The Ox

The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle

By: Paul Rees

Narrated by: Thomas Judd

Unearth a piece of music history with this definitive, no-holds-barred biography of John Entwistle, The Who's legendary bass guitarist.

It is an unequivocal fact that in terms of rock bands, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who represent Year Zero, the beginning of all things, ground-breakers all. To that incontrovertible end, John Entwistle—The Who's beloved bassist—remains an enigmatic yet undeniably influential figure. However, unlike his fellow musicians, Entwistle has yet to be the subject of a major biography. In the years since his death, his enduring legacy has been carefully guarded by his loved ones, preventing potential biographers from writing the definitive account of his life-until now. For the first time, and with the full cooperation of the Entwistle family, The Ox shines a long overdue light on one of the most important figures in rock history.

Drawing on his own notes for his unfinished autobiography, as well as his personal archives and interviews with his family and friends, The Ox gives readers a never-before-seen glimpse into Entwistle's two very distinct poles. On the one hand, he was the rock star incarnate—larger than life, self-obsessed to a fault, and proudly and almost defiantly so. Extravagant with money, he famously shipped vintage American cars across the Atlantic without having so much as a driver's license, built progressively bigger and more grandiose bars into every home he owned, and amassed an extraordinary collection of possessions, from armor and weaponry to his trademark Cuban-heel boots. But beneath this fame and flutter, he was also a man of simple tastes and traditional opinions. He was a devoted father and family man who loved nothing more than to wake up to a full English breakfast or to have a supper of fish, chips, and a pint at his local pub.

After his untimely death, many of these stories were shuttered away into the memories of his family and friends. At long last, The Ox introduces us to the man behind the myth—the iconic and inimitable John Entwistle.

Critic reviews

VINYL, "The Top 20 New Music Books"

"A rollicking new biography reveals."—Daily Mail

"A must for any Who Fan, and a highly entertaining read."—Houston Press

"if you're looking for something worthwhile to read...Hachette Books has just released THE OX."—No Treble

Great Read

The one and only John Entwistle. It was a good book. I feel I know much more about him now.

Best book about the greatest bass player ever lived!!!

Very well written book with great detail about the legend himself John entwistle. Highly recommend to anyone.

AWESOME!

Awesome! I found this book to be informative and interesting from the start to the finish

I love The Who

The book itself is excellent, but it really left me disappointed in John Entwistle's life story. I'm not so naive as to believe that the rock stars of my youth were angels, by any stretch, but it's almost as if John didn't have any capacity to realize that the problem was himself.

Everything he did was done to excess. I guess it's sad that there wasn't a major intervention before it was too late. The book left me feeling sorry for him.

Not as good as Daltrey or Townshend but worth a

listen.
If you've gotten to Entwistle it's probably safe to assume you've already read or listened to Daltrey and Townshend so the lack of band detail won't be missed as much. It is unfortunate we don't get the stories in Entwistle's voice or first hand but rather a collection of accounts from the various people in his life. As such, we don't get personal feelings but rather more of an overview of the man and rock legend. At times, maybe most of the time, I wasn't sure whose recounting I was hearing until some time into them. That is my only real criticism of audiobook.
I would suggest listening to Daltrey and Townshend first to get more detail on the backstory of the band and its management and the relationships this book makes reference to but doesn't go into enough detail to truly understand.