Beware of the Bull – The Enigmatic Genius of Jake Thackray
by Paul Thompson and John Watterson
Pre-orders are now being taken for the first, much-anticipated biography of Jake Thackray, which will be published on 11th August.
The book will be published by Scratching Shed Publishing. To order your copy, click here.
Admired by Neil Gaiman, Jarvis Cocker, Jon Richardson and Arctic Monkeys, among others, Jake is increasingly recognised as one of the greatest and most original songwriters of the twentieth century; a unique talent and master storyteller, whose songs are full of wit, poetry, irreverence and humanity.
The book reveals a life as extraordinary as his writing: the hard childhood in the terraces of Leeds, remarkable Catholic education and formative years in France and war-torn Algeria; the first career as an inspirational, unorthodox, highly creative teacher; the meteoric development as a writer and performer, and discovery by the BBC; the Abbey Road recordings and impact on The Beatles; the friendship with Georges Brassens; the fame and fortune brought by a remarkable television career… and Jake’s rejection of it. It is the story of a charismatic, complex, self-effacing man who remained an enigma even to his friends.
The book has been written with the full support of Jake’s family. With exclusive access to his personal papers, it includes a wealth of previously unpublished letters, poetry and lyrics, and is illustrated with rare and never-before-seen photographs. Through it all, Jake’s voice is heard afresh, and his life and work better understood.