Eagles: Taking It to the Limit

This unauthorized book is at least the third Eagles title written by past band members or outsiders since 2009. Fong-Torres (Grateful Dead Scrapbook) falls into the latter category, having been a senior editor at Rolling Stone, one of the band's frequent media targets. Fong-Torres reminds readers about his background throughout this handsome, condensed history of one of rock's most successful and contentious bands, published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Eagles' formation in 1971. Artistically and commercially triumphant almost immediately, with a smooth blend of California rock and country, the Eagles released six studio albums between 1972 and 1979, changed lineups multiple times, sued each other, split up, and reunited%E2%80%94for now, at least. Fong-Torres, who covered the band regularly for Rolling Stone during their glory years, touches on all phases of the band's ugly and complicated career, most effectively chronicling the Hell Freezes Over reunion and ongoing touring. Fair in his critical assessments and laudable for most of his choices regarding dozens of classic photographs, the author nevertheless gets some easy facts wrong. (Oct.)