FREDDIE MERCURY - A LIFE, IN HIS OWN WORDS

Freddie rarely talked about himself to others, and so the relatively few interviews he did agree to—carefully compiled for this book, and some of them unpublished until now—provide an intriguing insight into a man who outwardly exuded confidence and arrogance, but behind the public perception, spent periods alone and searching for happiness. The truth was that Freddie was painfully shy and uncomfortable in the company of anyone who might intrude upon his famous ‘royal family’ of close friends and invited guests. The book covers Freddie’s origins and history, many and various subjects in between, and of course covers the fascinating journey of Queen, all from his unique perspective. Spurred on by their almost uncontrollable ambitious and forthright front man, Queen succeeded in becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet. The story describes how on many occasions the group almost broke up, but was always kept together by their shared love of breaching musical boundaries. Freddie’s own personal story is one of pursuing a dream, dealing with wealth and fame, looking back and having no regrets, reflecting on getting old, his legacy, and death. A man determined to succeed to the point of willing to be “frivolous and preposterous” to win over an audience—“I love the feeling of it. It’s greater than sex!” But as the pages turn, we see a Freddie Mercury gradually changing the priorities in his life to one more sedate and necessarily changed by the cloud of the HIV/AIDS virus beginning to shadow the gay community.