Sep 4, 2012 at 4:35 PM | MusicNews | By Rock Square

On November 6, Wiley Publishing will release Led Zeppelin: The Oral History of the World’s Greatest Rock Band, British journalist Barney Hoskyns’ extensive tour through the legend that is Zeppelin.

Numerous volumes detailing the debauched history of the band have appeared over the years, but it sounds like Hoskyns’ thoroughgoing approach to rock ‘n’ roll mythology might reveal more than Led Zeppelin’s infamous sleazy side.

The publisher’s official website promises a book dedicated to “paring away the myths and describing what life was really like for four young men on top of the world, enjoying fame on a scale that not even the Beatles experienced as a touring live act. Through fresh new interviews with the surviving band members, close friends, their tour manager, and scores of other fascinating characters, Hoskyns provides deep insights into the personalities of the band members and chronicles the group's dramatic rise, fall, and legacy.”

The 576-page tome, which will come packed with 120 photos, evidently has Zep’s blessing, as Hoskyns managed to score interviews with Plant, Page and John Paul Jones. Considering Hoskyns also spoke to over 180 additional Led Zeppelin associates and collaborators, The Oral History of the World’s Greatest Rock Band will likely come closer to being definitive than any other text of its kind.

The book is currently available for pre-order via Amazon.

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