Hammer of the Gods [SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION] (Perfect Paperback)

by Stephen Davis (Author) "The maledicta, infamous libels, and annoying rumors concerning Led Zeppelin began to circulate like poisoned blood during the British rock quartet's third tour of America..." (more)
Key Phrases: limo convoy, blues scholars, tax exile, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, Peter Grant (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"'The biggest surprise success of the year... the Led Zep tale, drenched in sex, drugs and psychic abuse, demonstrated the validity of all the old adages about talent, power and corruption. Stephen Davis's grimy homage to imperial excesss and demonic influence had fans slavering for more' Rolling Stone" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"Incredible." (Village Voice )

"One of the most notorious rock biographies ever written." (Chicago Tribune ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Ozler Aykan Tanitim ve Iletisim Hizmetleri; 1st edition (May 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425182134
• ISBN-13: 978-0425182130
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #320,520 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dark comedy, May 18, 2000

By	"humdat" (Chelmsford, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hammer of the Gods (Paperback)

This is the first unauthorized Led Zeppelin biography to emerge in the wake of the band's demise. The road-fever antics of the band and it's crew are told here with aplomb: Richard Cole driving his Harley down the corridor of the Hyatt House in LA, Jimmy Page courting a 14 year old groupie, John Bonham's insatiable appetite for booze and carnage, hotel destruction and wild orgies are all well documented. These stories are pretty funny, if sensational and embellished for comedic effect.

But from the mid '70s onwards, a dark cloud followed the band. From Robert Plant's near fatal car accident in 1975 and his son's death in 1977, Page's descent into heroin addiction in 1976, and ultimately Bonham's fatal vodka binge in September, 1980, the Zeppelin saga certainly has a tragic side.

This book is fairly uneven in that Davis documents Zeppelin's timeline fairly meticulously until 1975, and then he seems to be rushing to get to the end. He also fails to acknowledge that Zeppelin became an erratic live act from 1977 onward due to the deteriorating health of Page and Bonham. Davis would have you believe that in spite of the excessive substance abuse, Zeppelin remained in top form, and there is plenty of recorded evidence to refute that. Having Richard Cole as a primary source tends to undercut the credibility of the book as well. That said, it is obvious that Davis certainly respects Zeppelin's musical accomplishments, and ultimately that is the point. Zeppelin may have overindulged, but the music is what the band will be remembered for.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Zep Read - even despite inaccuracies, April 15, 2004

By	G. YEO "gyeo" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

Stephen Davis isn't a Zep expert, but this book was spot on in its release at a time when Zep didn't exist anymore back in the mid-80s. I remembered reading it and going wow! This is Led Zeppelin! It is a fun read, but take it with a pinch of salt...much of it is attributed to Richard Cole. The book has never been endorsed by the band, but it's the stuff of what legends are made of. Even Plant admitted in a Musician interview that he didn't much remember what went on in the seventies...if even a portion of what's written here is true - then it makes sense why!

This book did much to promote the legend and legacy of Zep - warts and all...

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't read while on the toilet . . ., March 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hammer of the Gods (Paperback)

An awesome book. Stephen Davis's unauthorized biography of the 70's biggest rock band displays both his wonderful storytelling style (and ability to fudge the truth) and just how great and weird a band Led Zep was. After reading this book, you'll get the picture why Zeppelin still to this day has an unmatched aura of chaos and mystery that is genuine and not cheesy in the way that many current bands try to project a fake and corny image (i.e. Metallica). Even Robert Plant has said the book has done much to enhance the band's legacy. One flaw of the latest edition of "Hammer" is that the new chapter takes away from the books previous ending (the classic Plant quote that ends the Live-Aid chapter). Still, this book covers all the bases from the inspiration for their songs ("Trampled Underfoot" was a takeoff of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition") to the infamous hijinx and backstage debauchery (a drunken Bonzo taking the mike at a Deep Purple concert and announcing to the audience that the guitarist "can't play for %#@!") that made Zep the nightmare of inn keepers around the globe.