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You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone (Hardback)

Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

A redemptive, myth-shattering biography of one of the twentieth century’s most underestimated creative and artistic forces.

1 in stock

£20.00
Format
Hardback
ISBN
9780571350018
Date Published
15.07.2021
Delivery
All orders are sent via Royal Mail and are tracked: choose from standard or premium delivery.
Summary

A ROUGH TRADE, MOJO, UNCUT & LOUDER THAN WAR BOOK OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE RALPH J. GLEASON MUSIC BOOK AWARD

A redemptive, myth-shattering biography of one of the twentieth century’s most underestimated creative and artistic forces.

‘Here is the Odyssey of Nico . . . a scholarly and detailed chronicle of this brilliant artist, who was spurned and tortured for her trouble.’
IGGY POP

‘At last, a comprehensive and compelling book about Nico.’
VIV ALBERTINE

‘Absorbs from start to finish.’
OBSERVER

The real story of Nico is one of determination, self-destruction and belief in one’s artistic vision, at any cost . . .

You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone is an empowering reappraisal of an underappreciated icon. Drawing upon new interviews and rare archival material Bickerdike defies the sexist casting of Nico’s life as the tragedy of a beautiful woman losing her youth and fame, and instead cements her legacy as one of the most vital artists of her generation.

‘Gripping.’ THE TIMES
‘[This] book gets closer to understanding Nico than most.’ GUARDIAN
‘Deserves to sit with the great biographies.’ RECORD COLLECTOR
‘A compassionate portrait of a musician whose artistry has often been overlooked.’ MOJO
‘Valuable . . . Bickerdike gives Nico her due as an artist.’ THE SPECTATOR
‘Entertainingly written and insightful.’ INDEPENDENT
‘The best music book you will read this year.’ LOUDER THAN WAR

Critic Reviews

Here is the Odyssey of Nico . . . a scholarly and detailed chronicle of this brilliant artist, who was spurned and tortured for her trouble.

Iggy Pop
Critic Reviews

At last, a comprehensive and compelling book about Nico. Her music, songwriting and strength of character were huge influences on the whole punk and post-punk movement.

Viv Albertine
Critic Reviews

A gripping portrait of one of the most fascinating figures in late 20th-century music.

Will Hodgkinson, The Times
Critic Reviews

Makes clear what a driven, creative and fearlessly original artist [Nico] was . . . You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone is an entertainingly written and insightful biography, which portrays Nico as a flawed but deeply compelling individual.

Kevin E G Perry, Independent
Critic Reviews

Bickerdike digs deep into the life of one of the strangest and most unlikely singer-songwriters of our time . . . absorbs from start to finish.

Ian Thomson, Observer
Critic Reviews

Detailed and comprehensive in its research . . . Much of Nico’s allure as a performer and a personality rests on a perceived mysteriousness that was partly influenced by her coolly monosyllabic manner, but also by the gaps in her story. Otter Bickerdike painstakingly fills in these gaps, piecing together Nico’s family history, her early years bearing witness to atrocities in Nazi Germany and her eagerness to leave for a better life . . . the book gets closer to understanding Nico than most.

Fiona Sturges, Guardian
Jennifer OtterBickerdike

Dr. Jennifer Otter Bickerdike is a cultural historian and author, working across music heritage and fandom in broadcast and academia. She has appeared on BBC Radio 6, BBC 4, Channel 4 and ITV, and has written for the Guardian. She is the author of several books regarding fan culture. Her previous book was the bestselling Why Vinyl Matters. Originally from…

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Jennifer OtterBickerdike