Jim Morrison

Life, Death, Legend

By: Stephen Davis

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 17 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

As the lead singer of the Doors, Jim Morrison's searing poetic vision and voracious appetite for sexual, spiritual, and psychedelic experience inflamed the spirit and psyche of a generation. Since his mysterious death in 1971, millions more fans from a new generation have embraced his legacy, as layers of myth have gathered to enshroud the life, career, and true character of the man who was James Douglas Morrison.

In Jim Morrison, critically acclaimed journalist Stephen Davis, author of Hammer of the Gods, unmasks Morrison's constructed personas of the Lizard King and Mr. Mojo Risin' to reveal a man of fierce intelligence whose own destructive tendencies both fueled his creative ambitions and brought about his downfall. Gathered from dozens of original interviews and investigations of Morrison's personal journals, Davis has assembled a vivid portrait of a misunderstood genius, tracing the arc of Morrison's life from his troubled youth to his international stardom, when his drug and alcohol binges, tumultuous sexual affairs, and fractious personal relationships reached a frenzied peak. For the first time, Davis is able to reconstruct Morrison's last days in Paris to solve one of the greatest mysteries in music history in a shocking final chapter.

Compelling and harrowing, intimate and revelatory, Jim Morrison is the definitive biography of the rock idol in snakeskin and leather who defined the 1960s.

©2004 Stephen Davis (P)2004 Penguin Audio and Books on Tape, Inc.

Great story

I've read most of the Morrison bios. This one is the best one. Seems very well researched and told very well. Don't waste your time with that no one here gets out alive. I loved it when I was a kid but now I can see how lame it is. In particular the audio version. No offense to Sugarman, who reads the audio, but he is unlistenable. His hippy dialect is unbelievably annoying.

Jim Morrison

This book is a riveting look at the life of complex man, a man very much a product of (and contributor to) his time. It captures the feel and history of LA in the 60's and early 70's.

Morrison, debauched, naive, sympathetic, brilliant, cruel, a train wreck in waiting. He was many things....a phony he was not.

Don't let the length of this title put you off, this is a compelling story. Great writing and narration make this one of my all time favorite listens.

Fascinating

I avoided the Doors' music as a teenager (during the 80s) and felt that the adulation directed at Jim Morrison was undue. Now in my 30s, I decided to give Jim's story a read and I've been very pleased with the choice! I suppose I still haven't decided whether Jim was a true talent or a fluke but I became engrossed in his story and just purchased the box set of the Doors studio albums. As a musician, I appreciated that the author described important musical elements of many Doors shows: the set list, the mood of the performers, the cultural setting and even the men who handled promotion. I was surprised to learn that Jim's obscenity trial was a farce and I was reminded of the intense, judgmental morality of the conservative elements of 1960s society. Whether you come to admire Jim Morrison or not as a result of this reading, I'm convinced that you will apreciate his daring, bold approach to challenging the American status quo.

Loved Every Second of It

What made the experience of listening to Jim Morrison the most enjoyable?

The overall story is so compelling.

What did you like best about this story?

Comprehensive view into the Doors career.

What does Paul Michael bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Can relate more emotionally I think.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, extremely upset about Jim Morrison's self-destructive behavior on every other page. What a talent but what a shame.

Any additional comments?

Enjoyed every minute of this and would recommend it to any Doors fan or classic rock fan.

good listen

it's like 17 hours and I wish I was longer with more , never slow good reader I highly recommend

A Pretty Interesting Read

I fpund the book to be very well written. Though I do wonder if a certain part of morrisons life was left our - the artistic poetic side of his personality. It may seem mundane to some, but it might have been much more interesting.
All in alll worth a read.

Hypnotic!

A Great book! Highly recommended! I was completely memorized. I didn't want it to end.

one of the best on Jim

I've read and listened to quite a few but this is probably the best book on Jim I've come across.

What a gem!

I could not get enough of this book. It flowed beautifully and was so conversational I found myself talking back to the narrator like a friend,
There are not enough stars for this!!

Great Ride

everything you care to know about Jim Morrison and The Doors. ENJOY IT ROCK FANS!