Captain Fantastic

'A wildly entertaining and warm portrait of Elton that will appeal to fans old and new'

* Classic Pop *

'In this adoring and candid set of fan’s notes, music journalist Doyle (Man on the Run) draws on interviews with John and his colleagues, especially his writing partner, Bernie Taupin, to capture the meteoric rise and fall of the man who released at least one album every year of the 1970s . . . This energetic book . . . makes a convincing case that John reached his peak and made his best music in the ’70s'

* Publishers Weekly *

'A breezy and surprisingly poignant romp through a decade, and a career, that effectively invented modern celebrity culture'

-- Peter Doggett, author of You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup

'a warm, insightful study, with Elton emerging as flawed but loveable, brilliant but infuriating; a suburban pop music fan who couldn’t quite believe he became a bigger star than many of his heroes’ 

-- Mark Blake * Mojo *

‘a warm, pacey canter through the first decade of Elton’s career’ 

-- Mark Ellen * Mail on Sunday *

'A riveting account of the lad from Pinner’s head-spinning ascension to rock royalty in the decade of excess. While clearly fond of the music Elton made during this insanely prolific imperial phase, Doyle offers perceptive criticism where it’s due. This is no hagiography. Self-critical Reg will presumably recognise the flawed, likeable neurotic depicted herein’ 

-- Paul Whitelaw * The Big Issue *

‘An entertaining biography…Doyle handles Elton’s early life and remarkable rise to stardom with a light touch and an obvious command of the subject matter’ 

-- Chris McCall * Scotland on Sunday *

'Veteran rock journalist [Tom] Doyle continues his foray into the 1970s music scene with a compelling profile of an unlikely rock star. . . . In chronicling Elton John’s stratospheric rise to fame, replete with platinum records, increasingly outlandish stage shows, and mountains of cash, the author deftly manages to keep his subject in sharp focus. Based on hours of one-on-one interviews with Captain Fantastic himself, this breezy yet comprehensive biography demonstrates what it was like for the talented musician to churn out an impossible string of hit records . . . A great way to better understand the man behind the garish glasses and platform boots' 

* Kirkus Revie