Synopses & Reviews
An examination of Mick Jaggerandrsquo;s spectacular life and the cultural revolution he led as the legendary front man of the Rolling Stones.
As the Rolling Stones celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, their legendary front man remains an enigma; he hasnandrsquo;t given an in-depth interview in a decade and a half. Drawing on firsthand recollections from rockers, filmmakers, writers, and other artists who have been transformed by Mick Jaggerandrsquo;s work, acclaimed music journalist Marc Spitzand#160; has createdand#160; a uniqueand#160; examinationand#160; of the Jagger legacy. Combining biography with cultural history, Jagger unfolds like a captivating documentary, a series of episodes tracing the iconandrsquo;s rise from his childhood in middle-class postwar London to his status as a jet-setting knight.
Culturally astute, often funny, and painstakingly researched, Jagger offers a far richer potrait than biographies published previously. The book reveals much about his relationships (with Marianne Faithfull and ex-wives Bianca Jagger and Jerry Hall); his complex, creative partership with Keith Richards; his friends, including John Lennon and David Bowie; and his enemies, such as Hells Angels leader Sonny Barger. Spitz goes even deeper, exploring Jaggerandrsquo;s many roles: authenticand#160; soul man; powerful social commentator; sexual liberator; would-be movie star; and a shrewdand#160; businessman with an enthusiasm for much younger women. The myth of Mick is examined and rebooted for the twenty-first century.
Review
andquot;Talk about sympathy for the devil: Marc Spitz turns Mick Jaggerandrsquo;s life into a savagely funny, monstrously hypnotic narrative. Itandrsquo;s a brilliant tale of sex, music, decadence, and celebrity, one that seems to suck in most of the past century, from Route 66 to Studio 54. Nobodyandrsquo;s ever told the story betterandmdash;Jagger might be rock and rollandrsquo;s most unknowable soul, but Spitz gives him back every bit of his Satanic majesty.andquot;
Review
andquot;Mick Jagger is our age's Byronic exemplar of action and experience. Mick and the Rolling Stones opened new worlds for us, and worlds beyond. Marc Spitz, Jagger's latest biographer, has done him justice and more, with new info, trenchant insights, and best of all- a sense of humor.andquot;
Review
andquot;The first sentence of the 5th paragraph of this book is 'Here we go', and Spitz means it.andnbsp;andnbsp; This is a sustained, headlong, late-night crystalline rant/sermon/declaration that never lets up, never plays safe, and, when you're finished, finally lets you breathe. Goddamit.andnbsp;Now I have to go buy this dude's Bowie book.andquot;
Review
andquot;If Chuck Berryand#160;invented 'rock and roll' Mick Jagger invented 'rock star.' With the swagger and the soul, the brains and the balls, Spitz proves that Jagger is truly the man. An insightful andand#160;inspiringand#160;page burner, Jagger is a pleasure for evenand#160;the most jaded jukebox junkie.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;With a reporter's doggedness, a fan's zeal, and a stand-up's eye for absurd detail, Marc Spitz makes the awfully compelling case that Mick Jagger's true talents have long gone underappreciated.and#160;Jaggerand#160;provides ample proof of why Spitz is one of rock lit's funniest, funkiest, and finest voices.andquot;
Review
“[A] picaresque biography.” Vogue
Review
andldquo;An eager hagiography that takes aim at Mr. Richards while trumpeting Mr. Jaggerandrsquo;s overlooked fine qualities. Spitz knows enough about the Stonesandrsquo; history to pick good shots and leave out the dull stuff.andrdquo;
Review
“His history is every bit as compelling as the one portrayed by Richards in his recent autobiography” The Boston Globe
Review
andldquo;Stones fans and popular music readers can rest comfortably knowing that Jagger is not only an engaging biography, but also a compelling work of cultural criticism.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Competently enough written, this is a pleasant read that nicely puts all the old stories in some order, referencing discarded lovers, dalliances, and other time-honored themes.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;[A] picaresque biography.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;His history is every bit as compelling as the one portrayed by Richards in his recent autobiographyandrdquo;
Review
andquot;Talk about sympathy for the devil: Marc Spitz turns Mick Jaggerandrsquo;s life into a savagely funny, monstrously hypnotic narrative. Itandrsquo;s a brilliant tale of sex, music, decadence, and celebrity, one that seems to suck in most of the past century, from Route 66 to Studio 54. Nobodyandrsquo;s ever told the story betterandmdash;Jagger might be rock and rollandrsquo;s most unknowable soul, but Spitz gives him back every bit of his Satanic majesty.andquot;
Review
andquot;Mick Jagger is our age's Byronic exemplar of action and experience. Mick and the Rolling Stones opened new worlds for us, and worlds beyond. Marc Spitz, Jagger's latest biographer, has done him justice and more, with new info, trenchant insights, and best of all- a sense of humor.andquot;
Review
andquot;The first sentence of the 5th paragraph of this book is 'Here we go', and Spitz means it.andnbsp;andnbsp; This is a sustained, headlong, late-night crystalline rant/sermon/declaration that never lets up, never plays safe, and, when you're finished, finally lets you breathe. Goddamit.andnbsp;Now I have to go buy this dude's Bowie book.andquot;
Review
andquot;If Chuck Berryand#160;invented 'rock and roll' Mick Jagger invented 'rock star.' With the swagger and the soul, the brains and the balls, Spitz proves that Jagger is truly the man. An insightful andand#160;inspiringand#160;page burner, Jagger is a pleasure for evenand#160;the most jaded jukebox junkie.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;With a reporter's doggedness, a fan's zeal, and a stand-up's eye for absurd detail, Marc Spitz makes the awfully compelling case that Mick Jagger's true talents have long gone underappreciated.and#160;Jaggerand#160;provides ample proof of why Spitz is one of rock lit's funniest, funkiest, and finest voices.andquot;
Synopsis
An examination of Mick Jaggerandrsquo;s spectacular life and the cultural revolution he led as the legendary front man of the Rolling Stones.
As the Rolling Stones celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, their legendary front man remains an enigma; he hasnandrsquo;t given an in-depth interview in a decade and a half. Drawing on firsthand recollections from rockers, filmmakers, writers, and other artists who have been transformed by Mick Jaggerandrsquo;s work, acclaimed music journalist Marc Spitzand#160; has createdand#160; a uniqueand#160; examinationand#160; of the Jagger legacy. Combining biography with cultural history, Jagger unfolds like a captivating documentary, a series of episodes tracing the iconandrsquo;s rise from his childhood in middle-class postwar London to his status as a jet-setting knight.
Culturally astute, often funny, and painstakingly researched, Jagger offers a far richer potrait than biographies published previously. The book reveals much about his relationships (with Marianne Faithfull and ex-wives Bianca Jagger and Jerry Hall); his complex, creative partership with Keith Richards; his friends, including John Lennon and David Bowie; and his enemies, such as Hells Angels leader Sonny Barger. Spitz goes even deeper, exploring Jaggerandrsquo;s many roles: authenticand#160; soul man; powerful social commentator; sexual liberator; would-be movie star; and a shrewdand#160; businessman with an enthusiasm for much younger women. The myth of Mick is examined and rebooted for the twenty-first century.
About the Author
Marc Spitz is the author of five previous books, including the acclaimed Bowie: A Biography. Spitz is the music blogger for vanityfair.com, and his writing has appeared in Spin, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and Maxim. He lives in New York City.