Customer Reviews

Rock and Hard Places: Travels to Backstages, Frontlines and Assorted Sideshows

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wanted to give the book a 5 star review (a) because it deserves it, and (b) to offset one of the uninformed reviews. The book clearly states it's a collection of his printed works stories. Yes a rewiew below knocks it for not being a novel, and the stories not tieing together. I don't know what in the product description lead that reviewer to believe it was a novel, but whatever. It's a great book. His other book "I Wouldn't Start From Here" is even better, and has updates to some of the stories in this book. I'd recommend reading both of them. Thanks.

This is an utterly fantastic collection of articles - 20 years worth - of one self-described hack's experiences of touring warzones with rock bands. It's dry, it witty, it's hilarious. I love this guy's style, and for some reason the fact that he was born and raised in Wagga Wagga only endears him to me more. He's smart, he's savvy and the modern introductions to all the articles frame them all wonderfully. A very, very likeable, lovable book and one I'll be keeping and rereading. Mueller's brilliant

Andrew Mueller, Australian journalist covers everything from rock shows by U2 and The Cure, interviewing a young Green Day, Tobogganning in the French Alps, coming face-to-face with the Taliban and witnessing the unrest in the Balkans in the early 1990's to name but a few. Here he shares his adventures with each tale a short story in itself with nothing to connect them. The writing is good and humorous and the author rather likeable. The problem with this book is that I found some parts interesting and others dull and uneventful. The spectrum covered is rather wide and lacks consistency. On the plus side, you can pick it up at a whim, choose a chapter and not worry about the previous one as it has no bearing on the one that you are reading. It's not a bad book but not a particularly good one either.

I great read. Bought this book used from a bookstore in England via the net. It's in my re-read stack.