Slash is everything the man, the myth, the legend inspires: it's funny, honest, jaw-dropping and in a word...excessive

It seems excessive...but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Saul "Slash" Hudson was born in Hampstead to a Jewish father, an album cover artist, and a black American mother of Nigerian descent, who created David Bowie's look in The Man Who Fell to Earth. He was raised in Stoke until he was 11, when he and his mother moved to LA. Frequent visitors to the house were David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Ron Wood and Iggy Pop, . At this time Slash got into BMX bikes, and would eventually turn professional, winning won major awards and money, but at 15 his grandmother gave him his first guitar. Even though it had just one string he began teaching himself to play, and soon school was forgotten as he devoted up to 12 hours a day to honing his skills. Sessions with numerous local LA rock bands followed until a fateful meeting with singer W Axl Rose! and the rest was rock history. Guns and Roses spent two years building their reputation before Appetite for Destruction, their debut album, was unleashed on an unsuspecting Eighties audience.Chart success and global domination followed but with it came the inevitable fall: heavily addicted to heroin, booze and cigarettes, the strain of this and 18 months touring the Use your Illusion albums finally caused the world's greatest rock band to implode, and Slash had a major falling out with Axl Rose, a rift that to this day is as deep as ever.

But a new wife, kids and a new band, Velvet Revolver, have put Slash back on track -- the heroin is gone, but the cigarettes and alcohol will be there forever. The iconic lead guitarist tells in his own words the amazing tale of how a boy from Stoke ended up in Hollywood as part of Guns and Roses. Finally, all the lurid tales of sex, drugs and rock and roll are revealed as he describes the incredible rollercoaster journey as part of the biggest rock band in the world, living life to the full during the Eighties.

Slash has survived it all: lawsuits, rehab, riots, notoriety, debauchery and destruction, and ultimately found his creative evolution. In his own words, the iconic guitarist tells his own story, taking readers on a wild rollercoaster trip through the drink, drugs, sex and fights that were everyday life for Guns N' Roses.

Includes exclusive never-before-seen photos from Slash's personal collection.

I've always had to do things my way; I play guitar my way; I've gotten clean my way; and I'm still here. Whether or not I deserve to be is another story.

Saul "Slash" Hudson was born in Hampstead in 1965. He moved with his family to Stoke before emigrating with his mother to LA when he was 11. Given his first guitar by his grandmother when he was 15 Slash went on to play in various local bands before teaming up with Izzy Stradlin and Axl Rose to form Guns N' Roses in 1985. He left in 1996 to form Slash's Snakepit, and then Velvet Revolver. Slash currently lives in LA with his wife and two sons.

Anthony Bozza is the author of two New York and Sunday Times bestsellers, What You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem and TommyLand, the autobiography of Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

2008-09-03 What a book, what a life, what a guy....Slash, I hope you see 50 (and many more)!!

A fantastic book. Whenever a journalist is credited on a book, the suspicion is inevitably that of 'Ghost Writing' - in this case, those little doubts are soon dispelled: although Anthony Bozza may have plyed his skills in structuring the story, anyone who has heard Slash speak and is famailiar with his style will instantly recognise the words and humour as very much his own...and its far better for it.

I cannot remember a rock autobiography being more amusing, engrossing, shocking, excessive, uplifting - this book has it all. Many rock autobiographies are bland, somewhat 'controlled' PR-minded affairs, massaged to not in any way detract from the subject. Others are standard-sized books, but open them up and they look like something out of the Large Print Series (remember those?) where the pages pass in a moment....neither could be said for this book - its quite a substantial tome and you get the impression that anything other than blunt reality is an affront to Slash's sense of cool. Slash doesn't promise objectivity, but spares himself nothing and delivers one of the most highly detailed and entertaining accounts of life as a leading rock musician and in the proces of doing so, he shows himself to be extremely articulate, incredibly thoughtful, disarmingly honest and with a great sense of humour. Contrary to what many have written, this is not a rant against Axl Rose and Slash is commendably even-handed about this (read it properly!), often stressing 'this is how I saw it, Axl will have his own, equally valid account' - in fact, he bad-mouths very few and seems to see good in most people. In all, its quite a journey, from his roots in the UK (yes, he carries a British passport!), a tough adolescence on the streets of LA, his BMX career, subsequent devotion to music, the highs & lows, the drug and alchohol dependency and his transformation into an atypical family man - all very illuminating. There are also many funny moments, especially when he describes experiencing rock music's equivalent of an audience with the Pope - meeting Keith Richards. This guy's sense of humour is very much alive and kicking.

It certainly has the ability to shock, so the more prudish amongst us should be warned, especially when he describes how he and a band mate 'entertained' an evidently more-than-willing female acquaintance in their shared bedroom! I'll not spoil the surprise.....

As a serious-minded guitar player myself, I have always admired Slash and quite liked Guns & Roses. Whatever you might think of G'N'R, there's certainly no denying Slash is very likeable guy and goes a long way to explain (as any explanation was needed) why he is so popular & reverred.

Slash has gone to alot of effort with this and the result is an absorbing insight into one of the best guitar players out there. Whilst he seems to have beaten the drugs, the booze still lurks in the background a little, so his future is not entirely without its challenges and the fact that he did all this and is striving to maintain his sobriety because of his family, you have to wish him well.

If you're reading these reviews, chances are this sort of personality interests you...if so, just buy it - you abolutely will not regret it!!!