Book help

[bono_212]

I think this is the right forum...I hope it's the right forum.

Mom's taking back one of my Christmas gifts, and said she's going to buy me two U2 books, making this pretty much an 80 % U2 Christmas btw...which is not normal, usulaly I'm lucky if I get one U2 related gift...>I'm rambling< anyway...

Don't try to dissuade me, my mind is made up...I'm getting Into the Heart, if not for the quality of book, then the quality of pictures...I got it for a teacher for Christmas and almost didn't give it to him, cause I fell in love with it...

anway, what is a good book for the second one?

Are there any recent biographies out there?
Is this Bono book any good?
I don't really want that photograph book that's out..

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

 

[Liesje]

You MUST have U2 At the End of the World by Bill Flanagan. After that, I'd get BP Fallon's book (Far Away, So Close...or something like that), but it's out of print so harder to find. Then definitely the Bono Conversations book if you want something specifically about Bono. A lot of U2 books are written by people who've never even met the band (the Walk On book). These three I've found to be not only credible, but good reads, funny (Flanagan and Fallon), and insightful (Conversations).

 

[bono_212]

No offense, but I hate the End of the World book, of course I only read two chapters...I just don't know how a book whose preface says that U2 will probably deny everything in the book, but trust me it's true, can be taken credibly....however I did enjoy the first couple chapters...I don't know I just don't like the things I hear that came out of the book.... I think the Bono conversations is the one I'm goin with

 

[Liesje]

No offense, but I hate the End of the World book, of course I only read two chapters...I just don't know how a book whose preface says that U2 will probably deny everything in the book, but trust me it's true, can be taken credibly....however I did enjoy the first couple chapters...I don't know I just don't like the things I hear that came out of the book.... I think the Bono conversations is the one I'm goin with

Well, if you're going to pass judgement and hate something based on the first two chapters, your loss

I think it's more credible (and more entertaining) than Eamon Dunphy's book, which is often considered a U2 biography.

What exactly do you mean by "not liking things you hear"? Are you saying you don't think it's true/credible simply b/c you don't like it? I can't really think of anything offhand from Flanagan's book that I would consider seriously offensive or too outragous to be true, especially if you've also read Fallon's book. There's some crazy shit in there, and every page is full of pics so you can't deny it's truth!

Personally, I'd rather read something interesting by someone who knew the band and travelled with them than some random writer who decides to pen a U2 "biography" based on a collection of other interviews and articles more hardcore fans already have.

 

[bono_212]

I'm sorry...i didn't mean to offend you...or the book

I just was saying the only thing htat I've really seen quoted out of the book on this message board, is all the stuff about the Oral sex on Achtung Baby....

I was only trying to say that I tried to read the book once before, and while I enjoyed it, I just didn't enjoy it enough to finish it...if oru Library still had it ( I don't know what the heck they did with that book btw) I would go rent it and read it, but as I have the moment to buy TWO books about u2, which is amazing for me, I don't want to use the second one on a book I didn't really enjoy. Do you understand what I'm saying? I'll probably end up buying that book eventually if I don't find the library's copy, but I don't want to do so right now....

I really did mean to mention in my very first post that I didn't want that book, but I was in such a rush to post I forgot to, my fault for not asying so in the first place.

 

[Popmartijn]

I'm sorry...i didn't mean to offend you...or the book

I just was saying the only thing htat I've really seen quoted out of the book on this message board, is all the stuff about the Oral sex on Achtung Baby....

Well, people often consider this book (At The End Of The World) the "U2 Bible". And like people do with the real bible, they selectively quote and twist expressions in order to make their point.

In any case, I think it is the best U2 biography out there. And while it focuses primarily on the ZooTV period, it tells enough about the band's history to be considered complete.

 

[hcbiggs2002]

If you don't already have the following books then I would recogmend:-

U2:- A Conspiracy of Hope by Dave Bowler and Bryan Dray (I affectionally nicked named it "The U2 Gospel by David and Bryan!!" )

And:-

Bono:- The Biographby Laura Jackson (There's a several of good photos of Bono in this one! )

 

[Rachel D.]

I would get Bono: In Conversation. But that's just me.

And I heartily agree that missing out on Flanagan's book is a big loss. (I read it and even wrote a book report over it in eigth grade.)

 

[Liesje]

I'm sorry...i didn't mean to offend you...or the book

I just was saying the only thing htat I've really seen quoted out of the book on this message board, is all the stuff about the Oral sex on Achtung Baby....

I was only trying to say that I tried to read the book once before, and while I enjoyed it, I just didn't enjoy it enough to finish it...if oru Library still had it ( I don't know what the heck they did with that book btw) I would go rent it and read it, but as I have the moment to buy TWO books about u2, which is amazing for me, I don't want to use the second one on a book I didn't really enjoy. Do you understand what I'm saying? I'll probably end up buying that book eventually if I don't find the library's copy, but I don't want to do so right now....

I really did mean to mention in my very first post that I didn't want that book, but I was in such a rush to post I forgot to, my fault for not asying so in the first place.

Oh I wasn't offended. Like I said, it's your loss to judge the book by two chapters and some things you've "heard". And I understanding what you're saying about not buying a book you don't like, but you're the one that said you've only read a few chapters of it, sooooo......

Honestly, I've read that book cover to cover probably 3-4 times and out of all the parts that really stand out, I can't even remember where/if it mentions oral sex in the context of Achtung Baby. If you're concerned w/ oral sex references on Achtung Baby, I'd suggest not listening to that record, rather than not reading a great book about a great band. It can't be that bad - I let my little sister read it for a book report when she was 14 and her English teacher (a U2 fan) approved.

 

[bono_212]

Hmm...this is strange...I was looking on Amazon, and I saw at the end of the world, but the cover's not the book I read....

Did that book have a cover change, cause the book I was reading had them in the group in the blue Zooropa uniforms on....you know what i'm tlaking about right?

So maybe i have the wrong book, or there was just a cover change and I'm retarded.

 

[Liesje]

Mine is white, but if you do a quick Google search you'll see the cover you're describing.

 

[sallycinnamon78]

No offense, but I hate the End of the World book, of course I only read two chapters...I just don't know how a book whose preface says that U2 will probably deny everything in the book, but trust me it's true, can be taken credibly....however I did enjoy the first couple chapters...I don't know I just don't like the things I hear that came out of the book.... I think the Bono conversations is the one I'm goin with

I really enjoyed Bill Flanagan's tome. I had a hell of a time getting hold of iut though... had to order a 'used' copy from the States.

 

[chickadee]

The Orange Bible is the best! It's so funny, entertaining, revealing and interesting. Even if you weren't a U2 fan I'd recommend it as a view of how mad life can get in a the biggest rock band. And all the guys spoke to Bill and gave interviews and it's very much done with them on board. As he acknowledged, they might not have been entirely happy with everything written but they understood that was the deal when they agreed to the book. He doesn't paint them in a bad light, at all. In fact he's extremely fair on all the band, he obviously likes them immensely, which makes it such a good read.

So yes, keep on with that book and you'll be rewarded I think! I haven't got the BP Fallon one, can't seem to find it and I have the Bono one but haven't read it all yet.

 

[Liesje]

So yes, keep on with that book and you'll be rewarded I think! I haven't got the BP Fallon one, can't seem to find it and I have the Bono one but haven't read it all yet.

BP's book is well worth it if you can find it. It's out of print though. There's some great stories and pictures on every page. Sometimes, BP is just too mad to make any sense, but the book has a really fun atmosphere to it and the quotes/pics/details are great to have with so many shit books by people who've never met the band floating around.


Back to the initial post, Into The Heart was so-so. It's interesting, but a lot of times Bono mentions that most of his lyrics don't really have a single meaning or reflect a single experience. Even though the author did do some primary research, I still think there's plenty in there that's a stretch and about 80% of the material is common knowledge to U2 fans who've read the big articles and interviews over the years. It's a great read just to get familiarized with U2's timeline and catalogue, but I wouldn't buy it over Flanagan, BP Fallon, Assayas, or Neil McCormick's books.


As for the credibility of Flanagan's book and his comment about the band denying everything, it's pretty obvious that was meant as a tongue in cheek comment. It's kind of like when you take your new boyfriend/girlfriend to meet the parents and your mom starts telling all your embarassing childhoos stories and says "I'm sure s/he'll deny everything!" If U2 were of the mind to deny it's accuracy, I don't see why they would've allowed a writer to accompany them on tour with the purpose of writing a book.

 

[chickadee]

I really like Into The Heart, myself. And also the Propaganda book is gorge and has tons of interesting interviews and articles for people like me who never got the original magazines. But yes I'd definitely go for the 'big ones' first!

 

[00Kevin]

If you haven't bought the book by now, I though at the end of the world was really good

 

[tuwie]

are you more into reading the stories or reading interview type things? the Propaganda book is really nice. filled with lots of picturse and fun things as well as good articles.

what about tour books? U2 Live: A Concert Documentary is a good tour documentary, it has a synposis of every show up until the last show of the Elevation tour and it has great pictures nad setlists as well. there's another tour
U2 Show is a great picture-dense book documenting the dazzling spectacle that is U2 live in stadiums throughout their career. biig pictures, biig lights, biig U2. <3
I dont know how much you're into pictures, but U2&i is a must ....but it's a bit on the expensive side.

i personally really enjoyed U2 at the end of the world. simply because i was getting the insider perspective to who they really were and what they really did. if you read the last few pages at the end of hte book, Bill explains that they didn't act any different around him, and they treated him as friend, so reading thisbook is the closest you can get to U2 without actually meeting them. I'm sorry, i'm rambling...i know you said you didn'tlike it, but I really do encourage you to give the book another try. =)