Who I Am [Hardcover]

Very well done- as erudite as you wold expect from Pete Townshend. Unlike Keith Richard's book (merely ghostwritten from rambling interviews), this is written from the heart, with keen insights to his own songwriting process, and events around his career and personal life. Hes' not afraid to be self critical, but also asserts his band's legacy and accomplishments. Thumbs up!

Pete Townshend is a legendary guitarist and songwriter. I have often been fascinated by Pete's honesty, passion and articulateness in interviews. So I approached this book with great anticipation. After all, he's like a rock 'n roll sage; when he speaks we listen. Unfortunately, this autobiography falls short. It takes too linear and chronological an approach, glossing over key details of his songwriting and performing career.

About a quarter of the way into the book I almost stopped reading it. However, before putting it on the shelf I read other reviews. It was then I learned that I had to approach the book in a certain way. Consider the book like Pete's therapy. He's not trying to play to the masses and delight in tales of rock 'n roll excess. Here is a man coming to terms with childhood abuse, infidelity, business challenges, and more. Through that lense, the book becomes manageable, and we follow Pete on his long journey as a musician.

This autobiography took Pete many years to write; perhaps too many. In the time it's taken Pete to write the book, rock 'n roll bios have become their own genre with some titles that have set a high benchmark. Bob Dylan's Chronicles is the best of the bunch in my opinion, and I wish Pete had taken a similar approach to Dylan: a journey through time, but every once in a while pulling over at the side of the road and giving more detail. I wish Pete described more of his influences, his songs, his favourite performances.

A worthwhile read, but not what could have been.

Its sometimes misleading to read an autobiography since we read it at the end phase of an author's life, the wisdom stage, when his life is put together and analyzed and all relevant histories, often reprogrammed dependent on the person "I AM" not always who he was. Or will become? No one can really pin down someone's identity like the historical Jesus' famous saying to the disciples "who do you say that I am"..and thats pete's question to us..and he has his own answer. At the end he's a socialist activist partyer and as he admits has had legal problems, addict has been through many relationships..and through the thousands of fleeting images that these associations as international rock star..and with the help of JUngian analysis..he tries to uncover..take off the mask..in a ajournal like auto..they are page like entries throughout..and its a long book at 500 pages..this faber and faber executive..one of the prestigious London publishers..and an intelligent person coming from the lower classes and situating himself in Indian spirituality he tries to come to terms with his person, beyond the rock star idol and addict..he mostly performed stoned he says..but he enjoys his children, the women in his life, but also critically examines his life..and he admits he's often put much effort in relations without attaining the desired results even though he's had a good stash of cash? Good legal help has allowed him to stay above water, and its refreshing where he admits that even though people can hack into your computer system and you can be falsely accused..and its an ongoing dilemma for him..and through all the ups and downs of rock stardom..along with Jagger..Clapton..Mccartney..Richards(who ran into some similar problems and I am reading his bio soon)..and one sorrowful note is in ways they believe they were targeted we hear legal problems of all these august individuals who've added so much to modern arts and culture, and have never forgotten their working class roots and values, although they've had their own personal demons, but they've been target by all kinds of false puritans over the years looking for drugs and searches and legal houndings..I'm a big fan of these ageing icons we can value them without copying them or needing to espouse all their beliefs or behaviors, in modern life we need to accept people as different from us, this assimilation of modern times, and these ancient rebels, who all their life have fought against being assimilated..and to be their own person..I can honestly say one of the best autos I've read without hesitation where the author is on a religious mission, like Descartes, trying to understand his life and the world around him at the same time..and the quest has not ended? I hope further memoirs will come..who else has had access to some of the greats in rock'n roll history..and will we ever see their likes again!!