“I was spotty, wore an anorak, had biro-engraved flared blue jeans with purple and Sabbath written on the thighs, and rode an ear-splittingly uncool moped. Oh yes, and I wanted to be a drummer…” Bruce Dickinson

I decided to purchase and read Bruce Dickinson’s autobiography book and I am glad I did! Iron Maiden’s legendary frontman, not only a singer but an airline captain, aviation entreprenuer, motivational speaker, beer brewer, novelist, radio presenter, screenwriter and world-class fencer.

This book was bold, honest, intellegnet and funny. Bruce’s memoir captures his early stages in life with univeristies, history, musicianship, and flight.

In this book, Bruce contemplates the rollercoaster of life. He recounts – in his uniquely anarchic voice – the explosive exploits of his eccentric British childhood, the meteoric rise of Maiden, the philosophy of fencing, brutishly beautiful Boeings and firmly dismissing cancer like an uninvited guest.

What Dickinson chooses to share in the book is illuminating, interesting and very entertaining. What you won’t read about is his personal life. While he opens up some about a difficult upbringing  he didn’t live with his parents for the first few years of his life and was then shipped off to a boarding school. There is no mention of wives, relationships or his children. In the afterward, he writes he made a personal executive decision of “no births, marriages or divorces of me or anybody else.”

This is a well-written book that offers more than just a behind-the-scenes look at Iron Maiden. Nice and smoothly written.