Veteran rock journalist Mick Wall unflinchingly tells the story of the band that pushed the envelope on both creativity and excess, even by rock 'n' roll standards. Led Zeppelin was the last great band of the 1960s and the first great band of the 1970s--and When Giants Walked the Earth is the full, enthralling story of Zep from the inside, written by a former associate of both Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Rich and revealing, it bores into not only the disaster, addiction, and death that haunted the band but also into the real relationship between Page and Plant, including how it was influenced by Page's interest in the occult. Comprehensive and yet intimately detailed, When Giants Walked the Earth gets into the principals' heads to bring to life both an unforgettable band and an unrepeatable slice of rock history.
About the Author :
Mick Wall was the founding editor of Classic Rock Magazine. He is the author of numerous music titles, including books on John Peel, Iron Maiden, Don Arden, and Black Sabbath. He ghosted XS All Areas: the Autobiography of Status Quo and is a former DJ on Capital Radio.
Simon Vance is an award-winning actor and an AudioFile Golden Voice with over fifty Earphones Awards and thirteen prestigious Audie Awards. He was named Booklist's very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009.
Review :
"A fascinating and diligently researched account of rock 'n' roll excess."
-- "Yorkshire Evening Post "
"Although much of the material in this book is now the stuff of legend, Wall, a British journalist who spent some time with the band, adds new insights...Simon Vance reads the work as if it's a Tolkien odyssey or Shakespearean tragedy, immensely dry and proper. This style might seem ironic, given the band's exploits, but it perfectly fits their quintessential Britishness in a way fans will surely appreciate."
-- "AudioFile"
"As well as being the most complete account yet of a great British rock band, When Giants Walked the Earth is, as its name implies, a document of a bygone age...Wall has done his subject proud."
-- "Sunday Times (London)"
"It deftly strikes the balance between lofty authority and finding a way to get inside the heads of its subjects."
-- "Guardian (London)"
"Simon Vance transports the listener back in time to the dawn of heavy metal in rock journalist Wall's biography of the legendary Led Zeppelin...Vance delivers a gritty performance that captures the spirit of both the band and the late 1960s...Vance's range of voices and lively, spirited narration enliven the detailed history of the band and the private lives of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones. A must for die-hard Zeppelin fans."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"So this is the big one: a fat, juicy biography of the biggest band ever...Mick Wall, the veteran rock journalist, lays it all bare in a book that can only be described as definitive."
-- "Daily Telegraph (London)"
"That Wall can add so much fresh detail to the Led Zep story is in itself an extraordinary achievement. That he manages to humanize these planet-striding giants while doing so puts this book into the 'definitive' category."
-- "Classic Rock Magazine"
"The definitive account of rock legends Led Zeppelin."
-- "Daily Record"
"The definitive book about Led Zeppelin...Mick Wall has done a fine job here and certainly knows his stuff."
-- "Birmingham Post "
"This fantastic account of Led Zeppelin's wild and decadent heyday is as detailed and definitive as music biographies get."
-- "London Lite"
"Wall painstakingly traces Zeppelin's development and musical pedigree. His access and attention to detail make this a definitive work...an essential source for anyone eager to learn about the era when rock stars ruled the world."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"We've read about the booze, drugs, devil worship and deviant sex...Mick Wall delves a lot deeper into the dark stuff."
-- "Irish Times "
