Description

AN UNCUT BOOK OF THE YEAR
AN EVENING STANDARD BEST NON-FICTION PICK
A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

Chaos and debauchery defined Baxter Dury’s turbulent childhood. Abandoned by his punk rock star dad Ian Dury in the late 80s, Baxter was left in the hands of the Sulphate Strangler: a volatile, six-foot-seven drug dealer who lived up to his name. What could possibly go wrong?

In a period that we can now only imagine, a young Baxter ricocheted from one adventure to the next, narrowly swerving one disaster only to collide with another. Chaise Longue is an intimate account of those escapades, evocatively illuminating a bohemian west London populated with feverishly grubby characters. Narrated in Dury’s candid tone, both sad and funny, this moving story will leave an indelible imprint on its readers.

‘Wild, exhilarating and very funny’ Sunday Times

‘A must-read for pop culture fans’ The Times

‘Unflinching’ Observer

‘Razor sharp and side-splitting throughout, [this] is one rock autobiography not to miss’ Mojo

‘Amusing, alarming and subtly sad, punctuated by mind boggling anecdotes related with nuance and zest’ Daily Telegraph

Publisher Review

Number 10 in Uncut Book of the Year 2021 'Beautifully deadpan' * The Times, Books of the Year 2021 * 'A must-read for pop culture fans' * Evening Standard Best Non-fiction 2021 * 'This unflinching memoir by singer Baxter Dury, son of Ian, recalls his chaotic family life with the 'pot-soaked Fagin' and his bodyguard...[It] is written with linguistic gusto. His father would be made up' * Observer * 'A compact book crammed with details about a particular periods of Baxter's life, there is less a whiff on nonsense and more of authenticity' * The i * 'Wonderfully wild' * DIY * 'A bright, bruising account of growing up in the blast zone of a chaotic parent. Chaise Longue is wild, exhilarating and very funny' * The Sunday Times * 'A fascinating and thought-provoking read' * Louder Than War * 'Fittingly chaotic and non-linear, but razor sharp and side-splitting throughout, Chaise Longue is one rock autobiography not to miss - a Withnail & I-style cult classic in waiting' * Mojo * 'Chaise Longue is a short, amusing, alarming and subtly sad memoir, punctuated by mind-boggling anecdotes related with nuance and zest' * The Daily Telegraph * 'Enthralling and moving. It is funny and sad in equal measure' * Quiet Days * 'It's an honest account of a difficult and at times slightly insane upbringing, which refreshingly these days was all written by Baxter himself in his own unique voice' * The Malestrom * 'Not unlike Ian Dury's nuanced musical portrait of his own father, "My Old Man", Chaise Longue fathoms Baxter Dury's complicated upbringing in the company of his dad and minder Pete Rush, a "six-foot-seven malodorous giant" better known as the Sulphate Strangler. "There was no school, there were no rules about drinking, there was no dinner," Baxter writes. No boots, no clean panties' * Uncut's Best Music Books of 2021 *