Lazarus: The Second Coming of David Bowie

A major new biography of David Bowie on the 10th anniversary of his death, exploring the second half of his career from commercial failures to critical rebirth in the 21st century.

When David Bowie died on 10 January 2016, aged 69, his death was greeted with the greatest display of public mourning since Princess Diana three decades before.

Twenty-five years before, Bowie appeared to be washed up. His Eighties career had been a slow descent into self-parody, his attempts to diversify into hard rock with the had been disastrous, and the art-rock music with which he had made his name was badly out of fashion. The Thin White Duke needed a miracle if he was not only going to be able to assume his rightful place at the top of the rock music firmament, but even to continue his career. And a miracle – a resurrection from the dead – is precisely what happened.

Lazarus: The Second Coming of David Bowie is the first biography of Bowie that tells the full and candid story of what happened in between those two apparently unbridgeable points. With new and exclusive interviews with the musicians, filmmakers and cultural figures who worked with and befriended Bowie throughout this period, Lazarus is the definitive account of the previously overlooked and fascinating latter half of a great and distinguished career. A career that climaxed with his final masterpiece, Blackstar, and the unprecedented theatrical flourish of his departure from the stage as he passed into legend.

Review

“Diligently researched, amusingly footnoted and by no means uncritical....Larman delves into all kinds of beguiling crannies” ― Private Eye

“Told with a fan's eye but a critic's judgement, Lazarus is essential reading: an early contender for music book of the year. 10/10” ― The Mirror

“A brilliant new book (that) charts his incredible reinvention” ― Daily Express

“An engrossing, entertaining and informative read 8/10” ― Classic Rock

“A superb book to remind us exactly how much he gave us and how much we continue to miss him” ― God is in the TV Zine

“(A) bold and enlightening exploration of Bowie's later career. Sensitive, witty and often very affecting” ― The Times

“A genuine must buy, as rich in critical appraisal as it is in personal history *****” ― Classic Pop

“A fascinating new lens through which to view Bowie's character, creative process and his complicated relationship with pop music, resulting in an often gleefully provocative account. (A) bold and enlightening exploration of Bowie's later career. Sensitive, witty and often very affecting” ― The Times

“With new testimony from many collaborators, Lazarus is an emotional take on the Thin White Duke's leanest years 4/5” ― Mojo

“A superb biography rich with insight and shrewd understanding. A captivating and fascinating
portrait of David Bowie emerges” -- William Boyd

About the Author

Alexander Larman is a bestselling writer, historian, literary editor of The Spectator World and regular contributor for The Telegraph, The Times, New Statesman and many more.