Spoiler alert: After reading this book (if you are a obsessive Smiths fan as I am) you might find both Morrissey and Johnny Marr to be slightly less likeable then before.

Johnny Rogan is one excellent mine-digger for information. That's all I can say! ( )

Very insightful! I do love S-t-e-v-e-n Morrissey.... ;) ( )

This is a very detailed biography of primarily Morrissey, despite the title. At times he manages to make claims for what Mozza was doing on a particular date during his school days, without ever providing a source or hint of how he knows. This is intriguing, but the same level of detail becomes, frankly, a little boring when applied to the comings & goings of The Smiths various business managers. Its Morrissey we’re interested in, but inevitably the essence of Mozz still escapes us, despite all the digging & detail. ( )

I am 86% certain I read this book 10 years ago. I know I read a book about The Smiths at that time, but I am blanking on the details. I remember it as a difficult read, during a difficult time. Perhaps it was all the more depressing because I myself was then depressed. Or maybe there was more detail than I wanted to read. That sounds familiar. I'm now considering reading another book about The Smiths. I thought I might try Simon Goddard's The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life. At this point, 25 years after The Smiths saved my own life (bit of hyperbole there, although they certainly made it more bearable), I'm more interested in reading about the songs than about the band members. ( )