Last Of The Giants: The True Story of Guns N' Roses 5 Stars
ISBN: 9781409167228
ISBN-10: 1409167224
Audience: General
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 480
Published: 29th November 2016
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
Source: Hachette Australia
Publishers Summary
A major, definitive biography of Guns N' Roses by the man who was very much a part of what remains the most iconic rock story of the last three decades.
Many millions of words have already been written about Guns N' Roses, the old line-up, the new line-up. But none of them have ever really gotten to the truth. Which is this: Guns N' Roses has always been a band out of time, the Last of the Giants. They are what every rock band since the Rolling Stones has tried and nearly always failed to be: dangerous. At a time when smiling, MTV-friendly, safe-sex, just-say-no Bon Jovi was the biggest band in the world, here was a band that seemed to have leapt straight out of the coke-smothered pages of the original, golden-age, late-sixties rock scene.
Review
The publishers summary is right about one thing, at that time music was “smiley”, it was also lukewarm and somewhat boring. Until, that is, Guns N’ Roses came along and changed everything. Well, they sure weren’t boring, musically or otherwise!
This book purports to be the true story of Guns N’ Roses, the author, Mick Wall spent years with them when gathering material for his magazine interviews so you have to believe that he knew them quite well.
In 2006 he wrote a biography of W. Axl Rose entitled W.A.R. which he has since denounced and taken out of circulation. On his website Mick Wall gives his reasons for this action*.
There is an interesting discussion going on about the book on the forum of the My GNR website
Since that time life happened to Mick Wall, and Last of the Giants he says “has been done with nothing but love in my heart”.
The book promises much in the way of truth and insight but it is a biography, so, as is the way with biographies many stories are third hand. However, it is a really enjoyable read though sad and troubling in parts. After reading some of the stories I had to wonder at how they actually survived!
The book is well laid out and easy to read with a very detailed index and an excellent notes and sources section.
This is a book for all Guns N’ Roses fans, those who were around at the beginning and those who weren’t even born then.
Review copy provided by Hachette Australia
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