Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Searing Autobiography
Review: Miles davis pulled no punches when he wrote this incredibly honest memoir. His candor about himself and other luminaries of the jazz world is indispensible reading to jazz fans and anyone with an interest in music. He reveals many unflattering characteristics but also freely praises other musicians with whom he played and clearly describes why they deserve such praise. One can learn a great deal about the creative process and the environment that drove these musicians to explore and expand musically. Miles Davis is equally honest about heroin addiction and his and others struggle to overcome it. Some succeded, many more failed. Characters like Charlie parker, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Dizz Gillespie, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane , Monk and countless others float in and out of the story as Miles Davis and others were forming and reforming combinations due to a variety of circumstances. The music scene in New York in the late 40's and early 50's was overflowing with soon to be legendary performers. Davis had a vision of what his music should sound like and he relentlessly pursued that sound through the decades and evolved as an artist moving one step ahead (if not several steps ) of everyone else. I've always loved Davis' music but after reading this it is impossible not to admire the man's artisitc integrity. This guy was clearly a Giant of American music and nothing in this book will diminish his stature artistically. I feel that I understand the records and the context of the music much better for having read this. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Good for Miles Davis fans
Review: After a close friend of mine bought me the classic jazz cd 'Kind of Blue' for my birthday a few years ago, I became a Miles Davis fan. This book takes you right through Miles' life and times, both the good and the bad. It is also written in Miles' language and for me this was a real capture of the man. I can't say that I agree with the foul language he consistently used though.
Rating:
Summary: you don't have to know anything about music to like this....
Review: I have read many of the reviews here. Most are by people who like Davis as a musician. Because they like his music, they were also interested in his life. Well, you don't have to like jazz or any kind of music to appreciate this book. In fact, if you know nothing of Davis, the book will probably be a lot better because, it is not your typical autobiography. So I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who have merely heard the name mentioned by know little else about him.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for all!!
Review: I got this book for Christmas and I think that it was one of the best presents that I got. Not only does it give a rich history of jazz music but Miles tells it like it is and he doesn't apologize about it. After reading this book I really felt like I knew the man personally. This book is not for the faint at heart. And as someone wrote previously it is not for the fans of pc(political correctness). I just say that you have to look at the time that Miles lived in and what it was like to not only be Black during that time but to be a Black man. So if you are not willing to try to understand this then maybe you should skip this book.
Rating:
Summary: Straight dope from the source.
Review: This is the inside story from one of the main contributors to jazz as we know it. Some of the facts and his attitudes may be unpleasant, but he was looking back on his life and career with candor from his perspective. He does knock some other major talents, like Bird, Trane and Art Blakey, by detailing his off-stage interactions with them, but that shouldn't detract from anyone's appreciation of their musical accomplishments. They were musicians; what else does anyone expect from them? Besides, he admits that he was pretty sleazy and unreliable while he was a heroin addict, too.This is priceless jazz history with a level of first-person intimate detail that critics and academic scholars can't offer, albeit colored with the bias of a competitive personality. It's the closest one can come to sitting down and having a long chat with him. Jazz fans should be grateful that Miles had a chance to tell us how he really felt before he left this plane of existence.
Rating:
Summary: Miles Davis was a music legend, but not a honorable person
Review: I've been listening to Miles Davis' music for quite sometime. His music made me respect him but reading this book made me hate him a bit. First off, Miles Davis' was a little spoiled bastard, self destructive, and disrespectful to women. He wasn't a good father. He was a drug fiend. He contradicts himself a lot. Despite the negatives this is a deep and engaging read for not just jazz fans but fans of music.
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Summary: THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU APPRECIATE THE MUSIC
Review: This is a very informative book. It is written in the flavor of Miles Davis. I found out about his life and what made him what he was and why he did what he did. It is always interesting to read how people get to where they get to in life. I've been listening to Jazz seriously since 1965. What this book did for me was to make the music have a depth that was lacking in my life. It tells of the climate of the music and all the people throughout the various stages of his life. I understand the music better, because I understand the people better. It gave the stories behind each album Miles made. Now when I listen, I listen differently. I know why he made the album and the story behind each one. Musicains that played before my time become alive. Miles becomes alive. I understand what his music was about to him and what he was about. I understand his social ravings. The only thing not enjoyable was the constant cursing. I understand that it has to be in the book, because that is how Miles talked. It makes the book authentic. However, it is tiring after awhile to read the same word over and over and over. However, the book flows along. The story flows along easily I learned from the life of Miles Davis what tormented genius is. Anyone who listens to Jazz at any level should definately buy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Rewarding, but not for the easily offended
Review: First things first: If you are the kind of person that cannot stand straight-shooting, opinionated types of people, then you probably will not like this book. The irony is that you may like Miles Davis, however, because his musical influence casts a huge shadow. But that's the beauty about artists like this; the person and the art are often divergent. Juicy tidbits about most of the influential jazz composers and players of the mid twentieth century, some wonderful insights about American race relations (including some absolutely hilarious observations about Washington D.C. and politicians' wives), and some poignant stuff on the theory and practice of making jazz music (including Miles' cutting down classical players), make this book well worth the money and some of your time. A true American original....a man who was damn-near worshipped every place else but in his home country, just like a lot of other opinionated Black men in American history. flm
Rating:
Summary: One of the most enjoyable books I've ever read
Review: Miles Davis's autobiography with Quincy Troupe has to be one of the best books I've ever read. Constantly entertaining, tragic, hysterically funny and with lots of great stories it, the book is a must have for any fan of jazz. All of Miles's life is here, from his earliest memory, his arrival in New York, his fabulous recordings of the '50s and '60s, his six years where he didn't play at all, to his triumphant return in the '80s. The book was published only two years before his death, so really everything that he ever did is in this book. Highly reccomended.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Memoir
Review: If I were to describe Miles Davis in one word it was the one he used most often in his autobiography.... Between his drinking, drug use, womanizing, and belligerent attitude, Miles Davis had an interesting life, though a rough and volatile one. His contribution to the world of jazz was great and his love for it was unmatched. Unfortunately Davis' personality resembled that of an undisciplined rock star, which in the end hindered what could have been a spectacular career; a career that might have even surpassed Satchmo himself. Nonetheless, Miles Davis was a "cool cat," and his career is worth reading about. Thus, I highly recommend Miles, not just to the jazz connoisseur, but to anyone who enjoys reading about one of America's greatest artists.
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