John Lennon Did Not Die a Slow Death: Dislodging an Urban Legend About a Legend (And 9 Other Stories) Paperback – August 16, 2013

Jim O'Donnell's "John Lennon Did Not Die a Slow Death" is a rather inelegantly titled book because there is more to the book. It contains nine more articles on everyone from the rock `n' roll trinity of Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, to Elvis, Alan Freed, a much overlooked personage in the history of rock `n' roll.Being only a casual fan of The Beatles I was a bit nonplussed by the title story which debunks the myth that John Lennon was able to respond to police en-route to the hospital after being shot on December 8, 1980. This might be an important distinction for hardcore Beatles/Lennon fans, but it seems the tragedy of Lennon, who worked towards goals of love and peace became the first rock `n' roll assassination. This is the larger picture to remember.O'Donnell who has been writing about rock `n' roll since 1969, and is an acolyte of Richard Goldstein, who was one of the first rock writers to consider rock `n' roll an art form worthy of serious critique and criticism. O'Donnell's credentials range from books on McCartney and Lennon to Queen, and the articles contained in "John Lennon Did Not Die a Slow Death" are contemporaneously written articles. The article on Jim Morrison was written on the day his death was announced in the U.S. The article on Elvis is nothing short of a stunning review and summing up of Elvis' career to that point (1974)."John Lennon Did Not Die a Slow Death" is a fast read coming in at about sixty pages. However, the articles are congruent, insightful pieces and I'll take O'Donnell's sixty pages over other writer's couple of hundred pages any time.

How this ever got to be made into a book I'll never know. Thankfully it didn't cost much or I would be upset. It was, However, reassuring to learn that John Lennon didn't die a slow death. It was the only thing worth reading about, I had no interest in any of the other chapters on other people. Again, I'm glad it was a cheap book.

This book, or at least My download, stops halfway thru. Nothing but a few blank pages starting at the Frank Zappa chapter. I am trying to return it but I'm being blocked.

heartbreaking, should never ever had happened. Felt it was a little but much, shocking, so many things didn't match to what I read after is death.

This short ebook must qualify for one of the worst ever titles I have ever seen. In fact, had I not known that the author, Jim O'Donnell was a respected author/journalist, who wrote the excellent, "The Day John Met Paul", as well as books about Queen, I probably wouldn't have even considered downloading it. However, despite the initial shocking title, the book actually consists of articles on several people related to the world of music. There is a piece written about Jim Morrison on the day he died, profiles of Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Frank Zappa and Bill Haley. There is also an article on Alan Freed, the famous American DJ, a review of a Dick Clark Special and a piece about the respected author and journalist Ray Coleman; who wrote biographies of both John Lennon and Paul McCartney and who was one of the Beatles inner circle.However, it was the title piece which interested me the most and which will certainly catch the eye of Beatles fans. It concerns the myths which arose after Lennon's assassination, after which it was said that he lived long enough to speak to officers as they took him to hospital (his injuries were so extensive that officers decided not to wait for an ambulance and, when injuries are so traumatic, those attending the scene try to keep victims conscious by asking questions such as, "Do you know what your name is?" or asking them to squeeze their hands or blink). Did John Lennon speak to officers on the way to hospital? Was he conscious during the trip to the hospital? Jim O'Donnell tracks down the front office clerk at the Dakota, the two police officers who carried Lennon to the car, those officers who transported him to hospital as well as a bystander and those who attended him at the hospital. It is an interesting piece of research and well written, but I would please ask the author to change the title of the book to a less emotive/shocking title. If you do download/like this short ebook, and are a Beatles fan, I would urge you to read O'Donnell's "The Day John Met Paul", which is a wonderful book - part fact and part fiction and paints an evocative picture of that day.

I am not going to slam the writer. For the price it is like a nice fireside chat on a number of music figures. And there is nothing wrong with that.If you read a considerable amount of exceptional authors in the music genre-you will find the content tedious and a challenge.O'Donnell has heart and that is why I am giving it three stars and the Kindle price seems fair.If you read Rock Roadie- by Tappy Wright, Hendrix was murdered by the mob and Jimi who was strong as a bull-did not die from wine and sleeping pills.There are a few gems here and I liked the chapter on author Ray Coleman.The nutjob title is appropiate since the book is uneven with strange tangents. Worth a read but keep your expections low. Kudos for the effort.

Morbid curiousity led me here but I was disappointed. There are no new facts here. The only part of the oft-told story disputed by O'Donnell is whether John Lennon was still able to groan while he was being placed in the police car before he exsanguinated on the war to Roosevelt Hospital. Given that Lennon was able to stagger up 6 steps immediately after being shot in the back, sadly it seems _entirely_ possible that he did indeed remain conscious and in agony for a couple of minutes or more. This is confirmed by O'Donnell's own medical witnesses. There's nothing to back up the central thesis but wishful thinking and some rambling about how Bob Dylan misheard the lyrics of I Want To Hold Your Hand.

NOT WHAT I THOUGHT,