Legendary - and worth reading: five biographies

Dave Grohl / Dieter Fuchs: »Der Storyteller«

If anyone has a lot to tell, it's Dave Grohl, frontman of the Foo Fighters. He has seen almost everything this world has to offer, from drastic experiences in his childhood and youth, from his departure from his family into the world of music, from impressive encounters and his time with Nirvana. And he loves to tell stories about it. "Whether in songs, films or on Instagram, I always feel the need to share moments from my life," he says himself. And now he also tells some of these stories in his autobiography "The Storyteller", translated into german by Dieter Fuchs.

→ ullstein-buchverlage.de

Klaus Klemp: »Dieter Rams«

Er ist legendärer Godfather des modernen Industriedesigns: Die schlichten Wecker, Haartrockner und Lautsprecher, die Dieter Rams für Braun entworfen hat, inspirierten sogar das Design von Apple. Der Frankfurter Designhistoriker Klaus Klemp hat nun in enger Zusammenarbeit mit Rams ein kommentiertes Werkverzeichnis herausgegeben. Entstanden ist eine sachliche, fast schon bescheidene Dokumentation der Arbeit des heute 88-Jährigen, die trotzdem – oder gerade deswegen – mehr als beeindruckt. Die etwas andere Biografie, ganz gemäß dem Rams-Motto: »Gutes Design ist so wenig Design wie möglich.«

→ phaidon.com

Peter Schreyer: »Roots and Wings«

Peter Schreyer is considered one of the most recognized designers in the automotive industry. In 2007 Schreyer was awarded an honorary doctorate from London’s Royal College of Art, making him only the third automotive designer to receive this honor after Sergio Pininfarina and Giorgetto Giugiaro. Schreyer’s creations include the designs for the Audi A2 and the VW Beetle. He is also credited with playing a key role in the successful development of Hyundai and its sister brand Kia. Explore Peter Schreyer’s world and you’ll also learn a lot about courage, modesty, family and civic spirit. This is certainly the case in Roots and Wings, 336 pages, published by Gestalten.

→ gestalten.com

Barbara McQueen / Christian Krug: »Mein McQueen«

What makes a man an incredibly cool man? Barbara McQueen, the last woman at the actor's side, explains it like this: »Steve McQueen was not the type of man to give his wife flowers. His kind of bouquet was a six-pack of beer. He came through the front door and shouted: Honey! I brought us some Old Milwaukee.« She tells about airplanes in the living room and motorcycles in the hotel suite and how McQueen shot out the light of a famous neighbour at night. Not a biography, but a road movie and love story. With private photos that Barbara had kept under lock and key for years.

→ daltonwatson.com

Bruce Springsteen & Barack Obama: »Renegades«

“I am the President. He is the Boss.” This is how Barack Obama once described his friendship with Bruce Springsteen. Their eight-part podcast Renegades: Born in the USA, a series of conversations in which they talk about their lives, music and their love for America, was released at the beginning of the year. Now a book has been published as a follow-up to the podcast, including around 350 private photos, song lyrics and never-before-seen manuscripts of the former president’s speeches. The central theme of the book, as in the conversations, is how to reunite the country and counter social injustice.

→ penguinrandomhouse.de