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John Bonham's life may have been tragically cut short, but he left behind a legacy as one of the most important, well-known, and influential drummers in rock. As Adam Budofsky, managing editor of Modern Drummer, explained, "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham."


And while no shortage of writing exists documenting Led Zeppelin and its iconic place in rock music's canon, Bonham's story often sits in the shadow of Robert Plant and Jimmy Page's showmanship, reserved as the tragedy waiting to happen that would mark the band's end. C.M. Kushins's BEAST: John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin promises to be the first book to focus in on the life of the drummer who gave Zeppelin its heavy, singular, and unmistakable sound on songs like "When the Levee Breaks" and "Kashmir."


Kushins delivers a definitive and comprehensive account of Bonham, covering his entire life from his humble beginnings in Worcestershire, England; to his early and non-formal passion for drumming, to joining Led Zeppelin and experiencing their overnight ascent to stardom; to the adrenaline-soaked life of excess Bonham and the band took up, leading to his slide into alcoholism and anxiety that culminated with his tragic death in 1980.


Dave Grohl penned the foreword to BEAST, offering a loving account of the impact hearing Bonham had on him and the ineffable feel great drummers like Bonham bring to their music, making it their own sound in a way both immediately recognizable and utterly irreplicable.