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John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums
(Book). John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham was the godfather of hard rock drumming and he remains an idol to legions of Led Zeppelin and heavy metal fans worldwide. Although Bonham had to be courted away from more lucrative offers, he joined the newly formed band in 1968, helping guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant create such famous songs as "Stairway to Heaven" and "Kashmir" until his sudden death in 1980 at the age of 32. His unmistakable drum patterns are among the most emulated and sampled by today's rock drummers. This book is the first biography focusing on Bonham, providing a detailed track-by-track analysis of his greatest recordings, 45 color photos, and the most detailed and accurate inventory ever of Bonham's drum kits and percussion equipment.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 10, 2022
Anything written by Chris Welch is going to be good. Back in the day, as a rock journalist for Melody Maker, he was on the scene as Zeppelin rose to fame. His books often pull directly from articles he wrote and interviews he personally had with the band members. “John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums” by Chris Welch is no exception, and the book culminates with a visit and lengthy chat with Bonzo at his farm. Welch’s biography of Peter Grant is also excellent.
January 1, 2015
This was a good, informative read. The details, told through interviews, gave satisfying insights into the exceptional life of one of the most influential and impactful rockers of the twentieth century. For the musician, and music enthusiast, the book contains technical details of Bonhams kits and various recordings (down to the second in track where a certain lick -- or glitch -- takes place).
John Bonham: A Thunder Of Drums is a cautionary tale. The story of John Bonham's life is sad -- but filled with joyful moments.
Numerous typos were a distraction.
August 19, 2025
Merecida biografía de uno de los grandes genios de la batería de todos los tiempos (para un servidor el más grande). Siendo verdad que, dada la vida del tito Bonzo, podría ser una narración más salvaje que se acercara a la vida del batería de los Zep de manera más realista. La mayoría de anécdotas e historias son las más conocidas de Bonham, aportando poca info no conocida. Interesante la parte dedicada a la técnica, sobre todo a los más interesados en la vertiente más musical.
June 20, 2021
A solid yet underwhelming attempt to create a legitimate biography of the genius Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Author Chris Welch is no slouch when it comes to rock and roll journalism and such, yet his work on "John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums" swims to too steadily around the prosaic general, rarely diving into anything revealing or specific.
On the positive side, I appreciate the fact that "John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums" does at least attempt to focus on the man behind the drums, as well as the drummer's unique and incredible drumming technique that he used on the great Led Zeppelin classics "Good Times Bad Times," "Whole Lotta Love," "Moby Dick," "The Immigrant Song," "Kashmir" and many others.
Yet the author's ambition hovers at the surface level, leaving the reader too often admiring John Bonham and Led Zeppelin at a safe distance. There are times when a revealing bit of information is disclosed (such as drum tech Jeff Ocheltree's mention of Bonham's declining health) yet even then, Chris Welch makes no attempt to dig deeper.
The remainder of "John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums" is a mixture of good, bad and inaccurate. Writing about music can prove difficult, yet it is still surprising to see Welch occasionally stumble over words in an attempt to describe or comment on John Bonham's drumming on iconic Led Zeppelin tracks like "The Song Remains The Same, and the reggae-infused "D'yer Maker." The author's negative opinion of Bonham's drumming on the later track seems to have nothing to do with track itself, yet more to do with the author's expectation of what reggae drumming should be. If he used his ears instead of his intellect, Welch would have noticed how intricate and unique Bonham's drumming is on the tune.
Despite the title, "John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums" appears to be covering up its lack of significant material on its main subject matter. Instead of existing as a true, comprehensive biography of John Bonham, the book chooses to tell Bonham's life story mostly through the wealth of material already available about Led Zeppelin and their storied career from 1968 to 1980. The result is a book that left me wanting more, and the feeling that the definitive John Bonham biography has yet to be written.
On the positive side, I appreciate the fact that "John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums" does at least attempt to focus on the man behind the drums, as well as the drummer's unique and incredible drumming technique that he used on the great Led Zeppelin classics "Good Times Bad Times," "Whole Lotta Love," "Moby Dick," "The Immigrant Song," "Kashmir" and many others.
Yet the author's ambition hovers at the surface level, leaving the reader too often admiring John Bonham and Led Zeppelin at a safe distance. There are times when a revealing bit of information is disclosed (such as drum tech Jeff Ocheltree's mention of Bonham's declining health) yet even then, Chris Welch makes no attempt to dig deeper.
The remainder of "John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums" is a mixture of good, bad and inaccurate. Writing about music can prove difficult, yet it is still surprising to see Welch occasionally stumble over words in an attempt to describe or comment on John Bonham's drumming on iconic Led Zeppelin tracks like "The Song Remains The Same, and the reggae-infused "D'yer Maker." The author's negative opinion of Bonham's drumming on the later track seems to have nothing to do with track itself, yet more to do with the author's expectation of what reggae drumming should be. If he used his ears instead of his intellect, Welch would have noticed how intricate and unique Bonham's drumming is on the tune.
Despite the title, "John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums" appears to be covering up its lack of significant material on its main subject matter. Instead of existing as a true, comprehensive biography of John Bonham, the book chooses to tell Bonham's life story mostly through the wealth of material already available about Led Zeppelin and their storied career from 1968 to 1980. The result is a book that left me wanting more, and the feeling that the definitive John Bonham biography has yet to be written.
March 12, 2015
This reads like an over the top flowery speech that a grade 8 child would have written.
Such a biased account on Bonham.
Yes, he was a great drummer, but tone it down Welch and Nicholls.
Way too much fan boy-ing going on here.
The best parts are the last 1/3 when they get into his drums sounds and whatnot.
First half is totally disposable.
No need to waste your time here folks, unless you want a quick and brainless vacation read.
Such a biased account on Bonham.
Yes, he was a great drummer, but tone it down Welch and Nicholls.
Way too much fan boy-ing going on here.
The best parts are the last 1/3 when they get into his drums sounds and whatnot.
First half is totally disposable.
No need to waste your time here folks, unless you want a quick and brainless vacation read.
June 1, 2012
Why is it so difficult to write a music biography that does not sound cheesy? Overall, I was disappointed by the writing and the things the authors chose to focus on, but it was worth the read. The best section is the song-by-song analysis of Bonham's playing (last chapter). Don't read this to gain any kind of a critical perspective on Bonham's life. It is as flowery as humanly possible.
May 30, 2012
“In my opinion, John Bonham was the greatest rock drummer in the world.” – Jimmy Page.
“John Bonham was a great musician. That’s what I really feel about him and that’s what I miss.” – John Paul Jones.
He was born on May 31, 1948 in Redditch, Worcestershire, the center part of England. And he died on September 25, 1980. 32 years of an inspirational life.
“John Bonham was a great musician. That’s what I really feel about him and that’s what I miss.” – John Paul Jones.
He was born on May 31, 1948 in Redditch, Worcestershire, the center part of England. And he died on September 25, 1980. 32 years of an inspirational life.
January 17, 2010
Jika ditanya siapa drummer paling hebat yang pernah diciptakan Tuhan,..saya akan jawab: John Bonham. Sekali lagi di dunia Rock,..musisi berbakat akan mati muda. Jika anda tak sependapat dengan saya,..silakan baca buku ini.
November 4, 2007
meng'inspirasi gw buat bermain drum lebih baik....
March 13, 2010
Keren dan detail banget!!! *langsung kepingin nyetel Led Zeppelin dan mendengarkan dengan lebih cermat permainan John Bonham*
April 14, 2010
jebred! langsung ngasi bintang lima
ripyu nyusul kalo sempet
ripyu nyusul kalo sempet
June 9, 2018
A fantastic summary of the life of the greatest drummer in Rock n Roll. End chapters explain the techniques behind Bonzo's drumming skill, and are worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews