Despite his long-term access to Bowie and others close to him, British rock journalist Tremlett (Dylan Thomas, 1992, etc.) is stronger in its portrayal of the finances of the rock biz than in profiling one of pop music's most enigmatic figures. Born David Jones in 1947, David Bowie flitted about the mod and hippie fringes of 1960s London until he hit it big in the early '70s as Ziggy Stardust, one of the first of a series of adopted stage personas. Read full book review >

A potted revisionist biography of Gaddafi, by Tremlett (Dylan Thomas, 1992). The author's qualifications for this work don't spring out: He speaks neither Arabic nor Italian; has consulted books only in English; and, contrary to the publisher's claim that he ``has been granted extraordinary access to...Gaddafi...and spent months in Libya doing research,'' it would appear from his preface that he spent only a week in Libya and never met its leader. Read full book review >

Blistering but repetitious life of Thomas that leaves no part of him unwhipped; by the coauthor of 1986's Caitlin: Life with Dylan Thomas, which also was an oven-blast against the poet, directed by his widow. When Tremlett finished working with Caitlin Thomas on her autobiography, she suggested he wait five years and then do Dylan. Read full book review >