Eagles: Taking it to the Limit

by Ben Fong-Torres

From their inception in 1971 through their smashingly successful 2007 album Long Road Out of Eden and the accompanying 2008-2010 international tour, The Eagles have seen it all and lived to tell about it. In Eagles , one of America's top rock journalists delivers a comprehensive insider look at arguably the greatest American rock-and-roll band on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. From their origin and rise to fame, to the music, the recording sessions, the fights, the tours, the parties afterward and the hangovers that followed, Ben Fong-Torres covers it all backed by deft research, first-hand interviews, and a collection of fantastic photographs from some of the best rock photographers in the business. In the course of 40 years, the Eagles changed line-ups five times, split up twice, recorded seven highly successful albums, toured the world multiple times, released the top-selling rock album in American history, and sued each other. Their story is a uniquely American journey, and their legacy is assured for decades to come.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Benjamin Fong-Torres (Fāng Zhènháo) is an American rock journalist, author, and broadcaster best known for his association with Rolling Stone magazine (through 1981) and the San Francisco Chronicle (from around 1982).

Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, Fong-Torres' father, Ricardo Fong-Torres (born Fong Kwok Seung), changed his surname to Torres and posed as a Filipino citizen in order to emigrate to the United States. His family later adopted the hyphenated surname, Fong-Torres. He is the brother of Shirley Fong-Torres.

He was portrayed in the 2000 film Almost Famous by actor Terry Chen. The fictional version of Fong-Torres was character William Miller's editor at Rolling Stone.

In real life, Fong-Torres was a writer and senior editor of Rolling Stone from almost the magazine's inception. He conducted interviews for Rolling Stone of entertainment figures including Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, comedian Steve Martin and Linda Ronstadt's first cover story in 1975. A Fong-Torres interview with Ray Charles was awarded the Deems Taylor Award for Magazine Writing in 1974.

Fong-Torres was also a rock DJ for San Francisco radio station KSAN-FM in the 1970s. On television, he is the Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of the Chinese New Year Parade broadcast on KTVU (Fox) in San Francisco. In recent years, he has published Hickory Wind, a biography of Gram Parsons; The Rice Room, a memoir; The Hits Just Keep on Coming, a history of Top 40 radio, and two compilations of past articles, Not Fade Away and Becoming Almost Famous (published in May 2006). His book with The Doors (The Doors By The Doors) was published by Hyperion in November 2006. Since July 2005, he has written the bi-weekly column "Radio Waves" in the San Francisco Chronicle's Sunday Datebook. He is also a contributing editor to Parade magazine, and the music editor for TONEAudio, a web-based audio publication. He is now the host of "Backstage" which is aired from 7-9 am and 7-9 pm on San Francisco's KFRC-FM.

Reviews

[Kathy McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many facts, hopefully not rumors. Especially enjoyed the sections about Joe Walsh.

"Late in 1999, the RIAA named their Greatest Hits(1971-1975) as the best selling album of the century. The organization also added the Eagles to its list of "Artists of the Century" alongside the Beatles, Elvis, Barbra Streisand, and Elton John."

[Kim Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mainly bought this book for the huge, beautiful photos. The quality and size of the photos are amazing. I knew all of the facts in the book because I am a huge fan of the Eagles, but it still an enjoyable read, especially the beginning when the author talks about the softball game of the Eagles vs. Rolling Stone magazine, a game he actually was a part of. There isn't a whole lot of text compared to other Eagles biographies. If you want that, try The Eagles FAQ: All That's Left to Know about Classic Rock's Superstars.The photos are the best part of this book, imo.

[Greg Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A recommended read for the Eagles fan. The author was a writer and Senior Editor for Rolling Stone magazine and had close contact with the Eagles during the peak of their career, also playing in the annual Eagles vs Rolling Stone baseball game. His insights and interviews are definitely required reading for the dedicated Eagles fan.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it isn’t a complete biography of the Eagle’s band members, this book has a nice brief background of the guys along with their influences, friends, habits etc. The photos are extensive, and the last chapter is an update about the death of Glenn Frey and reorganization of the group since his death. Ben Fong-Torres was destined to be an author and writer of Rock and Roll, and he explains how each member of The Eagles found destiny in California where they met, mingled, and collaborated.

[Misty Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great volume and a good 'first read' about the band. It is large format with a vast selection of colour and B&W photos as well as accompanying text. If you are looking for an 'in depth' read this is not it, but given the complex history and the personalities concerned that is hardly surprising

[Michael Cawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable history of the rock band, Eagles.

[Daniel Folk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Occasionally interesting propaganda