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Hammer of the Gods [DELUXE EDITION] (Perfect Paperback)

~ (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...)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
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  Hardcover, April 30, 1985 -- $64.95 $5.06
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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: 6.5 x 4 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78,413 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Stephen Davis
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
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 in 1969. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
limo convoy, blues scholars, tax exile, acoustic set
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, Peter Grant, New York, Richard Cole, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Los Angeles, Jeff Beck, Whole Lotta Love, Danny Goldberg, John Bonham, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, San Francisco, Bad Company, Riot House, Melody Maker, Miss Pamela, United States, Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy, Aleister Crowley, Bill Graham, Paul Rodgers
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Customer Reviews

77 Reviews
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3.9 out of 5 stars (77 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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34 of 36 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.

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18 of 19 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...

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18 of 21 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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Rock Gods For Sure!
Love this band they can do no wrong in my eyes. Definately the best heavy rock band ever. There will never be another Jimmy or Robert, the combination was magic. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Tammatha Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Excess, but not too excessive
This is a well written book and an easy read. I have read many other rock n roll bio's and this one stacks up as follows:

Drugs: Cocaine, some heroin. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Joseph Patrick Smith

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Enriching, But Good Inside Story
So everyone who told me to read this for years was right: this is "the" epic and definitive account of their birth and wanton tales of wandering in the 70s. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Roben Torosyan PhD

3.0 out of 5 stars Great info on song backgrounds.
I wanted more behind the scenes or personal interviews from the band. The book was very informative about the songs and touring but for me not enough about the members and what... Read more
Published 6 months ago by LoLo

1.0 out of 5 stars Unreadable
I'm a long time fan of Led Zeppelin and, if you are too, I suggest you look elsewhere for a decent read about the band. Read more
Published 10 months ago by William Hammond

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!!
The book is in depth and very interesting. It gives details on the lives of all the band members, personal and band life. Read more
Published 10 months ago by J. Braud

5.0 out of 5 stars Rigorous icon-building for minds screaming out for rock 'n' roll
A great book, covering the full careers of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham, depicting Jimmy's rise as a godfather of the London music scene, his... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Surferofromantica

4.0 out of 5 stars Hammer of the Gods: Fascinating Legend
Real page-turner. I don't know how much of this stuff was true, but it all seems very plausible, considering how much we understand of Led Zeppelin, the greatest band in history... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Zepp SuperFreak

3.0 out of 5 stars hammer of the gods less than divine
Finally read the Zeppelin bio after years of hearing about the book's legendary status. What a letdown. Read more
Published 14 months ago by jimi page

3.0 out of 5 stars The Heavy Led Zeppelin Trip
There are few bands that have achieved the musical heights of the four Englishmen known as Led Zeppelin. Read more
Published 23 months ago by AliGhaemi

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