Run to the Hills: Iron Maiden, the Authorized Biography | 
| Authors: Mick Wall, Chris Ingham
Publisher: Sanctuary Publishing, Ltd.
Category: Book
Buy New: $93.46
New (2) Used (10) from $49.03
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 875286
Media: Paperback
Edition: 3
Pages: 393
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.3
ISBN: 1860745423
Dewey Decimal Number: 780
EAN: 9781860745423
ASIN: 1860745423
Publication Date: October 30, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
For more than 25 years, Iron Maiden has led the way in heavy metal -selling over 50 million records, setting trends, and influencing everyone from Metallica to Marilyn Manson. In this popular biography, now in its third edition, the authors interview individual band members and get their stories of how it all began, describe Maiden's rise to the top, and provide a general picture of the music industry.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Good, very good January 19, 2009
D. Pascoe (Missouri)
If you are at all interested in IM, then you should read this book because it is worth your time. On the whole it is well written, informative, and there's little sense of "interference" from being the "authorised" bio of the band. Further, the text takes seriously each phase of the band's changes, and there's no sense of nostalgia or lament in it. It reads quickly; the band's success makes a compelling narrative. It would be 3 1/2 stars if possible, really.
So it's very useful as a general history, but there are a few drawbacks. First -- and this is specific to this edition, presumably -- other than the fine print on the title page, there's no indication that Mick Wall did not write the whole thing (thus making the authorial "I" of Dave Ling in Chapter 16 sort of deceptive/confusing). And the last few chapters, written by Chris Ingham, are decidedly inferior in the writing (lots of exclamation points!)and much too short. The book rushes to a rather anti-climactic close.
Second, there's very little discussion of the music itself, so if you're interested in what made the typical Harris "galloping" bass, for instance, you'll be no wiser. It didn't need to be a musical textbook, but when dealing with one of the more musically serious bands in rock, some depth might've been welcome. (There are a few mentions of "time changes" but that's about it.)
Third, even when reviewing the songs, there's very little explanation of the many references. How did Steve Harris, for example, who dropped out of school as soon as he was able, learn about Alexander the Great? Why was he so interested? How 'bout "Run to the Hills"? Where'd that come from? In the book the songs seem very context-free and there's little sense of the depth of the band's interests. There's also no mention of the controversy surrounding the awful "Dance of Death" cover.
This work was more "Fear of the Dark" than "Powerslave."
 Todo fans debe tenerlo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! September 23, 2008
Manuel Ramirez Munoz (Vina del Mar. Chile)
Desde el incio este libro se nota que est escrito por alguien que conoce de Rock yque porsupuesto conoce a la banda. Mick Wall nos introduce en el naciente mundo del Heavy Metal britanico y da luces de cada hecho que transformo en histora a Iron Maiden. Si bien no hay muchas fotografias que acompanen el libro, no es menor que la historia de cada integrante te da luces de como la fortuna o una alineacion de planetas junto a la gente indicada en el lugar indicado. Si quieres formar tu propia banda te sera muy util y si quieres ser un representante te da mayor informacion aun sobretodo por el papel de Rod Smalwood. Los testimonios son de primera fuente y de seguro te sorprenderas con algunos relatos, quien trato de grabar como Queen, quien queria ser baterista en un comienzo, la eleccion de Blaze como reemplazo, los shows en que Dickinson solo murmuro las canciones, el porque de la salida de Clive Burr etc, etc. Es la unica y mejor biografia de Maiden, aunque llega al 2004 de seguro que una 3ra edicion llegara al 2008.
Maiden 4-Ever April 15, 2007
Sven Isaksson (STOCKHOLM Sweden)
This is a really great book. Not only as it is the biography of one of the greatest heavy metal bands: Iron Maiden written by excellent writer Mick Wall (of Kerrang / Classic Rock fame). The book perfectly describes the bands unique determination to keep playing and growing continuously as band members are exchanged and overall music trends are changing.
The band's story is very inspirational and instills the mantra to never give up and keep fighting for what you thing is right will give results. Well recommended to all fans of music.
Excellent in-depth book of the history of Iron Maiden November 15, 2006
Matthew Schwarz (Bridgewater, nj United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
What I like about this book is that it tells the story behind the band and their music, rather than being a groupie/drugs tales book (like Hammer of the Gods on Zeppelin, for example). I've been reading magazine articles, books, etc. on the band for about a decade and a half, and I learned a lot from this book, but little from anything I've read since! It gives a large amount of detail on band member backgrounds and the rise of the band - I think you're about a third of the way through the book before he reaches the first album.
There are 2 reasons I don't give it 5 stars. First of all, the book breezes through what I (and many others) consider the peak of the band, the four albums from Piece of Mind to Seventh Son, and the author under-rates these albums. I've never met a fan who considers anything Maiden have done since the 80's as being as good as these albums, but the author considers the X Factor a masterpiece and Powerslave as full of filler! This is nonsense. Also, I think the book would be the better if it followed Bruce and Blaze's solo work a little - I think Bruce's albums in the 90's (specifically the 2 with Adrian Smith) are as much Maiden as anything the band put out, and both singers put out excellent work after leaving Maiden that are probably mostly listened to by Maiden fans.
I have the first edition of this book (from 1998, I believe), but it has been updated with each new album by the band. I'll probably pick up the next edition, if they update it for the new CD.
what's up with the bad reviews? July 8, 2005
Chris J. Guerra (Houston, TX)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Mick Wall doesn't try to influence the reader with suggestions that any particular period of the group was better than another. Nor does his own personal opinions of which album was their best appear at all. This is just a well-balanced overview of one of the most important bands in rock music. For those interested in a sex and drugs book, this isn't for you. A great read, I couldn't put it down.
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