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What Does This Button Do? audiobook

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What Does This Button Do? Audiobook Summary

A long-awaited memoir from the larger-than-life, multifaceted lead vocalist of Iron Maiden, one of the most successful, influential and enduring rock bands ever.

Pioneers of Britain’s nascent Rock & Metal scene back in the late 1970s, Iron Maiden smashed its way to the top, thanks in no small part to the high-octane performances, operatic singing style, and stage presence of its second, but twice-longest-serving, lead singer, Bruce Dickinson. As Iron Maiden’s front man–first from 1981 to 1993, and then from 1999 to the present–Dickinson has been, and remains, a man of legend.

But OTT front man is just one of the many hats Bruce wears. In addition to being one of the world’s most storied and well-respected singers and songwriters, he is an airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, motivational speaker, beer brewer, novelist, radio presenter, and film scriptwriter. He has also competed as a world-class level fencer. Often credited as a genuine polymath Bruce, in his own words (and handwritten script in the first instance!), sets forth many personal observations guaranteed to inspire curious souls and hard-core fans alike.

Dickinson turns his unbridled creativity, passion, and anarchic humour to reveal some fascinating stories from his life, including his thirty years with Maiden, his solo career, his childhood within the eccentric British school system, his early bands, fatherhood and family, and his recent battle with cancer.

Bold, honest, intelligent and very funny, his memoir is an up-close look inside the life, heart, and mind of one of the most unique and interesting men in the world; a true icon of rock.

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What Does This Button Do? Audiobook Narrator

Bruce Dickinson is the narrator of What Does This Button Do? audiobook that was written by Bruce Dickinson

Bruce Dickinson has been the lead singer of Iron Maiden for more than thirty years, and has pursued a successful a solo career, as well as a host of interests beyond music. Iron Maiden has sold over 90 million albums & performed over 2000 shows worldwide, making them one of the most successful rock acts of all time. He lives in London, England.

About the Author(s) of What Does This Button Do?

Bruce Dickinson is the author of What Does This Button Do?

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What Does This Button Do? Full Details

Narrator Bruce Dickinson
Length 11 hours 6 minutes
Author Bruce Dickinson
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date October 31, 2017
ISBN 9780062695123

Subjects

The publisher of the What Does This Button Do? is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Genres & Styles, Heavy Metal, Music

Additional info

The publisher of the What Does This Button Do? is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062695123.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

L.

September 21, 2018

I haven’t read many autobiography books. This is one that is 100% worth reading!What’s it about?The frontman of Iron Maiden (the best band ever) talks about his life and his music. Why it gets 5 stars:The story is very interesting. The pre-Maiden stuff is like the origin story of a musical superhero and it is great! The stuff about Iron Maiden is freaking awesome. The stuff that is about things in Bruce’s life outside of Iron Maiden are often interesting too, Dickinson is an interesting man with an exciting life story.This book is often humorous.A lot of parts of this book are extremely exciting. The craziest part is definitely (view spoiler)[ that time Iron Maiden had a gig in a war zone! (hide spoiler)] HOLY SHIT IT’S ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST MUSIC STORY I EVER HEARD!I learned more about not only Dickinson, but also Iron Maiden which is what I hoped for so... awesome!Dickinson is also the narrator of the audiobook and it is fantastic! It is awesome because you are hearing someone tell their story. I’ll put it this way, I normally don’t bother paying extra for an audio edition of a book, even if the narrator does a good job. This one however, if I end up adding it to my collection, which I’m sure I will at some point, I might actually pay extra for the audiobook because it’s so awesome hearing Dickinson tell this story.Overall:If you’re an Iron Maiden fan, read this. If you’re not an Iron Maiden fan... uhh... who the hell doesn’t like Iron Maiden?If I did have any complaints it would be that you can’t have Iron Maiden cranked up while listening to an audiobook. Well, you can, but it would mess up the experience.So yeah. I highly recommend this one, a must read for fans of Iron Maiden! So I suggest you go to your local bookstore or library and...(In the tune of Run To The Hills)RUN TO THE SHELVES!FOR THIS DELIGHT!THIS BOOK EARNS MY...FIVE OUT OF FIVE!

Stephen

December 02, 2017

This bring back so meny happy public school days for me as I read it.Bruce end up at Oundle public school were he was bullied day in & nights. Unlike me who if anything I was more the bully. At school I was very popular because I lived in sweet shop & always had tuck box full of stuff from the shop that sold for favours so no one but no want to upset the free sweets.One boy did & I was told the broken nose & two black eyes & broken arm when slipped in the shower was his fault.He was school sneak which made very unpopular with both the boys & the headmaster.He finally was black balled one night & expelled the next day in front of whole school & cained 6 of the best for been dirty sneak.He was most unpopular boy ever.An American who only lasted one term who got sent to Coventry for not putting money in the tin for a poppy. This book brings the t all back.Like time Bruce put two ton of horse shit delivered to his house masters door..Sarajevo in middle of war Into The Fire very interesting chapter of what not to do that both Moterhead & Metlaca said no to.They had lot more senses but lot less spunk. His battle with the big C ends the book.For me I enjoyed this but I think he could like lot of music Bios do changed the record & added few photos of his family & his school. He only mentions one girl nothing about if he has ever married way doesn't talk about his life you think he was a closet virgin.

Whispering

October 02, 2018

Book Reviewed by Steve on www.whisperingstories.comBruce Dickinson is the iconic front-man to heavy metal band Iron Maiden. His journey through life thus far has been filled with adventure and challenges. Not only is Bruce the lead singer of the most famous metal band to come from the UK, but also a world-class fencer, airline pilot, brewer, author (not just this book!), amongst other things. The man is legendary!If you are looking for a warts-and-all look at Iron Maiden, dishing dirt along the way, you will be disappointed. This book simply isn’t that. Instead, “What Does This Button Do?” provides a tremendous insight into who Bruce Dickinson is. With stories starting from his school days, this autobiography pretty much follows the timeline of his life, showing how he got involved with Iron Maiden, taking you on a journey with the band, even through war-torn Sarajevo for a gig!In between albums and tours, Bruce learns how to fly, starting out in light planes (almost losing one in bad weather), through to Boeing airlines. Juggling that, the book mentions his attempts to improve his skills as a fencer whenever the opportunity arose.There is a mention of Bruce’s battle with cancer (throat) towards the end of the book. This is sensitively handled given the subject matter, and I commend him on being so open and honest – many would shy away in the circumstances.The book is very well written and is full of humour – Bruce Dickinson is a very witty man and will make you laugh. The only downside to the book for me is the detail. Many of the subjects are almost glossed-over, but that isn’t all bad, and is very understandable. If he were to go into too much detail, the book would be longer than “War and Peace”! If you like Iron Maiden or have any interest in them at all, you would be a fool not to read it.

Ian

October 26, 2017

Bruce Dickinson's autobiography doesn't tell your usual rock'n'roll story. There's little in the way of hedonism here, Bruce is a man who'd rather learn how to fence, pilot a jumbo jet or write a best selling novel in his spare time. As the lead singer of best selling heavy metal band Iron Maiden he's accomplished an awful lot and it's all well told with a good sprinkling of humour here.He writes at his most passionate when discussing aviation, with memories of his first flights and hair raising trips. For me there was a lot less Iron Maiden than I'd have liked, often new albums and tours are brushed over in a paragraph. I was hoping for some more band anecdotes, and thoughts on the albums themselves. He's chosen to leave out his most personal details, there's nothing here on his marriage, divorce or children and frustratingly little on the relationship with the rest of his band, particularly the fractious time around the early 90s when he left Maiden. He hints at being displeased with the band's direction but I always got the impression from the media at the time that there was a little more going on. So don't expect much dirt to be dished (perhaps not surprisingly considering they're all happily together again now!).That said, it's a very entertaining read. The best chapters are the time he performed in war torn Bosnia and towards the end, as he battles and overcomes throat cancer. Whilst this may not have given me everything I wanted it is what it is and that's a well written, funny account of a man who has led a fascinating life.

William

May 28, 2020

A musician and true artist who also knows how to write a damn good book.

Niels

December 11, 2017

The story of a remarkable and talented human being. I have been an Iron Maiden fan for over thirty years and I have always enjoyed hearing interviews with Mr. Dickinson. Bruce Dickinson's tale takes you from his early childhood being raised by his grandparents and onto Private School, College, his time in Samson which lead to him joining Iron Maiden, one of the greatest metal bands of all time and his adventures as a pilot which took him all over the world. He tells his tale with humor and courage, even as he addresses his battle with cancer in the final chapter of the book. I must admit that I was shocked by the lack of debauchery in the book but then again Maiden always seemed a bit above that for the most part. There is some debauchery but not in the excess of Maiden's contemporaries. (Keep in mind that Iron Maiden introduced many young fans to Coleridge with "Rime of the ancient Mariner." Iron Maiden was a band that got kids into literature as opposed to drugs.)

Angelo

November 14, 2017

Fascinating anecdotes, nicely written and performed. Hey, I'm a fan.However, for my taste, the book is a little too "clean" and light on details. I know a lot about the stories Bruce tells to his buddies at a birthday party, but I don't really feel I _know_ Bruce now.

Jim

January 10, 2019

UP THE IRONS!!!!This book is an autobiography of the lead singer of the greatest metal band (this is a fact and not just an opinion) Iron Maiden. It tells about his time with the band, his love for fencing and piloting, and his battle with cancer.I have been a fan for the band for many, many years and reading this seemed like a no brainer. I am not the biggest fan of autobiography novels but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I think the aspect that I liked is how Bruce told the story. It wasn't loaded with dates or facts. It was more told as if he was telling me his story over a drink in a local bar. This way of telling the story made Bruce seem like a down to earth person and he seems approachable. I enjoyed that the whole book wasn't about his time with the band and it showed how he is proficient at other things. The only negative I had with this book was I can tell he is passionate about flying and he did seem to dwell on this too long for my taste.Non-fiction isn't my cup of tea but I enjoyed this. One doesn't have to be a fan of Iron Maiden to enjoy this as his story appeals to all music fans.

N.N.

February 05, 2018

Such a fantastic memoir! A must-read for every metalhead and fan of Iron Maiden!!My Rating: 5 stars

Sara

September 06, 2019

Dragi Bruce, dragi Maideni , hvala na predivnom koncertu u Areni Zagreb 2018.godine. Biti u toj divnoj gomili i zbog koncerta ostati bez glasa, fantastičan je osjećaj. Također, gledala sam i dokumentarac Scream for Me Sarajevo (preporuka svima koji još nisu gledali) koji prikazuje koliko si zapravo iskren i dobar čovjek, sa srcem djeteta. Što se tiče knjige, Bruce je ovdje pokazao ono najbolje od sebe. Svoju volju za životom, ljubav prema glazbi , ljubav prema sportu, ali i jedna velika znatiželja koja ga tjera da se okuša u stvarima koje nemaju veze s glazbom , kao što su pilotiranje ili proizvodnja piva.

Les

November 19, 2017

Ever since I heard the soaring vocals in the chorus of Iron Maiden's iconic tune Run to the Hills as an impressionable kid in the 80's, Bruce Dickinson has been in my head. I've been eager to read his autobiography, right from when it was announced that one of the most legendary metal vocalists of all time was going to tell of his life and career in his own words. Bruce is someone who I've always wanted to meet and share an ale and a yarn with, it always seemed to me as though he and I have a number of things in common. Bruce's story confirmed that, and as he explains the major events of his life I could see that we have a similar worldview in lots of ways. One thing that he has in truck loads, and that which I often lack, is confidence. By 'eck, this bloke has some confidence. This is evident from his career as the front man of Iron Maiden and also from his inspiring journey to becoming a commercial airline pilot. As a professional aircraft engineer of 20 years and currently also as a student pilot, I know how fraught with obstacles and trials the aviation industry is. Even so, this guy just walks up and says to himself "F@#k it, I'm gonna do that", and he does so, very successfully.Now to the book itself. It's written by Bruce's own hand in a very entertaining and vibrant style that reflects his personality and adds a rich layer to the stories. He doesn't go into all that many things in much depth or detail, but when taken as a whole life-story, he does a reasonable job of squeezing a lot into the book. What is noticeably absent from the book is anything of any real substance about other people. There's no relationship details, other than professional, with anybody whether it be band mates or family members. Initially I found this rather disappointing because I was looking forward to learning a bit about Bruce the family man, for example, but there's nothing like this in there anywhere. I've since seen a couple of interviews with Bruce where he addresses the issue and explains why he didn't wish to reveal personal details about others. I can see his point and generally agree with his reasoning, which shows him to quite clearly be a very private person, and all of that stuff is none of my business anyway. That said, this autobiography does seem a little incomplete without at least some of these details.He does spin some more detailed yarns about his flying exploits, which I found incredibly interesting. Again, I'm impressed with Bruce's confidence and tenacity as he tackles challenge after challenge. He's clearly very into what he does, whether it be flying any number of different aeroplanes, or crafting songs. In a word, inspirational. Toward the end of the book, there is one part of his life where Bruce does get quite candid, and that is the story of his battle with cancer. He opens up about his treatment and recovery enough for us to appreciate the depth of his struggle, and his stubborn grit shines through again as he just gets on with the job of kicking the big C into touch. Again, noticeably missing is where his family fitted into this picture.In summary, this is a good autobiography about a very interesting person. I enjoyed it immensely and drew inspiration from so many aspects of Bruce's journey through life. Essentially it's a good autobiography recounting Bruce's professional life and career(s), but what would've made it a great autobiography would be more depth to his personal story. For what it is, though, it's pretty solid and well worth a read.

Mike

November 15, 2017

If you think heavy metal is dead, think again. Bruce Dickinson tells his story of his life as the front man for Iron Maiden and all that goes into it. Including playing in front of crowds 250 thousand strong! (Try that you banjo-playing, whistling hipsters). He also ties in his growth of becoming an airline captain, a script writer, a fencer, and obviously an author. Bruce is full energy and inspiration and his writing nothing less than brilliant. I recommend the audio book. What delivery!666 Stars!

Davec

November 26, 2017

This book was not what I expected from an autobiography of a rock start frontman of one of the worlds most successful heavy metal bands. I always knew from interviews that Bruce Dickinson was never part of the party until near-dead self-destructive personality that describes many others who have had great success in that genre, but in this book he shows himself to be a highly intelligent multi-faceted individual who also happens to be a frontman for one of the worlds most successful heavy metal bands. I found it highly entertaining and funny a lot of the time.However, one thing I do say I missed a bit is some of the deeper story on his relationship with the rest of the members of Iron Maiden and how that impacted each of the albums. I understand he was taking the high road by not going into too much detail about those things - the dirt as we call it. On the other, I think there was a lot going on behind the scenes that caused the band to divide after recording the classic "Seventh Son" album up to his exit after recording "Fear of the Dark", and as a self-interested reader I would have loved to learn a bit more about that.Still, this was a highly enjoyable read and I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of Iron Maiden or heavy metal in general.

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