Lansdowne Books, those purveyors of fine literature (and by “fine” we mean “overpriced”), have pre-launched (yes, PRE-launched, like it’s going to Mars 🚀) Richard Morton Jack’s latest tome, “Led Zeppelin: The Only Way To Fly”. Scheduled for delivery in September, just in time for the leaves to fall and your bank account to weep. 🍂😭
Apparently, this book is the result of YEARS of research. YEARS! One could have cured a disease, built a robot butler, or at least binge-watched every episode of “The Simpsons” in that time. 🙄 But no, we get a “detailed and accurate account” of LED ZEPPELIN‘s formation. Because, you know, Wikipedia just isn’t cutting it these days. It also includes “rare material” concerning the members’ earlier careers. Bet it’s stuff they wish had stayed buried. And reproductions of “virtually every piece of press” they received. Prepare for some seriously cringe-worthy 60s journalism, folks! 📰
It’s “bulging” with archival information and imagery! Bulging! Like your grandpa’s wallet after he hits the early bird special. It also features an introduction by Chris Welch, who apparently “knew them from the start.” Well, la-di-da! Bet he has some stories. Probably none he’s allowed to tell, though. Allegedly, it’s “simply essential for their many admirers.” Essential like oxygen? Essential like coffee in the morning? 🤔 Maybe essential if you’re writing a dissertation on the hemline lengths of Robert Plant’s stage outfits. 🎤
This 348-page masterpiece will be available as a “limited-edition large-format hardback.” Because who needs space on their bookshelf, right? It’s also “quarter-bound in cloth.” Quarter-bound! As opposed to…fully-bound? Half-bound? Is this some fancy bookbinding term we’re supposed to be impressed by? 🧐 Sounds like they’re skimping on materials to us. 🧵
But wait, there’s more! The first 250 pre-orders get an “exclusive poster”! A POSTER! Probably featuring a blurry photo of the band from 1972. 🎉 Worth every penny of the book’s exorbitant price tag, we’re sure. Frame it and put it next to your Velvet Elvis painting. 🖼️
Richard Morton Jack, the mastermind behind this literary achievement, is also the editor of some other books you’ve never heard of. And the founder of Sunbeam Records, which has reissued “over 100 rock, jazz and folk albums.” So, basically, he’s the guy who profits off of other people’s hard work. 💰 He also edits a rock history magazine and co-founded a music marketplace. Busy guy! Must have REALLY needed something to fill his time during lockdown. 🕰️
My new limited edition book, LED ZEPPELIN: THE ONLY WAY TO FLY, is published by Lansdowne next month and can be…
Posted by Richard Morton Jack on Friday, August 8, 2025
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