cover image Bowie: The Biography

Bowie: The Biography

Wendy Leigh . Gallery, $28 (320p) ISBN 978-1-4767-6707-9

This surprisingly brief biography charts the life and times of the glam rock, theatrical, and sexual icon David Bowie. Readers follow the prolific artist from humble beginnings in England through his rise to fame, fall into drug addiction, and later recovery. Leigh (Prince Charming) has made a career of exploring the sex lives of the rich and famous, and shares Bowie's litany of sexual exploits, some based in fact and others in rumor and innuendo. There's certainly enough material to appeal to the voyeur in anyone, but Leigh is so determined to chronicle Bowie's every dalliance that she loses sight of almost everything else. Constant jumps in time confuse the casual fan and no time is spent on the actual development of Bowie's classic records, keeping Leigh's book brief but insubstantial. The result is a life told through the lens of a gossip magazine, with plenty of insight into Bowie's relationships but not enough into his artistry. Leigh's aim to write "the biography" falls dismally short of the mark. (Sept.)