Bowie A to Z: The Life of an Icon from Aladdin Sane to Ziggy Stardust

by Steve Wide, Libby VanderPloeg (Illustrations)

A celebration of the unparalleled impact of cultural icon David Bowie. This decidedly not-for-k....

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

56 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2016

Reviews

[Michael]

The author's shocking indictment of the Australian education system notwithstanding (a Bowie constellation apparently to be found "near Mars"; the author's bewilderment as to why the track 'V2 Schneider', recorded in Berlin, Germany, has a reference to the "American V2 rocket in its title 🙄) I loved this book. It's not deep and meaningful, being an alphabetically arranged series of factoids, but it is colourful and vibrant, thanks to Libby VanderPloeg's gorgeous illustrations. While I've seen this in stores shelved with children's books, references to Bowie's drug taking and sex life mean it's definitely not suitable for young readers.

[Sarah Wise]

The design of this book is fabulous, and reading it took me back to the David Bowie Is exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum which I was lucky enough to catch my last weekend in London during a grad school internship. The book doesn’t have to be read in chronological order and is a neat collection for any fan.

[Picueta]

Aunque es ameno, los datos no descubren mucha cosa al lector que ya es fan de Bowie y que ha tenido en sus manos biografías de aquel que parió, crió y mató a Ziggy.

Las ilustraciones son geniales y muy frecas e incluyen colores llamativos y geniales.

Aunque bien es cierto, que la narrativa de datos, casi al azar, queda algo rara y forzada. Y además de contar con un texto escueto y pocos datos, resulta que se repiten. Como si contar la vida y Milagros de Bowie, nuestro señor, no diera para para 500 páginas buenas o algo.

Si no conoces mucho a Bowie, tengo buenas noticias; te va a gustar. Si conoces a Bowie, tengo noticiasa secas; vas a resfrecar dos o tres datos que sabías pero que no recordabas del todo y, además, te van a gustar las ilustraciones.

[Catherine]

Charming. The illustration is wonderful and the whole book is really well conceived. There were some juicy new tidbits about Bowie, as well as new perspectives I hadn’t considered. Each letter of the alphabet included a general moment, song or aspect of Bowie, as well as callouts to other important themes bearing the same first letter. This eclectic look at his life offered some really fun and interesting patterns to come forward.

[Sarah]

The excellent illustrations by Libby Vanderploeg are the main highlight, but chock full of Bowie facts, even if there are no real surprises for the hardcore fan. Still, a fun format combined with the illustrations makes it a book worth owning for a Bowie fan. There are a few gossipy/unconfirmed facts included that I could have done without, but otherwise no real critiques.

[Karen]

Bought this book on a whim and am so glad I did. As big a Bowie fan as I am, I didn't know a lot of the info here. The illustrations are great, providing a unique format to tell the story of this unique artist.

[Jennifer]

I purchased this book because I love David Bowie. I didn’t know that it would also be an enjoyable read in which I would learn so many interesting unknown facts! The art work is lovely, and it’s a compact and interesting tribute to one of the most genius artists. A must for any Bowie fan.

[Charlotte Maddrell]

Chock full of random facts about his life and music and so pretty to look at. My little Bowie heart beamed all the way through.

[Danna]

Lovely and informative picture book about the life of Bowie: the music, the people, the experiences. I very much enjoyed the layout, discovering interesting tidbits on each page.

[Jose]

Really nice book with general facts from Bowie's life. Really enjoyed the design of this book and it was also very easy to read. It's very colorful, graphic and visual.

[Kathleen]

If you like or love David Bowie, you'll enjoy this.

[Ana Mancuso]

If you are a Bowie fan, this book is a lovely way to go through most of his artistic life highlights.

[Kayleigh]

I finallly got my hands on a copy of this book. I had my eye on this book for a while but I always find it a bit expensive.
But the inside is beautiful. It has the A to Z with everything about David Bowie. And with really stunning and beautiful illustrations. It's a good book to learn more about the life of David Bowie if you like me and still don't get to read his biography. But don't expect to much from it. Just enjoy the illustrations. :)

[Teresa Romances Vinaixa]

4,25 ★

So fun! I love David Bowie, I got my first tattoo inspired by him after he died and have always admired his work. My sister got me this book for Christmas and it does a great job highlighting his career and life. The illustrations are beautiful and the content very interesting.

[Margot Note]

Read in bed in the middle of a work day, feeling very indulgent.