About the Book
From Chrissie Hynde, one of rock's most iconic, alluring, kick-ass, and (let's face it) sexy women, a brilliant, no-holds-barred memoir of a rock life lived to the hilt.
Chrissie Hynde, the songwriter and frontwoman of The Pretenders in its various incarnations, has for thirty-five years been one of the most admired and adored and imitated figures in rock. This long-awaited memoir tells her life story in full and utterly fascinating detail, from her all-American Ohio fifties childhood to her classic baby-boomer seduction by the rock of the sixties to her sojourn in the crucible of punk that was seventies London to her instant emergence with her band, The Pretenders, in 1980 into stardom as a frontwoman and songwriter. She brings a fantastic eye for detail, a withering and sardonic sense of humor, and a fearless and sometimes naked emotional honesty to her memoir, and every line, every word of it is unmistakably hers. It is sure to be recognized as a classic of rock literature--and, man, is it fun to listen to.
About the Author :
Chrissie Hynde is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known as the lead singer of the enduring rock band The Pretenders. Hynde released nine studio albums with The Pretenders, beginning with 1980's Pretenders, which Rolling Stone called the #13 Best Debut Album of All Time. Most recently, she released her first solo album, Stockholm, in 2014. She lives in London.
Review :
Praise for Reckless "Chrissie Hynde's autobiography, Reckless, out-rocks them all. You can read her book and wax nostalgic about band culture in the late '60s and early '70s. Or you can promptly check yourself into rehab. She wouldn't care; as she writes in the prologue, 'I regret half of this story and the other half is the sound you heard.' .... Rock on, Chrissie."
--Sibbie O'Sullivan, The Washington Post
"Chrissie Hynde serves up a hearty and satisfying meal in Reckless, writing with the sort of candor and humor rarely found in books by her male counterparts.... In the end, it's understandable that Hynde has some regrets, but it's also heartening that bad girls sometimes finish first."
--Mark Shanahan, The Boston Globe
"Restless and emphatic... a tell-all memoir (and) given all Ms. Hynde has to tell, it's sharp, posturing, moving, exposing, evasive and at times obtuse."
--Lavinia Greenlaw, The Wall Street Journal
"Reckless is the literary equivalent of a long set of bangs, obscuring a heavily shaded pair of eyes. As a portrait of an era, it's fascinating."
--Julia Feslenthal, Vogue.com
"'Chaos and disorder were to be ongoing themes for me with a mouth that flapped like a rag nailed to a post in a windstorm, ' Hynde writes. That mouth, literally and figuratively, is what has made Hynde famous. It's the hole out of which that beautiful burr of a voice comes. And if she still has a tendency to shoot her mouth off recklessly, well, that's Chrissie. Maybe Reckless should come with a trigger warning: Caution: Violent scenes, lousy judgments, internalized misogyny and great rock 'n' roll ahead."
--Evelyn McDonnell, Los Angeles Times
"A sensitive and rowdy coming-of-age-story."
--Dwight Garner, The New York Times
"Frank and witty... Hynde's story contains no shortage of eye-popping hi-jinx and hilarious missteps which, together, give the reader a stunningly clear idea of the character at hand. Hynde's writing style might also be described as classically masculine. It's hard-boiled enough to suit Sam Spade, and her book snaps with wit."
--Jim Farber, New York Daily News
"Rich and ragged .... The memoir is certainly candid; you would expect nothing less of the songwriter who laid down lines like 'I just feel pity when you lie, contempt when you cry.' .... [Hynde] writes just like she lives, and just like she makes music. She does it her way, which is an inimitable multiplicity of things: impulsive, untamed, ragged, proud, a little sad around the edges. This is her story."
--Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Daily Beast.com
"If you think this rocker chick is special, so special, you'll want to read this book."
--Billy Heller, New York Post
"Fitfully entertaining, surprisingly well-written, Reckless is worth a read."
--Laura Malt Schneiderman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Praise for Reckless
"Chrissie Hynde's autobiography, Reckless, out-rocks them all. You can read her book and wax nostalgic about band culture in the late '60s and early '70s. Or you can promptly check yourself into rehab. She wouldn't care; as she writes in the prologue, 'I regret half of this story and the other half is the sound you heard.' .... Rock on, Chrissie."
--Sibbie O'Sullivan, The Washington Post
"Chrissie Hynde serves up a hearty and satisfying meal in Reckless, writing with the sort of candor and humor rarely found in books by her male counterparts.... In the end, it's understandable that Hynde has some regrets, but it's also heartening that bad girls sometimes finish first."
--Mark Shanahan, The Boston Globe
"Restless and emphatic... a tell-all memoir (and) given all Ms. Hynde has to tell, it's sharp, posturing, moving, exposing, evasive and at times obtuse."
--Lavinia Greenlaw, The Wall Street Journal
"Reckless is the literary equivalent of a long set of bangs, obscuring a heavily shaded pair of eyes. As a portrait of an era, it's fascinating."
--Julia Feslenthal, Vogue.com
"'Chaos and disorder were to be ongoing themes for me with a mouth that flapped like a rag nailed to a post in a windstorm, ' Hynde writes. That mouth, literally and figuratively, is what has made Hynde famous. It's the hole out of which that beautiful burr of a voice comes. And if she still has a tendency to shoot her mouth off recklessly, well, that's Chrissie. Maybe Reckless should come with a trigger warning: Caution: Violent scenes, lousy judgments, internalized misogyny and great rock 'n' roll ahead."
--Evelyn McDonnell, Los Angeles Times
"A sensitive and rowdy coming-of-age-story."
--Dwight Garner, The New York Times
"Frank and witty... Hynde's story contains no shortage of eye-popping hi-jinx and hilarious missteps which, together, give the reader a stunningly clear idea of the character at hand. Hynde's writing style might also be described as classically masculine. It's hard-boiled enough to suit Sam Spade, and her book snaps with wit."
--Jim Farber, New York Daily News
"Rich and ragged .... The memoir is certainly candid; you would expect nothing less of the songwriter who laid down lines like 'I just feel pity when you lie, contempt when you cry.' .... [Hynde] writes just like she lives, and just like she makes music. She does it her way, which is an inimitable multiplicity of things: impulsive, untamed, ragged, proud, a little sad around the edges. This is her story."
--Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Daily Beast.com
"If you think this rocker chick is special, so special, you'll want to read this book."
--Billy Heller, New York Post
"Fitfully entertaining, surprisingly well-written, Reckless is worth a read."
--Laura Malt Schneiderman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Praise for "Reckless"
Chrissie Hynde s autobiography, "Reckless, "out-rocks them all. You can read her book and wax nostalgic about band culture in the late 60s and early 70s. Or you can promptly check yourself into rehab. She wouldn t care; as she writes in the prologue, 'I regret half of this story and the other half is the sound you heard.' .... Rock on, Chrissie.
" "Sibbie O'Sullivan," The Washington Post"
Chrissie Hynde serves up a hearty and satisfying meal in "Reckless," writing with the sort of candor and humor rarely found in books by her male counterparts . In the end, it s understandable that Hynde has some regrets, but it s also heartening that bad girls sometimes finish first.
Mark Shanahan, "The Boston Globe"
"Restless and emphatic... a tell-all memoir (and) given all Ms. Hynde has to tell, it s sharp, posturing, moving, exposing, evasive and at times obtuse."
Lavinia Greenlaw, "The Wall Street Journal"
""Reckless" is the literary equivalent of a long set of bangs, obscuring a heavily shaded pair of eyes. As a portrait of an era, it's fascinating."
Julia Feslenthal, Vogue.com
"'Chaos and disorder were to be ongoing themes for me with a mouth that flapped like a rag nailed to a post in a windstorm, ' Hynde writes. That mouth, literally and figuratively, is what has made Hynde famous. It's the hole out of which that beautiful burr of a voice comes. And if she still has a tendency to shoot her mouth off recklessly, well, that's Chrissie. Maybe "Reckless "should come with a trigger warning: Caution: Violent scenes, lousy judgments, internalized misogyny and great rock 'n' roll ahead."
Evelyn McDonnell, "Los Angeles Times"
"A sensitive and rowdy coming-of-age-story."
Dwight Garner, "The New York Times"
Frank and witty Hynde s story contains no shortage of eye-popping hi-jinx and hilarious missteps which, together, give the reader a stunningly clear idea of the character at hand. Hynde's writing style might also be described as classically masculine. It's hard-boiled enough to suit Sam Spade, andher book snaps with wit.
" "Jim Farber," New York Daily News"
Rich and ragged .... The memoir is certainly candid; you would expect nothing less of the songwriter who laid down lines like 'I just feel pity when you lie, contempt when you cry.' .... [Hynde]writes just like she lives, and just like she makes music. She does it her way, which is an inimitable multiplicity of things: impulsive, untamed, ragged, proud, a little sad around the edges. This is her story.
" "Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Daily Beast.com
If you think this rocker chick is special, so special, you ll want to read this book.
" "Billy Heller, "New York Post"
"Fitfully entertaining, surprisingly well-written, "Reckless" is worth a read."
Laura Malt Schneiderman, "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" "From the Hardcover edition.""
Praise for "Reckless"
"Chrissie Hynde s autobiography, "Reckless," lacks the exquisiteness of Patti Smith s "Just Kids," the charm of Bob Dylan s "Chronicles" and the humor of Keith Richards s "Life," but it out-rocks them all. You can read her book and wax nostalgic about band culture in the late 60s and early 70s. Or you can promptly check yourself into rehab. She wouldn t care; as she writes in the prologue, 'I regret half of this story and the other half is the sound you heard.' .... Rock on, Chrissie."
" "Sibbie O'Sullivan," The Washington Post"
"Rich and ragged .... The memoir is certainly candid; you would expect nothing less of the songwriter who laid down lines like 'I just feel pity when you lie, contempt when you cry.' .... [Hynde[writes just like she lives, and just like she makes music. She does it her way, which is an inimitable multiplicity of things: impulsive, untamed, ragged, proud, a little sad around the edges. This is her story, still unfinished."""
" "Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Daily Beast
Gripping.... Hynde reveals all raw truths in "Reckless."Hynde s voice leaps off the page, slangy, rapid-fire.... [R]ead this book for the rock dreams and the music history [or] soak up what it was like to be this reckless woman in seemingly endless motion.
" "Rich Heldenfels, "Akron Beacon Journal"
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