BOOK REVIEW: What Does This Button Do? by Bruce Dickinson

Shane | 24 January 2018 | Reply

BOOK REVIEW: What Does This Button Do? by Bruce Dickinson

Harper Collins
October 2017
Paperback, $34.99
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
Autobiography

8/10

Legendary Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson’s memoir is light on the career dirt, but a fascinating insight into what makes this one-of-a-kind tick.

Dickinson makes no bones about not wanting to write a tell-all sensationalist book, and he guards his privacy fiercely, insisting in the epilogue that he refused to discuss “births, marriages or divorces of me or anybody else.” What remains is humourous, engaging – inspirational, even – and Dickinson writes with humour and compassion, making us feel that if we put our minds to it and never slip into lazy complacency, anyone can achieve just about anything.

The fire in this unique man’s belly to succeed emanates from the pages of his book. There is abundant energy and passion as we follow his transformation from “spotty”, “anorak-wearing” teen through porn-star-moustachio’d singer of Samson, leaping forwards to waist-length hair/inappropriately tight spandex-trousered lead singer of the biggest modern metal band of them all, as well as digressions to his side career/hobbies as a world-class fencer (the sword-wielding type, not the ones in your back yard), author, radio host, brewer and – most passionately of all – pilot.

The book is a little imbalanced though, in its insistence on keeping his private life (and that of his bandmates) private. A little dirt on the behind-closed-doors workings of Iron Maiden would have spiced things up a bit, as there is very little mentioned on the infamous tensions between him and Maiden founder Steve Harris.

The one private issue he does share is his battle with cancer, though whilst he gives full credit to his doctors and his stubborn tenacity in beating the disease, the reader is left wondering whether the treatment he had is in financial reach of Joe Normal, or whether it was limited to the reach only of a wealthy man. Once again, selective privacy means not telling the full story.