Reviews for A Sting in the Tale

The average rating for A Sting in the Tale based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-09-19 00:00:00 Theresa Graham See the original review here: The only biography authorised by Sting himself, A Sting in the tale was written after Sting made a joke to life long friend James Berryman that he could probably write a better biography about him than anyone else has been able to so far. The book details the early life of Sting through to his finding fame and then follows on to talk about later on in his life. It describes a lot of the harshness of going to Catholic School in Newcastle in the 1960s which is interesting in itself due to the complete overhaul of the UK school corporate punishment system in 1987. This means that the younger generation reading this book will be able to gain some insight into perhaps just how lucky they are to be educated in an institution where the worst thing that you have to worry about is detention. On one hand this is a great book. It analyses Sting from a friend's perspective, there is banter, there are tales of adolescent mischiefs, stories of grown up trials and many more anecdotes that go on to clearly show how Sting has changed since meeting Berryman including whippings, seeing the Beatles (Sting disputes this fact in his book) and the beginnings of a betting company. On the other hand however, this is a book about a man that just so happens to know Sting, and as such is more of an account of his life than anything else. I believe he has just re-released this book with the title: Sting and I (don't hold me to this information, I'm not sure if it's been revised or is completely new) stating the book is about a man that knows Sting. This of course is the perfect way to describe this particular book, whereas the cover of this one calls it a biography, which is a title that I don't think that it really deserves. On the whole, once you get past the fact that a lot of the later parts of the book are Berryman rabbiting on about his financial woes, this book is a charming, witty portrail of a rather elusive pop megastar, showing a side to him that you might not even find in his own memoir: Broken Music. If you want to know about Sting then read Broken Music, however if you don't mind having a laugh at his expense, then A Sting in the tale is the book for you.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-05-17 00:00:00 Robert Bloise A clearly, affectionately written analysis of George Harrison's religious outlook, as expressed in his songs both with the Beatles and as a solo artist. At 182 pages, it is just the right length. Although Harrison was a brilliant guitar player and inspired lyricist, and he studied his adopted religious tradition (Hare Krishna Hinduism) more thoroughly than most devotees, his songs are rather straightforward and are not particularly hard to unpack. Thanks to his typically thorough research, Dale Allison says about as much as can be said on the subject. I came away with a great appreciation for Harrison as both an artist and a religious devotee, and a rare example of someone who combined the two identities with integrity. Off to Spotify to give the quiet Beatle a listen!