Rating: 
Summary: Dark comedy
Review: This is the first unauthorized Led Zeppelin biography to emerge in the wake of the band's demise. The road-fever antics of the band and it's crew are told here with aplomb: Richard Cole driving his Harley down the corridor of the Hyatt House in LA, Jimmy Page courting a 14 year old groupie, John Bonham's insatiable appetite for booze and carnage, hotel destruction and wild orgies are all well documented. These stories are pretty funny, if sensational and embellished for comedic effect.But from the mid '70s onwards, a dark cloud followed the band. From Robert Plant's near fatal car accident in 1975 and his son's death in 1977, Page's descent into heroin addiction in 1976, and ultimately Bonham's fatal vodka binge in September, 1980, the Zeppelin saga certainly has a tragic side. This book is fairly uneven in that Davis documents Zeppelin's timeline fairly meticulously until 1975, and then he seems to be rushing to get to the end. He also fails to acknowledge that Zeppelin became an erratic live act from 1977 onward due to the deteriorating health of Page and Bonham. Davis would have you believe that in spite of the excessive substance abuse, Zeppelin remained in top form, and there is plenty of recorded evidence to refute that. Having Richard Cole as a primary source tends to undercut the credibility of the book as well. That said, it is obvious that Davis certainly respects Zeppelin's musical accomplishments, and ultimately that is the point. Zeppelin may have overindulged, but the music is what the band will be remembered for.
Rating: 
Summary: An essential compilation of our heavy metal heroes!
Review: Led Zeppelin....the pioneers of heavy metal and rock and roll. I thought I knew a lot about Zep before I read this book. Now on the flip side, I had no idea how much I was missing! Anyone who wants to gain some intelligent insight into Led Zeppelin's "backstage and post-concert antics" must read this book! Although I was not very pleased with some of Davis' comments concerning bands who are influenced by Led Zeppelin, my conscience won't let me give this book less than five stars. Even if Page didn't like the book, it's still worth your while. But, don't formulate your opinions on this band by just reading this book....Go get Led Zeppelin I (and all the other albums for that matter!) and figure out for yourself that Led Zeppelin is the greatest band that ever walked the Earth!
Rating:
Summary: Don't expect too much from this fun read
Review: This book is extremely well researched and contains an incredible amount of detail about the band and its members. Its weakness, and it's a big one, is that the author gives the reader little sense of perspective or narrative comment. It reads like this: "This happened. Then this happened. And then this happened, then this..." While it would be a mistake to try and tell readers what to think, this account goes so far in the opposite direction that despite all of the wild and often abusive exploits of these musicians, it reads in the bland way newspaper stories often do. So much more could have been done with the material and while the author occasionally dabbles in the style of Tom Wolfe, not much is holding the narrative together except the paper the words are printed on. Oddly, the very end of the book contains some wondeful writing that surprisingly appears only there.
Rating:
Summary: Hammer Of The Gods is a must read for any Led Zeppelin Fan
Review: I have this book and its one that I can read again and again.
Some of it seems far fetched but you have to remember the times were alot different back then as well. Being up in my age I can recall the time period of the high flying Zeppelin and reading about them in the magazines that this book mentions.
If you get any book about Mr. Page and company this would have to be it.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read while on the toilet . . .
Review: An awesome book. Stephen Davis's unauthorized biography of the 70's biggest rock band displays both his wonderful storytelling style (and ability to fudge the truth) and just how great and weird a band Led Zep was. After reading this book, you'll get the picture why Zeppelin still to this day has an unmatched aura of chaos and mystery that is genuine and not cheesy in the way that many current bands try to project a fake and corny image (i.e. Metallica). Even Robert Plant has said the book has done much to enhance the band's legacy. One flaw of the latest edition of "Hammer" is that the new chapter takes away from the books previous ending (the classic Plant quote that ends the Live-Aid chapter). Still, this book covers all the bases from the inspiration for their songs ("Trampled Underfoot" was a takeoff of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition") to the infamous hijinx and backstage debauchery (a drunken Bonzo taking the mike at a Deep Purple concert and announcing to the audience that the guitarist "can't play for %#@!") that made Zep the nightmare of inn keepers around the globe.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Zep Read - even despite inaccuracies
Review: Stephen Davis isn't a Zep expert, but this book was spot on in its release at a time when Zep didn't exist anymore back in the mid-80s. I remembered reading it and going wow! This is Led Zeppelin! It is a fun read, but take it with a pinch of salt...much of it is attributed to Richard Cole. The book has never been endorsed by the band, but it's the stuff of what legends are made of. Even Plant admitted in a Musician interview that he didn't much remember what went on in the seventies...if even a portion of what's written here is true - then it makes sense why! This book did much to promote the legend and legacy of Zep - warts and all...
Rating:
Summary: Is it truth or is it fiction?
Review: Given what has happened to Zep, one can ponder this question endlessly. A book for fans whom have read other biographies of the band and can detect embellishments in the writing. This is not the book to get the 13 y/o middle schooler zep-fan due to content...but oh well, what do I know... So much for social responsibility.
Rating:
Summary: It'll leave you shocked, appalled and enthralled.
Review: Hammer of the Gods is a very enthralling read. It leans more towards the touring career of Led Zeppelin rather than the recording sessions. The account of Zeppelin's wild back-stage antics is fascinating, revealing the band as heavy-drinking womanizers. John Bonham's maniacal partying and Jimmy Page's underage lover are just two of the many unglamourous subjects detailed in this well-written book.
Perhaps even more interesting are the exploits of Zeppelin's 2 managers: Richard Cole and Peter Grant. Both intimidating men who never hesitated to resort to violence in order to swing proceedings in the band's favour. The accounts of their dealings make this book worth reading alone.
Rating:
Summary: The Guiltiest of Guilty Pleasures...
Review: First off, let's say that any book that is using Richard Cole and Pamela Des Barres as actual SOURCES, well pardon the pun, but it makes me wonder.... Anyway, this is a fun book. Make my review three and a half stars. The pluses, it's well written and the story chugs along with the pace of "Communication Breakdown." The negatives? Well, Cole and Des Barres (both "wrote" their own books later) to begin with and Davis's Bibliography is thin. But then again, Led Zeppelin's relationship with the media were like the Korean DMZ. Rarely did the two peacefully co-exist, so you can't blame the author for thin reference sources. I've read this book three times, it's admittedly my favorite Rock Bio, but I certainly recognize its flaws. But the thing that I admire most is that Davis never forgets Zeppelin's music. One can see that he so obviously loves their music and admires their musicianship and prowess, it's just that he is less enamored with their personal conduct. It's been almost 20 years since it's publication and it is still the best Zep bio by all odds.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: Hammer of the Gods was interesting. I loved reading it...couldnt put it down, being an outrageous fan, but keeping in mind that most of it was probably fabricated. Only God knows how this book was published because the band claims to not have known the author that well, but it really plays up the "aura" of Zeppelin rather than the actual everyday activities that filled up the other 75% of their decade. Without a doubt their reign was full of events inconveivable to the common person, but that seems to be all that was focused on in the book...maybe that's why it was so damn good, however, I take away two stars for the amount of glitter the book contained.
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