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andthyme's review against another edition
3.0
Oddly enough the interview with Movieline that mostly talks about Bowie's strange and sparse filmography is actually the one I enjoyed most in this slim volume, though the William Burroughs one is also quite interesting. The titular 'last interview' is a bit grim though, being a spoof piece for Ricky Gervais' show Extras in 2006 - short and unfunny, not the retrospective I was hoping for.
whizalen's review against another edition
2.0
I'm giving up on this book, I will never ever finish it apparently. Usually I like this kind of interview-based bios, but I go months and months without reading this. I think we're at the retirement of Ziggy, that's as far as I got
goldiefan's review against another edition
2.0
I just wanted a quick read before my reserved book came available and this fit the brief. Bit superficial and a cash in on dead people but alright. Bowie is so much more than a few written down interviews after all.
theedge90's review against another edition
5.0
Cannot recommend this book enough. A truly engaging and inventive oral history of the life of the Thin White Duke by those who knew him throughout his lifetime.
fiendfull's review against another edition
4.0
David Bowie: A Life is an oral history biography made up of selections from over 180 interviews with friends, collaborators, and rivals about David Bowie and his long spanning career. It follows his life chronologically, but with room for personal anecdotes that relate to one another and give different perspectives on the public figure and glimpses of the man underneath.
The oral history format makes this long book readable, cut into a lot of small chunks and with different focuses as people have their own opinions and memories. The format also means that despite the requisite material that covers a rock and roll lifestyle, the gossipy and potentially scandalous seeming parts are framed as elements of personal stories mixed in with work anecdotes and impressions about music and fashion, giving them a slightly different feel to some other rock star biographies. Due to the vast amount of material, there will always be things missed out, but this is an interesting Bowie biography in an enjoyable and sometimes moving conversational style.
The oral history format makes this long book readable, cut into a lot of small chunks and with different focuses as people have their own opinions and memories. The format also means that despite the requisite material that covers a rock and roll lifestyle, the gossipy and potentially scandalous seeming parts are framed as elements of personal stories mixed in with work anecdotes and impressions about music and fashion, giving them a slightly different feel to some other rock star biographies. Due to the vast amount of material, there will always be things missed out, but this is an interesting Bowie biography in an enjoyable and sometimes moving conversational style.
lizziekam's review against another edition
2.0
I remain endless fascinated by David Bowie and am acquiring quite the collection of biographies and essays about him. I'd rank this one as less lurid but more lazy than Wendy Leigh's. This is a cut and paste job of long quotes from friends, collaborators and sometimes the man himself and very occasionally, something from Dylan Jones. A little less emphasis on the sex tales and a little more information about the actual music was welcome, but the reading experience was more boring than anything else.