The Book. . . . - Page 2

SpyNote · #16 06-30-2006, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELIUD

I'm going to send her a fan experience hoping she'll use it on the sleeve or wherever to try and get a free book.

Her response to advance copies:

I wish I could but I'm restricted from sending advance copies by my distributor. You can feel free to add the book cover photo and link to Amazon if that is of interest to you.

David · #17 06-30-2006, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishgrl

Well, Ive seen people trash Mick about HIS book(s) and their content so I guess even if you're a first-hand player, you are suspect!!

The trouble with Mick's book (aside from biases against certain members & in favor of certain other members, which tend to skew a reasoned historical perspective but which certainly provide for an interesting read) was that his ghostwriter paraphrased the archive of articles to fill in what Mick himself either couldn't remember or had no personal comment on.

Quote:

I see what David means about people already having done their own research and not needing yet another Stevie tome........but for those who havent, maybe the book will be a nice leg up?

The pile of books on Fleetwood might serve that purpose: a leg up for the newbies or the uninformed. But it's been a dismal history of Fleetwood Mac or Stevie Nicks book publishing since at least as far back as 1984, when Steve Clarke published his Fleetwood Mac book.

The books published in the 1970s--Samuel Graham's "Authorized History," Charlie Walters's "Headliners," Susan Katz's "Superwomen of Rock," & Roy Carr's "Rumours 'n' Fax"--all consisted of varying degrees of original (or primary) research, mostly in the form of interviews of the band. Those books happen, maybe coincidentally, also to be the most reliable, reasonable histories of the band.

But the spate of books since 1984--Steve Clarke's "Fleetwood Mac," Bob Brunning's "The First 30 Years," Peter Lewry's "Complete Recording Sessions," Ed Wincentsen's "Rock's Mystical Lady," "Lady of the Stars" & "Fleetwood Mac Through the Years," Cath Carroll's "Never Break the Chain" & Leah Furman's "Rumours Exposed"--consist of practically no primary research & no first-generation interviews. These books do nothing but collate stacks of material from magazines, newspapers & other books (secondary research) into paraphrased--sometimes even plagiarized--narrative. It's a joke among most fans who buy these books that they do so only for the photos (& sometimes even the photos are the common ones we've all seen before).

It's unbelievable that there isn't an author or a publishing entity out there that thinks it would be both important & lucrative to write a more serious biographical history of the band, in which members, family, friends & co-workers are interviewed & allowed their say, so that new insights & perspectives can be revealed. Any decent biography consists in large part of primary research & first-hand accounts generated specifically for the work itself. It's a real shame Fleetwood Mac hasn't been served this way since probably 1978, when Sam Graham was authorized to write about the band for a book. Any such primary work on the Mac in the future wouldn't necessarily change the story, but it would certainly freshen it up & give it a cachet that all these other books--rushed, crummy, cheap, lazy--totally lack.

irishgrl · #18 06-30-2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

It's unbelievable that there isn't an author or a publishing entity out there that thinks it would be both important & lucrative to write a more serious biographical history of the band, in which members, family, friends & co-workers are interviewed & allowed their say, so that new insights & perspectives can be revealed. Any decent biography consists in large part of primary research & first-hand accounts generated specifically for the work itself. It's a real shame Fleetwood Mac hasn't been served this way since probably 1978, when Sam Graham was authorized to write about the band for a book. Any such primary work on the Mac in the future wouldn't necessarily change the story, but it would certainly freshen it up & give it a cachet that all these other books--rushed, crummy, cheap, lazy--totally lack.

Well, if what has been circulating as rumor is in fact true, maybe these friends/family etc are under some sort of gag order (or other restraint)?

BlackWidow · #19 06-30-2006, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Did Halliburton interview Nicks & her friends, family & co-workers? Did she interview anyone connected with Nicks?

That's still the bottom line. It's Journalism 101. Either you're doing your own research or you're grabbing & collating secondary sources, which is of no value to us serious fans because we have already done this for ourselves--& for a lot longer than Miss Halliburton spent doing it.

I'll second that!!!!
Sounds like bull**** to me too...

BlackWidow · #20 06-30-2006, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

The trouble with Mick's book (aside from biases against certain members & in favor of certain other members, which tend to skew a reasoned historical perspective but which certainly provide for an interesting read) was that his ghostwriter paraphrased the archive of articles to fill in what Mick himself either couldn't remember or had no personal comment on.

The pile of books on Fleetwood might serve that purpose: a leg up for the newbies or the uninformed. But it's been a dismal history of Fleetwood Mac or Stevie Nicks book publishing since at least as far back as 1984, when Steve Clarke published his Fleetwood Mac book.

The books published in the 1970s--Samuel Graham's "Authorized History," Charlie Walters's "Headliners," Susan Katz's "Superwomen of Rock," & Roy Carr's "Rumours 'n' Fax"--all consisted of varying degrees of original (or primary) research, mostly in the form of interviews of the band. Those books happen, maybe coincidentally, also to be the most reliable, reasonable histories of the band.

But the spate of books since 1984--Steve Clarke's "Fleetwood Mac," Bob Brunning's "The First 30 Years," Peter Lewry's "Complete Recording Sessions," Ed Wincentsen's "Rock's Mystical Lady," "Lady of the Stars" & "Fleetwood Mac Through the Years," Cath Carroll's "Never Break the Chain" & Leah Furman's "Rumours Exposed"--consist of practically no primary research & no first-generation interviews. These books do nothing but collate stacks of material from magazines, newspapers & other books (secondary research) into paraphrased--sometimes even plagiarized--narrative. It's a joke among most fans who buy these books that they do so only for the photos (& sometimes even the photos are the common ones we've all seen before).

It's unbelievable that there isn't an author or a publishing entity out there that thinks it would be both important & lucrative to write a more serious biographical history of the band, in which members, family, friends & co-workers are interviewed & allowed their say, so that new insights & perspectives can be revealed. Any decent biography consists in large part of primary research & first-hand accounts generated specifically for the work itself. It's a real shame Fleetwood Mac hasn't been served this way since probably 1978, when Sam Graham was authorized to write about the band for a book. Any such primary work on the Mac in the future wouldn't necessarily change the story, but it would certainly freshen it up & give it a cachet that all these other books--rushed, crummy, cheap, lazy--totally lack.

David:
You are my new role model.....

irishgrl · #21 06-30-2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackWidow

David:
You are my new role model.....

well, Im fond of him too, but he didnt address my hypothesis? (or rather the prospect that the gag order "rumor" might be "true")

David · #22 07-01-2006, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishgrl

well, Im fond of him too, but he didnt address my hypothesis? (or rather the prospect that the gag order "rumor" might be "true")

I have no idea. I have never heard anything about that. It seems unlikely to me--like some of the political conspiracy theories you hear.

What would the punishment be for any of the FM or SN employees who spill? Termination? Dozens of them over the decades have probably already been fired or have resigned anyway. Ethlie Ann Vare's 1984 Stevie Nicks book (a good one, by the way) is filled with personal comments about Stevie & friends by a lot of co-workers.

I think maybe a lot of Stevie's friends self-impose a "Do Not Disclose" voluntarily just because they feel a great loyalty to Stevie. You can hear that loyalty in some of the Q&A stuff on Nicks Fix & even on this site. These people often say, "That's none of my business." It would take a very persistent biographer to get these people to say something of substance for a properly done book. Of course, that would require talking to them in the first place, which is something most of the FM/SN writers probably don't bother doing.

BlackWidow · #23 07-01-2006, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mokona

Is this another one of those awful books that just takes a few facts and a whole bunch of inaccuracies to create one gramatically incorrect, poorly edited piece of crap?

Until Stevie writes her own book or authorizes someone to do it for her, I'm not reading anymore of these. How many times have we read the same old stories, over and over? How is there going to be anything new in here that we haven't already heard through countless interviews and places like The Ledge?

I AGREE!
Follow the link and email her your thoughts...I DID!!! LOL!!!
I won't tell you what I said to her...hahaha!!!!

SpyNote · #24 07-30-2006, 05:18 PM

You can read an excerpt from Sandra Halliburton's new book at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0978...28#reader-link

BlackWidow · #25 07-30-2006, 07:53 PM

Oh who cares.
I read the first chapter on Amazon..no big whoop..all rehash.
I'd rather read GOOD WITCH/BAD WITCH...LOL!

sparky · #26 07-30-2006, 07:53 PM

The excerpt is pretty well written. It is a lot of quotes from other soruces, but I think it is woven together well. I think it'll be a fun read. The Dolly Parton quote is hysterical. On many levels.

BlackWidow · #27 07-30-2006, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparky

The excerpt is pretty well written. It is a lot of quotes from other soruces, but I think it is woven together well. I think it'll be a fun read. The Dolly Parton quote is hysterical. On many levels.

I thought so too...