This superb piece of publishing gave me an uncensored participants view of the sixties which I was unable to attend due to my date of birth. I found the photos revealing and the letters/conversations imtimate. The contents of this book will be useful for historians both cultural as well as musical. Thoroughly recommended for anyone whose interests fall within any of the following music, the sixites, photography, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones or any other significant musician from that period.

After enjoying Bill Wyman's 1990 autobiography "Stone Alone", I couldn't pass up "Wyman Shoots Chagall". I am glad to say "Wyman Shoots Chagall" was another enjoyable read by Bill Wyman. Along with a great story of his friendship with the world renowned artist Mark Chagall, Bill has decided to show us besides being a great musician, he is also a great photographer.

In 1971 when the Rolling Stones left England and moved to the South of France to record "Exile On Main St", Bill struck up a friendship with artist Mark Chagall. During their friendship Bill took many fabulous photographs of Mark Chagall, most of which are published here for the very first time. To accompany the book Bill has added a bonus CD, which is only available here, of classical compostions he wrote performed by the London Symphony Orchestra that has never been commercially released. Also captured by Bill's lens are photographs of Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, Eric Clapton and Elton John. The book is a must for anyone who is a fan of Bill Wyman or Mark Chagall. It is well worth the money.

As other reviews stated, the book is very thorough and gives extremely good insight to the early stones. It especially describes the many contributions of Brian Jones which are not usually talked about or even known by many. The early history is quite fascinating. Although I do recommend the book I have a few problems with the book that greatly dimish its reading pleasure 1) It only covers from 1963 to 1969 (so we don't know what happened in the 70s and 80s) 2) Wyman constantly discusses the woman he has "had", this gets old pretty quickly 3) It is at times very dry reading, often it is just a bunch of facts listed in chronological order from his diary But overall this book is chuck-full of information that only an insider would know and can describe. This is really the basis that I recommend the book. I did read it quickly (in a few sittings) which is very rare for me.

You`ll find the band vision of a grey man who was in the right moment in the right place in 1962. We can feel sadness of the tail of a star band, but it's easy to suppose that there are some big trues in this book. It's firt example of the history never told about the Rolling Stones

This book is definitely the best book available about the Stones, and an indispensable source of information for the Rolling Stones fan. Wyman have collected memories and diaries from the very beginning of the 'Stones career, which finally, in the early nineties, got together in this wonderful book. It all begins at the moment when Bill was born in 1936, and it spans from his childhood all the way to the Hyde Park-concert given to the memory of Brian Jones, in 1969. It has a lot of details and interesting, deep, true stories about the 'Stones life and the sixties. Read about the club-gigs in the early years, the life on Edith Groove in London, the great tours in the mid-60's, the US-visits, the drug-busts in 1967, the truth about Brian, and much, much more.

Once again, DK Publishing raises the bar, forever influencing the way the best pop culture biographies will be handled by the rest of the book industry. This time, the noted non-fiction publisher applies its unique visual encyclopedia approach to a bigger-than-life biographical subject, The Rolling Stones, making all previous celebrity bios pale by comparison. As such, this sophisticated coffee table production -- "Rolling With The Stones," written by none other than former Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman himself, with the help of his "Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey" partner, Richard Havers and a staff of DK editors -- is a thoroughly engaging insider story of the world's legendary bad-boy rock and roll band. Judging the book by its cover, one might mistakenly suspect it's a common as-told-to remembrance. To the contrary, the hefty book is a virtual mini-museum providing everything anyone could possibly want to know about the band, its history, its inspiration and its affect on cultural and social history. Drawing from his massive personal collection of Stones memorabilia, Wyman provides hundreds of one-of-a-kind artifacts, personal photos, and entries from decades of daily journals that he began writing as a child. There are more than 3,000 images here in all, amid hundreds of press clippings, set lists, quotations by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Brian Jones, Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood, as well as their famous peers, political pundits and journalists. Wyman's personal account links the historical analysis, anecdotes and images, as if he's personally guiding readers through a scholarly scrapbook of sorts.

I was interested when I found out Bill Wyman was doing another book on the history of the "Greatest Rock And Roll Band in the World." His first book "Stone Alone" is one the better books I have read on the history of the band. Unfortunately that book ends at the start of the 1970s. Wyman's new book "Rolling with the Stones" follows the exploits of the band through his entire tenure with the band. Fanatics will enjoy the many pictures of memorabilia from Wyman's own collection. There are a number of rare photographs including some from when the band members were only kids. Other interesting items include many magazine covers and articles, tour posters, and pictures of rare import single sleeves. Album and single releases include track listings, chart positions and information about the original versions of songs the Stones covered. A general set list of songs played on each tour is included as well as list of tour dates and opening acts for each tour. Wyman makes the book a good read by spicing the book with quotes and stories from fans, friends, family, other fellow musicians and the Stones themselves. Many of the quotes and stories pertain to the memorabilia and photos included in the book. Another great aspect of the book is that since Bill Wyman was involved that book does not focus almost entirely on Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Brian Jones. The pictures are divided up more evenly among the band members including Ian Stewart. The book is essential to anyone with more than just a passing interest in the Rolling Stones. It was well worth the price especially since I got it on sale.

This book by ex-Stones bassist Bill Wyman and Richard Havers is one of the best rock books ever; it's also the most definitive Rolling Stones book. This is the second book by Wyman,
his first being 1990's "Stone Alone". This book has everything Stones- tour setlists, photos, information on singles, and clippings from newspaper articles. It even tells the real title and the story behind the infamous groupie anthem "Star Star". It also features a hilarious 1970 Peanuts comic advertising the release of "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out". The photos here are amazing. But there's one fact I can't believe. Who would vote Keith the 9th handsomest man in the world? Ray Charles? This is great book
for any Stones fan.

This book covers the original Rolling Stones from their early beginings the way that only an insider can tell it. This is one of the few books that gives the late Brain Jones the credit he deserves regarding his vision for the group he formed and led! Much insight on the inner workings and behavior of the five young men from London who 's goal it was to sell the blues to their young English audiance and ultimately the world. What got in the way was personalities and ambitions. According to Wyman the original Rollin' Stones was a blues band headed by purist Brian Jones. Their early selections were those of Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Howlin Wolf and, the man who's song Rollin' Stone Blues they derived their name from, Muddy Waters. Although much of the book talks about Wyman's many many on the road affairs with groupies, too much in my opinion, it is a treasure chest of information about the early years and beginings of the world's greatest rock and roll band.

This may seem a bit odd but my two favorite Stones were always Charlie Watts & Bill Wyman. They were the rock solid rhythm foundation for the band. They never recieved the press that the others did but the band would never have flown without them, and I am a Stones fan from 1963. This book reveals Bill's life as a child growing up in England, experiencing the trials and tribulations of war torn London. Accounts of his family life and the first bands that he ever played with, not to mention the history of the Stones and his relationships with each of the members, his marriages and children and countless other issues and information, plus fantastic photos and many rare shots of the band in the early days. This is a wonderful read and not to be missed. I highly recommend this book. You will be amazed at much of the factual information.

Thanks to the Rolling Stones' bass player Bill Wyman's neurotic habit of keeping journals and detailed records of nearly every aspect of his life, we have in this book a precious and rare opportunity to look at the formative days of the Rolling Stones. I am absolutely dumbfounded at other reviews which refer to this book as boring or concerned only with uninteresting details of mundane matters. The book is a witty, compelling and fascinating account of how a devotee of the American Blues genre named Brian Jones, plucked the title of a Muddy Waters record called "Rollin' Stone Blues", and used it as the name of the band he formed to jam on the blues for the pure pleasure of it. Only later through chance meetings, serendipity, and fate did musicians Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts cross his path and redirect the band's musical focus towards original songwriting and pop stardom, leading to the ultimate unraveling of Brian Jones's mental stability which eventually let to his untimely death by drug-induced drowning. Contrary to bizarre assertions by other reviewers that Bill Wyman was a vindictive malcontent, and a jealous and egotistical songwriting competitor to the Jagger/Richards team, Mr. Wyman was and is a quiet, fun-loving, and happy person with a droll sense of humor. Of course the Stones had their differences, fights, spats, and arguments just like every group of people involved in long-term relationships, and these are related with honesty here. Wyman in fact uses most of this book as a vehicle to express his love and admiration for his fellow Stones and at the genius of The Glimmer Twins (Jagger and Richards). Rarely tooting his own horn as a songwriter, Wyman does at one point wryly relate the tale of how HE and not Jagger and Richards came up with the lick for one of the Stones' most compelling songs "Jumpin' Jack Flash", for which he was never given credit. The first-hand recounting of the band's sudden rise to stardom, from the dismal empty clubs in England to the world stage, is compelling reading and the stories of the groupies, the band's exact pay at every gig, the financial debacles, and eventually their monetary revival which occured after Mick Jagger met a Swiss Baron who took over the Stone's books, are all vital statements of fact, valuable lessons to musicians of today and an integral part of the story of one of the greatest bands of all time. Ray Coleman does an exemplary job of working with Wyman and turning out one of the great books of rock. Thank you Bill and Ray for this amazing record of a legendary period!

No book is without faults but warts an all this is a damn fine book for anyone remotely interested in the Blues, Music or plain Bill Wyman. The most annoying thing about this book is where it is repetitive on certain passages, but then this is the way it is written.
Those are the warts,the best part of the book is its
contents of anecdotes and is crammed full of splendid photographs. I found the best/worst part of the book was its essential recordings showing classic songs/albums about individual artistes.(the worst part is that I am currently seeking an endless list of albums I do not have)
For an ageing Rolling Stone,still on the road doing what he does best Bill Wyman and Richard Havers have written an Historical Masterpiece! After all it is not an easy task writing about the origins of modern pop music with all your own prejudices and favourites and at the same time wondering wether or not you have left someone of note out in the cold!
My advice to you all is to go out and buy yourself an Historical Music Book Today! (While it is in its 1st Print!)

Overall, a great book that educates the reader in an entertaining, clear and down-to-earth manner. I especially appreciated the background information (for example, on slavery, segregation and the cotton trade) which puts the blues into its social and spiritual context. This book is clearly a labour of love, especially for Bill Wyman, but that love unfortunately extends to an excessive number of Bill Wyman photographs. Bear in mind that as a coffeee table book, this book lacks some of the depth and flow of a good blues read, evident in books such as Robert Palmer's "Deep Blues" or Alan Lomax's "The land where the blues began".

Sure this book is like an encyclopedia, but you won't find a better guide for finding obscure blues artists that otherwise would be forgotten. Most books go into familiar territory and rehash the same old information, but Bill Wyman is a serious collector who wants to share his love of the blues. This book is loaded with enough information to get you started on your own eclectic blues collection.

As the case with so many DK publications, the appearance is attractive and information useful but the binding is poor. The pages in my copy came loose in a short time making it a nuisance to use.

I just recently got a guitar as a gift. I knew nothing about guitars. I picked this book up because it covered a wide range of information, from the history of guitars to recordinging your own music, and it does it with very clear descriptions and color photos. (use the look inside feature and you'll see what I mean) The guitar instruction part of the book is also very good. It doesn't overwhelm you with music theory and how to read music like most other books. It just shows you some basic cords and gets you strumming. Overall, a great book for those new to playing guitar.

The information was great for me as a beginner although I didn't understand the music theory section. (i believe it's just me on that though). however, the pages are slowly coming out one-by-one after only 2 months of usage.