Billy Joel: The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man Revised and Updated

This is perhaps one of the worst edited books I have ever read. Typos and poor grammar abound.Beyond that though is the amount of facts that are incorrect. If the author couldn't be bothered to check his facts how much credence can we put into the hearsay that is the basis of the book.The author states Judy Joel, Billy's sister, was born to Rosalind and Howard. That is false. Judy is actually the niece of Rosalind Joel. Rosalind's sister died when Judy was a baby and Rosalind and Howard eventually ended up raising her as their own.Billy's motorcycle accident didn't damage his left thumb and wrist. It crushed his left thumb to the point that he no longer has a distal bone in his thumb. The right wrist was completely dislocated and required pins and surgery to repair. These are facts that are readily available to check.Billy didn't attempt suicide once, but twice when he was 21. The first time he took Nembutal and called Jon Small to apologize for the incidents with Elizabeth, who he thought had told Jon. Jon rescued him and had his stomach pumped. Billy then drank the Old English scratch cover and checked himself into a mental institution for 3 weeks. He and Jon are still friends to this day. Jon has produced Billy's music videos and concert recordings.These are all facts. If he can't get these things right, what are the odds that the other stories were properly vetted? A much more accurate choice is "Billy Joel" by Fred Schruers. This book began as an autobiography, but Billy backed out and returned the money once the first draft was written and the publishers demanded more sex, drugs and depression and less life story.

The book arrived in a timely fashion and in great condition. Very good price--great value.

I find myself scratching my head at the reviews who say there is "nothing new" here. I've been a devout Billy Joel fanatic all my life, and there is a LOT of new info here. One thing that stands out is Billy's attempted suicide: Billy always kind of laughed the incident off, saying he "just went around farting furniture polish. I'd sit on the chair and polish the furniture." The Borowitz book reveals that (a) Billy was admitted to the hospital in a coma; (b) he did not admit himself into a mental health facility (as he long suggested) but was admitted by the authorities; (c) he did not get himself sprung (again, as Billy has suggested) but had to get his then-manager Irwin Mazur to pose as a psychologist(!) to get him out.And all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. Not to call into question the fans who say they already knew this stuff--but unless you're Billy's sister, you did NOT know all of this. And yes, band members, former managers, and family members were contacted for this book, and many of them--for a change--apparently talked. As of this writing, this is by far the most detailed Billy bio out there.

I was glad to see a book about Billy Joel. It was about time! Content would be a 3.5 stars to me. While Hank admits it was difficult to get people to spill the beans on Billy's more recent life information, the information provided on the early days was quite good. Information on his beginnings and Levittown were very interesting. As the previous reviewer stated, some of my favorite events and people appeared as an afterthought. Crystal and Mark were hardly mentioned. Crystal sings Billy's high notes now - certainly she should be more to the story. Yankee Stadium was a huge event. The DVD had more insight to it than the book. The book also failed to illustrate Billy's stage presence and performing antics that make his shows worth every penny we pay to see them. I think Hank was more interested in dirt than the whole story and when he could not get the dirt, he passed on the story. The book is still a worthwhile read if you are a fan. Could have been better.

Great book, really enjoyed it. A must read for any hard core Billy Joel fan. Still hope that he will.someday release his unpublished memoirs. :)

I bought this book imagining it would be another authorized biography, withou many surprises.It amazed me when I read the book and found how rich in details and deepness of Billy Joel's life it is.A rare item that is not easily found.I'm in total awe.To tell you the truth in less than a month I've read this book twice.Congratulations to Mr. Hank Bordowitz for a wonderful, patient and inspired work.

I didn't know much about Billy Joel. We are going to a concert of his. Wanted to know more about him.

Enjoyed reading the book very much. I felt the author did a go job in portraying the truth in the way He lived and worked.

It's a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but very readable.

really gets under the skin of the persona of the man. just shows how differcult his life has been and how people change after so many difficult times.

fast in allen Biographien von Billy Joel steht das gleiche. Warum so viele Biographien, Geld hat er doch genug. Inzwischen gibt es schon weitere Biographien. Leute wollen wissen, was macht der Star. Der star sollte aber auch wissen, privates sollte privat bleiben.