The Lizard King Was Here: The Life and Times of Jim Morrison in Alexandria, Virginia [Paperback]

Mark Opsasnick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2006

THE LIZARD KING WAS HERE is an in-depth study of a greatly overlooked period in the mercurial life of Jim Morrison, the late poet and lyricist-vocalist of the rock and roll band "The Doors" who died at the age of 27 in 1971. Examining Morrison's life fro

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MARK OPSASNICK has authored six books including CAPITOL ROCK, a history of rock and roll music in the Washington, D.C. area, and continues to research and write about various topics in the fields of pop culture and unexplained phenomena. He lives in Princ

Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris (June 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425713300
• ISBN-13: 978-1425713300
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #801,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book about the pre-Lizard King Jim Morrison, August 4, 2006

By 

Morrison Historrison (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lizard King Was Here: The Life and Times of Jim Morrison in Alexandria, Virginia (Paperback)

As a lifelong fan, I was anxiously awaiting the publication of the latest Jim Morrison book, "The Lizard King Was Here." I was more than pleasantly surprised when I read it cover to cover in one sitting and didn't want it to end. The remarkable aspect of Mark Opsasnick's book (his sixth) is in its original and innovative research and writing style; the author not only dug into public records, he interviewed 60 former classmates and friends of the teen-aged Morrison, and even spoke with Jim's younger brother Andy.

Opsasnick provides detailed, fact-checked, never-before-published information and anecdotes, including several surprises, focusing primarily on the 32-month-period when the Morrison family lived in Alexandria, Virginia, where Jim attended George Washington High School.

The complex young man who was to soon become one of the legendary rock icons of all time is presented as highly intelligent, tremendously creative, rebellious, funny, mischievous and shy, with a love of books and poetry guided by an insatiable curiosity. Even more revealing is how much this formative period in Jim's life contributed to his artistic development and future success as a poet, lyricist, singer and experimental filmmaker. Perhaps with the exception of Elvis Presley and James Dean, no other figure in popular culture continues to attract countless fans from all over the world and is as relevant now as he was 40 years ago.

This is a positive departure from the other Morrison books in that the reader won't find psychological babble about Jim's "tortured" youth or attempts to affix a death wish to him or verbatim conversations he had decades ago, just a lot of good hard facts.

I heartily recommend "The Lizard King Was Here" to all Jim Morrison and Doors fans alike. It sticks to the truth, yet still makes for a very interesting and compelling read.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lizard King Was Here is a required reference guide for any Jim Morrison fan, July 10, 2006

By 

MrMojo[Brett] (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lizard King Was Here: The Life and Times of Jim Morrison in Alexandria, Virginia (Paperback)

WoW, What a great book.This book is very well researched by a very educated author.He listened to the people who actually knew Jim Morrison but only allowed information on a first hand basis.I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in Jim Morrison, Rock n Roll , or the history of Alexandria,Virginia and surrounding areas.I was very excited when the Lizard King Was Here was released and it still went way over my expectations after all, the years of study and research dedicated to this book just let me understand more of the real person James Douglas Morrison from people who knew and loved him.Jim Morrison was put together from his experiences and this book proves in my eyes that Alexandria,Virginia and surrounding areas played a huge part in molding Jim Morrison into who he became.When I finished reading The Lizard King Was Here it was obvious to me that the rare information in this book is really a must for anyone who is a real Jim Morrison fan. Mark great job this is a definite best seller.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'The Lizard King Was Here' by Mark Opsasnick, August 6, 2006

By 

Geets Romo "Geets Romo" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lizard King Was Here: The Life and Times of Jim Morrison in Alexandria, Virginia (Paperback)

'The Lizard King Was Here'is a thorougly documented account of Jim Morrison's years spent at George Washington High School in Alexandria, VA.

THE AUTHOR: I was amazed how author, Mark Opsasnick, was able to locate those who interacted with Morrison and assemble a never-before-published composite of Morrison's high school years. Opsasnick interviewed sixty (60) people who attended GW High when Morrison did.

THE READ: Even though I never was a Doors music fan, I read 'The Lizard King Was Here' because I knew I'd be getting the most researched and fact-checked account of this glanced-over period of Morrison's life.

The author brings to light what Morrison was like during his formative years and fills the void created by all previous books about Morrison

We now learn how Morrison spent his time, where he visited during his bus trips into Washington DC and how he would surprise his school peers by instantly asserting his personality, thus momentarily breaking from his 'in the background, loner' mold.

Another highlight was learning about the clubs downtown (Wash DC) where Morrison actually read his poetry to a live audience.

The author lists 14 other books written on The Doors/Jim Morrison and corrects some basic information woven throughout many of the books, as these books seem to draw on a handful of original sources with mistakes, unfounded claims and exaggerations.

If you have any interest to learn what made Morrison tick, what influences helped shape his adolescent mind, this book is for you. Mr. Opsasnick seems to have it all covered. Some of the influential factors the author investigates are: childhood friends and acquaintences, literature Morrison read for pleasure, the then media, school curricula, films, art and even Virginia's social and political history.

FAVORITE PHOTO: Photo of 'Ronnie and the Offbeats' at Club Log Cabin, where Jim Morrison allegedly would frequent, sit and write poetry. The picture shows a young Danny Gatton on the band (considered by many to be one of the best guitar players...ever).

FAVORITE CHAPTER: Chapter 14. This chapter details a few nightclubs in Alexandria, VA where Jim Morrison would visit and listen to the local bands. No one knows just how directly Morrison was influenced by the mixture of music he exposed himself to).

Thanks Mr. Opsasnick...very entertaining and informative.