What's the best book on David Bowie?

Title says it all.

 

Without question...

The Complete David Bowie by Nicholas Pegg.

The edition I own consists of 640 pages with detailed sections devoted to "the songs," "the albums," "live" (each tour), "the BBC radio sessions," "the videos," and "the actor," et al.

While reading the volume from beginning to end, I concluded that Pegg, beyond obsessive, bordered on, well... to use the common parlance... nuts.

It is an impressive volume of research.

Dr. Weber

 

I agree with Dr Weber, if it's Bowie's music you're mainly interested in reading about. There are other books out there that go for the more personal back-story stuff but I don't think anyone has yet written a really interesting one. Go for the Pegg, it's comprehensive, well-written and fairly well balanced.

 

"The Complete David Bowie" is the best reference book. If you want a good biography, David Buckley's "Strange Fascination" is head and shoulders above the rest. And I have read most of them.

 

Thanks, guys. I will seek that book out. I've only read one bio--forget the name, but it was written by his first manager (pre DeFries). It was OK, and what I really liked about it was the insight that it shed on his life and personality. Fascinating guy. Still, the author was very much on the outside during Bowie's most creative years, so it's lacking in that regard.

Anyone know the one I'm talking about?

 

Wasn't that The Pitt Report? Written by David Bowie's 1960s manager Ken Pitt IIRC?

 

The synopsis I read on Amazon--Emilio's reviews are all over the place, there, btw!--seems to confirm that. The cover on the book I checked out was different, though--orangey and with a late-period photo on it. Probably just something they did to tart it up a decade after it was first published.

 

There is a new edition of Nick Pegg's book being compiled now adding all the bits and pieces released or just discovered since the last one, with older sections being fleshed out too.

The two books Moonage Daydream and Hallo SpaceBoy by David Thompson are both a really good read, once covers Bowie up til 1987, the other one covers the years since then.

David Buckley's Strange Fascination is a very good career encompassing book, which had an update about three or four years ago, so goes right up to the Reality Tour.

Ken Pitt's book, The Pitt Report is invaluable as it gives first hand accounts of Bowie from the mid 60s until the time Tony Defries took over his management in 1971.

 

I too am looking for a good bio on David Bowie. I see that there's a new book by Marc Spitz called simply "Bowie: A Biography". Anybody read that one yet? Or should I go for one of the suggested books on this thread? Thanks.

 

I haven't seen that one yet, but would still advocate the ones listed above. Nick Pegg's book is now out, so if you didn't want to spend to get the latest editions, the older ones should be quite a bit cheaper, most of the other's can be found pretty cheap too.

 

There was one called "Bowie" in the same style of "The Beatles - An Illustrated Record" written by Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray back in the early 80's that was impressive.

Although far from being up to date at this point, it's very well worth seeking out.

 

It's not a biography, but I thought I should mention Bowie in Berlin, a fascinating look at the Bowie/Iggy/Eno collaborations in the mid-70s. This is my favorite period of Bowie's career.

 

Yeah, I read that a couple months ago. It's great!

 

Oh You Pretty Thinkers...

Nice to see a few fans herein. And now that I have read the above, the new edition of Pegg's book will be a must buy for me. I'm all about the music, in this case, Bowie's early, brilliant music albums. I second that Carr/Murray book, I love it, lots of fun in 12" by 12". I looked through the new one by Spitz and was not impressed at all with how he tackled (or didn't) such seminal albums much beloved by me like: The Man Who Sold The World and Hunky Dory. I would not waste my dosh on it, but rather get the new Pegg updated when it comes out...

Which is when?


cheers,

 

1-Nick Pegg - Discography.
2-Ken Pitt - Essential for Bowie's pre Philips period.
3-David Buckley - Biography.
4-Roy Carr - Pictorial.

 

I have a copy of 'Loving The Alien' by Christopher Sandford for sale in my store.
I read it back when it came out (1996 or 97) and was pretty happy with it.

Mojo magazine said of it: "There is a lot of ground here to cover in Bowie's career and Sandford dogs his quarry with diligence"

 

Came out about two months ago in the UK, not sure about the US.
I have an acknowledgement in the last edition, I've not got the latest edition, but would imagine I have in this one too, which is nice. Nick is a really great guy.

 

I don't like either of the Pegg's bookcovers (I must say), no love for his ground breaking seventies image/album run as book cover choice..it seems, perhaps he had photo permission problems though.

 

He has the Thin White Duke on the cover of the new one and he had Ziggy on the last one, albeit in the background with a Reality Tour picture in the foreground.

I quite liked that he didn't rely on Bowie's perceived golden period on the earlier editions and instead went for more contemporary images. It makes me sick when the official calendar each year focuses on Ziggy all the time.

 

His Hunky Dory look is good. Also his lady gaga androgyny he/she Man Who Sold The World
image is not bad as well. Perhaps too taboo for the delicate.

 

I think the main problem with his "Garbo" look is that a lot of casual people would wonder who the girl is on the cover.

 

Has not harmed Lady gAGa.

 

Great list. The Carr-Murray book is truly a classic. At the time of publication it uncovered a lot of new ground. But since you mentioned a "pictorial" category, I would like to add two titles:

"The David Bowie Black Book", by Miles. In spite of the awful cover, it is the one the best combines pictures and information. The last edition covered up to 1987 if I remember correctly.

"Bowiestyle" - This one is strictly for fans. Tons of pictures and miscellaneous pieces of information that can be read piecemeal, in no particular order.

 

Thats the one I've read. Years ago. It was good....I think

 

I have a recollection of a commentary by Tony Visconti in a book stating after the heart attack that he would never get a chance to complete his second trilogy with Bowie. Seemed very fatalistic. Does anyone know what I am referring to? I recall it was a large book. I thought it was Visconti's Autobio but II din't see it there. Help!