So Let It Be Written: The Biography of Metallica's James Hetfield

by Mark Eglinton

Metallica is back with their first album in almost a decade!
With James Hetfield at the helm, Metallica went from being thrash pioneers to heavy metal gods. He overcame adolescent upheaval and personal demons—including his parents’ divorce, his mother’s untimely death and severe alcoholism—to become metal’s biggest star. So Let It Be Written does justice to the many hats Hetfield has worn, with his strong leadership, signature vocal style, powerful guitar-playing and masterful songwriting. Author Mark Eglinton uses exclusive, firsthand interviews—with prominent rock stars and key figures in Hetfield’s life—to construct the definitive account of Hetfield. “Hopefully this book will rekindle certain special memories about one of metal’s most charismatic and important individuals.” —Chuck Billy of Testament Mark Eglinton is the co-writer of Official Truth, 101 Proof by Pantera’s Rex Brown and Confessions of a Heretic by Behemoth’s Adam Nergal Darski. Chuck Billy is the singer of Testament.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography, Memoir

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2017

Reviews

[Casey Kiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book didn't ask the question i wanted to know? james, what color panties do you want me to wear when i sit on your lap to research and interview you more extensively?

[denudatio_pulpae · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gdy decydowałam o kolejności czytania książek o Metallice, pomyślałam: najlepsze zostawię sobie na koniec. James Hetfield to moja pierwsza wielka miłość. Przeczytanie jego biografii będzie jak wisienka na torcie.

Jasne. Może gdyby Mark Eglinton chociaż trochę się postarał, to by tak było. Tylko, że nie.

"Człowiek z metalu" to książka słaba. Autor nie dość, że się nie przyłożył do pracy, to jeszcze radośnie sypie błędami co kilka stron (podziwiam tłumacza, że mu się chciało to poprawiać, ja bym rypnęła tym tekstem przez okno). Poza tym nie nazwałabym tej książki "szczegółową biografią Jamesa Hetfielda". Taka sobie historia zespołu, większość cytatów jest już przemielona przez autorów poprzednich książek o Metallice, a samego Hetfielda w tym wszystkim za mało. Nie polecam, szkoda na to czasu.
3/10

[Hannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een interessant boek. Ik kreeg het cadeau van mijn man, omdat we volgend jaar naar een concert van Metallica gaan. Ik ben geen heel groot fan, dus ik heb James Hetfield en Metallica door de jaren heen niet gevolgd. Al heb ik de documentaire Some kind of monster wel gezien. In dit boek komt die ook kort aan bod. Ook heb ik via de media hun strijd tegen Napster ook wel meegekregen. Toch waren veel dingen nieuw voor mij, wat het interessant maakte. Toch vind ik het jammer dat hij zelf niet meegewerkt heeft aan het boek. Dat had het net even iets persoonlijker gemaakt. Dat was bij de biografie van Barry Hay (Golden Earring) wel het geval en dat maakte dat dat boek net wat beter was.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a real interesting book.I wish James would write a book on his own personal opions.This is not knocking this book because it is really great how other people view James that are closest to him.We as fans see him as this larger than life Rockstar and this puts him like everybody.If you are a music fan it is a great read.If you are a Metallica fan "Ride The Lightning" and read this book.

[Cuyler Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Let It Be Written is a biography about James Hetfield and Metallica. This book just talks about how Metallica started and how the band members made it one of the biggest bands ever. I liked that the book went into so much detail about everything that dealt with Metallica. It had everything from what they did before concerts to every show they did and where they were. The book also had quotes from the band members, former band members, and people who were close to Metallica like producers and managers. The book was also great because Metallica is my favorite band and it was interesting to learn all about the band and how they lived and the struggles they went through and it was really cool to see the evolution of the band. So Let It Be Written also has a couple of pages that are dedicated to pictures of the band from the beginning until modern times. There are pictures of one of Metallica’s first magazines they were in, pictures of Cliff burton, Jason Newsted, and Robert Trujillo. There was not really any part of the book that I particularly did not like other than the fact that the book got a little slow at some parts which bored me a little. But the book got more of my attention to keep me reading. Overall I thought the book was really good and interesting because of all of the detail in it and how it explained everything thoroughly.

[Nathan M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright.

I stumbled upon it at a Half Price Books and being a mega Metallica fan I couldn't pass it up.

It was a mix of James biography and a general backstory about the forming of the band, along with their evolution. I didn't really learn anything new, considering I've been a fan of them as far back as I can remember and knew everything already, but it was still interesting to read.

My main takeaway was how lame some of the interviews were. A lot of the interviews in the book were really just interviews done elsewhere, like in Playboy magazine, then just repeated here. I guess because James was never actually interviewed for the book? Or was asked and chose not to, making this basically unauthorized? Or did, but gave the bare minimum?

Also a lot of the other interviews with other people felt a lot like the scene with Simone in Ferris Bueller's Day Off where she was like "my best friends brothers cousins girlfriend..." except it was like "Hetfield's former bodyguards cousins girlfriends half-brother said..." After awhile it really stood out that not many people wanted to be interviewed for the book and the ones that did kept it short.

It wasn't a bad read, it just wasn't as in depth and "revealing" as I had hoped. That didn't sway me into being any less of a fan of the band or "Papa Het" though.

[Juha Saxberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

It says ”The Definitive Biography of James Hetfield” on the cover, but it’s not really a biography, much less a definitive one. This book is just recollections about a band called Metallica. At times it feels like an overlong magazine article, at times like a fanzine.

There’s no insight, nothing new about James Hetfield, just some anecdotes and quotes from people who may or may not have known him. Plus plenty of trivia about Metallica’s gigs, albums, and album cover art.

If you’re expecting an insight look at Mr. James Hetfield, this is not it.

[G Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reader's digest treatment of one of the most influential figures in metal today. I really yearned for a more in-depth book. Perhaps one day.

[Chris Mcgowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

(July 2017) - I have not read any other Metallica books, but have followed them fairly closely since the Black album. The early years of James and the band had some new info for me to digest and even post '91 there was additional info that made it worth reading. Please be aware that this book is not the normal biography of a normal living person where the subject has contributed to the book. The author has pieced together info from many sources, with no footnotes or anything like that. I am not an English major, but the writing style was difficult for me to speed through. I did get a good sense of who James is as a musician, BUT the in depth examination of his non-music life was a little lacking. If you're a super fan of the band, then check it out. If you're not a super fan, then check out the other books to see if there is one that better meets your needs. Rock on!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that I chose to write my review on is called So let it be written. This book was a great read for Metallica fans.It was written by Mark Eglinton.In this book you will find a ton of information about the the co-founder/lead vocalist James Hetfield.I found this book to be very interesting.It gave a lot of insight and information about his life.It told the story of his abuse of alcohol and his passion for music. I would recommend this book to read for any Metallica fan out there.

[Manon Kroon · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started off with this book, I was excited to read this book. The first half of the book is the best part and also focusses on James himself. Where Mark Eglinton loses me, is when Metallica comes into the picture. It was too much about Lars, Kirk, Cliff, Jason and Robert then it was about James himself. The second half of the book was too much about the band Metallica, not so much about James (while this book is supposed to be about James).

[Sriram K R · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice ride down memory lane for any MetallicA fan, especially a Jaymz fanboi like me. Comes across as a bit too fawning at times but overall tells the story of MetallicA with a focus on James. Fun read but there's nothing new or personal here, seeing as it is told largely from the author's perspective with quotes from a bunch of musicians and assorted folks in the '80s Bay Area scene.

[Sima · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is incredible. It is all about "follow your dreams"
Hetfield / Metallica 's story is remarkable. A modern age fairy tale when artists
can be artists. Make an entirely new thing, in this case, music, their way...

[Nicole Mckairnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I thought this book would be more insight and less history. While a nice timeline on the history of the band, with album analysis, the book lacks any real insight into James’s life and is rife with speculation.

[Vilmos Blumenschein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for Metallica fans, for general rock music listeners it's an interesting read also.

[Honey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jaymz deserves a much better bio. This is not exactly a high-quality biography. Only reason I hang onto it is because I love Jaymz so much that I’ll put up with a lot of garbage...

[Aliane]

yes

[jamez · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. I would have liked to learn more about the musician. The book primarily focuses on the history of the band.

[Jordan Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5/5) More Metallica biography with sprinkles of testimonies about James, but does a dry job of telling the Metallica story.

[Mark Nowowiejski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it - Hetfield is pretty much who you think he is. I would have liked more details on the tour debauchery as the author got a little repetitive at times but overall interesting stuff about the background of the songs matching up with his upbringing and the progression of the band of the years in general.

Def enjoy their discography as you go through the chapters. *Maybe skip St Anger

[Lyndsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to give this book a chance, since I'm a huge Metallica fan. Be prepared. This is not a James Hetfield biography, this is a fan telling the story of Metallica with bits of James-focused antidotes included.

Here's what I learned: James is quiet and shy until you get him to open up, and then he's great. (Whoa. Shocker. And to hear it repeated as if it was a mantra I was repeating while banging my head against the wall.)

Here's what I didn't learn: How he met his wife, the story of their relationship and that of his family. What lead him to seek treatment and how it impacted his life after.

It seems that those interviewed needed no further qualification that to have known/run into a band member once or twice in his life.

The author isn't deserving of the title. It read like a high school essay, complete with poor grammar. I concede that I could be wrong, but the use of "Metallica" as a plural had me wanting to throw the book against the wall which, incidentally, I did upon completion. Every time I read "Metallica were..." I wanted to scream. "Metallica" is a single entity. Try "Metallica was...".

Also, I'm pretty sure even biographies require bibliographies.

Really, if you're a Metallica fan, there's zero new information here and the writing style and quality leave much to be desired. Don't bother.

[Luís Alves · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're going to read this trying to know some extra details or personal anecdotes about James Hetfield that haven't already been released in various other Metallica books, then you're going to be disappointed. Other than the first few chapters focusing on his childhood and adolescence and the final pages which present an interesting reflection of what Hetfield achieved in the latter stages of his life, this book is essentially a synthesized Metallica biography with a few opinion tidbits from friends, musicians and acquaintances who got to know Hetfield over the years.
On the other hand, it's also understandable why the author had so little to work with, because Hetfield is known to keep his private life to himself, building up a wall around strangers who might try to interview or get to know him. Even so, it's definetely not the best James Hetfield biography out there and I suspect the only one worth reading will be his own, if he ever decides to write it.

[Julia Makowska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Książka na okładce ma napis "szczegółowa biografia Jamesa Hetfielda" No ale ja tutaj tych szczegółów nie widzę. Rzeczy wręcz kanonicznie ważne dla zespołu są potraktowane po macoszemu, tak jakby autorowi w pewnym momencie odechciało się pisać.

Drugim badziewiem tej książki są błędy - i to nie polskiego tłumacza... samego autora takie jak daty urodzin, wydania albumów. Tragedia po prostu... Autor na początku książki napisał, że uczestniczył w życiu zespołu ale tak naprawdę opisuje tylko rzeczy ogólnie dostępne dla każdego zajadacza chleba.

O wielu rzeczach, które są tutaj opisane wiedziałam już zanim zaczęłam czytac tą książkę. W dodatku to jak autor opisuje kawałki z płyt jest śmieszne i straszne. Opisuje kawałki tylko w swoim guście nie zwracając uwagi na opinie innych ludzi które można sprawdzić.

Tragedia. Ocena 2/5 bo czytając ta książkę modlę się zeby się już skończyła

[Joyce Meijs · Rating 3 out of 5]

De auteur is overduidelijk fan van James Hetfield en maakt dit ook overduidelijk in het boek. Vele artiesten hebben bijgedragen aan dit boek, maar James en de bandleden niet. Het boek geeft de man achter Metallica aan de hand van onderzoek weer. Onderzoek wat niet slecht is gedaan, echter waren eerstehands interviews van cruciale toegevoegde waarde geweest.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Love Metallica, but who was this about again? Where’s jaymz? Would have been much better with his involvement. 40 years in...and we still don’t have a decent book about what makes Hetfield tick? It’s no mustaine metal memoir.

[Beata Dąbrowska · Rating 1 out of 5]

To nie żadna biografia, tylko kolejna historia zespołu, w dodatku z tyloma błędami faktograficznymi, że to nawet nie jest śmieszne. Warto ją sobie odpuścić.

[Hobart · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are many problems with this book. If it is a definitive account of Hetfield, it's because there's not a lot of competition. The firsthand interviews seem to be with people who knew Hetfield in school or shortly thereafter -- or friends of former bandmates. For insights from people closer to him, Eglinton seems to rely on interviews published in magazines or done on TV or in a documentary. I could be wrong about that -- there might be more original research performed by him, but given the utter lack of citation, it's hard to say for sure.

This book is primarily about Hetfield's professional life, following the account of Hetfield's mother's death, we maybe get two full paragraphs (scattered over chapters) about Hetfield's family (but repeated statements that family is the most important thing to Hetfield), and his friendships outside the band aren't given much more space.

Rather than a biography of James Hetfield, this comes across as the story of Metallica with a focus on the input, influence, and antics of Hetfield. With a special emphasis on glorying in the music and lyrics of the albums leading up to Metallica/The Black Album, and in denigrating everything from Load through the build-up for the release of Hardwired... to Self-Destruct, which wasn't released in time for him to come up with a strong opinion about (with some okay words directed to the documentaries and films produced in that time).

It's clear that Eglinton was a fan of early Metallica, and has a wide appreciation for and knowledge of the metal scene. He has the knowledge base and the passion to produce a strong book about the band -- but he seems to lack the ability to focus on the life of one man. Somehow, the author wrote a similar looking book, James Hetfield: The Wolf at Metallica's Door, seven years earlier than this -- and it was longer. I'm not sure how he pulled that off -- my guess is more analysis of the contents of albums and/or his estimation of their worth. I'm curious about the differences between the two, but not enough to put up with reading it to compare.

James Hetfield is a deeply flawed, incredibly talented, and interesting figure. A biography of him should be intrinsically and automatically fascinating, and it takes a certain kind of author to take that potential and turn it into a disappointment. Sadly, Eglinton is just that kind of author.

Don't bother.