Books

Can you make a brief review? Thanks in advance.
To be honest, from what I've read so far, I have been put off by captions mistakes, shortcuts, lack of Riggs material and official logos (probably for copyright reasons) and the overall "style": the text reads more like a promotional tool than like a biography (just before starting it, I read Colin Hart's and KK Downing's biographies back to back so maybe the leap is too strong for me to stomach). I'm about half way into it -and particularly tired today to boot- so I may revise my less-than-enlightened judgement once I finish it or when I come back to it later. ;)

And while I'm at it: has anyone here read Martin Popoff's book on Maiden at Wymer's? What do you think about it?
https://www.wymeruk.co.uk/webshop/b.../iron-maiden-album-by-album-by-martin-popoff/
 
lack of Riggs material and official logos
Yeah. Many of these journalists or Publishing companies doesn't want to waste money for copyrights to illustrators and photographers. And many pictures in these books are showing a terrible lack of quality even placing a lot of internet stuff or replacing Eddie for skulls or whatever.
Thanks for the review!
 
And while I'm at it: has anyone here read Martin Popoff's book on Maiden at Wymer's? What do you think about it?
https://www.wymeruk.co.uk/webshop/b.../iron-maiden-album-by-album-by-martin-popoff/
I've read it. It's pretty good, but I have some issues with it. My biggest issue is that the author makes a shit ton of snide comments and remarks about various albums and such, even going so far as to say that Piece of Mind was the only good sounding Maiden album with Birch. It does have interviews with some cool people though, like Blaze Bayley, Jimmy Kay, Chris Jericho, Mike Portnoy, Brian Slagel, Marty Friedman, and more. I do like seeing interview style discussions regarding the albums, and most of the content is a fine read. I just hate the idea of someone taking pot shots at Maiden in a book that only Maiden fans would buy.

Edit: Has anyone done a read through of Luisma's book? I'm interested in new reading material, but don't want to buy something that covers a lot of the same ground as Run to the Hills/30 Years of the Beast.
 
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Can you make a brief review? Thanks in advance.
To be honest, from what I've read so far, I have been put off by captions mistakes, shortcuts, lack of Riggs material and official logos (probably for copyright reasons) and the overall "style": the text reads more like a promotional tool than like a biography (just before starting it, I read Colin Hart's and KK Downing's biographies back to back so maybe the leap is too strong for me to stomach). I'm about half way into it -and particularly tired today to boot- so I may revise my less-than-enlightened judgement once I finish it or when I come back to it later. ;)

To further my point, here is a quotation from the "chapter" devoted to Fear of the Dark - which I read after sharing my first impressions. It symbolizes well the overall level of precision and stylistic skill:
Chris Welch said:
"The Apparition" is a joint composition by Bruce, Janick, Steve and Stephen Percy, which asks the questions heard since the dawn of time: "Are we here for a reason? It would be nice to know what happens when we die..."
:facepalm:
 
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So I bought Luisma's book and...it's pretty damn great! This is definitely a fan project which, for $40 for an e-book, might seem off putting. However, having read the foreward, info on the first album, and skimming around the rest of the book, I can say that so far this books was worth the price. The amount of information in this book is amazing and the attention to detail is, to me, worth the price. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with it, but so far I'm really enjoying this. If there's anyone on the fence about this one, don't be. It's really good. Also note: it is not a biography or history of the band, at least in a traditional sense. It is a super detailed discography first and foremost. It isn't going to replace Run to the Hills or whatever your go-to band history reference is. But it IS the best companion piece (so far) that I've seen.
 
So I bought Luisma's book and...it's pretty damn great! This is definitely a fan project which, for $40 for an e-book, might seem off putting. However, having read the foreward, info on the first album, and skimming around the rest of the book, I can say that so far this books was worth the price. The amount of information in this book is amazing and the attention to detail is, to me, worth the price. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with it, but so far I'm really enjoying this. If there's anyone on the fence about this one, don't be. It's really good. Also note: it is not a biography or history of the band, at least in a traditional sense. It is a super detailed discography first and foremost. It isn't going to replace Run to the Hills or whatever your go-to band history reference is. But it IS the best companion piece (so far) that I've seen.

Wow mate I'm really grateful for every word you said and that you appreciate the amount of work behind it! As you read in the foreword, I'm a fan as everyone here and it took me ages to gather all the info and check every small detail about it.

A funny thing about your last words is that I'm currently working on a second book which could replace every fans go-to-band history as there was so much material that I collected through the years that didn't go into the first book that I started working on this one which is going to be filled with ALL historical events in Maiden's life with a great amount of detail.

Once again thank you very much for your kind words and if you haven't done it yet, remember I wait for you in the exclusive FB group (there you will be able to see small advances and snippets about what the second book is going to be about ;)
 

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I've read quite a bit of the book now and yea, it really holds up! Basically, if anyone ever said anything about any Maiden song ever, it's in this book. If you want to know why a particular song was written, or how, etc..this is the reference. I absolutely do not regret the purchase.

Luisma,
I'm in your FB groud already (thanks for the invite) and if you put together a new book putting together the history of the band, I'll absolutely buy it!
 
Very honored for your words mate. And very good that you're in the group!!!

About the next book I'm sure you're gonna love it! I have literally spent months just reconstructing the first 5 years (1975-1980) and covering som much details that once people read it, they're gonna see a whole different picture about Maiden (and it's all backed up with data not just what I think or what someone says that somebody told them and all that fuzzy stuff)
 
Bought Martin Popoff´s Iron Maiden The Albums (in Dutch though)

It was real cheap, couldn´t resist.
I commented on that book a few posts above. I'm curious if you'll come to the same conclusions I did regarding the author's opinion on some of the albums.
 
Sorry if I missed it but do you know this one? The description sounds interesting.



This Day In Music’s Guide to Iron Maiden​

Iron-Maiden-Book-600x844.jpg

Description​

No.1 best seller on Amazon Heavy Metal Music chart!

With 100 Million album sales under their belt, Iron Maiden are undoubtedly the kings of heavy metal. The record-breaking Grammy winners, in their fifth decade as a group, are rightly adored worldwide.

This book draws on over 70 exclusive interviews with key characters in that incredible history, all telling their stories first-hand. Interviewees include legendary singers Blaze Bayley, Paul Di’Anno and Dennis Willcock plus thirteen other ex-members of Iron Maiden.

Add to this countless household names from associated bands (Gypsy’s Kiss, Urchin, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Praying Mantis), Killer Krew heroes, recording engineers, PR officers, fan club legends and even a one-time walking Eddie, and you have something special in your hands.

Forget the myths and the wikis, the publicity stunts and the white lies: read about how it really happened in the company of the people who were actually there.

Forewords by the reclusive first ever Maiden singer Paul Mario Day and Maiden mega-fan Michael Kiske of Helloween.

This is Maiden’s story how it has never been told before. Up the Irons!

About the Author

Music journalist Joe Shooman has written for some of the most famous magazines and newspapers worldwide over the last 15 years including Metal Hammer Special Editions, Bass Guitar Magazine, Record Collector, Mixmag, Daily Star and The Fly, where he was also live reviews editor. He has written eight books on music and culture. All of them have been published worldwide and include the best-selling biography of Bruce Dickinson, Maiden Voyage, plus books on Blink-182, Kasabian, Trivium, All Time Low and even MySpace (remember that?) Over the years he has worked in many different jobs within the music industry, from sound engineer to press officer, performer, manager and radio DJ. Shooman lives and works in the UK and also has a vibrant background as an award-winning travel journalist.

Reviews​

The author, Joe Shooman, who incidentally previously wrote the unofficial Bruce Dickinson biography 'Maiden Voyage', has done a ton of research and interviewed dozens of people connected with Maiden to come up with something genuinely new for the fans. This is trivia central. In short, even the most diehard of fans will learn something from this book and as such I think it's essential reading for the hardcore 'First To The Barrier' gang and fans of rock trivia everywhere. Very highly recommended!
-Metal Talk

I bought this for my friend who is a huge Iron Maiden fan - it's literally the A-Z of everything you would want/need to know! They are thrilled.
-Amazon Review

A great read for any iron maiden fan.
-Amazon Review

 
It's fascinating to hear about Iron Maiden's incredible journey through the world of heavy metal! This book sounds like a treasure trove of firsthand accounts from key figures in the band's history. It's always intriguing to get an insider's perspective on iconic bands like Iron Maiden.
Speaking of books, if you're into historical romance, you might want to explore the captivating Bridgerton books. They offer a delightful series filled with romance and intrigue, a perfect contrast to the heavy metal world. Happy reading and rock on with Iron Maiden!
 
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It's fascinating to hear about Iron Maiden's incredible journey through the world of heavy metal! This book sounds like a treasure trove of firsthand accounts from key figures in the band's history. It's always intriguing to get an insider's perspective on iconic bands like Iron Maiden.
Are you Joe Shooman?
 
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