Petty: The Biography

I am only half way through this book but, so far, I have learned more about Tom Petty and his life than in the other books I have read. The detail is amazing and I struggle to put this book down. If you are a huge Tom Petty fan, this book is a must. I thought I was quite knowledgeable about him but this book has doubled and more my information. Loving every minute of this read.

The book is very well-written. That's not always the case with biographies of musicians. The author backs up his assessments with interviews and the views of the people who were there at the time, and the guiding voice of Petty somewhere in the background.The story itself was for me absolutely riveting. English fans at the time loved this band when they broke into the Whistle Test and stole it. They added something fresh and foreign to the rock 'n' roll format. A bit like the dynamic impact when Police released their first singles. Except with Southern accents. I lost track of what was happening to them over the years. The book provided a new insight for me into the life of a band on and off the road, the highs and lows, and the one thing that kept it all together.I was reading this when Tom Petty died. It seemed to me that another epic episode of my lifetime had gone. Like many other key musicians this guy and his band provided colours and nuances in the soundtrack of my life and I am grateful for that. Great book.

I enjoyed this book immensely. However the price is a joke for a book printed on very cheap paper.

This biography is a triumph. As someone who has read a great deal about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, knows the catalogue and admires the story, I expected just a recap with this one. But it is a revelation: the candour, including from people who have not been interviewed before like the drummer Stan Lynch and the roadie Bugs Weidel; the analysis, of things like the music industry, production, representation; and the insight into personal relationships....How does any human being survive this business, let alone with integrity and grace? Not that this account is hagiography. On the contrary, it reveals some shocking details about our hero's life. The writer manages to achieve a balance between points of view and highs and lows which leaves a sense that this is how it was. I was deeply moved.

A brilliant book for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers fans! Warren Zanes makes the book so interesting, A Must for all Tom Petty fans, It is a honest and sometimes sad story of Tom Petty's life. Very informative, interesting and a true account. I have read other books and magazines about Tom Petty and I can honestly say this book tell's it like it was. Not glosses over the bad times, the other magazines/books I have read seem to only tell half the story. This book tells the whole story. It also includes interviews from the other Heartbreakers, Stan Lynch opinions are an interesting read. I have just read the book, and will be reading it again it is that good!

Excellent read. So good I read it twice!! Mainly because I wasn't that familiar with Pettys music but love music bios. However, once I had started reading this book, i wanted to hear everything he did and so was introduced to another side of TP. After a crash course in all things Petty I was so drawn into his world that I started to read the book again. Also bought one for my friend. Because of this book we both bought tickets to see Tom and The Heartbreakers in July. THAT'S how good a book it is.

Tom Petty was a true poet and an amazing song writer. This book is a fabulous read and gives insight into his life and what made him the great showman he was. He never compromised his values or beliefs. Sadly missed in this plastic pop world.

Fantastic biography, one of the best I've ever read. Gives you a real insight to Tom Petty's thought process and mentality, behind the music, and pulls the curtain back on his personal life, and Tom Petty the human being.