Parachute Women: Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, and the Women Behind the Rolling Stones

by Elizabeth Winder

Discover the true story of the four women who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help shape and curate the image of The Rolling Stones—perfect for fans of Girls Like Us.

The Rolling Stones have long been considered one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands of all time. At the forefront of the British Invasion and heading up the counterculture movement of the 1960s, the Stones' innovative music and iconic performances defined a generation, and fifty years later, they're still performing to sold-out stadiums around the globe. Yet, as the saying goes, behind every great man is a greater woman, and behind these larger-than-life rockstars were four incredible women whose stories have yet to be fully unpacked . . . until now.In Parachute Women, Elizabeth Winder introduces us to the four women who inspired, styled, wrote for, remixed, and ultimately helped create the legend of the Rolling Stones. Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, and Anita Pallenberg put the glimmer in the Glimmer Twins and taught a group of straight-laced boys to be bad. They opened the doors to subterranean art and alternative lifestyles, turned them on to Russian literature, occult practices, and LSD. They connected them to cutting edge directors and writers, won them roles in art house films that renewed their appeal. They often acted as unpaid stylists, providing provocative looks from their personal wardrobes. They remixed tracks for chart-topping albums, and sometimes even wrote the actual songs. More hip to the times than the rockers themselves, they consciously (and unconsciously) kept the band current—and confident—with that mythic lasting power they still have today.Lush in detail and insight, and long overdue, Parachute Women is a group portrait of the four audacious women who transformed the Stones into international stars, but who were themselves marginalized by the male-dominated rock world of the late '60s and early '70s. Written in the tradition of Sheila Weller's Girls Like Us, it's a story of lust and rivalries, friendships and betrayals, hope and degradation, and the birth of rock and roll. 

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Memoir, Audiobook, Feminism

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2023

About the author

Elizabeth Winder is also the author of a poetry collection. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Review, the Antioch Review, American Letters, and other publications. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and earned an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University.

Reviews

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 3 out of 5]

The words "depravity" and "debauchery" kept popping up in my mind as I read this book. I'm not a Rolling Stones fan, I'm a Beatles fan, but the idea appealed to me to flesh out the women that were so important to The Stones. I found that more interesting than finding out about the band members themselves. I knew next to nothing about these women. I knew zero about Marsha Hunt and Anita Pallenberg...except in her case that she was a drug addict. Bianca Jagger was always in the society/entertainment pages when I was growing up, a staple at places like Studio 54 in NYC. Marianne Faithfull I only knew for her melancholy tune "As Tears Go By".

Anita Pallenberg gets the biggest cut of page time in this book due to being so outrageous. She set her eyes on Brian Jones initially, then transitioned over to Keith Richards and even took a "bite" out of Mick Jagger. At one point in the book Jagger jokes that he's slept with all his band member's women except for drummer Charlie's wife. Apparently The Stones were fairly clean cut until Anita came along and dirtied them up by influencing the androgynous way they dressed and drug usage. I was particularly disturbed reading about drug use during both Anita's and Marianne's pregnancies and parenting children while under this influence. It was also very disheartening reading about Mick Jagger ignoring the daughter Karis he had with Marsha Hunt after convincing her to have a baby with him.

The writing style was fine, but the content was so disturbing and depressing that it was a book I dipped into and out of while reading other books. The one Jagger "wife" that was barely mentioned was Jerry Hall who Mick was with from 1977-1999, but she wasn't interesting enough to write about because she was compliant- content to be a wife and mother.

Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entry in my rabbit hole of books about celebrities (mainly rock) of the 1960s. As a teen, I so envied these women who were involved with the Rolling Stones but after reading what these women went through, the envy has disappeared -- in fact, lots of sympathies although many situations were by choice. And the drug use - geez, how are these people still alive? Granted, Anita Pallenberg is no longer with us but she died just a few years ago. This had many interesting stories about events and relationships I was not aware of although Marsha Hunt and Bianca got short shrift in their stories.

Although the writing wasn't the best, it was still riveting and I had a hard time putting it down. It has also led me to get Marianne Faithfull's memoirs from the library.

Readers who want more on the topic of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll might want to give these books a try:

She's a Rainbow by Simon Wells (biography of Anita Pallenberg)
Sister Stardust by Jane Green (novel set in the late 60s featuring Talitha Getty and cameos by rock stars of the day, including Lissy, a character based on Anita Pallenberg)
Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd (memoir by George Harrison's wife)
Jennifer Juniper by Jenny Boyd (sister of Pattie and wife of Mick Fleetwood)
Miss Odell by Chris Odell (hanger-on of the times)
Mick Jagger by Philip Norman
Life by Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones All the Songs by Philippe Margotin (for stories behind the songs inspired by their women)
I'm With the Band by Pamela Des Barres (mega-groupie of the late 60s-70s)

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced e-galley. To be published July 2023.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In those days I really didn’t know I had a story of my own. I was just part of their story…” ~ Marianne Faithfull

“Who manages Keith Richards? Probably Anita Pallenberg.” ~ Interview in Melody Maker, 1973

“I feel as though I’m rather like the sixth Rolling Stone.” ~ Anita Pallenberg

What interested me to read this was not the members of the band, but the story of the the women “behind” The Rolling Stones, and ultimately how their artistry influenced the image of rock music and ultimately created the flamboyant fashions that we have all come to recognize through the decades.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I was excited about seeing The Rolling Stones from a different angle. It gives a different angle but, heavily skewed. The author paints the subjects of this book as victims but, these women are not victims. They chose a lifestyle, and some of them couldn’t handle it. But, the reason I give this book 2 stars, is for the simple fact, that it is full of factual errors. Do publishing houses have fact checkers anymore or, for that matter editors? One glaring error that came up a few times is when the author refers to Chris Jagger as Mick‘s older brother. Chris Jagger is Mick Jagger‘s younger brother. The author should know this. this book is a book of what might have been, if executed properly. Sadly, it falls flat in all areas.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full confession: I am a big Stones fan.
Ever since my uncle (who was staying at our house in the early 70s) brought those albums home, I was hooked. It's in my bones. The music, the mythology, the danger (I would pick Stones over Beatles every time). Read the books, went to the concerts, even met my husband through the Stones' music in a roundabout way.

So I was more than a little excited to dive into Parachute Women: Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, and the Women Behind the Rolling Stones. Elizabeth Winder dug deep, weaving a narrative based on photos, memoirs, interviews and articles, covering the period 1965-72, arguably the Stones' creative height. The period when Brian, Mick and Keith were entwined with these women.

I knew they were influential. I knew Anita was behind Keith's iconic skull ring. I knew they were behind some of their biggest songs. I didn't know how pervasive this influence was. One of the best things about reading this book is being able to look up pictures to accompany the anecdotes. Trip to Stonehenge at 2 in the morning on LSD, on a whim? Morocco, Cannes, Italy, Villefranche (where they recorded Exile on Main St.)? Want to see the outfits, want to see Keith and Mick draped in their lovers' scarves, floppy hats, blouses? It's all out there for the viewing, and cemented my appreciation for this book.

"Look at the pictures of Keith before and after Anita... It's like the difference between Buddy Holly and Jack the Ripper". She brought swagger, danger, the confidence and the couldn't care less attitude Keith eventually became known for. She nurtured Brian's creativity, Mick sought her input on recordings. She was referred to as the sixth Stone. The Rolling Stones as they came to be would not have manifested without Anita Pallenberg.

Educated, well read, ballet and theater loving Marianne Faithfull, actress and songstress, introduced an impressionable Mick Jagger to her cultured world. He adapted it as his own. What he made Marsha Hunt, mother to his first child, go through was disgraceful. His marriage to Bianca gave him a wider view, a global perspective, the high class corporate persona we know to this day.

While all four women's names are in the title, the main players are Anita and Marianne. The stories are intimate and detailed, supported by pictures, sourced from the many memoirs and interviews. It gives these women their due, with both the juicy, salacious, and scandalous features of a tell all and the nature of a survival epic. They are/were incredibly strong women. It was a privilege to take this romp through history with them.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the ARC. Parachute Women was published in July 2023.

[Kaitlin Lorelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing look at the women behind the Rolling Stones.

[Truly Albertine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely interesting and entertaining… Most of the book revolved around Anita Pallenberg and Marianne Faithfull, with Marsha Hunt and Bianca Jagger being tossed in at the end with less character development or context. Does a great job explaining the nuances of being a woman in the 60s-70s rock scene- the fun parts and the carnage it eventually wrecks on these women’s lives. Does feel a little bit biased but I expected that going in, and overall maybe Mick Jagger really was just that much of an asshole?? Obviously, take some of this book with a grain of salt, but it IS backed up by interviews and quotes from these women themselves. Overall was just really entertaining like … I had a fun time and I love the idea of spotlighting womens’ influences on the male dominated 60s-70s rock scene.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rolling Stones are one of my older brother's top three bands (up there with the Who and the Clash). So, growing up, I heard plenty of their music even though I knew less about their lives outside of the public pages.

The book focuses specifically on Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt and Bianca Jagger. It goes into great detail how the actions of these women influenced and shaped several of the members of the band. They introduced them to drugs, art and literature, fashion, the occult and more.

The first two thirds of the book focuses mostly on Anita and Marianne, two of the biggest influences. In fact, Anita is very much in the center of all the action, having been involved in various intimate capacities with three of the band members (Brian Jones, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger) over the course of a decade and a half. Anita often used sex to get what she wanted and moved on once she got what she desired. Marianne comes across as the one most used and abused. Marsha, of whom I knew the least and who is more the transitional "affair" for Mick, kept strong to her own ideals and goals. Sadly, she was done wrong and only left with a daughter who was unsupported by Mick. Bianca's story is then touched upon; she too used and discarded but clearly the one who ended up the least scarred from the experiences.

By the author's own notes, clearly Winder was most fascinated by Anita's tale and, to a lesser extent, the connections she and Marianne had. To me, it almost feels like Marsha's and Bianca's additions are here to fill out the pages and to cover the narrative until Anita finally called it quits with Keith. The last few chapters quickly tick off the years of the 70's where the earlier chapters are much richer and descriptive.

Despite all that, I did pick up more details than I had known previously. Thus, the book did achieve in enlightening me as a reader.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Hachette Books & Elizabeth Winder for the advanced copy of Parachute Women.

This was such an entertaining read for me. Definitely one to add to the collection if you’re interested/a fan. I spent the whole time looking up all the referenced pictures, movies, and songs of the women behind the Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithful, Anita Pallenberg, Marsha Hunt, and Bianca Jagger. It enticed me to deep dive into a few song meanings, have some great musical conversations with my partner, and to add a few more memoirs to the TBR pile.

As some of the reviews have already noted, the writing does rely heavily on its creative licensing, but it definitely achieves its goal of showing us how these women were marginalized in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

And so much hash!!!

[Kat Ninteau · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to start off by thanking Netgally for this ARC. I was so excited as a fan of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, and Anita Pallenberg but this fell flat for me. Since I wouldn’t have finished this book if I had bought it, I DNF’d it at 30%. This book reads like fiction but not in a good way. There are so many details of mundane things that happened when people were tripping out of their minds but and couldn’t have possibly remembered but no real meat to the content. Truly disappointing.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lazy writing that might as well be fiction

The fact that this book got published at all was likely a good synopsis that pitched it as an interesting alternative to the vast numbers of books that have been written about the Stones. What they got for their troubles was a complete failure. There are so many lazy mistakes and made up facts based only on photos and other people’s books, specifically Greenfield’s deep dives into the Stones. I excused the first glaring mistake which was claiming that As Tears Go By was the first song the Stones ever wrote when they were locked in the room in Fulham by Andrew Oldham. Then I started highlighting mistakes such as places that don’t actually exist and events that nobody other than the person involved (Brian’s Death comes to mind) would know, made up conversations that only those speaking would have been privy to, towns in Jamaica that don’t exist, streets in Chelsea that she moves to Kensington. When the pages became long stretches of purple highlighting to keep track of the falsehoods I gave up and ultimately I just figured I’d enjoy it as fiction which is pretty much the case with the majority of it. Having read pretty much everything about this band I spotted many instances of blatant plagiarism. How does a publisher let something like this go to print? I’ll grant her the assessment of Jagger in which he comes across as a complete ass, the only point that she editorialises correctly. Otherwise this is purile garbage and not worth your time or money. The one positive comment I can make is that these women are fascinating and deserve a proper biographies by an actual writer who’s research goes beyond a bunch of photos taken at airports and a bunch of cut and pasting. Thank god for libraries- I didn’t pay for this train wreck and neither should you.

[Susan Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book teases with the introduction and epilogue that it will have some substance, but the rest of the book reads like a 5th graders report, stringing together notes from research without much depth or insight. The women come across as victims rather than feminists and the extreme drug use seems to the result of their mistreatment. Save yourself some time and skip the middle chapters of this book. I’m sure you can find more inspired writing about these women if they really are as heroic as the author claims.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a life-long Stonesaholic, I knew quite a bit about their early years and the women in their lives. About 50 pages in I thought this would be a DNF - mainly because the writing was all over the place. I had to set that aside and focused on how the author was portraying these women. It’s pretty common knowledge that they were treated abysmally, drug use was rampant, and misogyny kept it all going. But there were factual errors that make me question the author’s research. Though we can all agree that the men of the Stones - with the exception of Charlie and Bill - were truly awful in the way they used and abused the women that loved them.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gossipy and fun. Marianne Faithfull slowly unravels due to heroin and other drugs. Anita Pallenberg showing herself capable of anything outrageous. Bianca and Marsha overshadowed by the drama of the other two.

[Peter Mannix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure this warranted a full book.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

mick jagger you will begin to cough in three days

[Allison Wiggins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t do it for me. I wanted this to be empowering but in the end its just a lot of women getting f’d over by shitty men. It’s also a lot of short anecdotes that aren’t necessarily in chronological order so it lacked the continuity required to really understand the characters.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Google Jessica Hopper’s review of Parachute Women by way of The Washington Post. It’s dead on and what made me pick up this book. I’m giving this five stars because I couldn’t put it down. It’s so well written and interesting.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely delicious read. I could not put it down.

My one note is that I'm not entirely sure that Bianca Jagger fits here, but I don't blame the author for putting her in: She's utterly fascinating! I'm more intrigued by her than ever because she is so hard to understand (she's also very funny!).

My write-up of the book in The Post: https://nypost.com/2023/07/08/these-w...

[Lea Columbus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Hachette Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.So first a few disclaimers. I remember the 60's. I was 10 in 1964( Year of the Beatles) and 16 in 1970 ( the year everything changed:). However, given my age and the fact that I lived at home( in Pennsylvania) until I got married in 1975, my recollections of those years are far different from the ones in this book. However, I did read , a lot, about the British bands, the members and their wives/girlfriends. When books about this era talk about the Teen Fan Magazines and their readers, they are talking about me. I have also read in later years books by and about the Beatles, the Stones and other groups. I was intrigued to see this book, one that would focus on the women involved. The premise is a bit skewed however, while there is a lot about Anita Pallenberg and Marianne Faithfull, Bianca Jagger and Marsha Hunt get a bit of a short shrift. Also, there is little to no mention of the women who where involved with the other members of the band. To be fair, Anita Pallenberg and Marianne Faithfull were fascinating , and well worth a book centered on them alone.I just felt like there was more to be said , especially about Bianca, that didn't make the cut. The book talks about the early years of the Stones, about the relationship between Brian Jones, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.The 2 women , Anita and Marianne, were alternately lovers, muses, partners and influencers. They were also very much independent women, with their own careers, loves, and lives. Marsha Hunt and Bianca Jagger were also independent and successful in their own lives. This attracted the men , and in some ways disturbed them as well. It appears that while the men of the Rolling Stones wanted this type of women, they also wanted a more traditional spouse/girlfriend, and this dichotomy was the ruination of the relationships. The book is full of details of the early days of the Rolling Stones, especially of Brian Jones. It does not cover up or white wash stories of drug use, infidelities, and mental cruelty. It is unvarnished and , at times, painful to read. I would like to read more , about some of the women who came after-Patti Hanson, Jerry Hall etc. Again thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the untold story of the women behind famous men: the Rolling Stones.

For years, they have released music, been rock stars at concerts and made millions from their fans worldwide. Yet, few of us know much about four women – Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithful, Marsha Hunt and Bianca Jagger – who had close ties with Keith Richards and Mick Jagger.

Besides great music, Keith and Mick learned that in the early 60’s they needed to project excitement and sex appeal to energize their fans. The four women gave them a boost of morale, heighten sense of stability, confidence and inspiration. In the craze, Anita and Marianne along with Keith and Mick also got caught up in the illegal drug world – taking copious amounts of LSD, marijuana, cocaine and heroin.

It’s such a highly visual topic that I just wanted to stop reading to see images. I ended up spending some time on Google searching through photos of Mick and Keith with girlfriends, wives, children and events. Then I asked Alexa to play the top hits which took me back to fun times over the years.

It would be a challenge to edit the piles of material from publications, news reports and tabloids to fit into this book of a little less than 300 pages. It reads easy enough with a fair amount of sad, dark and depressing times. There are many surprises on how the women were treated. I was disappointed that Marsha didn’t get the minimal amount of support she requested to raise Mick’s daughter. It's easy to get caught up with biased opinions.

The book conveys a piece of rock ‘n’ roll history with changes that occurred from records and albums to large concerts. Women’s rights changed from motherhood to working role models. Yet, the songs from six decades ago are still on our radars. Every time I hear, "I can't get no satisfaction" it brings me to some other place in time. Part of the words relates to us all. The book for many of us opens up our past and would make a good discussion.

My thanks to Elizabeth Winder, Hachette Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of July 11, 2023.

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grew up in a house that liked both the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. And I’ve read enough rock bios to know this one, especially, would have more than its share of sex and drug references. I’d heard of and knew something about each of the women its about, and didn’t expect the book to be so….I don’t know, not very interesting???

Besides some needed fact checking, it seemed like there was so so so much minor detail. What people wore when they went here and there, what they ate, where they shopped and for what, even what they thought! How would anyone know all of that, even them, after all these years, and considering how high they were most of the time? How would anyone know that the night Marianne Faithful spent with Keith Richards was “the best night of her life”? There is so much of that, that I really started skimming, rather than reading detail after detail. I was sick to death already of Anita and how absolutely outlandish and amazing she supposedly was, by the time it got to other topics. Marianne loved Keith, but ended up with Mick because Keith loved Anita, who was with Brian at first….I knew all that already, and this just added way too much tiny detail I didn’t care about to begin with.
This didn’t really bring any special insight into the lives of the women involved, it just showed that they were really just different versions of the men they were with and what they put up with to be with them.

[Mary Quain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book because it harked back to the popular music of my generation. I recognized all the names, was interested in knowing more about each woman, and looked forward to comparing what I learned to the little context I had in my youth.

Indeed, the book read like a 60s teen magazine, but with a sharper edge not sanctioned back then. My now grown-up eyes saw the stunning level of misogyny that ruled their lives. I was first disgusted by that, then quite saddened by these women's acceptance of it as the price they paid for fame.

I can't say I enjoyed this book. In fact, I didn't finish it because the stories were all so similarly tragic. I think the would have been far more interesting as a biography of one of the women, while still referring to her contemporaries.

That said, the book might make a good reading assignment for students of sociology.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fascinating, informative, and tragic. The women who made the Stones iconic were left in the wake of their success. This is a classic tale of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but it’s also a story of the contradiction between women’s roles and the male rockstar. This is a book about feminism, about love gone awry, and the need for artistic expression. As a lifelong Stones fan, I thought I knew the stories, but this book highlighted the stories not told, the women somewhat forgotten. It was great.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been a lot more interesting if the author had toned back the florid, over-the-top descriptions of just about everything surrounding Anita and Marianne. Marsha, and especially Bianca, almost feel like footnotes in this story. But yikes - paragraphs that went on forever describing the clothing that Anita and Marianne wore using the medieval terminology for the garment that a lot of people probably have never even heard of (farthingale, anyone?). I've just never gotten the fuss about Anita Pallenberg at all and still don't. She just seemed like a strung-out junkie.

[Allyson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I considered removing this from my bookshelf and not even posting a review but thought to save some other fans from disappointment. Perhaps in the hands of a better writer, this could have proved interesting material but it was nothing enlightening or revealing and her thesis was poorly developed.
I found nothing at all interesting or provocative in her portraits and instead felt she did disservice to her characters whom she had hoped to elevate and esteem.
Luckily it was a very fast read albeit hugely annoying and disappointing.

[Lovely Loveday]

Parachute Women is a captivating read that delves into the lives of Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, and the women who stood behind the Rolling Stones. The book is hard to put down; as many reviews have noted, the writing style relies heavily on creative license. However, the book successfully achieves its goal of highlighting how these women were marginalized during the late 60s and early 70s.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's copy of a fascinating book. The sense of time (1965-1972) and place are vividly portrayed; the feminine perspective and intuitive insights from each woman are compelling, heartbreaking, and sometimes inspiring, as each navigates her roller coaster life without the many passes for bad behavior granted to the Stones.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whirlwind of a story. A great read into the personalities and travels of the bands and musicians. The "gossip" is terrifically true. A really well written book. If you are a child of the 60s and 70s, you will recognize the names and some of the incidents. You can't go wrong with this book.

This copy was provided by NetGalley. The opinion expressed is my own.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advance copy of this look at the lives of women caught in the orbit of the rogue planet that was the Rolling Stones, how they changed the band, and how in many ways they were wrecked by rock and roll.

Behind every great man is a woman. In rock music thought these great women are vilified by fans, treated like goods by the band, ignored by those close to the band, maligned by band historians and slandered by rock journalists. A lot of this could be jealousy. People don't like their idols to have anyone in their lives, that aren't well the fans or the hangers-on. Rock stars are always told don't mention the wife or significant girlfriend, you have to be available to the fans men and women alike, not tied down. It is all about image. Movie stars, even wrestling stars have the same problem, so the lies begin as attachment is seen as a burden. Groupies, sure, flings with other famous people, that's cool, but lasting relationships. No way, that's a no-no. So rumours start, a candy bar her, trysts with men not in the band, maybe women. And what these women gave the band are lost to snickers and innuendos, never to be appreciated, or really told. Writer, biographer and poet Elizabeth Winder in the music book Parachute Women: Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, and the Women Behind the Rolling Stones looks at the women who while mentioned are never given the credit for their accomplishments in creating the world's most dangerous rock 'n' roll band.

Anita Pallenberg was a model, actress style icon who upon meeting the Rolling Stones was underwhelmed. Little boys playing adults were her first thought, thought Brian Jones, founder and multi-instrumentalist intrigued her. Soon she was making Keith Richards and Mick Jagger jealous showing Brian the world, along with drugs and interesting ideas. Soon Brian's violence cooled Anita's ardour, and quiet Keith Richards become her love, fathering children and sharing lots of drugs with him. Marianne Faithful was young, beautiful worldly and again unimpressed with the fake toughness of the Stones. Faithful was given a record deal by Stones management, and soon found herself both in Mick and Keith's orbit, and involved in a scandal that nearly destroyed the band. Marsha Hunt came to London for her career, became involved with Mick and had a child. Famous for her performance in Hair, Mick professed love, while knowing that he couldn't stay with one person for long. Soon Marsha stepped away, raising her child pretty much on her own. And Bianca Jagger, worldly, an activist, and friend to the best people. She moved Mick up in both culture, art, and maybe a little decadence, before also being left behind. There are others but these are whom the book features most.

I first read Elizabeth Winder's book on Sylvia Plath and loved the writing and the way that Winder could make Plath seem so real, even after all the other books done on Plath. Winder does the same thing her, giving all the women a chance not only to be seen more as my chick, but as women who were smarter, in some ways more talented, and more knowledgeable about the world than the band. They brought, style, music, attitude, and even more attitude, and for this, they have been pushed to the side or omitted from key moments in the band's history, unless it could be demeaning in some way. Winder is a fantastic writer, able to describe moments, and ideas clearly and with a sense of the importance behind them. The men might not come out so good, but frankly they deserved it. There is a lot that might be upsetting, drug use, drugs around kids, while pregnant, physical violence, derisive comments. Unfortunately the truth is ugly, and so in many way were there experiences.

I was listening to a podcast about music and the host was asked about doing a certain band. He answered no, as this band was a favorite of his, and that looking into it might make him not like the band anymore. That is a big problem with these books. The music might make you happy, the stories behind the music makes one upset. I don't have an answer for that, but I do feel that all sides of an issue should be covered. This is a great book on an aspect in music that never really gets shined on. I can't wait to see what Elizabeth Winder does next.