Bowie
The Biography
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4.6 • 5 Ratings
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- £9.99
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
A definitive David Bowie biography, this intimate and richly detailed portrait explores the life, art, and enduring mystery of one of the most influential musicians and cultural icons of all time.
From Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane to the Thin White Duke, David Bowie reinvented himself endlessly across five decades, shaping music, fashion, and popular culture while remaining perpetually ahead of his time. Gender-bending rebel, fearless songwriter, and visionary performer, Bowie was a creative force whose influence continues to resonate long after his passing.
Following Bowie’s death in January 2016 after a private eighteen-month battle with cancer, the world came to recognize the quiet brilliance of his final act: the release of his haunting farewell album, Blackstar, and its companion song and video, “Lazarus.” Throughout a career that produced iconic songs such as “Space Oddity,” “Heroes,” “Life on Mars,” “Let’s Dance,” and “Modern Love,” Bowie maintained an aura of mystery while achieving global superstardom.
Drawing on in-depth interviews with those closest to him, New York Times bestselling author Wendy Leigh reveals the man behind the myth. This revealing biography explores Bowie’s childhood in working-class London, his battles with addiction, his complex sexuality, his artistic ambition, and his deeply private life as a devoted husband to Iman and a hands-on father. Featuring a full-color sixteen-page photo insert, this vivid portrait offers fresh insight into an artist beloved by millions and endlessly reinterpreted by history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This surprisingly brief biography charts the life and times of the glam rock, theatrical, and sexual icon David Bowie. Readers follow the prolific artist from humble beginnings in England through his rise to fame, fall into drug addiction, and later recovery. Leigh (Prince Charming) has made a career of exploring the sex lives of the rich and famous, and shares Bowie's litany of sexual exploits, some based in fact and others in rumor and innuendo. There's certainly enough material to appeal to the voyeur in anyone, but Leigh is so determined to chronicle Bowie's every dalliance that she loses sight of almost everything else. Constant jumps in time confuse the casual fan and no time is spent on the actual development of Bowie's classic records, keeping Leigh's book brief but insubstantial. The result is a life told through the lens of a gossip magazine, with plenty of insight into Bowie's relationships but not enough into his artistry. Leigh's aim to write "the biography" falls dismally short of the mark.
