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  • My Life in Dire Straits

  • The Inside Story of One of the Biggest Bands in Rock History
  • By: John Illsley
  • Narrated by: John Illsley
  • Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (37 ratings)

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My Life in Dire Straits

By: John Illsley
Narrated by: John Illsley
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Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

With a foreword by Mark Knopfler.

Dire Straits filled giant stadiums around the world and sold hundreds of millions of records. Throughout the '80s they were the biggest band on the planet. Their classic songs - 'Sultans of Swing', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Money for Nothing', 'Brothers in Arms' - formed the soundtrack of a generation and live on today: still racking up sales, still being played on the radio on every continent.

In My Life in Dire Straits, John Illsley - founder member, bassist and mainstay - evokes the spirit of the times and tells the story of one of the great live acts of rock history. Starting with his own unlikely beginnings in Middle England, he recounts the band's rise from humble origins in London's spit-and-sawdust pubs to the best-known venues in the world, the working man's clubs to Madison Square Garden, gigging with wild punk bands to the Live Aid stage at Wembley. Until, ultimately, the shattering demands of touring on a global scale and living life in the spotlight took their inevitable toll.

John's story is also a tribute to his great friend Mark Knopfler, the band's lead singer, songwriter and gifted guitarist - the only band members to stay the 15-year distance. Told with searching honesty, soulful reflection and wry humour, this is the first and only account of that incredible story.

©2021 John Illsley (P)2021 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about My Life in Dire Straits

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A must for every Straits fan.

Thanks John for such an insight to such an important part of all of our lives.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Valuable historical diary of rock history

If you like this genre, it's a must read. I would now be interested in reading Knopfers perspective although there were few negatives on their relationship. This is an ordinary guy who achieves greatness it's not about virtuosity (other than. View if Knoofker himself) but almost a fly on the wall of Dire Straits. I enjoyed this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A well written rock n roll story.

John Illsley reads his own story of the Dire Straits and beyond. His voice is pleasant and delivers his story in a good consistent tone. Not your trained voice actor, but he comes across as sincere and genuine. Although I found him a little repetitive and limited in his cadence at times, I found John's book to be an enjoyable listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Prob'ly THE best rock autobiography

I've read/listened to a LOT of rock music autobiographies. This is as good as they get.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great tales from the road

Very nicely narrated by the author. I enjoyed this rock autobiography a lot. The section with Dave leaving was carefully done.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Pulling the curtain back on life in major touring band

Loved this book. Can’t believe John scooped up all of the details of the past and set it all up in a way that made sense. What an exhausting experience being in a band such as this. Mark’s capacity for writing and playing came through really clearly. Brilliant lyrics informed in part by his life observations and knowledge of literature. Great insights to the Dire Staits catalogue which I will now revisit. Thankyou for this John. Btw…….as an Aussie based in Melb, I loved the Aussie cameos and stories.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An entertaining read for any music fan

The stories in this book are really enjoyable.
Detailing the behind the scenes tales of the band. From its formation, all the way to superstardom.
John’s humble storytelling style captivates the listener and it’s great to hear how songs came to be, and the way members joined and left the band.
John’s reading is a little monotone and I was a bit scared after the first chapter, but it definitely picks up steam with some great stories. Would recommend to any fan of Dire Straits or anyone who likes rock music in general.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Worth the Wait

As a lifelong Dire Straits fan, my opinion is a biased one. Having said that, we have waited so long for an insight into the band and this did not disappoint. Mark Knopfler would never write a book like this, as to do so would mean spending less time making music, something he would never tolerate. So here we are. Detailed, funny, heart-warming and nostalgic, I thoroughly enjoyed John's account, and can relate as John is a musician, but not a master-musician like Knopfler. If you are a music fan, or have aspirations of playing in a band, you'll love this.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Learned a Few Things and Gained Even More Respect.

After queueing for 9 hours to get tickets, about 4 or 5 months before the gig, I went to the Brothers In Arms gig in Sydney '86 and I was absolutely blown away. They all are great musicians in their own right, I have a lot of the albums and the band became my life's soundtrack for a time. It is nice to listen to this story from a bloke who was in the thick of it all. The talent and the trials of fame, then the effects of those things on relationships outside of the band and inside shows that you need to be mentally strong to cope. These guys respected each other and it paid off big time. Would love to have seen them share the bill with Talking Heads in their prime. I wish they were still around as Dire Straits. Thank you John for an amazing insight into the band dynamics and the machinations of the music biz.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Honest but shallow and disappointing

I expected more from this memoir. A lot of times it reads like a therapy excercise rather than a book. Mr Illsey tells a very simple story with very few insights. He seems like a genuinely lovely person I'd love to meet, well not after he reads this review, but he tells very little about the inner workings of the band and shares few previously unknown secrets or gossip.

He repeats himself a number of times, going over the same things over and over again, no doubt to reinforce his honest intentions but it makes quite a few passages feel tired and boring. He is a decent amateur writer but this book deserved a better editor.

He has a lovely, warm and kind voice but reads the book in a very flat tone only very rarely shoeing any real emotions.

It's a good listen for very dedicated Fire Straits fans but I can't recommend it.

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