Book review: 40 Years Of Queen – by Harry Doherty

40 YEARS OF QUEEN
Harry Doherty
Allen & Unwin, 2011
Rrp $49.99

By Shane Pinnegar
8/10

As lavish a pictorial memoir of the band as even the most ardent obsessive could hope for, 40 YEARS OF QUEEN is chock full of photographs of the band in action, in portrait, backstage and in the studio – many of which are rare and candid.

Doherty provides short passages of text to summarise each phase of the band’s existence, but the real prize here is a treasure trove of memorabilia reproduced for the book. Flyers, posters, tickets, fan club letters, handwritten lyrics, set lists, tour itineries and more all help to provide a real feel for the band’s history and evolution, from childhood to early bands, finding each other to superstardom and beyond, through Freddie Mercury’s death.

Much of these magnificent items are removable, and the whole book is packaged in a hard cover book in a hard cover slip case.

Produced with full approval of the band and featuring items from their own private collections, 40 YEARS OF QUEEN is as lavish and over the top as the band themselves, and a must have for any collector.

Category: Book Reviews