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Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page is the photographic autobiography and visual history of the world’s most iconic guitar player. With incredible attention to detail, Page has chosen hundreds of photographs representing significant moments in his from a schoolboy with a rock-a-billy quiff through his extensive work as a session musician; including The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, ARMS, The Firm, Outrider, Coverdale & Page and Page & Plant; playing with Roy Harper and The Black Crowes; collaborating with P. Diddy and performing with Leona Lewis at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Both Genesis Publications and Jimmy Page have sifted through thousands of images representing the work of more than 70 photographers including some of the greatest names in rock photography – Ross Halfin, Kate Simon, and Gered Mankowitz, to name but a few. Included are a mixture of iconic portraits, rare and unseen photographs from Jimmy’s archive along with visas, photos and stamps from his own passports.
Page has officially put pen to paper about his career taking the form of extended captions, which describe and document pivotal moments and events making this book an historical document and a definitive visual record of a remarkable life of music.
Both Genesis Publications and Jimmy Page have sifted through thousands of images representing the work of more than 70 photographers including some of the greatest names in rock photography – Ross Halfin, Kate Simon, and Gered Mankowitz, to name but a few. Included are a mixture of iconic portraits, rare and unseen photographs from Jimmy’s archive along with visas, photos and stamps from his own passports.
Page has officially put pen to paper about his career taking the form of extended captions, which describe and document pivotal moments and events making this book an historical document and a definitive visual record of a remarkable life of music.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 19, 2015
Incredible photographs from the entirety of Page's musical life. I love Jeff Beck, so the photos of the young Page- and Beck-era Yardbirds were especially appealing. So many music memoirs end up being dreary tell-alls of a life of excess, or recitations of all of the famous people the subject has known. While there are certainly photos of other musicians (Roy Harper, Ronnie Lane, and others, and of course the other members of Led Zeppelin), this book avoids all of that, and to my mind that makes it a winner. A lifetime of just the music, artfully told through a photographic chronicle. Hats off to Mr. Page!
October 3, 2017
A gigantic compilation of awesome photos, starting from his introduction to music till recent times. Surprises in every page, accompanied by Page's lovely narratives and occasional tiny, sarcastic remarks.
Page was balanced and smart enough to limit the contents of this offering within the boundary of his musical career only; nothing from his past 'relationship controversies', or whatever people like to call it.
This book did cost me a fortune, to be honest, but the pleasure of re-living some of the most important times in the history of rock, watching the Gods in action on stage (over and over), seeing Page's transformation and his blood-sweat-passion for music - is indescribable!
To me, Jimmy Page- one of world's most gifted musicians- is an open book, yet he is a bizarre mystery..
And this book does full justice to that statement!.
Page was balanced and smart enough to limit the contents of this offering within the boundary of his musical career only; nothing from his past 'relationship controversies', or whatever people like to call it.
This book did cost me a fortune, to be honest, but the pleasure of re-living some of the most important times in the history of rock, watching the Gods in action on stage (over and over), seeing Page's transformation and his blood-sweat-passion for music - is indescribable!
To me, Jimmy Page- one of world's most gifted musicians- is an open book, yet he is a bizarre mystery..
And this book does full justice to that statement!.
April 2, 2015
This is a gorgeous coffee table book filled to the brim with photographic pictures (most full-page size). The following sentence appears within the first few pages: "This book is a visual documentary to reflect my contribution to music." That sums it up very nicely. My husband is an avid fan of Led Zeppelin and first introduced me to their music when we met in 1983. He savored each page of this book and marveled at the details such as the visa stamps from Jimmy's passport. For him, this book brought back wonderful memories of his youth and college days. As for me, I view this book as a true labor of love, a wonderful pictorial history of Jimmy Page's contribution to music, and a must-see for fans.
September 11, 2015
When I requested Jimmy Page's new memoir, I was expecting a portable hardcover or paperback tome a la Pete Townshend's "Who I Am." Instead, I got a 7-pound, opulent "photographic memoir" that makes the ultimate coffee-table book for Led Zeppelin fans. Page cuts away the fat through not just his use of pictures, but with his pointed exclusion of his personal life. This is a memoir of his life as a MUSICIAN. That being said, the entirety of his Zeppelin career makes up the middle of the book, bookended by his stint as a session guitarist, his time in the Yardbirds, and his various post-Zep projects. (The Firm, solo albums, Coverdale Page, Page & Plant, etc.) A beautiful volume by a talented, legendary musician.
December 28, 2014
Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the pictures but I learned more about Jimmy Page watching It Might Get Loud than from this book and I was disappointed in the lack of text.
January 27, 2017
A disappointing "autobiography". In quotes here because it's just a large collection of pictures with scant text. What there is does little more than give specifics about the picture.
I was expecting Page to give telling anecdotes about his upbringing and early career and he w it informed his playing.
What inspires him, where does he conjure ideas for his playing (disregarding the obvious rip offs of African-American Blues classics)?
"Reading" this book gave me a clear insight into Jimmy Page; he's one seriously guarded gent!
I was expecting Page to give telling anecdotes about his upbringing and early career and he w it informed his playing.
What inspires him, where does he conjure ideas for his playing (disregarding the obvious rip offs of African-American Blues classics)?
"Reading" this book gave me a clear insight into Jimmy Page; he's one seriously guarded gent!
August 15, 2015
A must for every Jimmy Page fan & Zeppelin fans too; but this book is a pictorial autobiography of Jimmy Page along with his various musical projects before & now long after Zeppelin.
Only a few of the images are overly familiar. I loved some of the candid shots the most & many are full huge over 8x10 size each! Yes $60 is a bit steep so I borrowed mine from the library. Beware, it weighs about 30 lbs!
Only a few of the images are overly familiar. I loved some of the candid shots the most & many are full huge over 8x10 size each! Yes $60 is a bit steep so I borrowed mine from the library. Beware, it weighs about 30 lbs!
September 12, 2018
How many of you know who Jimmy Page is?
Extra points if you know he is still alive!
I must admit that I read this HUGE book at a fast clip because I wanted to see the pictures. What pictures! Not only is this man one of the most influential guitar players ever, but he is also the center of a lot of amazing photographs.
You just have to play Led Zeppelin music while browsing through such a visual feast.
Extra points if you know he is still alive!
I must admit that I read this HUGE book at a fast clip because I wanted to see the pictures. What pictures! Not only is this man one of the most influential guitar players ever, but he is also the center of a lot of amazing photographs.
You just have to play Led Zeppelin music while browsing through such a visual feast.
March 20, 2015
Great photos, but not much information presented in the captions, aside from tour schedules. I know it is intended to be a "photographic autobiography", but I would have liked to have gotten some more insights from Jimmy himself about the experience of being in Led Zeppelin and his career as a solo artist.
March 4, 2023
That was fun! He described this as an “autobiography in pictures,” which is what it is. There are so many fabulous clothes. (You know, and also guitars.)
March 7, 2025
If I still bought photography books, I would buy this beautiful photo memoir. For fans only.
December 31, 2016
Biography
Jimmy Page's 500+ page biography of his musical career as the legendary guitarist in the rock group Led Zepplin, and other bands, is superb. He specifies several times that this amazing coffee table type book covers only his musical life, from the first time he picked up a musical instrument, through publication.
As a longtime major Led Zepplin and Jimmy Page fan, it was wonderful to see settings where certain albums and/or songs were recorded. Pictures of onstage performances, especially the crowd sizes, were superb. A long list of various tour schedules is included, as are copies of passport stamps.
Photos documented a multitude of awards received, from LZ's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to an award given by Queen Elizabeth, and many honorary Doctorates granted. My favorite was one of the Kennedy Center Awards, a picture that featured only Jimmy Page and President Obama. There were other pictures from this ceremony. Jimmy Page's comments throughout the book on various pictures was limited, but he did thank President Obama in print, and it was obvious this was a highlight for him of all his various awards.
Notoriously private, I still would like to read an autobiography written by Page, where hopefully he shares more of his personal life. His privacy is obviously extremely important to him, so perhaps he is more open about his personal thoughts or experiences in his Light and Shadow (not listed on GR) which I plan to read in 2017.
Jimmy Page's 500+ page biography of his musical career as the legendary guitarist in the rock group Led Zepplin, and other bands, is superb. He specifies several times that this amazing coffee table type book covers only his musical life, from the first time he picked up a musical instrument, through publication.
As a longtime major Led Zepplin and Jimmy Page fan, it was wonderful to see settings where certain albums and/or songs were recorded. Pictures of onstage performances, especially the crowd sizes, were superb. A long list of various tour schedules is included, as are copies of passport stamps.
Photos documented a multitude of awards received, from LZ's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to an award given by Queen Elizabeth, and many honorary Doctorates granted. My favorite was one of the Kennedy Center Awards, a picture that featured only Jimmy Page and President Obama. There were other pictures from this ceremony. Jimmy Page's comments throughout the book on various pictures was limited, but he did thank President Obama in print, and it was obvious this was a highlight for him of all his various awards.
Notoriously private, I still would like to read an autobiography written by Page, where hopefully he shares more of his personal life. His privacy is obviously extremely important to him, so perhaps he is more open about his personal thoughts or experiences in his Light and Shadow (not listed on GR) which I plan to read in 2017.
November 3, 2015
This book is a perfect example of how print can elevate a book to an art form! This book reflects I'm sure, just a small percentage from the Page archive, but what he selected tells a photographic journey of his early years, and some great Led Zep shots. Page is one of the rock greats that probably has as much reverence for books as he does music; he is as intelligent as he is talented; and as mysterious as ever. He doesn't invite us into his private realm here, but he turns on the wayback machine and shares how he got his first guitar, and the rest is....kismet.
November 16, 2014
It might get louder...
August 4, 2017
An interesting pictorial for true fans.
January 5, 2023
I purchased this from an Oxfam shop, sealed but for just £14.99.
I'm not sure I can count this as being 'read' as the book is a huge volume of photographs, every single one featuring Jimmy, in a chronological order with a caption, though the captions themselves are very basic. There's a very brief introduction, and then we are off, with a picture of Jimmy with his first guitar, through his early bands, the session years, The Yardbirds...and then of course that other band - Led Zeppelin I think they were called.
There are a few sour notes. John Bonham's death is addressed with a caption to a stage shot of the band with 'sadly, this was John Bonham's last tour'. The rest of the band aren't mentioned - I guess because the band as a whole has its own memoir in photographic form, and this is after-all, all about Jimmy. His post Led Zep career is well-documented, though there are a few omissions. For instance it would have been great to have seen a picture of him with Alan White and Chris Squire in the early incarnation of 'Cinema'. But there were no mobile phones then and perhaps nobody carried an Instamatic with them everywhere.
The book itself is beautifully-bound, the paper heavy and the photographic reproduction just perfect. I guess a photographic 'autobiography' is less contentious than a written one, and in avoiding that, a genuine work-of-art has been produced.
I'm not sure I can count this as being 'read' as the book is a huge volume of photographs, every single one featuring Jimmy, in a chronological order with a caption, though the captions themselves are very basic. There's a very brief introduction, and then we are off, with a picture of Jimmy with his first guitar, through his early bands, the session years, The Yardbirds...and then of course that other band - Led Zeppelin I think they were called.
There are a few sour notes. John Bonham's death is addressed with a caption to a stage shot of the band with 'sadly, this was John Bonham's last tour'. The rest of the band aren't mentioned - I guess because the band as a whole has its own memoir in photographic form, and this is after-all, all about Jimmy. His post Led Zep career is well-documented, though there are a few omissions. For instance it would have been great to have seen a picture of him with Alan White and Chris Squire in the early incarnation of 'Cinema'. But there were no mobile phones then and perhaps nobody carried an Instamatic with them everywhere.
The book itself is beautifully-bound, the paper heavy and the photographic reproduction just perfect. I guess a photographic 'autobiography' is less contentious than a written one, and in avoiding that, a genuine work-of-art has been produced.
December 15, 2017
I got this gift from my girlfriend, a very hardcore Zeppelin fan. Yep, this book is authentic with smooth narrations, rare photos and helpful commentaries from my guitar hero, Jimmy Page. I had my chance to meet him at Olympia, in Paris in May 2014 - and he'd told most of the Zeppelin's stories which are included in this huge book. It is a must-have book for every Zeppelin/ZoSo/Lord of the riffs lovers.
December 28, 2018
This book represents a photo history of Page’s musical career. The majority, of course, is pictures of him in Zeppelin. This is a beautiful book in which the photographs are well presented, with a smattering of explanatory text, tour dates, and pictures of the foreign travel visas that Page has accumulated in his career. This book is recommended
October 27, 2020
This is primarily a photo biography. There are a few written reembraces, and tour dates and places. I love the little ephemera he shares, such as stamps from his passport. The book covers his early years up to the O2 show. It is rather fascinating to see him go from a young boy to a distinguished elder gentleman.
August 3, 2017
I love looking at someone's point of view through pictures. Sometimes that can tell a bigger story about someone that words. For me, this book is my two loves in one: Music and pictures. Awesome book, highly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2019
Mostly pictures and caption in this 10 pound coffee table book. I can only look at so many pictures of Jimmy Page and his guitars through the years. Also, pics of the Yardbirds, Zeppelin, Coverdale-Page and his solo career.
August 19, 2021
This is one of my favorites because it shows the teamwork, family, and time periods that changed society as a whole. Jimmy Page is an amazing Musician because his ability to minipulate music in such a way that he makes beautiful pieces.
March 31, 2018
Lots of pictures of Jimmy Page--very little description--no insight or interpretation of the photographs. A book 1/2 these size would have been better- so many "not good" photos were included.
July 17, 2022
Huge fan and great pictures of him through the years. I wish there was more text about the pictures and what was happening during it.
November 19, 2022
There are no stunning personal revelations in the short explanations, but the photos are great. I couldn’t stop looking at them. ❤️
December 31, 2016
An interesting look at the life and career of the guitar master Jimmy Page. Almost like looking at a photo album with the man himself, with his comments thrown in for good measure. Recommended for any fan of Page, and of Led Zeppelin.
February 12, 2017
Definitely worth the read for Diehard Zep fans! I became aware of this book after watching a 2016 Guardian Live interview with Mr. Page. It is a photographic autobiography and much more. Through the pictures, one gets a real sense of the era of Led Zeppelin via the eyes of iconic guitar maestro, Jimmy Page. It provoked a sense of curiosity of wanting to know about the real Jimmy Page. He's not done yet......
July 28, 2021
This autobiography is written by a very private man who doesn't like to talk about himself. This is why I read a 500+ page book in two days. This should be called a photobiography, because every pic is worth a thousand words, or so they say. I enjoyed the photos and the captions provided by Mr. Page.
Jimmy Page lives in Tower House and has a penchant for redheads who look like they stepped out of a Pre-Raphaelite painting. I am one of those redheads. Touring Tower House is my most far-fetched goal for a London visit. I gave this book five stars, so maybe Jimmy and I could work out a deal? LOL.
Jimmy Page lives in Tower House and has a penchant for redheads who look like they stepped out of a Pre-Raphaelite painting. I am one of those redheads. Touring Tower House is my most far-fetched goal for a London visit. I gave this book five stars, so maybe Jimmy and I could work out a deal? LOL.
December 10, 2014
Although there was a treasure of photographs from Page's entire musical career in this book, I was a little disappointed with the lack of text. There was *very* little. However, in the Epilogue, Page states that the book is a "photographic autobiography," so I can't complain too much - other than to say that I wish he had stated that at the *beginning* of the book. All in all, a very enjoyable adventure into Page's life - through photographs.
December 24, 2014
Very cool book. I always had the impression that Page was a man of few words, so it makes sense that the book would be heavy on photos. It was fun to see the evolution of his flair for onstage fashion (the guy wore hugo boss onstage in the 70s) and relive some of his exploits during my lifetime, such as the 1985 AOR juggernaut "Radioactive." There is also a picture of a massive acoustic "harp guitar" that he may have nicked from Bilbo and Frodo.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews