The Librarian's Post

So, how many books have been written so far about Pete Doherty/Babyshambles/Libertines?

Quite a horde, innit. I was looking for news on the upcoming Babyshambles bio (see cover above) and I suddenly found a lot of pamphlets I'd never heard of before.

Let's make a bit of order right?

Kids In The Riot: High and low with the Libertines, by Peter Welsh. The first and the best. A must for everyone who wants to get near this band. Peter Welsh is a fan and a friend, and he's surely someone who's never afraid to tell the truth.

Bound Together: The story of Peter Doherty and Carl Barat and how they changed British music, by Anthony Thornton and Roger Sargent. A good read for people who were too busy or distracted (or too young) during the first coming. Thornton is a friend and a fan, but he's also a (NME) journalist, and unfortunately in many parts of the book the journalist takes over. And truth lingers somewhere else.

Pete Doherty: On the edge, by Nathan Yates and Pete Samson. Very disappointing pamphlet by two authors who behave more like shrieking fanboys than writers, and think they can uncover the mystery surrounding Doherty by interviewing all his ex lovers (real and self appointed). Forgettable.

Pete Doherty: Last of the rock romantics, by Alex Hannaford. I haven't read it but the title is enough to make me cringe. "By far the more revealing about Doherty's background and his calamitous affair with Kate Moss" wrote the Sunday Times. Well, I think I'll keep avoiding it.

Pete Doherty Talking, by Dave Black. What's this affair? I guess it's a booklet reporting quotes from Peter's various interviews, a bit like in the old "In His Own Words" series.

The Books of Albion: The collected writings of Peter Doherty, by Peter Doherty. Weighty tome collecting the old glorious Books of Albion from start to finish. I was so excited when I heard it was coming out. I was obviously hoping for a transcription of all the writings as well. No. Those are just the original Books of Albion with a hard cover on. I had already "read" them all at Albion Arks and my eyes are still hurting.

Pete Doherty: The Shambolic Libertine, by Seamus Craic. I haven't read it. I hardly knew it existed at all. Adrian said: "Well, let's just say that a copy ripped in two has pride of place on my mantlepiece as a totem of everything a book should NOT be. Awful, simply awful."

Pete Doherty, My Prodigal Son, by Jacqueline Doherty. "No way I'm going to buy this book" I thought at first. After two years... I rest my case. Sorry Jacqueline, the cute pictures aren't enough to change my mind, and in any case everybody has seen them in the net.

I Won't Give Up, by Fabio Paleari. If I'm not mistaken this is a photographic book, right? The reviews are not too encouraging, and the price is a bit scary. "Don't waste your money on it" says Mrs Jones on FDW "unless you like to see pics of random people having sex/Paul Ro/the Whitechapel Scene". OK then. Point taken.

That's all I found in my Doherty Library. Anybody with more imput is welcome, of course.