[charlene]

I told Dave B. there would be flak about the book contents and him personally from some fans. He said he understood that could happen. I told him I couldn't deal with that and that's why he's an author and I'm not.
He's a writer of books and music. Like all 'artists' they put their work and themselves out there to the public and take what comes in forms of praise and criticisms.
I think I know that first hand too just from some postings I have made here and then been attacked personally for my thoughts.
While there is a re-hashing of stuff in the other two books that Dave references and might have been overdone/needless to some readers it was required for him to use as jumping off points for his own questions and musings in his 7 letters. In those letters are also words of praise and admiration. I don't thin this book was meant to be the 'be-all/know all' story of Lightfoot. It is Bidini's take on the story of Lightfoot. Of course a book without the main characters input can be nothing but that. One persons personal take on the life and music of an icon. Conjecture drawn from what we all have previously read about him and interspersed with world events in a specific time period made for a unique reading experience. Of course I cringed over some parts just as I do when I read a less than favourable concert or album review. Some things could have been left out but that is not how the author felt his book should read. I have felt that way about many books I have read including some of the classics..We all have our own emotional reaction to what we read,see,hear and it's not always favourable. The book was not all sunshine and roses and la-di-da...it was a tough read at times, challenging me to keep reading at times... Quite a few gasps, wows and what the hell was he thinking happened all thru the book as I read it...just as there were some lovely moments in it as I felt the authors admiration for Lightfoot come through. Perhaps I am not enuf of a cynic to think he took so much of his own time to research so much stuff and write a book while still maintaining his fulltime writing job, his career as a musician and his life as a husband and father just to make a few bucks. I do admire his courage to embark on and complete a book that would certainly cause a few ripples of discontent and some full on personal slaggings.
it's probably not on a XMAS gift list at Gord's house...and I certainly won't be asking him to autograph my copy. I respect that he's pissed and he has every right to be so.
Passing on reading the book is a choice if you wanted anything but what this book is. Regardless of how you might feel about the 'stuff' that's not new and is tough to read at times just dismissing it outright doesn't seem fair. If after a full reading and some reflection you still hate it/the author that seems more fair for it/him and you. Life's fullof surprises....a few hours of reading time is all it takes...so much of the book is very informative about that time in history, regardless of the Lightfoot story/connection. I enjoyed that part immensely. To each his own I guess...