Beast

John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin

By: C. M. Kushins, Dave Grohl - introduction

Narrated by: Matthew Wolf, Chris Abell

A compelling narrative biography of the legendary drummer John Bonham, his wild ride with iconic rock band Led Zeppelin, and the highs and lows that made up his wild (and tragically short) life.

John Bonham is considered by many to be one of the greatest drummers of all time. He was recruited to join the band who would eventually become known as Led Zeppelin–and before the year was out, Bonham and his bandmates would become the richest rock band in the world.

Throughout the 1970s, Led Zeppelin reached new heights of commercial and critical success, making them one of the most influential groups of the era, both in musical style and in their approach towards the workings of the entertainment industry. In September of 1980, Bonham–plagued by alcoholism, anxiety, and the after-effects of years of excess–was found dead by his bandmates.

As Adam Budofsky, managing editor of Modern Drummer, explains, "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham."

Critic reviews

"C.M. Kushins gives us a wild, behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest rock bands ever, and brings John ‘Bonzo’ Bonham back to life in this well-written rock classic."
—Peter Leonard, Bestselling Author of Voices of the Dead

sad waste

very insightful never knew the details of the in famous bill gram story it had me listening to the old albums

Amazing journey!

I know and love Led Zeppelin so I decided to read this book. I quickly learned I knew absolutely nothing of any one of the band members.. This was a captivating journey into the life and work of John Bonham, arguably, the greatest drummer of all time. It was an great book amd an easy listen.

When The Levee Breaks!

This is such a great book! Brings an in-depth telling of Bonzo’s life with tons of quotes from family and friends. The stories told about him are just mind blowing. Sharing the life of a family man forced to be on the road “alone”, really puts things in to perspective when it comes to being away from your loved ones!

In-Depth and Entertaining

As a long time Led Zeppelin fan and student of John Bonham's work, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although this tells the story of Bonham, it also details the story of Led Zeppelin quite well, highlighting the stories behind all of the albums and tours. Being a drummer, I understood all of the "drum-speak" and was able to follow the nerdy descriptions of his technique and drum kits with enthusiasm. However, you don't have to be a drummer to understand the story and what is going on. I recommend this to any Zep fans, and HIGHLY recommend to all of the drummers out there.

simply amazing

anyone who is a Led Zeppelin fan, even more so a John Bonham fan this is a must listen to. the narrator does an excellent job, one could say the narration places you there with Led Zeppelin John Bonham.