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The Man Who Sold the World
http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Man-Who-Sold-World-Peter-Doggett/9781847921444
David Bowie and the 1970s
By
Peter Doggett
RRP $54.99 $25.39 Save $29.60 (54%)
Free shipping Australia wide Ships from UK supplier | Rating: | | | Format: | Hardback, 432 pages | | Published In: | United Kingdom, 29 September 2011 |
* No artist offered a more incisive and accurate portrait of the troubled landscape of the 1970s than David Bowie. Through his multi-faceted and inventive work, he encapsulated many of the social, political and cultural themes that ran through this most fascinating of decades, from the elusive promise of scientific progress to the persistent fear of apocalypse that stalked the globe. * In The Man Who Sold The World: David Bowie and the 1970s, cultural historian Peter Doggett explores the rich heritage of the artist's most productive and inspired decade, and traces the way in which his music reflected and influenced the world around him. * The book follows his career from 'Space Oddity', his dark vision of mankind's voyage into the unknown terrain of space, to the Scary Monsters album. It examines in detail his audacious creation of an 'alien' rock star, Ziggy Stardust, and his own increasingly perilous explorations of the nature of identity and the meaning of fame, against the backdrop of his family heritage of mental instability. * Among the book's wider themes are the West's growing sense of insecurity in the age of oil shortages and terrorism; the changing nature of sexual roles, as represented by Bowie's pioneering adoption of a bisexual persona; the emergence of a new experimental form of rock music that would leave an indelible mark on the decades to come; and the changing nature of many of the world's great cities, including London, New York, Los Angeles and Berlin, each of which played host to Bowie during particularly creative periods of his career. * Mixing brilliant musical critique with biographical insight and acute cultural analysis, The Man Who Sold The World is a unique study of a major artist and his times. |
About the AuthorPeter Doggett has been writing about popular music and social & cultural history for more than thirty years. His most recent publication, You Never Give Me Your Money, a study of the Beatles' break-up and its traumatic aftermath, was chosen by the Los Angeles Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2010. His other critically-acclaimed books include his history of rock music's collision with revolutionary politics, There's A Riot Going On; and Are You Ready For The Country, which explored five decades of the relationship between country music and rock. Aside from his writing career, Peter was the Green Party candidate for the Fareham constituency in the 2010 General Election. www.peterdoggett.org PrizesBrilliant musical critique; biographical insight and acute cultural analysis, The Man Who Sold The World is a unique study of David Bowie and the 1970s. Reviews"What he has delivered here is an astonishing and absorbing work that expertly unpicks this explosively creative time in Bowie's life... Ultimately, Doggett's insight and enthusiasm should send you back to the music. If you do so the book will ensure you experience something entirely new" -- Rob Fitzpatrick Sunday Times "A meticulous and engaging insight into the golden years of one of pop's true innovators" -- Mark Radcliffe "A book of substance that compels you to listen to Bowie's best-known songs afresh and his less obvious songs anew" -- Patrick McNamee Time Out "This book tracks Bowie's ever-changing masks and alter egos...[and] helps answer the question that most Bowie fans have asked at one time or another: what the hell is he on about?" -- Kevin Courtney Irish Times "A forensic examination of his most prolific period... Doggett exhaustively chases Bowie's inspirations and intentions as he morphs from the gender-bending glam rock Ziggy Stardust to the plastic soul-spinning Thin White Duke" -- Bernard McNulty Telegraph
| Publisher: | The Bodley Head Ltd | | ISBN: | 1847921442 |
| EAN: | 9781847921444 | | Dimensions: | 24.0 x 16.0 x 3.0 centimeters (0.75 kg) |
| Age Range: |
15+ years |
|
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