From Library Journal
In his introductory first chapter, Rosen says, "This book, Nowhere Man, exists because in May 1981 my friend gave me John Lennon's journals." He describes the all-consuming task of transcribing the diaries, but then distances the book itself from them by saying, "This book is a work of both investigative journalism and imagination." Rosen's admission should make anyone hoping it will be an authoritative account of John Lennon's "house husband" period in the late 1970s suspicious. Rosen tries to shatter the popular image of Lennon as a devoted father and house husband, but the worst he can dish out is that Lennon was an unhappy eccentric who spoiled his son, got angry at his servants, binged on junk food, and liked spending money, getting stoned, and masturbating. In other words, Lennon was human. The same story has already been told in Albert Goldman's The Lives of John Lennon (1988. o.p.) and in Fred Seaman's The Last Days of John Lennon (LJ 11/1/91). A more positive, if superficial, account of Lennon's retirement years can be found in Ray Coleman's Lennon (LJ 6/1/85). Not recommended. [The publisher asserts that "contrary to what you may have seen from irresponsible reports in some media, nowhere in the book, or in any publicity material issued by Soft Skull Press or Mr. Rosen in connection with the book, is the book inferred in any way, shape or form, as based on the diaries of John Lennon, or any other material owned by the Estate of John Lennon."--Ed.]--Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., C.---Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Hey Everybody!

Barnes & Noble.com asked me to write a Publisher Statement about our new Lennon biography, Nowhere Man, and I came up with this:

Unlike other Lennon biographies this season, Nowhere Man is even-handed and sane. It is piercing and myth-shattering, but it is, more important, balanced with respect, perspective and love. Lennon was a revolutionary: his visions for a future without repression and war were put into practice with activities that warranted FBI surveillance and establishment suspicion. He associated with the cultural and political revolutionaries of his time and the information about the depth of his political commitment is only now coming to light: his support for the IRA, and his links to the New Left of his era, his impassioned and political songwriting, etc.

However, Nowhere Man also displays with candor the price fame extracts from Lennon's character. The pressure to be both meaningful and luminary at times caused Lennon to indulge in pseudo-science and mysticism. Instead of wise, the Lennon of Nowhere Man sometimes comes off as comically absurd.

Can you come to a party for this book? Punk and Indie Rockers are uniting next Saturday for a tribute to the late, great John Lennon.

'This is the portrait of a life coming slowly apart ...It is, literally the twilight of an idol.' - Allan Jones, Uncut Magazine, UK, on Nowhere Man

In 1981, five months after John Lennon's murder, New York journalist Robert Rosen was temporarily given the ex-Beatle's diaries. Nowhere Man is a loving but hard look at Lennon's final days. On Saturday, July 22, "Punks of Publishing" Soft Skull Press call New York bands to come together to pay tribute to the complicated political and spiritual leader of the greatest band of all time. This ain't no acoustic pile of flowers in Strawberry Fields: the city's finest unsigned bands are going to get back to original energy of some of John Lennon's greatest songs!

Rosen's book is a study of the last five years of the life of John Lennon, lived in isolation in New York's legendary Dakota. Lennon indulged in pseudo-religious belief one day, and the next declared himself a "working-class hero;" he was haunted by his fame with the Beatles, his jagged past and unfinished business with Paul McCartney, a tumultuous marriage to Yoko Ono, and the burden of being looked up to by so many, when inside he felt confusion and uncertainty.

Get back to me on this, OK? It's going to be a blast. There will be a lively crowd, and plenty of rock'n'roll and juice to go around.

Rock on,

Sander Hicks CEO Soft Skull Press, Inc.

Soft Skull Press was recently profiled in the New York Times, and was called one of the "Punks of Publishing" by the Village Voice. We are New York's leading cutting-edge, downtown house, and received wild amounts of exposure on 60 Minutes for our decision to re-publish Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President. Nowhere Man is comparable to that book because it strips away the myth, and gives you the truth.—Sander Hicks, Publisher, Soft Skull Press, Inc.

SYNOPSIS

"Twenty-four hours after Lennon's murder, the personal assistant of the ex-Beatle told me that Lennon, while they were in Bermuda together that summer, had asked him to write the true story of his Dakota days. It would not be the official tale of the happy, eccentric househusband raising Sean and baking bread while Yoko ran the family business. Instead, it would be the story of a tormented superstar, a prisoner of his fame, locked in his bedroom, raving about Jesus Christ while a retinue of servants tended to his every need. 'It'll be the Ultimate Lennon Biography!' said the visibly shaken aide. 'It's what John wants.' It was our job to carry out Lennon's final wishes."—Robert Rosen

This eerie biography tells the truth about John Lennon's final days in the Dakota. New York City journalist Robert Rosen, a vessel of information on the tripped-out, alienated legend, had insider sources who divulged everything. In 1981, five months after John Lennon's murder, Rosen was even given the ex-Beatle's diaries. Until now nobody has ever heard his unique perspective on Lennon.

Nowhere Man is an inside look at the conflicted, schizophrenic, Dakota-era that Lennon himself wanted exposed after his death. Lennon was torn between twin poles of fame and reclusiveness, indulgence and asceticism, considering himself a "working class hero" one day and then the next, Jesus Christ.

FROM THE CRITICS

Bob Smith - Chaotic Order #5

Eminently readable and makes you want to continue reading whether you're a fan or not...An excellent, beautifully written book.

Nigel Williamson - Times of London

Nowhere Man is a gripping read that no Lennon fan will be able to resist.

Mary Anne Cassata - Goldmine

A well-crafted and compelling read that takes a dramatic look at 1980—the year Lennon came out of retirement to release his final album, 'Double Fantasy'.

Uncut

The strength of Rosen's account lies in the accumulation of tiny detail which can only come from being one of the few people...to have read the diaries...It is gripping stuff written in an easy and accessible style.

LA Times Bestseller

A new look at the last days of John Lennon, as he struggled with schizophrenia and the perils of fame.Read all 7 "From The Critics" >

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Robert Rosen's gripping account of John Lennon's five-year seclusion in the Dakota building makes it impossible any longer to agree with the cozy popular image of him during this period as a devoted father and bread-baking, domesticated househusband. This is a portrait of a life coming slowly apart, of someone baffled by the world and their place in it. It is, literally, the twilight of an idol."
(Alan Jones, Editor, Uncut magazine) — Alan Jones