Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$9.38 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Sell Back Your Copy
For a $0.90 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus [Paperback]

Charles Mingus (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

List Price: $17.00
Price: $11.56 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.44 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it delivered Monday, January 30? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover --  
Paperback $11.56  
Mass Market Paperback --  
Unknown Binding --  

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Blues People: Negro Music in White America $11.07

Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus + Blues People: Negro Music in White America
  • This item: Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Blues People: Negro Music in White America

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A wild, lyrical, and anguished autobiography, in which Charles Mingus pays short shrift to the facts but plunges to the very bottom of his psyche, coming up for air only when it pleases him. He takes the reader through his childhood in Watts, his musical education by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Parker, and his prodigious appetites--intellectual, culinary, and sexual. The book is a jumble, but a glorious one, by a certified American genius.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage (September 3, 1991)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0679737618
  • ISBN-13: 978-0679737612
  • Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.8 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Authors

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

31 Reviews
5 star:
 (14)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars How to Be a Pimp 101, March 9, 2006
By 
This review is from: Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus (Paperback)
A word of warning to those thinking of purchasing this book - It is not what you may think. This is not a linear autobiographical work - it is more along the lines of an exagerrated story of the pimp lifestyle and the struggles of a light skinned African American in early to mid-20th century America.

Pay attention to the 'disclaimer' in the beginning of the book:

"Some names in this book have been changed and some of the characters and incidents are fictitious."

Therefore, you must not read this book under the assumption that it is a typical jazz autobiography. I view it as more of an artform, just as I would view the music. I find BENEATH THE UNDERDOG to still be an enjoyable read, however, you must know what you are getting yourself into. The stories are all over the place, including wild stories that involve dozens of women in Mexico as well as his later frustrations concerning his time at the Bellevue mental hospital in New York City. Mingus also writes about his youth in Watts, California, specifically the fact that he did not fit in with the whites because he was black, and he did not fit in with the blacks because he was light -skinned. These issues of alienation spill over into other aspects of his life. Additionally, one could argue that the racism and alientation he suffered along with the fame he experienced are strikingly similar to Miles Davis's frustrations in his autobiographical work, MILES.

The writing style in this book is less than professional, to say the least, but it is still an entertaining read. If you would like to explore a much more solid biographical portrayal of Mingus, allow me to recommend his wife's book, TONIGHT AT NOON or the book, MINGUS: A CRITICAL BIOGRAPHY by Brian Priestly.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A bit unclear sometimes, yet a great book, March 29, 2003
By 
This review is from: Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus (Paperback)
I didn't really know what to expect when I opened this book. It was the first time that I've opened a musician's autobiography, and I thought it might have an examination of how he developed his style, how did he decide to play the instrument, etc. This book was a good surprise. Mingus is hardly focusing the music, though it is always there, and choosing to tell us about everything that's around it. It seems as if he knows that the reader is probably familiar with his music, and is trying to make us understand WHY his music is as it is, and it's a smart move. The autobiography sort of completes the music, adding a missing half to it, making me understand Mingus the man, and through it understand better Mingus the artist.

The book is written wonderfully, Mingus' writing is brilliant, and the story sweeps you with him and you thank God for it being such a small book or you might've missing a month from reading it rather than a day. Some things are not totally clear, and some things are not explained, but yet, it is a great book, deals with love, crime, blacks and whites, jazz, madness, and the conclusion, which is expressed in the title, that love, for friends, women or for music is the only thing that's really important, and if you dig it, you could find happiness.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Tough to evaluate., April 20, 2001
This review is from: Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus (Paperback)
This is definately a difficult book to examine. It is mainly Mingus' stories about his life, which are often incoherent ramblings and super-exaggerated tales of his sexual prowess. It bothered me, to a certain extent. I always felt like Mingus was trying to work his readers, really get one over on them. But by the time I finished the book, I appreciated it a lot more. In his final chapters, written from the "insane asylum", Mingus seems a lot more introspective, realistic, and less burdened by an overinflated sense of machismo. If you can step back and examine it for what it is, a bizarre and disturbing look at a man's life, it is a very interesting read. Mingus himself probably didn't realize how much about himself he really told us, without even intending.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
IN OTHER WORDS, I AM THREE. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ball spot, playground director
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
San Francisco, Billy Bones, Charles Mingus, Art Tatum, Aunt Ridey, Britt Woodman, Central Avenue, Jordan High, Los Angeles, Fats Navarro, Georgie May, Jesus Christ, Brother Johnson, Mama Clara, Officer O'Neill, Tan Blue, Buddy Collette, Duke Ellington, Joe Comfort, Mingus Fingers, Pop Collette, Red Face, The Dancer, Billie Holiday, Charles the Third
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

Citations (learn more)
This book cites 1 book:



What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(8)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums



So You'd Like to...

Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject