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Led Zeppelin: Shadows Taller Than Our Souls Charles R Cross AURUM

From page 73 of Classic Rock Magazine December 2010

Cover of December 2010 issue.

A treasure trove of hard-rock bric-a-brac.

Any Zep fan contemplating shelling out for Jimmy Page’s new limitededition individually signed and numbered coffee-table book (or “photographic autobiography”, as the press blurb has it) needs to have the tidy sum of £445 at their disposal. A more affordable option is this illuminating compendium of pics, biog and souvenirs, although its 30 quid asking price is still a hefty whack.

Following on from Aurum’s previous titles in the series (Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain), this is the ultimate example of the band’s illustrated history. Alongside level-headed and informative text by Hendrix biographer Cross, the publishers have packed the pages with facsimile memorabilia; thus, there’s pullout replicas of ticket stubs, contact strips of live photos, archive SwanSong press releases, even a CD of a 1977 Page interview. It’s a scrapbook

for grown-ups, essentially, reprinting huge swathes of landmark press coverage (including a snootily dismissive early report in Rolling Stone ), both familiar and obscure images, and a solid assessment of the band’s enduring legacy. File next to Hammer Of The Gods , and prepare to pore over its delightful contents time and time again.

Terry Staunton