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Alice in Chains: The Untold Story Paperback – November 13, 2018

by David de Sola (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,489 ratings
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The first comprehensive biography of Alice In Chains from its genre-forging years on the hard edge of grunge to the tragic death of lead singer Layne Staley and the band's comeback.

Alice in Chains were among the loudest voices out of Seattle. They were iconic pioneers who mixed grunge and metal in ways that continue to influence today's artists, and theirs is a story of hard work, self-destruction, rising from the ashes, and carrying on a lasting legacy.

Four years after their first meeting at a warehouse under Seattle's Ballard Bridge, Alice in Chains became the first of grunge's big four - ahead of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden - to get a gold record and achieve national recognition. With the charismatic Layne Staley behind the microphone, they became one of the most influential and successful bands to come out of the Seattle music scene. But as the band got bigger, so did their problems.

Acclaimed journalist David de Sola delves beneath the secrecy, gossip, and rumor surrounding the band to tell their full story for the first time. Based on a wealth of interviews with people who have direct knowledge of the band, many speaking on the record for the very first time, de Sola explores how drugs nearly destroyed them and claimed the lives of Staley and founding bassist Mike Starr, follows Jerry Cantrell's solo career and Mike Starr's life after being fired from the band, and chronicles the band's resurrection with new lead singer William DuVall.

From their anonymous struggles to topping the charts with hits like "Would?," "Man in the Box," and "Rooster," Alice in Chains reveals the members of the band not as caricatures of rock stars but as brilliant, nuanced, and flawed human beings whose years of hard work led to the seemingly overnight success that changed the music scene forever.

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  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 13, 2018
  4. Dimensions
    5.35 x 1.35 x 8.2 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1250199387
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1250199386
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David de Sola is a journalist with experience working at CNN, 60 Minutes, and Reuters. His work has also been published in The Atlantic, The Huffington Post and other print and online publications.

As a journalist, he has covered a range of stories including WikiLeaks, the War on Terrorism, the 2004 presidential elections, and the CIA leak investigation. He has filed stories from five foreign countries on two continents.

He has a B.A. in history from Tufts University, a M.A. in print journalism from the University of Southern California, and a M.A. in security studies from Georgetown University. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

David is the author of Alice in Chains: The Untold Story.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (November 13, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250199387
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250199386
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 1.35 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,489 ratings

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  2. David de Sola

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    David de Sola is a journalist with experience working at CNN, 60 Minutes, and Reuters whose work has also been published in The Atlantic, The Huffington Post and other print and online publications. He has degrees from Tufts University, the University of Southern California, and Georgetown University. He lives in Los Angeles.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

guyfromkcmo
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it.
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
Verified Purchase
I loved the very detailed, old journalism way this was done. Very factual. I felt like I was almost "there" at times. And there was certainly a lot of emotion and drama. But only by way of the story itself playing out. I never felt like anything was forcefully "heightened" or judged in any way shape or form. Instead, it was very much, "here is what happened, when." And I *greatly* appreciate this. I'd absolutely recommend this book to anyone who also loves Alice In Chains. Or grunge. Or is into this kind of metal history. There is so much missing detail I didn't know before. And it's just really well done.
3 people found this helpful
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Mac
5.0 out of 5 stars Facelifted
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2024
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Great book and great read. Well written and obviously well researched. Amazing new insights on an otherwise oft written about band. A++
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heather stuart
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
I’m a HUGE Alice in Chains fan and have been since I was in college, when they first blew up. I saw them in concert the first time in 1992 and many times since. This book is written like a story and is a well researched and well documented biography. I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend…most especially to those who are fans of the post-hair metal metamorphosis of hard rock.
2 people found this helpful
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JL
4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
I learned a lot about Alice in Chains reading this book. I wish the author had gone into more detail about Mike Starr, Sean Kinney, and Jerry Cantrell. Definitely the focus is on Layne Staley, and while he was arguably the face of the band, the other original members have stories to tell as well.

It is a bit hard to read at times, as the author jumps around in time a LOT. It is not entirely written in chronological order, so there were many times I had to stop reading and go back to make some sense. Further, the author introduces so many names in wave after wave, and so that becomes a challenge to keep them straight. I'm a quick and strong reader, but I did find the writing style to require more focus.
2 people found this helpful
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Brian K. Hasson
5.0 out of 5 stars A window into an influential band
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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Ever since I heard Man in the Box and wore out my Facelift and Dirt CDs in the early 90s, AIC has held a significant space in the musical pleasure section of my brain. From this book, which is researched with discipline and integrity, I learned so much about the history of the band. As someone who does research and reads research and research methodology papers, I appreciate and value the trustworthiness of the writing. Bravo to the author.
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Thomas Chastain
5.0 out of 5 stars Bittersweet read, even with you know most the story.
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Wow, what an emotional read. Being born in 1984, I have essentially grown up with AiC and the Seattle (plus STP) music scene. With that being said, I was not prepared for the story of AiC. David De Sola did a phenomenal job with the little resources he had available to tell the story of AiC. It's crazy reading about how little info there truly is about this band, because you assume with how popular they were there would be ample information.

Like most people who are going to get this book (I doubt it will bring in any new AiC fans), I had a general idea of what happened to the band and specifically Layne. But I was not prepared for all the information that I was going to read, in regards to Layne's personality, addiction and just outright downfall. I wish Jerry, Sean and Mike Inez contributed more to the book and it would have been great if there was more from Mike Starr before his ultimate demise. I have read a lot of musician biographies/autobiographies and this is easily one of the top in terms of research, my interest level and how much it has stuck with me since finishing. One of the gauges of a truly great book is how long it sticks with me after reading. There is a lot of reflection in this book, so much so, you get to know the band, specifically Layne, to where you want to travel back in time and slap sense into him.

With that being said, I think David did a great job making Layne out to be a troubled soul, but a gentle soul. After reading this, your thoughts of AiC and Layne will not be tarnished. They should be re-affirmed and uplifted, especially those of Jerry. It was re-assuring to see that in Layne's last 5 years, he was surrounded by friends and family as much as possible. All in all, this is a fantastic read for anyone interested in AiC. Just be prepared for it to make you sad, even if you know the story. This is one of those books where it will make you happy to be alive, healthy and tell those around you you are thankful and love them.
39 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Iggy
5.0 out of 5 stars Libro completo da leggere assolutamente
Reviewed in Italy on January 3, 2024
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Un libro veramente ben fatto che ripercorre la storia della band. Imprescindibile per ogni fan degli Alice in Chains.
One person found this helpful
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Oscar Manzano Antona
5.0 out of 5 stars Imprescindible para fans
Reviewed in Spain on July 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
Uno de los mejores libros sobre bandas que he leído. Muy bien escrito y documentado. La historia detrás de la banda hace aún más interesante lo que estas personas consiguieron hacer durante el tiempo que compartieron.
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S. A. Webb
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
As an AIC fan from the beginning this is a great and nostalgic read. Really enjoyed it and learnt some things I didn't know.
One person found this helpful
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Cliente Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent
Reviewed in Brazil on December 15, 2018
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Excelent! I totally recommend for all Alice in Chains' fans. It's unique. It's certainly the best book on the band.
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V.Balaji
4.0 out of 5 stars Must Buy For Any AIC Fan.
Reviewed in India on December 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
As a metal head, AIC is the only grunge band I listen to, particularly due to their brooding,dark and melancholic songs and Layne Staley is without a doubt one of the most unique voices to have graced the grunge/rock scene. The book gives an unbiased look into the lives of the band, the fame they hit, the struggles they go through and of course.......... heroin. As dark as the book is, it doesn't paint false pictures of any of the band members and maintains a consistent neutral approach till the end (something I found gratifying). The chapters explaining Layne's relationship with Demri are especially revelatory. I only wish the author had been able to gather more interviews from Layne's musician friends (especially vocalists like Phil Anselmo,Sebastian Bach etc) but considering this is an 'unofficial' book, he deserves nothing but praise for all the effort.

Verdict : Must Buy For Any AIC Fan.
One person found this helpful
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