Who I Am (book)
First hardback edition cover
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| Author | Pete Townshend |
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| Genre | Memoir |
| Published | 2012 (HarperCollins) |
| Media type | Book, e-book, audio CD |
| Pages | 544 |
| ISBN | |
Who I Am is a memoir by rock guitarist and composer Pete Townshend of the Who. It was published by HarperCollins in October 2012 in both book and e-book format, plus an unabridged 15-CD audiobook read by Townshend. The book chronicles Townshend's upbringing in London, the formation and evolution of the Who, and his struggles with rock stardom and drugs and alcohol. The title is a play on words, referring to the Who's hit single, "Who Are You?" as well as the album of the same name.
Who I Am entered The New York Times best seller list at No. 3 in October 2012. It received mixed reviews from critics, with some admiring its frankness and intimacy, and other complaining about its editing and being too dull.
Pete Townshend signed a contract with Little, Brown and Company in May 1996 to write his autobiography, but abandoned it two years later, when, according to Townshend, "I found it too hard". He published small extracts of what he had written on a blog. He later signed a deal with HarperCollins, and the memoir, originally entitled Peter Townshend: Who He?, was published in October 2012 as Who I Am. Townshend said he preferred the original Who He title: "Who I Am seems so final, so grandiose, so....Pete Townshend. It's just too perfect." The original manuscript Townshend presented to HarperCollins was 1,000 pages long, but the publisher cut it back to 500 pages.
Pete Townshend's memoir begins with his upbringing in London after World War II (he was born in May 1945, the month the war in Europe ended). Included is the period he lived with his unstable grandmother, during which time he reports fragmentary memories of sexual abuse at the hands of her suitors. Townshend discusses the Mod scene of the 1960s, the effect the war had on his generation, and the development of rock music. He also discusses the effect his childhood had on his music, particularly the rock opera Tommy.
The book traces the formation and evolution of the Who, and includes details of their appearance at in 1969 and their storied trashing of hotels. Townshend calls Roger Daltrey "the unquestionable leader" of the band. He says he started smashing his guitars at the end of performances after he accidentally pushed one through a club ceiling in 1964 and damaged it. His "windmill" style of striking guitar chords was adopted from Keith Richards, who Townshend says he once saw swinging his arm to warm-up before going on stage.
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