With striking intimacy and candor; Eric Clapton tells the story of his eventful and inspiring life in this poignant and honest autobiography. More than a rock star; Eric Clapton is an icon; a living embodiment of the history of rock music. Well known for his reserve in a profession marked by self-promotion; flamboyance; and spin; he now chronicles; for the first time; his remarkable personal and professional journeys. Born illegitimate in 1945 and raised by his grandparents; Eric never knew his father and; until the age of nine; believed his actual mother to be his sister. In his early teens his solace was the guitar; and his incredible talent would make him a cult hero in the clubs of Britain and inspire devoted fans to scrawl ldquo;Clapton is Godrdquo; on the walls of Londonrsquo;s Underground. With the formation of Cream; the worlds first supergroup; he became a worldwide superstar; but conflicting personalities tore the band apart within two years. His stints in Blind Faith; in Delaney and Bonnie and Friends; and in Derek and the Dominos were also short-lived but yielded some of the most enduring songs in history; including the classic ldquo;Layla.rdquo; During the late sixties he played as a guest with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan; as well as the Beatles; the Rolling Stones; and longtime friend George Harrison. It was while working with the latter that he fell for Georgersquo;s wife; Pattie Boyd; a seemingly unrequited love that led him to the depths of despair; self-imposed seclusion; and drug addiction. By the early seventies he had overcome his addiction and released the bestselling album 461 Ocean Boulevard; with its massive hit ldquo;I Shot the Sheriff.rdquo; He followed that with the platinum album Slowhand; which included ldquo;Wonderful Tonight;rdquo; the touching love song to Pattie; whom he finally married at the end of 1979. A short time later; however; Eric had replaced heroin with alcohol as his preferred vice; following a pattern of behavior that not only was detrimental to his music but contributed to the eventual breakup of his marriage. In the eighties he would battle and begin his recovery from alcoholism and become a father. But just as his life was coming together; he was struck by a terrible blow: His beloved four-year-old son; Conor; died in a freak accident. At an earlier time Eric might have coped with this tragedy by fleeing into a world of addiction. But now a much stronger man; he took refuge in music; responding with the achingly beautiful ldquo;Tears in Heaven.rdquo;Clapton is the powerfully written story of a survivor; a man who has achieved the pinnacle of success despite extraordinary demons. It is one of the most compelling memoirs of our time.
#42618 in eBooks 2007-10-09 2007-10-09File Name: B000W916DY
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Rather dry and un-emotive tome; but I found ...By Julian PerryA Rather dry and un-emotive tome; but I found it quite interesting. The description of Georges early life I found particularly interesting; and helped explain the personality of the author. Its a rather odd autobiography; though as its a book almost entirely devoted to the authors career and interests: the author reveals almost nothing of his own self; and even less of his personal life (the "existence" of his wife and daughter merit probably 1/2 a page of the entire book..1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Many great color pictures of his watches are includedBy R. PorterThis book is a must read for anyone interested in watchmaking. The book cronicles his life; as well as his successful struggle to have his new co-axial escapement invention accepted by the Swiss. It is now used in high-end Omega watches. Many great color pictures of his watches are included; as well as pictures of the automobiles he restored and raced.Watchmakers will find his detailed explaination of the co-axial escapement especially useful.Having met Mr. Daniels several times over the years; I found his book especially interesting. It is highly recommended.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. I dont think George was a pleasant or happy man.....By watch guy 456Lost a bit of respect for old George after reading this. Practically no mention of his wife or siblings; lots (LOTS) of bagging on his mother and father. They may not have been great parents; but really? And endless self- promotion runs through it. I have his book Watchmaking which is a masterpiece..... this book is not a pleasant read but does contain some insight to his thinking.