Listen free for 30 days
-
Somebody to Love
- The Life, Death and Legacy of Freddie Mercury
- Narrated by: Tim Bruce
- Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Membership
$14.95 a month
Buy Now for $47.82
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Greatest
- My Own Story
- Written by: Muhammad Ali, Richard Durham
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his own words, the heavyweight champion of the world pulls no punches as he chronicles the battles he faced in and out of the ring in this fascinating memoir edited by Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison. Growing up in the South, surrounded by racial bigotry and discrimination, Ali fought not just for a living, but also for respect and rewards far more precious than money or glory. He was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the BBC.
-
-
timeless
- By Nathan Rothstein on 2020-09-18
Written by: Muhammad Ali, and others
-
The Five-Minute Interview, 3rd Edition
- Written by: Richard H. Beatty
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this third edition of The Five-Minute Interview, career guru Richard Beatty demonstrates how skillfully questioning an employer can establish an applicant as the best person for a position. The skills in this book will help job hunters gain control of an interview in five minutes and say all the right things to convince an interviewer that they're the one for the job. Three new sections have been added: resumes that win interviews, competency-based interviews, and surviving and winning the behavior-based interview.
Written by: Richard H. Beatty
-
Trinity
- Written by: Leon Uris
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 34 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the acclaimed author who enthralled the world with Exodus, Battle Cry, QB VII, Topaz, and other beloved classics of twentieth-century fiction comes a sweeping and powerful epic adventure that captures the "terrible beauty" of Ireland during its long and bloody struggle for freedom. It is the electrifying story of an idealistic young Catholic rebel and the valiant and beautiful Protestant girl who defied her heritage to join his cause. It is a tale of love and danger, of triumph at an unthinkable cost.
-
-
only one regret
- By Barb M on 2019-10-25
Written by: Leon Uris
-
The Kindness Diaries: One Man's Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the World
- Written by: Leon Logothetis
- Narrated by: Ryan Parish
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Follow the inspirational journey of a former stockbroker who leaves his unfulfilling desk job in search of a meaningful life. He sets out from Los Angeles on a vintage motorbike, determined to circumnavigate the globe surviving only on the kindness of strangers. Incredibly, he makes his way across the U.S., through Europe, India, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and finally to Canada and back to the Hollywood sign, by asking strangers for shelter, food, and gas.
-
-
Nope!
- By Lavesta Gal on 2021-04-11
Written by: Leon Logothetis
-
Bitter Brew
- Written by: Kelsey Grammer, Laura J. Bailey
- Narrated by: Kelsey Grammer
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Actor Kelsey Grammer, best known for his roles in the TV sitcoms Cheers and Frasier, delivers Bitter Brew, a compelling mystery featuring Detective Bill Walsh, an upstate cop in the quiet, rural town of Beatriceville, 200 miles north of New York City, who suspects foul play in the death of millionaire city transplant Jonathan Kimball, even though the evidence points to suicide, not murder.
-
-
Is this supposed to be a serious story or not.
- By kevin on 2020-06-14
Written by: Kelsey Grammer, and others
-
Am I Doing This Right?
- Life Lessons from the Encyclopedia Bri-Tanya
- Written by: Tanya Hennessy
- Narrated by: Tanya Hennessy
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Am I Doing This Right? is an encyclopedia of life lessons that Tanya has learned so that you don't have to. From A is for Awkward, to B is for Bodies, right through to V is for Viral and Z is for, well, ZZZZ, Tanya has compiled an entire alphabet full of hilarious, horrible, humbling and happy experiences that will make you laugh, make you cry and ultimately leave you feeling less alone in this complicated world.
-
-
Hilarious and Relatable!
- By Jessica95 on 2018-09-20
Written by: Tanya Hennessy
-
The Greatest
- My Own Story
- Written by: Muhammad Ali, Richard Durham
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his own words, the heavyweight champion of the world pulls no punches as he chronicles the battles he faced in and out of the ring in this fascinating memoir edited by Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison. Growing up in the South, surrounded by racial bigotry and discrimination, Ali fought not just for a living, but also for respect and rewards far more precious than money or glory. He was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the BBC.
-
-
timeless
- By Nathan Rothstein on 2020-09-18
Written by: Muhammad Ali, and others
-
The Five-Minute Interview, 3rd Edition
- Written by: Richard H. Beatty
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this third edition of The Five-Minute Interview, career guru Richard Beatty demonstrates how skillfully questioning an employer can establish an applicant as the best person for a position. The skills in this book will help job hunters gain control of an interview in five minutes and say all the right things to convince an interviewer that they're the one for the job. Three new sections have been added: resumes that win interviews, competency-based interviews, and surviving and winning the behavior-based interview.
Written by: Richard H. Beatty
-
Trinity
- Written by: Leon Uris
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 34 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the acclaimed author who enthralled the world with Exodus, Battle Cry, QB VII, Topaz, and other beloved classics of twentieth-century fiction comes a sweeping and powerful epic adventure that captures the "terrible beauty" of Ireland during its long and bloody struggle for freedom. It is the electrifying story of an idealistic young Catholic rebel and the valiant and beautiful Protestant girl who defied her heritage to join his cause. It is a tale of love and danger, of triumph at an unthinkable cost.
-
-
only one regret
- By Barb M on 2019-10-25
Written by: Leon Uris
-
The Kindness Diaries: One Man's Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the World
- Written by: Leon Logothetis
- Narrated by: Ryan Parish
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Follow the inspirational journey of a former stockbroker who leaves his unfulfilling desk job in search of a meaningful life. He sets out from Los Angeles on a vintage motorbike, determined to circumnavigate the globe surviving only on the kindness of strangers. Incredibly, he makes his way across the U.S., through Europe, India, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and finally to Canada and back to the Hollywood sign, by asking strangers for shelter, food, and gas.
-
-
Nope!
- By Lavesta Gal on 2021-04-11
Written by: Leon Logothetis
-
Bitter Brew
- Written by: Kelsey Grammer, Laura J. Bailey
- Narrated by: Kelsey Grammer
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Actor Kelsey Grammer, best known for his roles in the TV sitcoms Cheers and Frasier, delivers Bitter Brew, a compelling mystery featuring Detective Bill Walsh, an upstate cop in the quiet, rural town of Beatriceville, 200 miles north of New York City, who suspects foul play in the death of millionaire city transplant Jonathan Kimball, even though the evidence points to suicide, not murder.
-
-
Is this supposed to be a serious story or not.
- By kevin on 2020-06-14
Written by: Kelsey Grammer, and others
-
Am I Doing This Right?
- Life Lessons from the Encyclopedia Bri-Tanya
- Written by: Tanya Hennessy
- Narrated by: Tanya Hennessy
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Am I Doing This Right? is an encyclopedia of life lessons that Tanya has learned so that you don't have to. From A is for Awkward, to B is for Bodies, right through to V is for Viral and Z is for, well, ZZZZ, Tanya has compiled an entire alphabet full of hilarious, horrible, humbling and happy experiences that will make you laugh, make you cry and ultimately leave you feeling less alone in this complicated world.
-
-
Hilarious and Relatable!
- By Jessica95 on 2018-09-20
Written by: Tanya Hennessy
-
84, Charing Cross Road
- Written by: Helene Hanff
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat, John Franklyn-Robbins
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Helene Hanff makes an innocent inquiry about the possibility of purchasing hard-to-find books through Marks and Co., Booksellers, she begins a 20-year love affair with Frank Doel, the proper English bookseller who answers her letter and sends along her first order in the fall of 1949. They are two very unlikely correspondents.
-
-
A book of love amongst lovers of books
- By Leo L on 2018-09-20
Written by: Helene Hanff
-
The Mountains Sing
- Written by: Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
- Narrated by: Quyen Ngo
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the epic sweep of Min Jin Lee's Pachinko and Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing and the lyrical beauty of Vaddey Ratner's In the Shadow of the Banyan, The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North.
-
-
A tremendous tale of true generational hardship
- By Ryan on 2021-04-10
Written by: Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
-
If I Can't Have You
- Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children
- Written by: Gregg Olsen, Rebecca Morris
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington, Kevin Pierce
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The tragic story of Susan Powell and her murdered boys, Charlie and Braden, is the only case that rivals the Jon Benet Ramsey saga in the annals of true crime. When the pretty, blonde Utah mother went missing in December of 2009 the media was swept up in the story - with lenses and microphones trained on Susan's husband, Josh. He said he had no idea what happened to his young wife, and that he and the boys had been camping in the middle of a snowstorm.
-
-
Well Researched
- By Melanie on 2020-12-14
Written by: Gregg Olsen, and others
-
The Invincible
- Written by: Stanislaw Lem, Bill Johnston - translator
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Invincible is a classic science fiction thriller by the author of Solaris - for the first time translated directly from the original. A starship from Earth is challenged by a mysterious hostile intelligence.
-
-
Wow
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-05-12
Written by: Stanislaw Lem, and others
-
Life, on the Line
- A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat
- Written by: Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2007 chef Grant Achatz seemingly had it made. He had been named one of the best new chefs in America by Food & Wine in 2002, received the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year Award in 2003, and in 2005 he and Nick Kokonas opened the conceptually radical restaurant Alinea, which was named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine. Then, Achatz was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma - tongue cancer.
-
-
an exceptional story of inspiration in cuisine
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-12-30
Written by: Grant Achatz, and others
-
Mercury and Me
- Written by: Jim Hutton, Tim Wapshott
- Narrated by: Patrick Moy
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The relationship between Freddie Mercury and Jim Hutton evolved over several months in 1984 and 1985. Even when they first slept together, Hutton had no idea who Mercury was, and, when the star told him his name, it meant nothing to him. Hutton worked as a barber at the Savoy Hotel and retained his job and his lodgings in Sutton, Surrey, for two years after moving in with Mercury. He was never fully assimilated into Mercury's jet-setting lifestyle, but, from 1985 until Mercury's death in 1991, he was closer to him than anyone and knew all Mercury's closest friends.
-
-
A beautiful behind-the-scenes love story
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-02-04
Written by: Jim Hutton, and others
-
The Space Race
- An Audible Original
- Written by: Colin Brake, Patrick Chapman, Richard Hollingham, and others
- Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A century ago very few people dreamed of space travel. Today it is the most daring and technologically sophisticated quest ever undertaken, being driven not just by government agencies such as NASA and ESA, but also by visionaries such as Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic), Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin). To mark the 50th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing, this major drama-documentary series charts the definitive story of the past, present and future of humankind’s exploration of space. The Space Race is narrated by Kate Mulgrew and features a full cast.
-
-
Great!
- By Matthew on 2021-08-31
Written by: Colin Brake, and others
-
My Mother Was Nuts
- A Memoir
- Written by: Penny Marshall
- Narrated by: Penny Marshall
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
her life story going her humble roots in the Bronx to one of the most liked and respected figures in the entertainment business, also covering her marriage to Rob Reiner and relationships with Art Garfunkel, Carrie Fisher, and John Belushi, and her bout with lung and brain cancer in 2009, to Julia Cheiffetz
-
-
penny marshall
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-08-06
Written by: Penny Marshall
-
The Higher Self
- The Magic of Inner and Outer Fulfillment
- Written by: Deepak Chopra MD
- Narrated by: Deepak Chopra
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome on a behind-the-scenes tour of creation, an experience that will change forever the way you understand reality.
-
-
so so read for the first half of the book
- By Wade on 2021-09-30
Written by: Deepak Chopra MD
-
The Elephant Whisperer
- My Life with the Herd in the African Wild
- Written by: Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
>When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn't take them. In order to save their lives, Anthony took them in. In the years that followed he became a part of their family. And as he battled to create a bond with the elephants, he came to realize that they had a great deal to teach him about life, loyalty, and freedom.
-
-
Loved this book, highly recommend it!
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-09-10
Written by: Lawrence Anthony, and others
-
Go Down Together
- The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde
- Written by: Jeff Guinn
- Narrated by: Jonathan Hogan
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With dramatic flair, Jeff Guinn delivers the definitive portrait of Bonnie and Clyde. These media-savvy outlaws appealed to America's Depression-era hunger for swashbuckling characters. Glowing radio and newspaper reports transformed these "public enemies" into celebrities - much like the cinema gangsters of the time.
-
-
Interesting and detailed
- By Holly on 2019-07-09
Written by: Jeff Guinn
-
No Good Asking
- A Novel
- Written by: Fran Kimmel
- Narrated by: Tracey Hoyt, Jonathan Watton
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ellie and Eric Nyland have moved their two sons back to Eric’s childhood farmhouse, hoping for a fresh start. But there’s no denying it, their family is falling apart, each one of them isolated by private sorrows, stresses, and missed signals. When Eric finds Hannah Finch, the girl across the road, wandering alone in the bitter cold, his rusty police instincts kick in, and he soon discovers there are bad things happening in the girl’s house. With nowhere else to send her, the Nylands reluctantly agree to let Hannah stay with them until after the Christmas holidays.
-
-
Amazing story!
- By Megan on 2019-01-11
Written by: Fran Kimmel
Publisher's Summary
For the first time, the final years of one of the world's most captivating rock showmen are laid bare.
When Freddie Mercury died in 1991, aged just 45, the world was rocked by the vibrant and flamboyant star's tragic secret that he had been battling AIDS. That Mercury had even been diagnosed came as a shock to his millions of fans, with his announcement coming less than 24 hours before his death.
In Somebody to Love, biographers Mark Langthorne and Matt Richards skilfully weave Freddie Mercury's incredible pursuit of musical greatness with Queen, his upbringing and his endless search for love with the story of a terrible disease that swept across the world in the 1980s, as medical treatment fought to catch up with it despite underfunding, social ignorance and homophobia.
With brand-new perspectives from Mercury's closest friends and fellow musicians, this unique and deeply moving tribute casts a very different light on both his death and the origins of AIDS itself.
An intimate listen, like Freddie and his art, it will stay with you for a long time.
More from the same
What listeners say about Somebody to Love
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Oldtimer
- 2020-02-14
Morbid Garbage
This book reads like a blow by blow story of a dying man. I found it disgusting and a poor memorial to a fantastic entertainer. I am requesting my credit back. A far better read is "Freddy and me"
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrew
- 2018-10-30
Two storylines: Mercury and HIV/AIDS.
I was fascinated by the historical background information on the development and spread of HIV/AIDS juxtaposed with the life and times of Freddie Mercury. You know at some point the storylines must intersect.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- fab
- 2021-08-07
Awesome from the start to the end
The real life of Freddy mercury.. nothing to do with the movie. Way more information about his life... I really loved it
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2019-10-08
Fascinating
I enjoyed listening to this story. It was difficult to hear about all of the debauchery, because you know of the outcome and want it to be different. I've watched many videos since BR, I couldn't get enough. I had to know how, when & why things happened in his life and of the band. It makes me wonder how he'd feel knowing how much everyone loves him now, maybe even some of the critics! They were harsh! You're legacy and music will live on forever ❤️
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous
- 2022-03-11
A must for Freddie Fans!
I think what I was intrigued by most in this biography was the parallel paths the author drew between Freddie Mercury's life and the AIDS epidemic. Just as one cannot think of Freddie without thinking of Queen, one cannot quite separate the man from the disease that took him. And yet, the author did not make the whole Freddie Mercury story about how he died. This is very much a biography that celebrates life.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bunny Perno-Horne
- 2021-12-29
ALWAYS A FAVORITE
I love this book. The story and presentation are exceptional, tasteful, informative. Freddie Forever.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2020-08-11
Best best
I thought this particular biography was the best Audible I've listen to . Very thorough
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2019-07-13
Freddie Mercury 💕
I couldn’t put it down!!
Emotional, funny, exciting and knowledgeable.
His legacy will truly live on
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- tru britty
- 2018-07-19
Stunning dual biography of Freddie and AIDS
Freddie Mercury's history has become inextricably linked with the AIDS epidemic, but he was so much more than that. It's his music that has become his legacy. His performance at 1985's Live Aid was merely the crowning glory of this charismatic performer.
Still, authors Matt Richards and Matt Langthorne made the decision to tell Freddie's story at the same time they unfolded the story of AIDS, which from the most recent evidence seems to have passed from chimp to human via an animal bite sometime around 1908 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Both stories are fascinating in the extreme. But it's Freddie's that takes up the largest chunk of the story, as the authors follow him from his birth in Zanzibar to Indian parents of Persian descent. There's the Indian boarding school, the move to London, the art school and the first band. (You can find an unearthed home movie of Freddie with his college pals on YouTube. What's amazing is how reserved and camera shy he is.)
The story gets into Queen territory when Freddie becomes a dedicated follower of Jimi Hendrix and a local London group called Smile, with Brian May on guitar, Roger Taylor on drums, some guy on bass (eventually to be John Deacon) and a lead singer, whom Freddie would eventually replace, rechristening the band Queen.
The chapters are a good mesh of band and music history along with glimpses of Freddie's personal life. Freddie dated girls, and had one long-term girlfriend (Mary Austin) in particular. But he seemed to begin identifying almost exclusively as a gay man in the mid-70s. That brought him into contact with the gay scene in New York, where AIDS was already making inroads, though no one knew it because the retrovirus has an incubation period of up to 10 years.
The authors try to pin down Freddie's infection to 1981 or 1982 and cite a Saturday Night Live performance in 1982, when Freddie was battling a throat condition, a possible indicator a person has been infected, showing up within weeks of the original infection though the virus otherwise remains dormant.
There is information about Freddie's boyfriends (including his last Jim Hutton), the Live Aid performance, the leaking of Freddie's HIV test to the British tabloid press, the last concert tour in 1986, Freddie living with full-blown AIDS (with the press hounding him for a confession), Freddie throwing himself into studio work, his final recordings and music videos with Queen, his death in November 1991, and the Freddie tribute concert organized by May and Taylor.
Narrator Tim Bruce does an excellent job. His voice is well-suited to the story.
33 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Trystin Figel
- 2019-01-24
Beautifully written
After seeing Bohemian Rhapsody two times in theaters. It reignited my passion for queen and made me want to learn more about them and Freddy as a whole. There were so many books to choose from and I’m glad I picked this one , the origin of HIV was fascinating , and the accounts of such a wonderful man’s life was pieced together seamlessly. This book brought out so many emotions , happiness , wonder, inspiration , sadness , and hope . Highly recommend ... Still can’t get over how great of a read it was .
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rabid Mongoose
- 2018-11-18
Great story, but the NARRATOR -- yikes!
I wish the author had gone a bit more into the history of HIV, but that's only because I'm in the medical field. Probably it was enough for the average person. I have to say, though, that the narrator really grated on me. It reminded me of a smarmy BBC nature commentator -- you just want information on the magnificent creatures you're watching, but you have to put up with a kind of arch, almost camp narration style that gets on your nerves. The narrator also has a habit of "upspeaking," where his tone rises at the end of sentences, almost as though he's asking a question, instead of making a statement.
22 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- mizeryluvkompany
- 2018-05-20
Queen Freddie Mercury.
best Queen book ive ever read or heard. tons of insight in this book. recommend.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2018-03-07
Very good!
Interesting and fascinating look on his life, society/world state of mind and origin of HIV. Narrator sounding a bit like Freddie made for a pleasant listen.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jane Ciau
- 2018-01-07
Amazing book
The narrator was amazing and Freddy will live on for ages to come. Greatly told story of his life.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J. Beecher
- 2018-11-13
Excellent biography, with context
I loved this biography in part because it placed Mercury's life and death in the context of the overall history of the beginning of the HIV/AIDs pandemic and the world events surrounding the initial discovery of HIV/AIDs as well as the politics of the time vis-a-vis gay men and the stigma around HIV/AIDs. This aspect of the historical context of Mercury's life is not covered in other biographies and I think it's a critical part of understanding Mercury's life choices, such as his decision not to reveal publicly that he was suffering from HIV/AIDs until the day before his death. This biography includes interviews and facts not found in the Mercury bio by Lesley-Ann Jones (although I recommend that one as well, because it likewise contains interviews and facts not found here).
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michelle Weese
- 2019-12-23
More like a history of HIV/Aids
I’m about 1/3rd or so into the book.
It seems more like a complete history or HIV/Aids.
It is still interesting, but less focused on Freddie, heavy on the disease which took him
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jonathan Scott Allen
- 2019-02-14
Well sourced
Very detailed description of the origin and spread of HIV/AIDS which parallels really well, if not tragically, with Freddie’s life and career. As a huge Queen/Freddie fan, I’d say this is a must read. It’s very informative and does not sensationalize Freddie’s life, but tries to explain things as they were, in so far as history and people’s memories allow.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Calicat
- 2018-08-23
Extraordinary Biography of Freddie Mercury
As a lifelong fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury in particular, my heart truly took an emotional ride guided by the narrator’s excellent interpretation of the text. The inter splicing of the rise and fall of AIDS and the medical history interwoven with Mercury’s personal history both enlightened me and increased my respect of Mercury through both his professional contribution to modern popular music and his posthumous contribution of money to the research of a cure for AIDS. No doubt if you’re not even a huge fan of Queen you will enjoy this book for its complete and complex look into the life of a true musical genius. When I was in Montreaux I saw the bronze statue of Freddie with his arm raised and index finger pointing upwards towards heaven - and that’s where he belongs if there is a heaven indeed.
Thank you to the authors for treating his life with respect and with brutal honesty. He would have loved the book, I’m certain!
7 people found this helpful