it's an intelligent and thorough addition to a field that will grow and grow; Serious Bowie Studies. Watch this site. --Alan Stewart
Product Description
A biography of the influential and chameleon-like rock icon, David Bowie, who created the fantastical rock star and revenge of the suburbs, Ziggy Stardust. It seeks to unravel the Bowie enigma, via interviews, biography and academic analysis.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
comprehensive; focuses on career only; fascinating,
By A Customer
This review is from: Strange Fascination: David Bowie - The Definitive Story (Paperback)
As comprehensive a biog on Bowie's career as one gets without actually talking to the subject himself...One feels the author is a genuine fan, but does not treat his subject with discernable sycophancy, thus enabling readers to form their own, more balanced views on the man they called 'TS Eliot to a rock'n'roll beat'...As a negative aside, there are a couple of incorrect details in the book, but these are minor.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply the best book ever written about Bowie.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Strange Fascination: The Definitive Biography of David Bowie (Hardcover)
Believe me, I have read most of them. You can trust me: this is the best Bowie biography ever published. The only drawback is that his pre-1969 years are described rather superficiously. But once you get to "Space Oddity", you realize you're reading a worthy tome by a knowledgeable writer. Buckley is a long-time Bowie fan, so he knows what to ask his interviewees. But unlike some fans you may have met, he has a critical, non-biased view of Bowie's life. Whether you're a diehard Bowie fan or a newcomer looking for information, this book is for you!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best Bowie book I have read to date.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Strange Fascination: The Definitive Biography of David Bowie (Hardcover)
As a long time fan I've read just about every Bowie book ever published and without a doubt I would rate this as the best I have read so far. I really liked the author's approach of writing from a fans perspective - about the music - rather than simply focussing on Bowie's colourful life (as others have). Buckley writes with much passion, knowledge and insight - so much so that the real genius of David Bowie shines through. His obvious excitement about Bowie's music is contagious - I would often get up and put on the discussed album and songs to reflect further on and enjoy on his comments. Plus he sprang quite a few surprises on me (lots of information and insights I did not know or consider). As a long-term Bowie I thought I knew it all! In particular I found Ken Scott and Mike Garsons perspective and testimony were effective and enlightening additions to Bowie-lore. Finally this is a very well-balanced book with Bowie's latest output (1980s and 90s) well covered. Highly recommended.
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