For example, he talked about all the women he loved but never dared to describe exactly how he loved them or why. It was great to be able to hear his take on those situations and how he got out of them by the skin of his teeth! At times Doherty's wit and humour shines through, and some anecdotes of his past debauchery are hilarious.

That would have been useful at least , if Pete feels like this, to say a bit more in that he had the chance to survive this drug abuse but more are those who had no chance. I love the constant references to British film and TV, books and poetry, especially as someone who also lives an imaginary existence. Photograph: Pete Doherty View image in fullscreen ‘Enduring urge for fame’: The Libertines’ Pete Doherty, left, and Carl Barât in 2014. An old film reel where the spools are weathered and worn, leaving empty frames on the screen…’ This book is devoid of any such insight.A real warts and all account that doesn't attempt to shy away from the extent of depravity and drug consumption that the author partook in. Drugs naturally feature quite prominently in this biography, but Doherty never seems to glorify or glamorize them; quite the opposite in fact. As a somewhat lonely “army brat” – born in Northumberland but raised in Belfast, Cyprus, Germany, Dorset and Warwickshire – Doherty read Percy Shelley, Oscar Wilde and George Orwell. His deeply heartfelt recollections of his family, the places he grew up, and his budding fascination with literature from a very early age, had me immediately set right.

Doherty describes how, after that first Top of the Pops appearance, he and Barât were “mobbed” by fans for the first time, something they’d been hoping would happen for years. It was more like me talking him out of it, saying,’ No, I’ll tell you what, if we’re still not signed in a year, then we’ll do it. The main issue I had with the story is that it’s missing a lot of his current life; most is focused on his time in the 200s and early 2010s, but air of his recent work is his best and should have been a deeper cut. He does obviously talk extensively about his addiction and he dips into some of the mayhem his life has been, but the sugar coating he puts on much of his 20+ years of extreme drug use, makes taking his words at face value (forgive me here) a tough pill to swallow.

For fans, it’s certainly worth a read, particularly for anecdotes about the making of his albums, his memories of concerts (many of which can be found online) and how particular songs were written. But when the book arrived it was all ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’,” revealed the former rockstar about the memoir’s narrative.

With his trademark wit and humour, Doherty also details his childhood years, key influences, pre-fame London shenanigans, and reflects on his era-defining relationship with Libertines co-founder Carl Barat and other significant people in his life. I really wasn't expecting to come away from this book liking Doherty, but he just completely challenged my preconceptions about him before I'd even finished the first chapter. There's nothing glamorous about finding oneself living alone in a run-down bed-sit, spending all day laying on a filthy mattress on the floor with your only thoughts focused on scoring gear and shooting up. He's finally happy with the direction his music is now going, and after reading this book I truly couldn't be happier for the guy.The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. He comes across as very honest and matter of fact when it comes to drug use, and talks candidly about some of the murkier accusations attached to that side of his life.

He immersed himself in books and poetry - something that is evident in his lyric-writing to this day. Was good to read about the late great Alan Wass but again nothing too deep but overall very enjoyable. I think he almost had to do that, go through everything he did, and come out the other side to truly discover who he is as a man; a father; a husband; a son; a whole person. If this isn’t quite a comeback story, it does end on a hopeful note, with Doherty – a musician again rather than a caricature – optimistic about what’s to come, intent on repairing various relationships once pushed to breaking point. I enjoyed the book nonetheless, and it nips along at a pace, albeit with a superficiality and fundamental lack of substance.In addition, he has mentioned in an article for The Guardian that the best stories were missed because several people's lawyers did not approve of the stories being leaked. In 2005, Doherty became prominent in tabloids, the news media, and pop culture blogs because of his romantic relationship with model Kate Moss and his frequently-publicised drug addictions. I'm sure part of the problem is if so much of one's life revolves around running off to take drugs and passing out, then there's not that much to say. But hearing Pete speak now with a calm persona, a rational outlook, and no longer that wandering maelstrom of chaos, it sounds like he's finally figured out who he is and what he wants to be.