Jimmy Buffett: The Man from Margaritaville Revealed

by Steve Eng

The unique charisma of Jimmy Buffett has entranced his millions of fans for nearly three decades. Just what has made this man so beloved and so fanatically revered? In this lively, in-depth portrait of the talented savvy character named Jimmy Buffett, Steve Eng reveals the singer, the writer, the maestro, and the raconteur supreme. of photos.

Genres: Biography, Music, Nonfiction

364 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1997

Reviews

[Jon Barber]

I finally finished this. (The UVA football ticket that I was using as a bookmark was from the UVA/Miami game in 2006) On the front cover, it has a quote about being "exhaustively researched," and that is CERTAINLY true. As a Parrothead of 28 years or so, I definitely enjoy books about his life and this definitely is that. Not always well-written and sometimes not even mildly engaging, it documents Jimmy's life, both good and poor decisions rather well. Only read if you know the words to songs like "The Coast is Clear" or "I Heard I was in Town."

[Ronn]

This book is nearly 20 years old, and I doubt if it has been updated in that time. I dont know that I would have enjoyed it any more if it had been; I just know that I didnt enjoy it much.

It is apparent from the first pages that Jimmy Buffett did not want this book to be written by Eng; except for a letter to the author stating exactly that, quotes from Buffett throughout the book are all from other sources i.e. interviews with other people. No one who had been close to Buffett in the previous dozen years are quoted directly.

And because of this, the author's tone seems to be that of, "This guy needs to be taken down a peg or two." It's not clear if he EVER actually liked his subject.

There is some interesting historical stuff about Buffett's early ancestors, and that's what the one star is for. But on the whole, this book can and should be avoided.

[Bill Donhiser]

This book has been on my shelf forever, finally decided to get it off my to read stack. It would have been much better if I had read it when I first purchased it. Reading it after reading all of the books Jimmy authored reduced it's impact. It is full of facts and written well. Covers Jimmy's family history and early career well.
Aside: I purchased many entertainer biographies in the past and have come to the conclusion that it is a genre that for the most part I could live without. However, my stubbornness to read any book I have brought into my house before sending hot on prevents me from not reading them.
I really like Jimmy Buffet as a musician, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. I don't know if I gained much by reading this (except maybe a leg up at a "Parrothead trivia party)

[Sarah Sammis]

Lots of information and a long bibliography. Unfortunately the presentation of all these facts gave me whiplash.

[Brad Lebeau]

Biography of Jimmy Buffet. Pretty good but would have preffered an autobiography. Still good tidbits if you happen to be a Parrothead.