U2 Books -

[Musicology08]

First, lemme introduce myself, I am a new U2 fan. Im seventeen and from Chicago - I have all their latest "stuff" (DVD's, a keychain...etc ) I'm definitly seeing them on tour this time around and I have nearly all of their albums.

My Question is that i wanted to start reading more about u2. About inspirations for their music, how they craft their songs and write their music, how the band was formed... so, could some of you guys recommed books for me to buy. Now, I was searching on amazon and there are probably, ten's and ten's of books about u2 so, help me out - thanks in advance - Matt

 

[U2Kitten]

How the band was formed: read U2 The Unforgettable Fire by Eamon Dunphy. While some people contiunue to bash this book and say it's not all accurate, I see it's still not been pulled from library shelves, and Bono is still friends with the author (I have a pic of them together at a party in 2002.) If there were any outright lies in it I'm sure it would be taken off the market and off shelves and the band would sue. There may be a few minor inaccuracies but nothing that really changes the basic story. I love the stories of teenage U2. It deals with the forming of the band up though the release of JT. The book everyone calls "The U2 Bible" only deals with one era and one tour, ZOOTV. It's good but I don't consider it the ultimate authority on the story of the band. I'm still waiting for a complete bio of the whole band story.

 

[u2granny]

How the band was formed: read U2 The Unforgettable Fire by Eamon Dunphy. While some people contiunue to bash this book and say it's not all accurate, I see it's still not been pulled from library shelves, and Bono is still friends with the author (I have a pic of them together at a party in 2002.) If there were any outright lies in it I'm sure it would be taken off the market and off shelves and the band would sue. There may be a few minor inaccuracies but nothing that really changes the basic story. I love the stories of teenage U2. It deals with the forming of the band up though the release of JT. The book everyone calls "The U2 Bible" only deals with one era and one tour, ZOOTV. It's good but I don't consider it the ultimate authority on the story of the band. I'm still waiting for a complete bio of the whole band story.

I agree. I could never understand why Flanagan's book is so highly regarded.

 

[bsp77]

U2 - At the End of the World is a favorite for many. Forgot the author at the momemt but he was with them for most of the AB and Zoorpa sessions and tour. Very fascinating book.

 

[bsp77]

I guess I just recommended the book that they just bashed (Flanagan). Most people do love the book, not for summing up their history but for delving into that era so well.

 

[u2granny]

I guess I just recommended the book that they just bashed (Flanagan). Most people do love the book, not for summing up their history but for delving into that era so well.

Not bashed. It's a good book. Just not the ultimate imo.

 

[BonoFan78]

An easy read is Into The Heart by Niall Stokes. It's a book about the meaning behind all the songs. Whether or not its 100% accurate is up for debate.

However, each song gets 1-2 pages.

 

[BonoFan78]

as I was saying.. each song gets 1-2 pages, so you can pick it up, or put it down easily without feeling lost

 

[jedi Larry]

You can read Flanigan's U2 at the end of the world for an outsider's behind-the-scenes look at the Zoo TV and Zooropa era of the band. Great book.

U2: A Live Documentary by Pim Jal De La Parra is an amazing archive.