Reviews by Richard (24)

An idiosyncratic romp through more than forty years of rock’n’roll through the eyes of the Rocket Ma

Me

Don’t read this if your musical taste is Mantovani or sixteenth century religious choral recitals. Don’t read this if you believe nothing but bread and water should pass your lips. Don’t read this if yo think bare back riding is restricted to pony clubs. On the other hand “... if you believe in rock ‘n roll” and that “.....music save your mortal soul”... then this is the book for you. Ghost written by Alexis Petrides it is Elton John’s biography, warts and all. Nothing is glossed over and his narcissism and temper tantrums, alcohol and drug abuse, family problems and his sexuality are self examined in detail. What shines through it all is his love of and dependancy on music. I loved this book, I guess being of that generation, the music means so much. If you liked the book, look out for Rocket Man, the film about Elton where you can also feel the power of the music.

A lyrical and exciting wander through the wonders of the underworld

Underland

One of the best books I have ever read, unbelievably believable. His eclectic journey into caves, caverns, chasms, catacombs, mines and underground rivers is breathtaking. As well as meticulous detail and research the book benefits from his evocative writing style. The livings characters he meets on this journey though geological time are as engaging as their surroundings. The overarching message however comes across loud and clear: we are destroying the world as we know it and most of its inhabitants. I found it a profoundly depressing book but this is not a reason not to read it, it is the very reason that we must.

I love a good whodunnit

Temporary Perfections

I guess this is a brilliant translation because it came across so well. Guido Guerrieri is a single, forty something defence lawyer. He seems to have a great taste in music, literature and is very off beat. He is hired by a missing girl’s family to discover what happened to her after the police ran out of leads. He does so, but how he does so makes this such a great read. I loved this book and am now on a mission to read the other two books featuring the same lawyer

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