Tag: book review
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Peaceville Life – by Paul Hammy Henshaw
“Anything for a Peaceville Life” At the start (At The Gates!) of Hammy Henshaw’s excellent and valuable book, there are quotes about the book from various artists whose bands have been, or still are, signed to Peaceville Records, such as At The Gates, Anathema, Opeth, and Autopsy. I have to share the quote from Fenriz…
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Book reviews by Steve Earles, November 2017
Military, Political & Social History Rebellion in the Reign of Charles II Written by Julian Whitehead Published by Pen & Sword History The Restoration is one of the most fascinating periods of history, and certainly a great favourite of mine. King Charles II (known with good reason as the Merry Monarch as is well known from…
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A History of Heavy Metal by Andrew O’Neill
I think we’re going to see a lot of books about heavy metal in the near future. Hell, I’d like to write one! But any prospective authors will do well to top Andrew O’Neill’s ‘A History of Heavy Metal’. Firstly, it is seriously funny. On the strength of this book, I imagine Andrew’s stand-up show is well…
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A Fast Ride Out of Here: Confessions of Rock’s Most Dangerous Man
By Pete Way with Paul Rees Published by Constable (Little Brown Book Group) Ozzy Osbourne says that he’s way out of his league when it comes to Pete Way; on the strength of this entertaining book I would say that most certainly is so. Musically, Pete is most famous for playing the bass in UFO, but…
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Damn The Machine – by David E. Gehlke
The Story of Noise Records Ah, this book really and truly is a thing of beauty and joy forever! It really does do what it promises, telling the fascinating tale of Noise Records in great—but always engrossing—detail. Noise’s artists are still relevant today. Whilst in the excellent Steamboat Music in Limerick recently, I noticed the Celtic…
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No Quarter: The Three Lives of Jimmy Page by Martin Power
The word legend is overused in our media-saturated age of undeserved hype. But Jimmy Page truly is a legend; the proof of the pudding being the amount of people who know little of rock music but have heard of Jimmy. The beauty of No Quarter is that Martin Power has not taken the well-trodden path…
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Glutton for Punishment – metal poetry by Christopher Doda
Heavy metal has been around long enough to inspire creativity well past its own borders. Or, perhaps, long enough to redefine many creative arts in metal terms. The newly published poetry collection from Christopher Doda, Glutton for Punishment, might be either or both – poetry inspired by metal / poetry forged as metal. The collection, as…
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Book reviews: history and mythology
Castle Builders: Approaches to Castle Design and Construction in the Middle Ages by Malcolm Hislop Published by Pen & Sword Archaeology Castles are always a popular subject; witness Dan Snow’s excellent ‘Battle Castle’s TV series and book as proof. This is an excellent book on castles for both the enthusiast and the casual reader alike.…
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Book reviews: film & TV
Hollywood Presents Jules Verne: The Father of Science Fiction on Screen by Brain Taves (Published by University Press of Kentucky) It is fair to say that Jules Verne’s work is very cinematic and this finely written book certainly proves it. Verne’s work is full of adventure and in these dark times we need that more…
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Trouble Boys
The True Story of The Replacements by Bob Mehr Maybe it has something to do with the sort of “Little Rascals” image that The Replacements have always given off as a lateral by-product of the band’s popular “loveable loser” image and mythos, but even just reading the words “The True Story of The Replacements” –…