Miles: The AutobiographyMiles Davis w/Quincy Troupe, Touchstone, 1990
A brisk and blunt account of Miles’ life, as told by Miles to his co-author. Clearly music was Miles language because he could speak more eloquently and creatively with his trumpet. Here he tends to mine a few repetitive themes exhaustively and colors them up with an impressive array of foul language and frank confessions. No rags to riches story this, Miles grew up comfortably and gave his life to music, for which we all ought to be grateful but along the way he used and abused drugs, women, and some friends. To his credit, he makes no attempt to cover this up but in so doing reveals his own nascent racism, intolerance and impatience while simultaneously being the victim of them. But what a story! The inside accounts of his relationship with (and sometimes harsh rating of ) key players are fascinating and his reaction to a certain psychiatrist who told him how to cure his drug addiction by taking up a certain personal habit is laugh out loud funny! This bio is about as frank as it gets.
Talking Jazz: An Oral History Ben Sidran, 1992
Now available as a boxed set on CD, this is the original published book of interviews between Sidran and some of the greatest jazz players of the 20th century — Miles, Art, Dizzy, you name them, Ben speaks with them and does so in a manner that is as close to compelling, intimate and up-close as you can get on text. You don’t have to love the music to appreciate the form but if you do, and if you are familiar with the music that is referred to throughout the interviews, you will probably find this irresistible. It makes me want to drop a few hundred dollars now on the 24CD set. Sidran has a rare ability to capture the person and each interview works on its own. Taken together, these interviews tell a rich story of an American musical form that continues to evolve.
The Blair Years, Alistair Campbell, Arrow Books, 2007
Campbell was TB’s press secretary and general aide for the years leading up power and two terms in office. Here’s his diary of what happened when, to whom and what folks really though of each other. Fascinating insight into how the modern political system operates, replete with hilarious personal anecdotes and shenanigans. Did Chancellor Kohl really tell Blair to ‘f%^& off”? Was Clinton really happier hanging out with the Brits than with his own entourage, including a former dean here at UT? Great stuff.
Luck and the Irish, R.F. Roster, Penguin, 2007
Leading historian takes a stance on what happened to Ireland between 1970 and 2000. Obvioulsy it will need updating soon to take account of the downturn but this is a sharp eyed take on the leadership battles of major parties, the social upheaval of economic improvement and the challenges faced by traditional organizations losing their members. Charlie Haughey is shown in dim light but this is history told by an expert who can entertain and educate in equal measure.